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Hunter x Hunter chapter 397 was officially released on Sunday, December 4. The issue continues with the Phantom Troupe origin story during their younger days in Meteor City. Following last week’s issue which saw Sarasa kidnapped, this latest installment sees the Phantom Troupe realize her absence and begin looking for her.
Hunter x Hunter chapter 397 also shows how Chrollo and the other members of the Troupe were such a unifying force for Meteor City. Even as kids before their plans to restructure the city from the ground up, they still seemingly had the support of adults, children, and everyone in between at such a young age.
Follow along as this article fully breaks down Hunter x Hunter chapter 397.
Hunter x Hunter chapter 397 shows the formation of the Phantom Troupe as they are today
The show must go on…?
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Hunter x Hunter chapter 397 begins in Meteor City at the church, where a showing of the Clean-Up Rangers is about to begin. Some of the performance groups are concerned because of the absences of Franklin, Nobunaga, and Saras. However, Uvogin points out that Sarasa is always present at least 15 minutes before the show starts.
Chrollo decides to go look for her, with Sheila tagging along since the former has never met Sarasa’s nannies before. Phinks also tags along, with the three then heading to her hamlet in Meteor City, learning that no one there has seen her since yesterday. Meanwhile, at the church, the crowd is growing restless, with Chrollo’s group confirming that no one knows where she is.
Phinks points out that wherever she is, she’s likely alone, as Uvogin says that she most likely went looking for some tapes based on their conversation yesterday. Pakunoda, Sheila, Feitan, Phinks, Uvogin, Nobunaga, Franklin, Shalnark, and Machi all look to Chrollo for direction. The young boy then steps out in front of the crowd, generating thunderous applause from them.
Hunter x Hunter chapter 397 then sees Chrollo announce that today’s showing is postponed, explaining how Sarasa has been missing since yesterday with no one seeing her since. He then explains how child abductions have been increasing, sharing that despite understanding this, he let her go home alone. He says he takes full responsibility for the situation, gripping his shorts out of tension as he does so.
Hunter x Hunter chapter 397 then sees Chrollo say that the show will be postponed so they can focus on finding Sarasa. Someone from the crowd calls out to Chrollo, calling him “Red,” because he plays the red Clean-Up Ranger. He says that he’ll help look for Sarasa too, prompting several others in the crowd to volunteer for the search party.
Chrollo thanks them before saying it’s too dangerous, but he’s interrupted by Uvogin, who gladly takes their help and enlists more. He even uses Chrollo’s reputation to get local factory worker groups involved, while Phinks hypes the crowd up and says they should go look for and find Sarasa.
Hunter x Hunter chapter 397 then sees Phinks tell Chrollo to use his motorbike and go with Uvogin, with the lattermost telling the young boy to stop crying and that they’ll find her. A teary-eyed Chrollo says he’s right, as the issue then begins showing the search party’s efforts.
Hunter x Hunter chapter 397: Too little, too late
The issue then sees Uvogin and Chrollo riding through various dumps on Phinks’ motorbike, occasionally stopping to check maps and talk to people in the area. Pakunoda, Phinks, and other young Phantom Troupe members are off, looking in other areas such as fields of vegetables and local dumps.
Chrollo and Uvogin then stumble upon a heart necklace which Sarasa had always been seen wearing. After picking it up, Chrollo guesses that she’s in the forest which is down the trail right by where the necklace was found. Fans then see a mortified Chrollo staring up at a bag hanging from a tree branch, with a letter pinned to the trunk of the same tree.
The other young members of the Phantom Troupe are behind him, all mortified and scared that this is indeed the remains of Sarasa. Uvo says that someone has to check the bag, but no one volunteers, with Pakunoda and Sheila visibly shaken at the idea of looking inside. Chrollo calmly walks forward to the bag, saying that he’ll do it.
Hunter x Hunter chapter 397 then sees Uvogin approach Chrollo, asking him what was written on the letter nailed to the tree. Chrollo ignores the question and asks Uvogin to lower the bag, as the latter removes the knife and letter from the tree trunk. He asks Chrollo once more what was written on the letter, but Chrollo calmly tells him to lower the bag without breaking his gaze from it.
After climbing the tree, Uvogin cuts the rope holding the bag up, with Chrollo catching it and falling to the ground from the sheer weight. Uvogin jumps down as Chrollo opens the bag and the rest of the Phantom Troupe looks on nervously. In the bag, he sees the severed body parts of Sarasa inside, seemingly beginning to cry from this revelation.
Within the bag is another note nailed to Sarasa’s severed head, which Chrollo discovers as Uvogin angrily looks onward. The other Troupe members, meanwhile, all ask Chrollo and Uvogin to confirm that it is indeed Sarasa. Uvogin asks Chrollo once more what’s on the paper he pulled from the tree, but Chrollo refuses to say it.
Hunter x Hunter chapter 397 then sees a shocked Uvogin quickly become angry with Chrollo, demanding that he tell him what was written by Sarasa’s killers. However, he reaffirms that he won’t say it, telling Uvogin that he’ll take those words to his grave. Chrollo also adds that if Uvogin really wants to know, then he should read it for himself.
