Hunter x Hunter fandom has been abuzz ever since mangaka Yoshihiro Togashi posted a cryptic message on Twitter, stating “four chapters for the time being.” That came to pass towards the end of May 2022 and new tweets have kept popping up more or less regularly ever since.
What’s the big deal?
The thing is, Hunter x Hunter is rather (in)famous for its extended hiatuses, which have been chronic since 2006, with the latest one (2018) extending all the way to 2022. The abovementioned post announced the long-expected comeback of the series, but fans have been somewhat suspicious.
Today, we finally have some palpable proof that progress on Hunter x Hunter is indeed taking place. Namely, the latest tweet by Togashi reveals that 10 chapters (Hunter x Hunter 391 through 400) have been finished drafting and an additional 10 are on the way!
Additionally, Togashi confirmed that Hunter x Hunter 391 has been completed. Hunter x Hunter 392 is in progress and almost done.
Just how many new chapters in total we may expect remains to be seen, with some predictions already taking root.
To be sure, fans are impatient, and not without a good reason. Hunter x Hunter has been dormant for too long and the story is far from being finished.
Let’s take a look back at the painful history of the Hunter x Hunter manga serialization while we’re awaiting new chapters.
The Hunter x Hunter hiatus timeline
The reason why Hunter × Hunter has a devoted fandom is not only due to the fact that it is stellar. Another reason is that it has been around for a long time, so it has had plenty of time to attract many generations of manga fans during its long run.
The Hunter × Hunter manga started in 1998. It was serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump for the entirety of its run. Until 2006, it was serialized on a regular schedule.
Since 2006, the manga has been on on-off hiatus as we have yet to see these new chapters materialize. The hiatuses have been commonly attributed to mangaka Togashi’s back pain, but there have been other rumors as well. We’ll not dwell on them.
The manga has received several anime adaptations. The first one aired from 1999 to 2001 (62 episodes). Another 148-episode adaptation (6 seasons) aired from 2011 to 2014. The long-expected 7th season never saw the light of day due to the manga having been on hiatus, which resulted in the lack of source material.
Finally, a 30-episode OVA series ran from 2002 to 2004, and there are also two animated films and a couple of video games.
Before the Hunter × Hunter manga entered its first hiatus, the first anime series had ranked 28th on TV Asahi’s list of Japan’s 100 favorite animated TV series, preceded only by some unshakeable legends, including Fullmetal Alchemist (1st place), Doraemon (3rd place), and Inuyasha (20th place), among others.
Hopefully, we’ll soon finally witness these long-awaited new Hunter × Hunter chapters take shape. Fingers crossed.