Yoshihiro Togashi is one of the most well-known manga artists of all time. He is known for his work in the hugely popular series in the shonen genre, Hunter x Hunter and Yu Yu Hakusho. Both of his works became classics in the manga as well as anime industry.
Many other popular manga artists, such as Gege Akutamu, the man behind Jujutsu Kaisen, have mentioned Yoshihiro Togashi as an inspiration for their own works. In fact, the creator of Naruto, Masashi Kishimoto, even mentioned the amount of ideas and themes presented in Togashi’s works is truly exceptional.
Togashi is known worldwide for his Hunter x Hunter series, which has been continuously interrupted with multiple hiatuses due to various reasons, including his health condition. Even though Togashi sensei has not been in the public eye a lot, he has maintained a loyal following of fans.
Why Hunter x Hunter‘s Yoshihiro Togashi Will Never Be A Serious Manga Artist
Hunter x Hunter has taken a lot of extended breaks over the years, because of the health issues of Yoshihiro Togashi. This has even provoked fears of the potential cancellation of the manga.
Previously, Shonen Jump categorized different manga series as either, “serialized works” or “archived serializations”. Currently, Hunter x Hunter falls in the second category, which includes manga series that have ended, been transferred, or canceled.
HUNTERxHUNTER is no longer listed as a 'serialized work' from Weekly Shonen Jump on the magazine's official website.
The series is now listed in the 'Archived Serializations' section along with ended, canceled, and transferred works.https://t.co/0UjBu7K8HA pic.twitter.com/PyictFu45A
— Shonen Jump News (@WSJ_manga) February 19, 2023
On one hand, when many manga artists struggle with the mental and physical challenges of continuously producing content on a weekly basis for Shonen Jump, Togashi seems to approach his work in a rather carefree way.
In an interview, Yoshihiro Togashi said,
“That comes from my shameless personality. Serious manga artists feel they can’t last in Shonen Jump, because those who stay with the magazine are judged on a weekly basis, and they don’t think they can create every week. I guess its pretty weird that someone creating at my pace can stay with Shonen Jump for so long (laughs).”
This statement proves that Togashi sensei has a shameless personality. This is also the reason why he will never be considered a serious manga artist in the industry, regardless of his undeniable talent.
Horror Films’ Influence on Yoshihiro Togashi’s Work
Yoshihiro Togashi is a huge fan of horror films. Among his personal favorites are Don’t Look Up, released in 1996, and Dawn of the Dead. In fact, the first major hit manga series of Togashi, Yu Yu Hakusho, was heavily inspired by his love for the horror genre.
You can witness many horror film references in different works of Togashi. He even had to censor some scenes in his ongoing manga series, Hunter x Hunter. This was because of its extreme graphic gore elements.
You can watch Hunter x Hunter on Crunchyroll.
