Summary
TheHunter x Huntermanga is set to continue publishing after a nearly two-year hiatus, and is going to continue to release new chapters going forward. This is not a restart of the manga, and it will be serialized going forward. Instead, the series willcontinue from Chapter 401as a “non-weekly serialization,” with new chapters published as they are finished.
The news came in English via the Shōnen Jump X (formerlyTwitter) news page, which shared a quick post this past Sunday sharing the news along with a link to an article on Oricon with more details in Japanese. The new chapter was published in the October 7th issue ofWeekly Shōnen Jumpas an official return to the publication. The last chapter ofHunter x Hunterthat was published was in December 2022.
TheHunter x HunterManga is Back
This Latest Chapter is 401
Chapter 401 ofHunter x Hunterwas published in the October 7th issue ofShōnen Jump. The chapter had what is called “center color,” meaning a few of the pages were released in full color. It also devoted a page to summarizing the current story, specifically the battle for the succession to the throne, tocatch up anyone who may have forgottenwhat is going on in the past two years without a new chapter.
Hunter x Hunterhas been published since 1998.Oricondescribes the story, and the current arc, (translated from Japanese);
…an adventure fantasy in which the main character, a young boy named Gon, goes on a journey withhis best friend Killua and his friends. Currently, the `“Dark Continent Arc'' (Succession to the Throne Arc) is depicted, where the intentions of Kurapika, members of the Phantom Troupe, and other characters collide on a ship aiming to travel to an unexplored continent.
The first 400 chapters of the manga were published weekly inShōnen Jump. However, from this chapter, that weekly serialization will end. However,Shōnen Jumphas assured fans that they will continue to publish and support the manga until it reaches its conclusion, and Yoshihiro Togashi has also stated that he will continue to make his work public.
TheHunter x HunterManga Going Forward
Non-Weekly Serialization, Explained
Hunter x Hunteris a huge title in both the manga and anime world, so it goes without saying that many fans are always waiting for new content. However, at 401 chapters, it is a lot of work for the creator, Yoshihiro Togashi. Mangaka have been known toburn out in the past, taking huge hiatuses, or even becoming ill from the stress and pressure of continuously creating. The pressure is even stronger when manga are being published weekly, with mangaka working long hours to finish their work in time while keeping it high quality.
That pressure is going away for Togashi for the foreseen future ofHunter x Hunter. Instead of being pressured to produce high-quality content on a weekly or even monthly basis forShōnen Jump, new chapters ofHunter x Hunterwill only be published as they are completed by Togashi. This gives him time to work at a more comfortable pace, knowing that the chapters will be published as he creates them.
Not all manga would be able to survive using this method of publishing, butHunter x Hunterhas enough of a devoted following that the manga shouldn’t suffer from a lack of readers. Fans will just have to wait a bit longer between chapters, and could be extra excited when one is released. Hopefully, that will relieve Togashi enough that he does not need totake another two-year hiatus from writing, and keep the quality ofHunter x Hunterat the high level it currently is.
