It is not uncommon for a manga to have a long delay between two releases. Sometimes the artist or author has to take a break, or (horror!) the manga is canceled. Fortunately, this isn't always the case and fans can simply wait for the next issue, although this can be an exercise in patience that fans don't always have. Luckily, the wait for the next issue of the Hunter x Hunter manga is almost over.
It has been officially announced that Hunter x Hunter will return this November after its four-year hiatus. The big news was reported by Polygon who confirmed the tweet coming directly from Shonen Jump's Twitter account. The next volume of Hunter x Hunter will be released in Japan on November 4.
Unfortunately, the release date for the English version has not been confirmed, but it took about ten months in the past for the English volume to arrive in the United States. While the wait doesn't have to be ten months, fans can expect to wait a while before getting their hands on an English version.
History of Hunter x Hunter manga
The Hunter x Hunter manga began in 1998, appearing in Weekly Shōnen Jump for 380 chapters before beginning to appear in fewer and fewer issues over the years. The reduction in numbers is probably due to the author having to take regular breaks.
The story of Hunter x Hunter focuses on a young boy named Gon Freecss whose father left him and his mother at a young age. He discovers that his father is a world-famous hunter. Hunters are licensed professionals who specialize in fantasy activities such as locating rare or unidentified animal species, treasure hunting, policing uncharted enclaves, or hunting lawless individuals. Wanting to follow in his father's footsteps and hoping to find him at the same time, Gon sets off on a journey to become a hunter too. Along the way, Gon meets other hunters and has strange and wonderful new encounters, as well as paranormal encounters. The last issue published dates from October 4, 2018.
Hunter x Hunter hasn't limited itself to the pages of the manga and has seen musicals, video games, films, and two separate anime television series made in its honor. The first anime was produced by Nippon animation and had a total of 62 episodes, broadcast on Fuji Television from October 1999 to March 2001. The second, which has 148 episodes, was broadcast on Nippon Television from October 2011 to September 2014. It almost seems appropriate that the anime's running theme is an October start or an October end.
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Hiatus
October 2014 wasn't the first time Hunter x Hunter manga author Yoshihiro Togashi had to take a hiatus. In fact, the manga has been forced in and out of hiatus since 2006, when Togashi began suffering from debilitating back pain and back problems.
The manga has been on complete hiatus since October 2014, with the author no longer able to work due to debilitating health issues. This is the longest time the manga has gone without any new releases, and fans have started to worry that the manga has been canceled. To their great relief, this was not the case.
After a long period of time without any updates from the author, he took to Twitter in May to announce that he had once again started work on the long-running series. Six months later, it looks like the next issue is finally ready.
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All good things come to those who wait, and luckily, Hunter x Hunter fans' wait will be over very soon. However, if you're an English-speaking reader, be prepared to wait a little longer.