Compared to Arcane's reception in Japan, the controversy it sparked overseas was even more intense.
Although Arcane had been a global hit across all regions in Rei's previous life, its visual style, themes, and narrative structure were inherently more accessible to Western audiences. In contrast, when One-Punch Man first aired, its overseas viewership grew far more slowly than it did in Japan. This time, however, the situation was reversed.
At the start of the season, Hunter × Hunter and Blade of No Light were already available on overseas streaming platforms, video sites, and television channels. Because Arcane spent its first two episodes on world-building and setup, its early performance overseas actually lagged behind both series.
But everything changed after episode three.
Once the third episode aired, Arcane surged straight to the top of the charts in most overseas markets, overtaking both Hunter × Hunter and Blade of No Light in viewership and engagement.
Large numbers of overseas anime fans even bypassed regional restrictions to visit Japanese forums, flooding Rei's personal accounts and Illumination Animation's boards with messages of support. Japanese fans stared blankly at walls of English comments, while some playful users tried chatting about the plot in broken English, turning the forums into an unexpected cross-cultural exchange.
In the days that followed, episode four of Arcane aired.
The story jumped forward several years, revealing adult versions of Jinx and Vi.
Thanks to hextech crystals, Jayce and Viktor successfully developed the Hexgates, strategic transportation hubs that enabled levitation-based transit and dramatically increased the speed of trade and material movement. In a steam-age world, the significance of such technology was self-evident.
As usual, the episode focused on laying groundwork for the next phase of the story.
Although the research was completed jointly, Viktor's Zaunite origins, introverted nature, and physical disability meant Piltover's elite credited all achievements to Jayce alone. He was pushed forward as the city's "Man of Tomorrow," while Viktor's contributions were quietly erased.
Only a female lab assistant at Piltover University recognized Viktor's talent and stood by him, gradually becoming his closest ally.
The episode also showcased new hextech inventions.
Gauntlets powered by hextech crystals, capable of shattering rock walls with a single punch, were developed for mining. A mechanical arm capable of firing cutting lasers was created to aid craftsmen in heavy industrial work.
However, having lived for centuries and keenly aware of the dangers involved, Heimerdinger opposed releasing these inventions to the public. His insistence on restraint clashed sharply with Jayce and Viktor's belief that such technology could benefit humanity, creating growing tension within Piltover's leadership.
Meanwhile, in Zaun, Jinx, now Silco's adopted daughter, had become his most dangerous enforcer. She carried out bombings, hijacked cargo airships, and committed acts of terror across both cities. Her volatile personality and exceptional technical skill made her Silco's deadliest weapon.
Opposing her were the Firelights, led by Ekko. With his father figure Benzo killed by Silco, Ekko was determined to bring him down. His feelings toward Jinx were deeply conflicted, she had once been his childhood crush, yet now stood as his sworn enemy.
By the end of episode four, the central figure linking Piltover and Zaun reemerged: Vi.
As Jinx's crimes escalated beyond tolerance, Piltover's leaders dispatched Caitlyn to seek out Vi, arranging for her release in exchange for helping track down her sister.
By this point, nearly all major characters of the first season had appeared.
With weekly episodes exceeding forty minutes, viewers had ample time to grasp the world-building, relationships, and intersecting storylines.
While Arcane was dominating discussion across the animation world, events at the Hoshimori Group were unfolding in parallel.
The Greed Island arc of the Hunter × Hunter manga officially concluded.
Although initially criticized for its complex mechanics and the abrupt shift from Nen battles to card-based gameplay, reader sentiment improved dramatically once the arc finished. What had once been seen as flaws were now praised as imaginative world-building and bold experimentation.
The only lingering dissatisfaction concerned the arc's antagonist, Genthru.
Unlike previous villains such as Hisoka or the Phantom Troupe, characters who combined power with charisma, Genthru was widely regarded as petty and despicable. Relying on ambushes, deceit, and assassination, he lacked any personal magnetism, leaving readers with the sense that the arc began brilliantly but ended on a weaker note.
Nevertheless, after the Greed Island arc concluded, the anime's rising popularity continued to feed back into the manga. The average per-volume sales of Hunter × Hunter climbed once more, officially reaching 18.5 million copies.
The winter season had only just completed its first month, yet the overall structure of Japan's ACG market was already clear.
There was still no one who could truly challenge Shirogane.
Across Japan's ACG industry, creators and companies alike were beginning to feel an intense, almost suffocating pressure.
Japan had never lacked gifted creators, but most of them burned bright for one or two hit works before fading away. Sustained success was rare.
Shirogane was different.
From Hikaru no Go to the present, his peak had already lasted two or three years. If this continued, wouldn't the entire ACG world be forced to place him on a pedestal?
Yet there was nothing his competitors could do. If their works couldn't compete, complaints were meaningless.
Even Rei's close friends were left feeling dazed.
"Out of the fifty-seven countries where Arcane has aired overseas, it's already ranked first in twenty-eight," Miyu said, staring at the international data in disbelief. "Is this anime really that appealing to foreign audiences?"
To be honest, Miyu wasn't fond of heavily plot-driven anime. She admitted that Arcane was extremely well produced, but from the first four episodes alone, she could already tell that very few characters were headed toward happy endings.
The seeds were everywhere: sisters destined to oppose each other, brothers drifting apart, masters betrayed by disciples, fathers turning against daughters. Ordinary viewers might not notice, but as a manga creator, she was acutely sensitive to such foreshadowing.
"Existence itself is the answer," Miyu said quietly. "It means Rei predicted this reception from the beginning, he believed the market could accept a story like this."
Still, her attention soon shifted to the manuscript resting in her hands.
The chapter described the Chimera Ant Queen, who had secretly crossed from the Dark Continent into the human world.
"The Ant Arc?" Misaki asked, startled. "This is the next Hunter × Hunter chapter?"
"Yes," Rei replied with a nod.
With the New Year approaching, most of Hoshimori Group's staff were already on holiday. Misaki should have been the one to collect the manuscript herself, but Rei didn't mind, he came personally, bringing New Year's gifts along with the draft.
Misaki studied the pages carefully.
For long-running manga, editors feared nothing more than the start of a new arc.
A hundred chapters could build popularity, but a single bad chapter could destroy it.
A classic example was 0.5 Satoru.
For Hunter × Hunter, now the magazine's flagship title, Misaki couldn't afford the slightest carelessness.
Very few top-tier manga in Japan managed to conclude while retaining universal praise. Creators were only human; even geniuses could lose their way. One misstep was enough to shatter a reputation.
Even Rei was no exception to that risk.
"Do you really think this arc works?" Misaki asked after a moment. "Humans versus ants… isn't that a bit too abstract?"
Rei took a sip of tea, then spoke softly.
"This is the most brilliant arc of the entire manga," he said. "And also… the final arc I've planned."
The words struck like a thunderbolt.
...
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