The Hunter x Hunter staff confirms that many more chapters of the beloved manga will be coming in the future. According to Tanehana, who is a member of Yoshihiro Togashi’s staff, thirty more chapters of the series were already written up to four years before Hunter x Hunter return to serialization in late 2022. This shows that, as long as Togashi will delegate more of the drawing process to his assistants, the Hunter X Hunter story will continue with fewer delays in the future.
The return of Hunter x Hunter was one of the biggest manga news of 2022. The best-selling series had been absent from publication for four years, due to author Yoshihiro Togashi’s health issues. Hunter x Hunter‘s announced return, along with Togashi’s debut on Twitter, garnered the attention of millions of fans worldwide. For the moment, the series is supposed to publish a sequence of ten new chapters on the pages of Weekly Shonen Jump, picking up where it left off, right in the middle of the Succession Contest Arc. After these ten chapters, fans are afraid that Hunter X Hunter will enter another very long hiatus. Things, however, may actually be brighter than they look.
In a recent issue of Weekly Shonen Jump, in the ‘authors’ comments’ section, shared on Twitter by @TheHxHSource, Togashi’s spot was taken by one of his assistants, Tanehana, who used it to share the information that all the chapters published since Hunter x Hunter‘s return plus the thirty that follow, have all been written four years ago. This means that Togashi has a clear idea of where the story is heading, but there is also something more. Tanehana adds that he can’t wait to draw the new chapters, which should not surprise fans, as Togashi recently revealed that he is delegating more of the drawing process to his assistants. In fact, the ‘author’s comment’ in the previous issue of Weekly Shonen Jump was also from Tanehana, who wrote: “We currently can’t decide on a work method, and my boss is unbelievably happy.”
Hunter X Hunter May Not Be Going On Hiatus Again So Soon
Togashi has admitted that his chronicle back issues have not gotten better, and he is forced to work from bed and has trouble performing even the more trivial tasks. While it is indeed sad to learn about the author’s persistent health issues, it seems likely that the return of Hunter X Hunter to serialization has persuaded him that, if he hopes to conclude his work, he has to admit he can’t do it all on his own. Togashi already started using new drawing tools to cope with the situation, and he has begun relying more on his assistants. The two comments made by Tanehana can then be seen from this perspective too. The latest one, especially, looks like a way to reassure fans that Hunter X Hunter will not stop after the publication of the tenth chapter of the current batch, which should conclude the flashback of the Phantom Troupe’s past, or at least that the next break will not be too long.
With thirty more chapters already written, if Yoshihiro Togashi has actually begun to rely more on his assistants for drawing, Hunter x Hunter fans can rest a little easier, knowing that there is a chance that their favorite manga will not enter again one of his dreaded long hiatuses.
The latest chapter of Hunter X Hunter is available from Viz Media.
Sources: @TheHxHSource; VIZ Media.