This infuriates Uvogin even further, prompting him to throw Chrollo aside and begin walking away as Machi criticizes him for leaving Sarasa behind.
She says that they should take her home since it would be too sad to leave her, before telling Sarasa she knows it must’ve hurt so much and how scared she must have been. As she apologizes to Sarasa, Pakunoda and Sheila begin wailing as the others prepare to depart.
Hunter x Hunter chapter 397: The death of one leads to the birth of many
Hunter x Hunter chapter 397 then returns to the church, where Sarasa’s body has been somehow reconstructed in order to have an open-casket wake. Lisores explains to Machi that it’s called "embalming," a technique which restores a corpse to its original appearance. He then tells everyone to thank Renko for her hard work, calling her restoring Sarasa’s body a miracle.
Chrollo and others then begin putting flowers and other items in Sarasa’s casket, with Uvogin eventually pulling out the Clean-Up Rangers tape. He says to Chrollo that she can keep it since they all have it memorized anyway, while Machi chases after Renko. She asks her if she can also learn to embalm like that too, but the latter says it’s impossible since it’s her special ability can’t be taught.
Hunter x Hunter chapter 397 then sees Machi ask if that ability has anything to do with the aura around Renko’s body. The former’s being able to see this aura shocks Renko, who calls the young Machi precocious after commenting on her pretty eyes. She then tells Machi that if she gets permission from her nannies, then she can come visit her, giving her a bus pass which will give her free transportation to her home.
Following Sarasa’s funeral, Chrollo and Uvogin are walking together, where the former asks the latter to wait three years. Chrollo says that once he’s 14-years-old, he can sort out a proper system for Meteor City, as well as his own power. However, Uvogin says he won’t wait, sharing his plans to leave today to avenge Sarasa.
Ever the intellect, Chrollo points out how going now is pointless, also reminding Uvogin that he once promised to travel the world with Chrollo. Uvogin responds that three years won’t change anything, but the young Chrollo steadfastly says that it will. He explains that the world is about to undergo a communications revelation that will allow people around the world to connect at the speed of light.
He continues, adding that people’s information will be available for all the world to see, elaborating that he’s sure the killers recorded what they did to Sarasa, sharing his belief that the crime scene was orchestrated to convey a message. He compares it to their plays, saying that the cigarette butts they stood on were likely where the murder was filmed from.
Uvogin listens on as Chrollo shares his belief that if the murderers knew of a way to share their “art” with the world, they wouldn’t be able to resist doing so. He even acknowledges that the coming world will have borders and regulations, which Sarasa’s murderers will look for loopholes around. Chrollo then says they’ll create the loopholes, turning Meteor City into a safe haven for criminals passing through.
Uvogin, however, still doesn’t understand, with Hunter x Hunter chapter 397 then showing Shalnark appear in front of them to explain. Chrollo’s plan is to use the coming communications revolution to create a hideout for bad guys so they can find Sarasa’s murders among them. Shalnark then says they’ll all help too, prompting the rest of the young Phantom Troupe to appear.
Shalnark continues, saying that 3 years can go by quickly and that they all have a lot to prepare. They need knowledge and tools to get them close to the killers, as well as the necessary power and skill to deal with them once they find Sarasa’s killers. As he says this, a saddened Sheila is seen seemingly walking away from the group, possibly hinting at her disagreement with their plans.
Hunter x Hunter chapter 397 then sees Chrollo say they’ll need something more important. He elaborates that, in order to ensure what happened to Sarasa never happens again, they need to offer up their lives. He continues, saying that he’ll kill many people in the next three years and musing on how Sarasa wouldn’t want that.
However, Chrollo says he’ll beg for her forgiveness if he ever sees Sarasa again someday, somewhere. He then says that he’ll never forgive those killers for what they did as long as he lives, internally adding that he’ll only do so if such a reunion isn’t possible.
He then emphasizes that the current legal system won’t force these murderers to actually repent for what they did. He then says that he’ll live the rest of his life as a villain who will make the world tremble with fear, promising that small-time crooks won’t come near Meteor City ever again once he’s done with his plan.
Hunter x Hunter chapter 397 then sees Chrollo ask Uvogin to become the leader of their Troupe, but the latter says Chrollo is the leader. As he and the others point a finger to the sky, Uvogin promises that with Chrollo as the head, he’ll follow him until he dies, together as a spider. The issue then ends by jumping three years ahead in time, with the 14-year-old Chrollo standing before the rest of the Troupe.
Hunter x Hunter chapter 397: In summation
Hunter x Hunter chapter 397 is, overall, an incredibly exciting and engaging issue. The death of Sarasa is incredibly well-written, highlighting the cruelty of life in Meteor City and how unjust it can be. The emotional toll it takes on Chrollo is also incredibly exciting to see, and emphasizes just how much he values the lives of all those in the Phantom Troupe.
Hunter x Hunter chapter 397’s showing the formation of the Phantom Troupe is also extremely well done, weaving in a 3-year time-skip. With the Troupe presumably having identified their Nen abilities by this point, fans can count on the next issue being an incredibly exciting one.
Follow along for more Hunter x Hunter manga news, as well as general anime, manga, film, and live-action news as 2022 progresses.
