Hunter x Hunter fans have recently gotten a new and exciting update as Yoshihiro Togashi shared that the next installment of the manga is set to release on October 7, 2024, which will mark a continuation of the Succession Contest Arc. This is a big update, as Togashi has been on hiatus because of health issues that forbade him from working on Hunter x Hunter.
Hunter x Hunter is probably the only series that has been on the biggest hiatus in the history of manga. These hiatuses have been the result of Togashi’s declining health status, which he has been feeling for a long time. While fans feel deeply concerned for him, they have also begged him to let someone else take over or assist him in completing his life’s work.
However, there is a reason why no one can replace Togashi in completing the storyline of Hunter x Hunter. And this reason was explained by Togashi himself. According to the manga creator, he has been stuck in a negative cycle that he cannot escape, and thus he cannot hand over his work to someone else.
Yoshihiro Togashi is Experimenting With Hunter x Hunter
Last year, Togashi answered 11 questions about Hunter x Hunter, and these answers were revealed at the Iwakura and Yoshizumi’s Show. It was later translated and shared by @TogashisTroupe on X. One of the questions was why the texts have increased in the last few chapters and that’s when Togashi explained the complexity of Hunter x Hunter, especially the Succession Contest arc.
Togashi stated:
As I mentioned in my answer to your second question, when characters interact with each other, there are several personalities and circumstances to consider. In this current arc, I’m also experimenting with characters and how they feel about their missions (whether they’re proactive, passive, or negative, whether they’re hiding secrets).
Togashi pointed out that the number of characters has significantly increased in the narrative of Hunter x Hunter since the past arc. There are several interactions and personalities that he needs to consider.
Thus, the narrative has become a lot more complex than it was before and Togashi has been experimenting with it. Also, he has tried to implement a sense of feeling within the characters for their missions which makes it even more challenging.
Yoshihiro Togashi Might Never Be Able To Hand Over Hunter x Hunter
While talking about the newly introduced complexity in Hunter x Hunter, Yoshihiro Togashi pointed out that while trying to make the story of the series more enhanced, the number of words has increased. This in turn has made his job even more difficult and stressful.
Togashi stated:
In the process of looking for more interesting story developments, the number of words discarded in my mind is several or even ten times more than the word count in just one finished storyboard. This has become a routine part of my process, and as a result, I’m in a negative cycle where the number of words used in the finished storyboard feels small in comparison.
According to the Hunter x Hunter manga creator, his routine has become more taxing and demanding. This is because he has to compress the word count to make it fit in the manga panel.
This has turned into a negative cycle which he does not feel satisfied with as he cannot let his imagination move freely. This is the main reason why no one can take Togashi’s place to complete Hunter x Hunter as he is the only individual who knows how complex the story is and will become in the future.
Hunter x Hunter manga is available to read on Viz Media.
