On Saturday, October 19, 2024, renowned Hunter x Hunter creator Yoshihiro Togashi offered a significant update via his official account on X (formerly known as Twitter), clarifying the long-term trajectory of the manga. Togashi shared that he has finalized the character inking for chapter 422 and is now progressing to chapter 423, where he will commence inking new characters.
With this announcement, it appears that fans can anticipate the release of the Hunter x Hunter manga up to chapter 423 in the near future. This aligns with Togashi’s earlier statement regarding his completion of chapter 420, where he expressed his ambition to “ink 10 more chapters by the close of” 2024.
Togashi Making Progress Toward Inking Goals for Hunter x Hunter
To elaborate on Togashi’s recent announcement, it indicates that his work on chapter 422 is now complete. He has delegated the remaining tasks, which mainly involve background illustrations and other tasks more suited for his assistants, allowing him to focus on his health and recovery due to chronic back injuries.
Supporting this, an update from Togashi at the end of September 2024, following the completion of chapter 420’s character inking, highlighted that “background inking is still in progress, with minimal involvement” from him, suggesting he is taking a less hands-on approach. He has also indicated that the release schedule is “at the discretion of the editorial team.”
This information correlates with the current understanding of the manga’s release timing. As of now, chapters are being published weekly in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine. Nevertheless, it is understood among fans that this weekly rhythm is expected to continue only until chapter 410, after which the manga will transition to a more irregular release schedule due to Togashi’s ongoing health concerns.
Fans can take comfort in the fact that chapters up to 422 are assured to be released, as confirmed in Togashi’s recent update. This holds true even if health complications lead to another hiatus, since all of Togashi’s responsibilities for chapters up to this point have been completed.
For years, Togashi has battled significant back pain, which has resulted in these prolonged breaks from the series. The discomfort was so severe at times that he could only draw while lying down, and often in brief sessions. He has openly shared that, at his worst, he struggled with basic tasks like using the restroom independently.
On a more positive note, Togashi appears to be recovering, as shown by his ongoing engagement with the series in recent months. The latest developments indicate that there is much to anticipate for fans of Hunter x Hunter in the near future.
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