The Day of Departure (
Synopsis[]
Gon catching the Master of the Swamp
It's first stated that there exist strange creatures, secret treasures, and unexplored places in the world and that individuals called Hunters are captivated by this mysterious unknown. On Whale Island, a young boy is seen sitting high up in a tree and waiting to catch a creature with his fishing rod. Once the lure bobs in the water below, the boy grips the fishing rod tightly and tries his best to hold on as the creature moves on the hook. He bides his time and suddenly lifts up on the line, sending the enormous creature into the air as he celebrates.
Carrying the fish on his back, the boy happily returns to town and sets his catch down in front of a gathering crowd. The onlookers are impressed that the Master of the Swamp has finally been caught, with one man adding that he thought it wouldn't happen for years. The boy turns to his aunt named Mito and tells her that she has to keep her end of the deal, holding out an application card for the Hunter Exam. With Mito appearing worried, two men assure her that it's just an exam and that Gon can definitely pass it, causing her to angrily rebuke them. Gon is seen still holding out the application and again reminds Mito of their deal.
Gon preparing to submit his application for the Hunter Exam
Letting out a sigh, Mito signs the application for him before returning home, with Gon thanking her and happily running in the opposite direction. Inside their house, Mito is left distraught with her hands over her face as an old woman looks at a picture of a man in front of a motorcycle and says that blood will tell. Mito then slams her fists down on the table and points out that she never told Gon that his father was a Hunter and that Gon never asked, wondering why he is so eager to become one as well. The old woman replies that while it wasn't a big secret, it doesn't matter why, and that she knew the day would come, adding that she can tell by the gleam in his eyes how much determination Gon has.
Elsewhere on the island, Gon tells himself that while Mito tried to keep it quiet, he learned about his father a long time ago. After taking the application to a small console along the road, Gon heads further into the woods and lets out a whistle, causing a large creature to suddenly appear and happily embrace him as the two fall into the nearby stream. With his clothes hanging up to dry above a small fire, Gon uses his fishing rod to catch fish. With the creature happily eating one, Gon holds a small card in his hand and looks at it intently as the shadow of an angry creature appears metaphorically on his head.
Kite protecting Gon from an adult foxbear
In a flashback to three years earlier, an angry creature roars at Gon in the woods as he lies crying on the ground with a wound to his left shoulder. With a cub standing behind it, the creature prepares to strike Gon with one of its claws, but a man with a katana suddenly appears and stops its claw with the sheathed weapon as a small card falls from his person. Preparing to unsheathe the sword, he recognizes that the animal is a foxbear with a cub and that any creature who tries to kill a human must be put down, suddenly killing the adult foxbear with a single strike. He asks Gon if he can stand, and as Gon approaches him holding his injured shoulder, the man punches him and sends him flying back, angrily calling him an idiot for wandering around a Snakebeech Forest at that time of year. He points to the foxbear's territorial markings on a nearby tree and wonders if his father even taught him anything, adding that a speckled squirrel's warning call made him aware of the attack and lamenting that he had to pointlessly kill an animal.
Gon then tells the man that both his father and mother died in an accident after he was born, adding that he lives with his aunt. The man shows some sympathy and tosses Gon an antiseptic for his wound before approaching the cub near its mother's body. As the cub angrily roars at them and its fur bristles, Gon asks what he plans to do with it, and the man quickly replies that he will have to put it down as well, explaining that it will starve to death since it hasn't been weaned or that it could hold a grudge against humans if it does manage to survive. Gon quickly runs toward the cub and holds it in his arms, offering to take care of it. The man tries to explain that foxbears are completely wild, and the cub then begins to claw into Gon's right arm as the boy turns toward the man with tears and a determined gleam in his eyes.
