Here’s the word from Megumi Han:
This news is not unexpected, of course, but it still marks the end of an era. And with anime in such a state of creative stagnation, the timing – though purely coincidental – is all the more heartbreaking. I’ll obviously discuss this in more detail in the coming days.
Update: Here is the text of part of Han Megumi’s diary entry, translated. She’s such a sweetheart, Han-san, and her love for Hunter X Hunter shines through every time she talks about it.
Now that I’ve talked about the turning point for this column, there’s something I want to talk about. The other day, at Sanbunzaka Studio, the place of all the beginnings, we conducted the recording for episode 148 of Hunter x Hunter, which will serve as the turning point for the anime for now. I will not say “final episode” myself. I will be stubborn and only call it “episode 148.” I say this, because in terms of episode numbers, in a certain meaning, this will be the final episode, but I feel that it also feels like the start of a new beginning. If you ask me, episode 147 is the final episode, and 148 is sort of an epilogue. The original manga is still continuing, and the adventures haven’t ended yet. An unknown world still awaits. Actually, it’s like what has happened up until now in the story was nothing more than a prologue, and it gets me even more expectant for what’s to come.
Though I say that, when I think that “I’ve been going to the same place every week at the same time for three years, but next week, this won’t happen…,” I get very sad…
I know I shouldn’t talk too much, but I will condense my feelings right here. To everything up until now, and to everyone, I say, “Thank you.”
El Huesudo II
August 17, 2014 at 5:23 amI really hope a few seasons later we see a "Hunter x Hunter – DC Expedition Arc" on new anime listings. I don't care if it's in 2017, just let it happen.
admin
August 17, 2014 at 5:25 amOf course I hope so too, but a lot of things would have to break the right way. Starting, of course, with Togashi producing enough new material to make it a possibility. Then there's the question of a willingness on the part of the money people to make it happen – and as bad as things are for any anime outside the accepted commercial template now, I can only imagine they'll be even worse in 3-4 years.
ferryyohanes96
August 17, 2014 at 7:45 ami'm actually worried about the new material from togashi, because although recently he continued the manga, he's been taking so many breaks, i don't know whether togashi really has the will to finish HxH or not, but i want to see it finished because this is part of my childhood
JohnRey Toston
August 20, 2014 at 7:58 amIt will, hopefully. I love this anime more than anyone else, Too bad it will end soon, but it will be worth waiting for when the time comes.
Yanna Paulo
September 17, 2014 at 10:13 amI feel terribly sad that HXH is going to end. Seriously, I go home right after my work just to watch the episodes. And now, I just don't understand why they're not continuing the episode. I was expecting for more adventures. I totally love HXH!!! It's just soooo sad!
Ronbb
August 17, 2014 at 6:15 amThe first word that came to mind was bummer…truly a bummer, as much as we have suspected it to come all along.
segafreak2000
August 17, 2014 at 8:28 amWell, given that they supposedly almost caught up to the manga and the fact that Madhouse will be responsible for Parasyte next season, it doesn't surprise me that the anime ends when it will end. Of course I'm sad that it ends, but will be glad if it finds a nice spot to end it for the time being, and doesn't drag out with fillers.
Thankfully Madhouse can always continue once enough material is out – though if Togashi continues his arc pattern, I fear the next one could be a really long one again. Oh well. Will be excited to pick up the manga in six weeks, then.
Dvalinn
August 17, 2014 at 11:22 amDamn, and so my favourite shonen of all time ends. Again. It's good that she sounds optimistic that there might be some hope for a continuation one day (either by OVA, like the old series, or a complete sequel, I think) but it won't happen anytime soon, if it ever will.
Guess I'll go dripfeeding myself on the manga in the meantime, and desperately try to find something to plug the gap that HxH leaves.
whemleh
August 17, 2014 at 11:41 pmYes. I have decided. After episode 148.. I will wait for episode 149. If Han can believe in it, so can I. I want to see this through. Properly.
This will, well.. leave a… quite a large crevice in the anime schedule. I only started watching last November, I can only imagine how hard it'll be for you, who's been watching and blogging for three years straight.
wilddog73
September 24, 2014 at 3:50 amThen good luck, everyone. I'll keep my eyes open as well.
