Regular followers of Hunter x Hunter manga know not to expect two chapters in a row. If you did receive a few chapters on time, you have probably used up all your luck for the next year or two.
Yoshihiro Togashi’s Hunter x Hunter is probably the only manga that is just as famous for its frequent breaks as it is for its superb plot. This has led the fandom to dub the series as Hiatus x Hiatus. Despite the jokes, every reader is aware of Yoshihiro Togashi’s health condition and they continue to provide unconditional support to him.
Yoshihiro Togashi Hints at Hunter x Hunter‘s Return
In October 2023, Yoshihiro Togashi hinted that the Hunter x Hunter manga would return soon. Although he never mentioned a date, he did share a photo of the edge of a manuscript with the words “Start Over.“
Finally, on May 1, the author posted a picture of page 5 of chapter 405’s manuscript. On May 2 and 3, the writer posted two more images of pages 6-9 of the chapter. Fans are awed by the mangaka’s dedication despite his severe health problems.
— 冨樫義博 (@Un4v5s8bgsVk9Xp) May 2, 2024
While some fans are busy making memes out of the manga, others genuinely understand the severity of Togashi’s medical issues. Given that the author is consistently drawing 1-2 manga pages everyday, it already shows the herculean strength and mental fortitude of the mangaka.
i don’t think y’all realize how much effort this man is putting into his work. if you’ve ever watched a mangaka draw it often takes hours to finish up 1 panel. he’s doing 2 pages successively everyday without assistants & with a bad back. he is beyond goated🤷 pic.twitter.com/gcLxUUOcPQ
— ŘΔŇΔ ŞĦΔ¥ΔŇ (@Rana__Shayan) May 3, 2024
The goat is cooking pic.twitter.com/WUQrUQumSs
— 𝕭𝖚𝖗𝖓𝖘🔥♨️ | Phoenix Pirates (@bombateer) May 3, 2024
Many fans are asking the author to rest because his health is more important than new chapters. No matter how great Hunter x Hunter is, the mangaka will always be more important.
冨樫先生おかえりなさい ❤️❤️❤️ pic.twitter.com/0H7YgndMba
— Sakura_Kinomoto (@iSakura_chan) May 1, 2024
In the May 1 post, the author referenced a healing move by Sailor Moon, “Moon Healing Escalation!” Let’s hope that this humor indicates that Togashi is feeling better, and will continue to be transparent about his health.
Yoshihiro Togashi’s Struggle with Health
The author of Hunter x Hunter has suffered from debilitating back pain for years at a stretch, which is what makes Togashi request breaks. Drawing always requires a hunched posture, and being a mangaka by profession has not helped him alleviate the pain.
Previously, the author shared some painful notes about his condition, which stated:
“Stuck in bed -> Crawl on all fours -> Find help -> Struggle to get up and go to the hospital.”
“The worst part of back pain is that it’s only after it gets a little better that you can go to the hospital.”
“When your pain is a ten on a sale of one to teen, you can’t move your body even a centimeter throughout the night.”
In a public announcement in 2022, Togashi also detailed that he wasn’t able to sit in a chair for two years, which rendered him incapable of drawing. Still, he resumed his series by throwing caution to the air. He also stated that it takes 3-5 times longer for him to do everyday movement.
In August 2022, the author tweeted that he would increase his staff members to help with the manga. This made fans even more worried since the author had never said something like that before.
Great to hear that. Please hire as many people as needed. You should only just tell people what to do and they do all the drawing. Your job is to imagine.
— Will (@naruto9tail) August 29, 2022
