Any manga or anime fan knows the pain of awaiting new chapters or episodes, and that’s especially so for a series on hiatus. After lying low for 4 years, the Hunter x Hunter manga series will finally be making a comeback on 4th November 2022, leaving fans prancing with joy.
Image credit: @Funimation
Widely considered to be a masterpiece, Hunter x Hunter is a shōnen manga that’s been famously animated twice, and the brainchild of the much-revered Yoshihiro Togashi.
Yoshihiro Togashi, the manga artist of Hunter x Hunter.
Image credit: @HxHSource
Due to Togashi’s persistent backache, however, Hunter x Hunter has been repeatedly forced to stop serialisation. It was in 2018 that Togashi’s condition took a turn for the worse, driving the series to embark on its longest hiatus.
Nevertheless, Togashi created a Twitter account with a cryptic username (@Un4v5s8bgsVk9p) on 24th May 2022, hinting to fans that the manga is set to return soon.
Almost (done)…
Image adapted from: @Un4v5s8bgsVk9p
Given how long the manga series has gone MIA and how dubious the username appeared, Yusuke Murata, the author of One Punch Man, stepped forward to verify the account. His doing so allayed Hunter x Hunter fans’ fear of harbouring false hope for the series’ return.
“It’s the person (Yoshihiro Togashi) himself.”
Yusuke Murata, author of One Punch Man, confirming Yoshihiro Togashi’s new Twitter account.
Image adapted from: @NEBU_KURO
Following the authenticity check, Togashi’s follower count shot up and quickly became the highest among his colleagues within 3 days of account creation. The count currently stands at 3 million, 0.8 million higher than that of Kohei Horikoshi, My Hero Academia’s author.
Image adapted from: @Un4v5s8bgsVk9Xp
The author was apparently even healthy enough to create a meme of himself where Leorio, a medicine graduate and one of the main characters in Hunter x Hunter, joyfully runs towards him. Just like how Leorio broke out in tears after seeing the recovered Gon in the series, it references fans fervently welcoming him back from his long recuperation break.
Image adapted from: @Un4v5s8bgsVk9p
Amid fans’ high anticipation of Hunter x Hunter’s return, Weekly Shōnen Jump announced on 19th September 2022 that the latest Volume 37 will be on sale in Japan from 4th November 2022.
“Hunter x Hunter Volume 37 (by Yoshihiro Togashi) will be sold at ¥528 (~USD3.65), tax inclusive, from 4th November 2022 (Friday).”
Image adapted from: @jump_henshubu
Togashi also posted the news on his Twitter account the next morning, on 20th September 2022.
Image adapted from: @Un4v5s8bgsVk9Xp
While Volume 37 is just a physical compilation of chapters 381 to 390 that were released before the manga’s hiatus, Togashi revealed that he’s currently working on the next volume, with 8 more chapters to go.
“8 chapters more to go for now. Chapter 395: complete. Chapter 398: finished cleaning the dialogues. Done with colouring the cover page.”
Image adapted from: @Un4v5s8bgsVk9Xp
News of Hunter x Hunter’s return sent fans into a frenzy, and Weekly Shōnen Jump’s post about Volume 37’s release raked in a whopping 496,600 Twitter likes in 3 days.
For those who’ve missed the big hoo-ha, you can live vicariously through this screen recording memorialised by a netizen, which shows 20 seconds worth of live updates shortly after the tweet went up.
Another netizen who saw the post minutes after it was uploaded commented that the likes increased at an unbelievably fast rate.
“I initially thought it was a tweet from 3 to 4 hours ago, but realised it gained this much likes in just a few minutes…”
Image adapted from: @chisuga_mai
And of course, long-time fans who have been let down too many times simply found the update surreal.
“Huh? Am I dreaming?”
Image adapted from: @eeeyy44
Meanwhile, another group of netizens used memes to express their heightened emotions.
User @tosxa_ quipped that only a tweet from Togashi would warrant them to suit up, as opposed to their own wedding, a once-in-a-lifetime event. The meme thoroughly emphasises how long Hunter x Hunter has gone on hiatus for.
Image adapted from: @tosxa_
Others referenced scenes from the source material so that Togashi would be able to feel their pent-up emotions.
Cutscene of Chrollo Lucilfer crying in loving memory of his late comrade Uvogin.
Image adapted from: @Yahiko_bk
The fans who used memes truly show how pictures speak a thousand words.
Picture referencing Hisoka’s expression of uncontrollable excitement.
Image adapted from: @Julio_capo5
Hunter x Hunter Volume 37 will be sold in Japanese bookstores from 4th November 2022, and international fans can check Weekly Shōnen Jump’s official website to keep a lookout for the English version.
With the manga series up and running again, there might just be hope for a new anime season of Hunter x Hunter. And Togashi’s comment only fuels fans’ excitement.
Image adapted from: @Un4v5s8bgsVk9Xp
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Cover image adapted from: @Funimation
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