Hunter x Hunter fans worry about the series’ future following a Weekly Shonen Jump change.
Per Anime Dork, readers of Yoshihiro Togashi’s longtime manga series feared its cancellation following Shonen Jump’s new classification system. On the magazine’s official website, Shonen Jump placed manga into two categories: “serialized works” and “archived serializations.” Currently, Hunter x Hunter falls under the second option, which includes ended, canceled and transferred works. Despite its four-year hiatus, Shonen Jump previously classified Togashi’s manga as a serialized work.
In December 2022, Hunter x Hunter went back on hiatus only two months after returning. A leak claimed that chapters 401 onwards would not continue weekly serialization. “Togashi-sensei will continue to write the following chapters, and the editorial department will continue to support him until the completion of the manga,” the announcement reads. It’s unclear if the manga will return to weekly serialization in the future.
Hunter x Hunter’s History of Hiatuses
Previously, the mangaka took a two-year break from 2014 to 2016 and returned for two months before going on another year-long hiatus. In 2018, Togashi halted Hunter x Hunter due to his chronic back problem. The suspension lasted until July 2022. On his personal Twitter account, Togashi announced Volume 37 would release in Japan on Nov. 4. Volume 37 contains chapters 381-390 and doesn’t have any content that Togashi is currently working on. Despite the good news, the mangaka still struggles with his health. “My symptoms are not improving, and my treatment and recovery have been taking up a large amount of my time,” he wrote on Twitter.”
Hunter x Hunter began serialization in Weekly Shōnen Jump in March 1998. The series focuses on the adventures of a young boy named Gon Freecss, who strives to become a Hunter like his father after discovering his true identity. As of July 2022, the manga series had over 84 million copies in circulation. Since its inception, the franchise has received two animes series, two animated theatrical films, video games and musicals.
In addition to Togashi, other mangakas have taken publication breaks. In April 2022, Black Clover creator Yuki Tabata declared the fantasy series would go on a three-month-long hiatus for the mangaka to plan the story’s final arc. Tabata also suspended production for two weeks due to a “sudden illness.” Apart from the Black Clover manga, Sword of the Wizard King releases on March 31, 2023: the exact date viewers last saw an episode of the anime two years ago.
Hunter x Hunter is available to stream on Netflix and Crunchyroll. The manga is available to read on the Shonen Jump app.
Source: Anime Dork
Leave a Reply