The Hunter x Hunter manga looks like it may finally return.
Series creator Yoshihiro Togashi recently took to Twitter to confirm that his hit manga series, Hunter x Hunter, may finally be returning from its extended hiatus. Togashi, who is also known for creating the highly influential Yu Yu Hakusho series, posted an image of what appears to be a rough layout for a manga page, alongside a statement that says "Four more chapters for the time being." Togashi did not state when these chapters would be published, nor did he mention any details about their story or content.
The most recent chapter of Hunter x Hunter was published in November of 2018. The Weekly Shonen Jump series began serialization in 1998 and has become known for taking frequent, often lengthy hiatuses, which are reportedly due to Togashi's health issues, including a chronic back problem. Togashi has mostly produced the series single-handedly without the help of assistants, though his wife, Sailor Moon creator Naoko Takeuchi, did help him with the production of the series' first volume. The series' frequent breaks have become something of a meme within the anime and manga fandom, so much so that many fans initially refused to believe that Togashi's Twitter announcement was real and assumed it was a hoax from a fake account. One-Punch Man artist Yusuke Murata has since confirmed that the Twitter account is indeed Togashi's and that the announcement was real.
Hunter X Hunter tells the story of Gon Freecss, an impulsive but friendly boy who learns that his missing father was a member of an organization known as the Hunter Association, which employs gifted individuals and tasks them with completing a variety of fantastical missions, including tracking down mythological beasts, hunting for lost treasures, exploring uncharted areas of the world, and tracking down wanted criminals. When Gon learns that his father may still be alive somewhere, the young boy dedicates himself to becoming a Hunter himself and tracking him down.
Togashi's manga has been adapted into two anime series: the original show aired from 1999 - 2001 and concluded after adapting all of the chapters of the manga that had been published at the time, while the second was a reboot that premiered in 2011. That series was created to be a more faithful adaptation of the source material and concluded in 2014. While nothing has been said about a possible return for the anime series, new art from the show was released in 2021 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of its premiere.
The 2011 anime series is available for streaming on Netflix and Crunchyroll. Togashi's manga is published in English by VIZ Media.