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25 Years Later: "Three People? ✕ Five People? ✕ Last Choice"

The Path of Majority Rules finally reaches its conclusion.

After a series of individual battles marred by constant parallels, the climax occurs in something that feels both like a rushed event, something under constant pressure, as well as something long and drawn out. The tension rises and every last second is squeezed out from this event- quite literally at times. It is notable that in the manga Gon & crew got out with thirty seconds to spare, and in this one they barely squeezed by before the door closed.

That’s the entire idea with this episode- time. The mounting stress surrounds both the players involved, and the time remaining. Certainly the final choice would be easy, but with only an hour left they only have, seemingly, one choice available between a forty-five hour long path and one that takes only three minutes.

From there, the episode spends what feels like an eternity in this single room, a constant debate not surrounding what path to take, but who to leave behind. Gon’s hopeless optimism is endearing as always to the audience, but to some of the characters it has worn out its welcome, with even Killua expressing disbelief that he is insistent on everyone passing together. At times, it’s a remarkably out of character scenario for him, to be this headstrong for the whole group, which is why I must point out that most of this expanded conflict is anime original.

The anime takes two pages of concentrated debate and a lingering cliffhanger and expands it into the meat of this episode, the raw focus. The room descends into complete chaos with Tonpa egging on Leorio’s complexes, highlighting how they wouldn’t be in such a dire situation if he had been more useful, Leorio giving into such base taunts and proclaiming that he will only take the shorter ‘O’ path, Killua adding fuel to the fire by insisting on the shorter path, and Kurapika barely holding onto any civility as the emotions swirl around and around.

It’s a really great scene with lots of fun new ideas at play. The greatly expanded characterization of Tonpa especially adds to making this jaunt through Trick Tower feel like its own complete ‘arc’, one where the characters grew, learned more about each other, and came to almost start liking one another. Almost. Tonpa and Leorio may be sitting side by side in the final minutes, but they’re certainly still at each other’s throats and far from friends, but there is a degree of catharsis to the scene of Tonpa being unable to swing his axe at Gon, and later when he hugs Gon for finding the way out. His role as shit-stirrer in the manga sees this complete transformation- and while his later exit from the arc can be viewed as incongruent with this transformation, it is not one that changes his character, but rather enhances it.

The episode features plenty of added foreshadowing, as well as red herrings surrounding this expanded main scenario. Of note is the opening, minutes, which offer a glimpse into the fifty hours of confinement, and depict a main ‘trio’ of sorts. In what is honestly the realest depiction of a “casual Kurapika”, as well as some frankly absurd foreshadowing for events that would only be adapted months past this point, we see Killua playing a game, him introducing Gon to it (that’s the months later foreshadowing), and then Kurapika shows up and ruins all the fun the two boys were having by being a backseat gamer. It’s such an understated scene that really captures a lot of characterization in essentially four mostly still shots.

Another expansion that ties into that though is showing the group run through other tasks prior to the final challenge, and as the tasks round down we see the constant reminder of Tonpa’s dissent, amplifying Leorio’s later seething hatred at the second-to-last door, as well as a shot of Kurapika, Gon, and Leorio advancing, while Tonpa and Leorio are left straggling behind. These moments implant ideas in the head of the viewer, that these two exist outside this current main trio. Gon, Kurapika, and Killua, they’re all exceptions, but Leorio? He’s just a guy at the end of the day, with nothing notable to make him distinct, and when that decision comes, Tonpa’s taunting rings all the more true.

Why should Leorio be allowed to pass over anyone else there? What has he done and what can he truly offer? It might be harsh to point out, but it’s a genuine question Leorio has to contend with, and maybe one day, he’ll run into a wall that can only be surpassed by answering it. Maybe. A little chance that could happen.

Of course, all this drama, all these red herrings, all this tension, is defused by Gon. While Kurapika sought out civility, he couldn’t see another answer. His siding with Gon was done solely because he trusted in Gon’s instincts, but despite his worldly knowledge he couldn’t see such an obvious answer, and in another change from the manga, neither could Gon. The final conflict between Tonpa and Leorio descends into full blown combat, and Gon only sees the path forward through that, and that’s what rounds out the arc.

Through Tonpa’s deception and underhandedness, his desire to pull one over on everyone else and laugh at their defeat, the answer is shown, and the arc is rounded out. Gon’s raw instincts pay off time and time again, Killua and Kurapika both trounce their obstacles with sheer force, and Leorio used his doctor skills to patch over Kurapika’s failings. Now, Tonpa’s unique skillset has benefited the group, even if he didn’t intend to do that.

It’s a victory that feels truly deserving for a group that has spent this long together, and comes back to that catharsis I described earlier. Gon brought out the best in their group by seeing the hope for them to persevere, to see something more in the conflict Tonpa was continually creating, even if it’s purely incidental.

And so, the group manages to escape Trick Tower, harkening back to the red herrings mentioned previous with that trio of exceptional ones leading, while Leorio and Tonpa hang on for dear life. There’s even a final parallel, with their victory being shown in a room of similar design to the arena they had previously fought in, four torches around a faintly orange tiled floor. None of them are left in the darkness anymore, none of them were made to confront a great challenge alone- they all escaped together.

As a final note since I didn’t have anywhere else to put this, the 1999 anime continues its agenda of making Gon a more ‘moe’ character, this time by having him bid farewell to Lippo as the group moves onto their next exam. Which… is a bit odd since the next exam was opened by Lippo, and they didn’t get on an airship for it, it was right outside… eh, it’s probably nothing. Next time will be the iconic and totally manga accurate “Phase 3.5” Exam- the Battleship Island. You all remember that one, right?