Hunter x Hunter 2011

[Kraco]

It was a jolly good episode otherwise, but the bloody lengthy explanation and flashback to the fight were annoying. In the end its only purpose was to suddenly and without any solid reason explain Hisoka's techniques. That should have been left to a later time when Gon and Killua understand them. Besides, who cares about Kastro anymore, including the tiniest specifics of his defeat? Machi could have talked about the audience when she mused Hisoka will have forgotten Kastro's face by tomorrow.

[DarthEnderX]

It was a jolly good episode otherwise, but the bloody lengthy explanation and flashback to the fight were annoying. In the end its only purpose was to suddenly and without any solid reason explain Hisoka's techniques.

I don't think "showing the audience that what happened was completely thought out and not just a bunch of bullshit" qualifies as "without any solid reason".

[Kraco]

I don't think "showing the audience that what happened was completely thought out and not just a bunch of bullshit" qualifies as "without any solid reason".

Then what was your splendid reason? The other Phantom Troupe member, who is a master of nen use as well, needs to go through Hisoka's fight in excruciating detail as if it was something novel to her? She fricking knew everything that happened from the beginning, so why on Earth was it necessary to make it look like she thought it all through in Hisoka's company? It's poor story telling, that's all. It's as if the audience was sitting in that same room, listening to a lecture, and not a meeting of Hisoka and Machi alone. It made about as much sense as the infuriating studio laughter that ruins sitcoms. But unfortunately it's still a part of the shounen textbook.

A better way would have been to leave the explanations to later, until Gon and Killua need to figure it out. That way, when they are still struggling to get it, it would feel natural to explain it to the audience as well.

[DarthEnderX]

Then what was your splendid reason?

I just told you. It's for the benefit of the audience.

Sorry you think it's bad storytelling, but really, there's no such thing as "good exposition", because there's no such thing as a seamless way to deliver a large complicated chunk of information to a casual, invisible observer(the audience) without it coming off as awkward.

But it's still completely necessary for the audience to know what the fuck happened.

A better way would have been to leave the explanations to later, until Gon and Killua need to figure it out. That way, when they are still struggling to get it, it would feel natural to explain it to the audience as well.

Right, because that's always the best time for a giant fucking infodump. Right in the middle of a fight so it completely ruins the pacing.