Posted in: Comics, Manga | Tagged: Hunter X Hunter, manga, mother russia bleeds

Russia Targets Hundreds Of Teenage Hunter X Hunter Manga Fans

Russia has accused teenage fans of the Hunter x Hunter manga and anime series of trying to destabilize Russian society, these past few weeks.

Published Tue, 07 Mar 2023 10:03:11 -0600

by Rich Johnston

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Hunter x Hunter is a manga series by Yoshihiro Togashi serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump since March 1998, collected in 37 volumes so far. Gon Freecss discovers that his father, who left him at a young age, is actually a world-renowned Hunter, a licensed professional who specializes in locating rare or unidentified animal species, hunting treasure, surveying unexplored enclaves, or hunting down outlaws. Gon departs on a journey to become a Hunter and eventually find his father. Along the way, Gon meets various other Hunters and encounters the paranormal. The series has also been adapted as a successful anime series.

In recent news, the Kremlin has accused a youth subculture known as PMC Ryodan of trying to destabilize Russian society. Last weekend, more than 450 teenagers believed to be part of the PMC Ryodan 'movement' were arrested in Russia, typically around the age of 14 to 15, who style themselves after the Phantom Troupe, a shadowy group in the Hunter x Hunter series. In the series, the group's members are tattooed with a black spider and their respective numbers within the organization. The PMC Ryodan teens wear black hoodies with the same spider with a number four on its back, and sport long black hair and plaid trousers. The group has come under fire after what has been reported as a spate of mass brawls that took place in shopping centres across the country, such as Gallery Mall in St Petersburg, over the freedom to dress how they wish.

However, officials have stated that the groups were created by Moscow's western enemies to sow discord across the country. Vladimir Putin's press secretary Dmitry Peskov said his office has been paying attention to the group. Vasily Piskarev, head of the Russian parliament's security committee, said the group's only goal is to destabilize through Russia's youth. Others have said that arrested children should be sent to the frontlines in Ukraine. Russia has also had its own political and media hysteria to fuel the fire, giving parents guides to find out if their children could be at risk of Hunter x Hunter influence, and Other groups who call themselves "anti-Ryodan", wear tracksuits and have been seen threatening the teenagers with knives and broken bottles, and even forcibly cutting their hair with a blade, with St Petersburg seeing hundreds of opposing gangs arrested.

Investigative news outlet Bellingcat has reported finding videos of the Ryodan teens being beaten in shopping centre bathrooms or in the woods. Elsewhere, hundreds of the schoolchildren who allegedly belong to the group were detained on Wednesday in Kurgan. In Khabarovsk, Russian officers wearing body armour rounded up more alleged PMC Ryodan members. And in Minsk, Belarus, 200 teenagers were also arrested there, with other reports in Novosibirsk, Tolyatti, Kazan, Kharkiv, Kyiv, Gomel and Volgograd.

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