Kite telling Gon about Ging
Taken aback, the man asks Gon if his father was named Ging. After Gon puts down the cub and asks him if he knows his father, the man reveals that his father is the reason he's there on the island, explaining that he came to his birthplace looking for leads. The two sit down on a log, and the man tells Gon that he is a Hunter named Kite. He explains that Ging is his teacher and that his final test involves finding him. He continues by saying that there's no other Hunter like Ging and that he would've died long ago if he hadn't met him. As the two continue to happily talk, Kite assures Gon that Ging is alive and that his aunt only wanted to protect him by not telling him the truth. He tells Gon that blood tells and that he can easily see that he is Ging's son, finally adding that all good Hunters get along well with animals before taking his leave. The foxbear cub then playfully approaches Gon as the small card that fell from Kite rests in the grass nearby.
Back in the present, Gon holds the card in his hand and sits up, telling the now older foxbear named Kon that he is going to be a Hunter. He explains that Hunters sometimes do things that animals don't like or even hate, adding that an animal who befriends a Hunter can't be king of the forest. Gon gives Kon this title and says that he doesn't want it to change, asking if he understands. Kon stares at Gon before turning and walking away. Gon is left unsure, but several animals of the forest suddenly appear with Kon. Gon then happily says goodbye to Kon and tells him that he rules as Kon and the other animals wave goodbye.
Gon showing his determination to become a Hunter
After sprinting back home, Gon finds Mito drinking before she quickly asks him when he leaves. Gon’s reply is the first of next week, and Mito understands that he knew his father's profession all along. She then asks him if he knows that Ging left him with her when he was still a baby, wondering if he still plans to leave. However, Gon unexpectedly replies that being a Hunter must be so important that family comes second. With Mito quickly turning around to look at him and her glass crashing, Gon smiles and adds that weaklings aren't able to become Hunters. Taken aback by Gon’s comments, Mito storms off and says that he really is Ging's son, slamming the door to her room. Gon cleans up the spilled drink and apologizes to Mito internally, but repeats that he is Ging's son. He then remembers Kite's words about passing Ging's final test and that Ging is unlike any other Hunter.
With Gon intent on finding his father, the day of his departure arrives and he makes his way to the harbor. One of the townspeople gives him a gift, and another tells him to take care of himself. Mito suddenly appears at the dock, and Gon happily runs toward her, thanking her for everything. Mito quickly apologizes before telling Gon that she lied about Ging abandoning him, revealing that she made Ging give him up. Gon replies that he guessed it was the case and, as Mito embraces him, that she never looks him in the eye when she lies.
Gon saying goodbye to Mito
Once aboard the ship, Gon waves goodbye to Mito and confidently tells her that he will come back as a great Hunter. With the ship moving further and further away from Whale Island, one of the applicants chuckles and mocks Gon's words, pointing out that the dozen of them on the deck are only a fraction of those who apply for the yearly exam and that only a handful of those are accepted. The man then tells Gon that even if he gets accepted, the exam will most likely be the last thing he attempts in his life, adding that he shouldn't be so confident. With Gon now appearing uneasy, it's stated that Gon's journey to find his father and become a Hunter has begun. The captain's words about the journey being rough are quoted, and it's said that these linger in Gon's mind.
Characters in Order of Appearance[]
- Gon Freecss (Debut)
- Master of the Swamp (Debut)
- Mito Freecss (Debut)
- Ging and Mito's Grandmother (Debut)
- Ging Freecss (Image; Debut)
- Kon (Debut)
- Kite (Flashback; Debut)
- Noko (Debut)
Chapter Notes[]
- Hunters are defined as individuals captivated by the mysterious unknown.
- Aunt Mito agrees to let Gon take the Hunter Exam after he successfully catches the Master of the Swamp, a feat that five grown men could not achieve together.
- On Whale Island three years earlier, Gon meets with his father's apprentice, a Hunter named Kite.
- Kite tells Gon that his father is still alive.
- Kite's final test from Ging is to find him.
- Gon retrieved the Hunter License Kite had lost after his clash with the foxbear.
- Mito confesses to Gon that she forced Ging to give him up.
- Gon boards a ship to make his way to the site of the Hunter Exam.
Translations around the World[]
| Language | Name | |
|---|---|---|
 Brazilian Portuguese
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O Dia da Partida | |
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