Whale Island

Whale Island (くじら()島(とう)()()()()()()()(), Kujira-tō) is the hometown of Gon. Ging and his cousin Mito were both born and raised there as well.^[1][2]

Overview[]

Whale Island is largely visited as a small port for fishermen, with few actual residents living there. Gon and Noko are the only known children who currently live on the island.^[1]

With mountains on each side, the island is mostly forested and home to a number of creatures such as foxbear and the Speckled Squirrel, both of which inhabit a Snakebeech Forest.^[1]

Inhabitants[]

Active Deceased Former Unknown Animal

Whale Island Inhabitants
Ging Freecss	Gon Freecss	Mito Freecss	Ging and Mito's Grandmother	Noko
		Kon

Plot[]

Hunter Exam arc[]

On the island, with various small creatures seen in a marshy area, Gon can be seen sitting high up in a tree and waiting to catch a creature with his fishing rod. He eventually catches the Master of the Swamp and returns to town. After his aunt Mito signs his application for the Hunter Exam, Gon heads further into the woods and spends time with Kon as they eat fish together. Gon then remembers his encounter with Kite three years earlier when he first learned about his father Ging and Hunters. After saying goodbye to Kon and Mito, Gon boards a ship and leaves the island to find his father and become a Hunter.^[1]

After Gon reminds him of Ging, the ship's captain asks him if he left from Whale Island, and once it's confirmed, he asks about his father's trade.^[3] During the First Phase of the 287th Hunter Exam, Gon tells Killua about meeting Kite on Whale Island and the stories he told about Ging.^[4]

Heavens Arena arc[]

After Gon loses to Hisoka at Heavens Arena, Killua tells him that it's time for them to leave since they met all their goals, suggesting that they head to Gon's home next and adding that he wants to meet Mito. As Gon thinks of her, his great-grandmother, and Kon, he realizes that it's been seven months since he left the island. The two put on their backpacks and look up at the enormous tower, saying goodbye to Heavens Arena.^[5]

Yorknew City arc[]

After spending time with Mito and his great-grandmother, Gon takes Killua to the forest where he met Kite, talking about Kon and showing where they used to play. Killua spots fish laid out for them and guesses that it's a welcome back gift. The two then lie under the stars and discuss their plans for the future, with Gon eager to find Ging and Killua agreeing to come with him to discover what he wants to do. Gon also explains that even though he doesn't know his real mother, he considers Mito to be his mom. As the two continue to talk, Mito can be seen watching them from the bushes nearby and carrying a covered basket. Back at their house, Mito reveals a box left behind by Ging and agrees to tell Gon everything she knows about his father.^[6]

Mito and Gon's great-grandmother explain everything about Ging including his desire for something still unknown and why Mito got custody of Gon. The next morning, Gon and Killua are unable to open the box at first, but they eventually discover that using Nen around it causes it to open. They find a ring, cassette tape, and memory card inside, first listening to the tape and hearing a message left by Ging.^[2] Gon continues listening, and Ging explains that he doesn't want to see him and that he will have to catch him now that he's a Hunter. After the tape rewinds itself and erases the message, the two focus on the memory card, and Killua recognizes that it's for a game console called the JoyStation.^[7]

The two eventually discover that it's for a game called Greed Island, with Killua contacting his brother Milluki to learn more about it. Killua suggests using the Hunter Website to learn even more, but when Gon goes to use his Hunter License on his home computer, Killua quickly warns him that if his IP address were to leak, thieves would swarm the island looking for his license.^[8]

Greed Island arc[]

Back in Antokiba, Gon and Killua practice rock-paper-scissors for the upcoming tournament, with the latter becoming more and more frustrated at losing. Gon tells Killua about a trick that a fisherman who came to Whale Island taught him. A flashback to the fisherman, who tells Gon that the trick is to "prime" by saying, "Show me rock." He says that at the moment his opponent begins swinging his fist down, his hand will already start to take shape, with the hand opening ever so slightly if it's not rock. He adds that if it's closed or if he can see the hand, he should counter with a stronger move, telling him to use scissors otherwise and he will never lose. He continues by saying that by starting with the "show me rock" line, it will force his opponent to present his fist, making it easier to see and allowing one to win 90% of the time.^[9]

Chimera Ant arc[]

Gon tells[Kite that he dropped Ging's Hunter License when they first met on Whale Island. Gon says that he placed the license in his safe deposit box, alongside his own, in Yorknew City, which is quite far from their current location within the Kakin Empire. Kite tells Gon to hang on to the license and to give it back to Ging when they finally meet.^[10]

In a gym, Killua admits that Gon is amazing at handling Palm and asks if he has ever been on a date before. Gon confirms that he has, but that most of them were with Mito. Killua then asks who the others were, and Gon explains that sometimes ships with all-female crews would stop by the island and that some of them only like going out with younger guys, adding that these women are called cougars. He says that these cougars took him into town and taught him all kinds of things, leaving Killua in disbelief.^[11]

13^th Hunter Chairman Election arc[]

On Whale Island, Mito happily receives a postcard from Gon that shows the flight of Small-billed Swans behind him.^[12]

Succession Contest arc[]

After Ging tells him that he should be grateful that he turned back to normal and should use the time to discover what he can do as he is now, Gon returns to Whale Island and happily waves to Mito upon his arrival. The two are then seen folding laundry and making dinner before sitting down to eat with Gon's great-grandmother. After night falls and they wash the dishes, they sit down with tea and snacks. Mito asks if he didn't want to travel with Ging, and Gon replies that he might have gone with him if he had met him while he could still use Nen. He adds that it wasn't that he wanted to see Ging, remembering that his goal had only been to find him. He says that while he had fun talking to him and was happy to meet him, Ging is closer to an awesome uncle than a dad. Mito confirms that Ging doesn't know how and isn't willing to be a father. Gon realizes the connection between them and wonders if he wasn't cut out to be a son. Mito quickly apologizes and begins to call Ging a jerk, but Gon assures her that he was joking.^[13]

Gon then says that he never considered staying with Ging just because he was his father, reiterating that he would have wanted to go with him if he had been able to use Nen and had felt how powerful he was. He adds that it was chaotic when they met and that he couldn't feel his aura at all. Mito smiles and says that now that he's back to normal, he has to face reality. She suddenly slams down two tall stacks of papers and says he was exempt from many things when working as a Hunter. She first tells him to write an 8,000 to 10,000-word report on what he's been doing, write a resume, and make thirty copies. She then shows him the test from a correspondence school for the scholastic achievement certificate that they need to send to social services and the education bureau, adding that there are four semesters' worth of textbooks. With Gon left in disbelief, Mito points out that kids who go to school have to deal with considerably more.^[13]

Trivia[]

Anime and Manga Differences[]

• In the 1999 anime adaptation, the island's whale shape faces the right side^[14] (from the point of view of the audience), whereas in the manga and 2011 anime adaptation it faces the left side.^[1][15]
• In Episode 2 of the 1999 anime adaptation, both Kurapika and Leorio are shown boarding the ship to Dolle Harbor from Whale Island. In other media, only Gon boards from Whale Island.

References[]