Hunter X Hunter Manga Returning (update #3 11/07 07:47 JST)?

Shaka, when the walls fell.

Update #3:  ANN joins the “nothing to report in WSJ 50” parade, so it isn’t looking good.  It looks like “I’ve seen false reports simply get recycled over and over until everyone just assumes it’s true” was more predictive than I’d hoped.  There could still be something in the offing next week, but obviously this is discouraging.

Update #2:  The drama continues…  CR is now reporting seeing nothing in the upcoming issue of SJ that points to the 12/13 return for H x H.  It may be a while before we know what’s really happening here.


Update: Here’s what we know as of now…  Based on past history it seems very likely that the story itself is legit.  We’ve seen these sorts of leaks before, and the timing and sources match up with ones that have been borne out.  It seems very likely that some sort of manga continuation is coming.

What’s far less certain – and we may have to wait for an official announcement to find out – is what sort of continuation this is.  With the movie due in December it could very easily be another one-shot tie-in, but it would also make sense to use that timing to truly relaunch the manga.  The most hopeful sign is that the announcement seems to contain the word “continue” which an optimist might interpret to mean something more than a movie tie-in.  That seems to be the broad consensus on Japanese sites, though anyone who knows for sure isn’t telling.

Multiple Japanese websites are reporting that Hunter X Hunter will be back in WSJ starting sometime next month.  I’d like to see something official from Sasaki-san or the official H x H Twitter account at least, only because I’ve seen false reports simply get recycled over and over until everyone just assumes it’s true.  Still, there’s photographic evidence with pretty unambiguous language and pretty mainstream sites are starting to run with the story, so it seems likely to be legit.

If true, this is certainly a frabjous day indeed.  If history is any guide, this might mean that Togashi has finished the next arc and thus the series can go for a while without another hiatus.  The manga has about a 35-40 episode lead on the anime, so another 30+ chapters would buy another cour of anime at least once “Chimera Ant” is finished – what we don’t know, of course, is whether this hypothetical new material is a continuation of the manga’s final chapters, or a new arc altogether – or even another movie tie-in special.

There are a lot of hypotheticals here – the news itself must be verified, we have no idea what Togashi has in mind for the manga if it is, and nothing can be taken for granted as far as NTV’s plans for the anime now that it’s been exiled to late-nights.  But if we’re actually getting new manga that’s really the main thing – it’s been too long, and new manga material is the best way to keep the franchise thriving and popular.  Let’s hope for the best.

Update: Crunchyroll now running with the story.  They have a vested interest.

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25 comments

  1. Y

    That would be pretty sweet indeed! Did you mean "official corroboration"?

  2. Been in Japan too long…

  3. Y

    That's a problem I'd love to have… 😉

  4. e

    This comes on top of a Kingdom+Yowapeda high. OH HAPPY DAY.
    There can be miracles when you believe
    though hope is frail it's hard to kill
    Woohooh with dancing Hisoka chibis on top if it ends up truer than true :D.

  5. F

    Frabjous day if you please, frabjous. 😀

  6. Except it's not…

  7. t

    wow
    I hope it is true.
    maybe madhouse convinced him with the magic words "money is not the problem, Togashi" 😛
    well, with Berserk also returning (though who know for how long) it's good news for the manga world.

    p.s
    "whether this hypothetical new material is a continuation of the "Chairman Selection" Arc, or a new arc altogether."
    as far as I remember, the chairman arc has officialy ended and the last chapter of HxH was the beginning of a new arc. but yeah, they seemed tied together in a way. well..let's hope we'll know soon 😛

  8. K

    Togashi really doesn't need money considering the success of his works and who he's married too. I imagine he still wants to work on Hunter x Hunter.

  9. S

    If it's true, this time it's… oh well, spoilers. But it would be SO GOOD. Let's hope, and let's hope that the arc REALLY is finished, and that we can just get it all in one go.

  10. g

    Hopefully this won't be just another movie tie-in

  11. That indeed would be my other major concern.

  12. h

    I'm pretty sure the anime will end by ch.339 it got the perfect moment
    plus in no way togashi can end an arc in 30 chapter the new arc looks to be a new huge arc

    so hopefully we can see a HxH manga coverage in your site once the anime ends

  13. t

    hahha, don't get your hopes up for more than 20-30 chapters

  14. T

    I'm cautiously excited, though if he does get back to it, then great it's been a painful wait.

  15. P

    From this article I deduct that you finally read the manga or were spoiled ?

    Nevermind, this news made my day, plus earlier this week we got confirmation of return from another author famous for neverending hiatus (Miura's Berserk).

  16. No, I only know the general basics, no details.

  17. i

    It's a brand new arc. The Chairman arc was completed in the manga but I wouldn't get your hopes up for a new fully fledged arc. The place where the manga stopped is actually quite a good ending and I think Togashi might just add a few final chapters to close it out.

    On the other hand he did leave some potential for a huge new arc – that could even surpass Chimera Ant in size and could be the perfect way to close out all the threads from previous arcs.

    BTW I don't think I spoiled anything for non-manga viewers

  18. s

    OMG YESS. Finally!! I feel like I should be cautiously optimistic, but just hearing this has made my week. This has been such a long hiatus, but I really hope Togashi is feeling healthier now. I wonder if he's been remotivated by the movies coming out (or maybe he wants to make sure the anime doesn't catch up just yet)?

    Whatever the case is this is great great news! Thanks for sharing!

  19. K

    This feels like the thought that it was coming back around the time of Phantom Rouge. Only to find out Togashi was just writing Tie in material. I could see the same considering the movie is about Netero and the Hunter Association.

  20. j

    >or even another movie tie-in special

    Sadly, I think that's probably it 🙁 If not, I would be so so so so so so glad to see HxH back. Just watched 103…Awesome!

  21. The most hopeful sign is that the blurb seems to contain the word "continue".

  22. j

    Now you made me hope…Damn you!

  23. t

    in the matter of update #3, WSJ neither confirm nor approve.
    it's not that much surprising or discouraging, considering the fact we are talking about Togashi. although I do wish for HxH to return, I am aware it might be a false alarm (from the beginning). but I understand it is somehow frustrating.
    besides, not enough time passed if it's leaked info, it caught WSJ off guard.
    maybe they planned to announce about in a special time, and they didn't have time to announce it this week.
    I still have cautious optimism.

    thanks for keeping us up-to-dated (:

    p.s
    I know you're not reading the manga (for now I guess? I guess you are not gonna cover the manga as long as the anime keep running?) but still…I assume you are probably familiar with Togashi's drawing design (which is quite…well I believe he can do more in that matter).
    I guess his style won't change, but it'll be great if he can pull out from himself a bit more in that matter.
    this is the very good reason why the anime is justifying the manga. it expresses the manga's potential, thanks to madhouse coloring and animation. although not their best now(clearly not after kaminai..but hey HxH started at 2011), yet unique and special enough all the time for HxH.

  24. Yes, the absence of any mention is not conclusive proof the whole thing is a fake – but it is a setback. I'm disappointed but not defeated.

    I don't see much point in covering the manga as long as it's on hiatus. If and when it returns, I'll probably pick it up for coverage from wherever the anime leaves off.

  25. S

    It's so fitting that Togashi's manga can't ven have reliable leaks.

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