Warning: This article contains spoilers from the Hunter x Hunter manga! There’s no denying that Weekly Shonen Jump is the best manga magazine of all time as it has serialized some of the greatest series in history. Whether its Dragon Ball or Naruto, most of the iconic series made their mark in history after being serialized in the magazine. Among the beloved classics, one of them is Hunter x Hunter, which began serialization in March 1998. However, only a few years after the manga’s debut, it began facing frequent hiatuses due to Togashi’s health issues. The creator has been dealing with chronic health and severe back issues for more than 20 years while also working on the manga.
For several years, Shueisha has been accommodating Togashi with his schedule, supporting his decision to work at his own pace instead of following any kind of weekly or even quarterly schedule. This is exactly why the manga didn’t change. Regardless, the manga’s irregular schedule also caused the anime to face several issues since the original series from 1999 was discontinued only after 64 episodes. Produced by Nippon Animation, it featured the fan-favorite grainy visuals that breathed life into the incredible story by Togashi. However, after the original anime was discontinued in 2001, fans waited a decade for the reboot, which also faced the same consequences.
The reboot debuted in 2011 with more polished visuals and a faithful adaptation than the original. Not to mention that with Madhouse producing the reboot, the hype was already bigger than ever. Madhouse is one of the most renowned studios in Japan, known for several timeless classics such as Monster, Death Note, and more. The studio was established in 1972, and it’s still going strong thanks to all the exceptional series. Madhouse didn’t disappoint with the reboot either, but it didn’t manage to continue the story for long after the 13th Hunter Chairman Election Arc. The anime had caught up with the manga by that time, and it had no choice but to wrap up on September 24th, 2014.
The manga moved on to the Succession Contest Arc, which has been ongoing for over a decade. Even after the anime’s success and incredible adaptation, there hasn’t been any confirmation of its return for 12 years now because of the manga’s unusual schedule. There’s also a possibility that Madhouse might never return with a sequel for the reboot since it has already been a long time and the studio hasn’t so much as dropped a hint of continuing the series. While the Succession Contest Arc is still ongoing, it has released around 80 chapters by now, which is more than enough for one season with two cours. While the anime’s future looks bleak, the manga continues to shock fans with its best arc ever.
The Succession Contest Arc kicked off with Chapter 340, which was originally released in March 2012. Due to the frequent indefinite hiatuses, the arc is still ongoing. It’s one of the best arcs in the story as it puts Kurapika in the middle of the action. Kurapika has always been a fan-favorite character, and it was about time the series gave him the much-needed spotlight. The manga follows him when he gets entangled with the royal family of the Kakin Empire. The battle for the crown has begun, and the winner will be the sole survivor in a deathmatch among the 14 princes of the Empire. Kurapika takes on the job of protecting the 9th prince, but he’s disappointed to find out he has to protect the youngest prince of the Kingdom.
However, he still carries on with the job since his true objective is to recover the last remaining scarlet eyes of his clan from the 4th prince. The story has featured several exciting plot twists so far, and it’s already the second-longest arc in the series. The manga released new chapters this year while Togashi is working diligently on his return. Instead of following a regular schedule, HxH returns every once in a while to release at least 10 chapters on a weekly schedule before going on a hiatus again. Considering the pace of Togashi’s work and his regular updates on X, we can expect the manga to return next year with ten more chapters.
Head down to the comments to tell us if you are excited for the anime to return, or should it get a brand new adaptation instead? Or you could tell us your favorite D.Gray-man moment.
