Hunter x Hunter has been one of the best anime and manga series for a long time. The series has developed a huge fanbase who have been following the series since day one. The series was at its peak when Yoshihiro Togashi had to go on a long hiatus because of health issues.
Fans felt disappointed with the news but still waited eagerly for the new chapters which they eventually received in 2022 but Togashi went on another break. When fans were about to lose all hope, Togashi announced the return of the series and since then the series is still making headlines with the new chapters.
However, the new chapters had quite a few drastic yet gradual changes that were explained by Yoshihiro Togashi in a letter that was posted on Tumblr. He gave five reasons for the change and why the text has been increased recently.
1. Several New Nen Abilities Introduced
The first reason for the change that Togashi gave was the introduction of new nen abilities and also to give the details about the new Prince of the Kakin empire that was introduced in the manga. He said:
“The basic information that has to be explained to readers is already quite extensive, including the introduction of several new Nen abilities, the details of the Succession Contest, and the backgrounds for each Prince.”
This new information also has additional details about the 9th story arc, the Succession Contest arc which makes it quite extensive thus it requires additional text to relay basic information to the users.
2. Several Unresolved Conflicts
Togashi also explained how as the narrative was left midway, some many unresolved conflicts and connections took place during the voyage that he had to address in the new chapters. He said:
“In terms of narrative structure, there are several unresolved conflicts that have to be addressed during the voyage, and I knew from the start that if I also considered the individuals involved in the Succession Contest, it would become a complex challenge where the various intentions and connections of an enormous number of characters are intertwined with one another… Consequently, the basic information mentioned in part one has increased even more.”
He stated that the individuals involved in the succession contest became a complex challenge as the intentions of these individuals would mix up thus creating confusion for the readers.
3. Monologues For Character Development
Togashi wanted to also focus on the personnel involved with the Princes as background characters and give them some kind of importance in the series. He said:
“I wanted not only the Princes but their personnel to be more than just background characters, so I made extensive use of monologues to act as both narrative exposition and character development. As a result, the text has become more intricate and unruly.”
Because of these characters, Togashi had to introduce and use monologues to work as character development for these individuals and give the fans some details about these characters.
4. Experimenting With Characters
Togashi has also stated that he is experimenting with character and this process is taking a lot of space as he is trying to develop new interesting stories. He said:
“In this current arc, I’m also experimenting with characters and how they feel about their missions… 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.”
He also stated that he wanted to see how the characters feel about their new missions and this in his mind is ten times more than he wrote in just one finished storyboard.
5. Unable to Find The Right Balance
Togashi explained that he is unable to find the right balance as he is currently bugged as an author. He said that he thinks that these extra words are a kind of complimentary service for the fans for the long hiatus. He said:
“As you can see from my previous answers, I’m bugged as an author. I’m not only unable to find the right balance, but deep down, part of me unapologetically thinks that word count is equivalent to a complimentary service. Words rule.”
Togashi has come back after a long time and he wants to give fans the best experience with the current arc thus he is trying to explain every aspect with a little information for characters, storylines, and more.