Flaiboy
August 18, 2014 at 3:03 amThis is just really hard to accept . . . though we knew it was coming. Thank you, Han, for bringing Gon to life and expressing your feelings to us all.
sonicsenryaku
August 18, 2014 at 5:50 amIt's things like this (not necessarily that hunterxhunter ended because it had too for the sake of its integrity) that reminds me that the business model of Anime needs to change for this period of stagnation to not get worse. The whole drought of creativity and production issues that plague the anime industry could be solved if they took the necessary changes need to push the industry to a much more efficient model. There are a couple ideas i think can alleviate some of the pressing issues but sadly i dont know if they will ever happen. Still, i am more confident than others that things will look better, Anime in North America is certainly starting to rise in awareness and popularity again. HunterXhunter was a good anime and im glad it knows when to stop so that it can stay good in the eyes of those who watched it and be immortalized by those who loved it and feel that a its end brings forth the end of an era
admin
August 18, 2014 at 6:58 amIndeed, the timing of this is coincidental, but it could hardly come at a worse time if you're a fan of good anime. I don't think any fan of H x H can have issues with the way it's been treated by the anime industry, certainly in this adaptation.
Japan is like the U.S. in that change comes very, very slowly, and in areas like the anime industry I think it's even more resistant. The 30K/20K audience groups that buy series like Monogotari and Free respectively are like heroin to the anime industry – they know that sooner or later it's going to kill them, but it's easier to just keep shooting up rather than try and face the prospect of living without.
sonicsenryaku
August 18, 2014 at 9:35 amhahaha that heroin analogy just painted a really depressing image in my head
IreneSharda
August 18, 2014 at 7:48 pmThis is pretty sad news, especially since I'm a new fan of the series.
I had heard of HxH for a few years and even checked out the first episode of the 1999 series, but it was never really anything I was interested in. Like many US anime fans, I pretty much cut my teeth on shounen series. Starting with Inuyasha, Kenshin, Yu Yu Hakusho, and the of course, the Big 3. But as you get older, your tastes change and you want something a little more sophisticated, so I pretty much left shounen series behind after my first couple of years as an undergrad.
Now in grad school, I definately didn't feel like entering the long term shounen world again, but my youngest brother and my best friend had been pestering me for months on trying HunterxHunter. The premise didn't really interest me, and I pretty much thought I knew all a shounen series about a boy and his friends, had to offer. Eventually, a couple of weeks ago, my brother tied my hands when I asked him to do a favor, and he said that he would on the condition that I watch at least 3 episodes of the series. So, I submitted and took a look.
Like many a shounen series I've watched, I wasn't really that impressed by the first few episodes, but that's the trick about shounen, you might not really care at first, but somehow, someway, you still find yourself watching. And before I knew it, I was hooked.
So, in two weeks, I marathoned all 142 episodes, watching the triumphs and failings of Gon and his friends as they grew and became stronger with every new situation and every new person they met. My favorite character quickly became Killua, but I still love all the others as well.
To know that the series will end so soon after I've discovered how much I liked it, is sorrowful, and I hope they will continue it someday. I won't read the manga. I only read manga for a series if I happened to start the manga prior to knowing about the series. I like being surprised by the visual medium, and if this series ever continues one day, I want to enjoy it fresh.
However, despite starting it late, I'm kind of glad I did. I've found over the years that shounen series that last for a long time are usually best marathoned. And so, instead of finding things tedious like I've found out some viewers found it, on a week-to-week, basis, I found the episodes thrilling, with anticipation.
I'm really glad I watched this series and I will miss it. It reminded me of why I liked shounen in the first place when I was just starting anime as a preteen. And that despite how much I've grown up, I still am able to enjoy it today.
Denise Favarim
September 23, 2014 at 11:29 pmQuero mais temporadas desse anime ele é muito bom e eu ainda acho que tem futuro por favor criem uma nova temporada, Esse anime promete mais por almenos na minha opinião!!!
Cristian Fernando
September 24, 2014 at 2:09 amIm going to cry for the next couple of weeks :'|
David Caddin
September 24, 2014 at 8:47 amthe original series of HxH was outstanding. if it would have ended there i could have died a happy man. when HxH-2011 was released i was in awe. obviously the animation itself was about as good as it gets but it also made me feel like i was watching the series for the first time all over again. in my opinion alot of anime series have two huge flaws. 1- alot of series are prolonged way past there prime, and 2- alot of episodes in those series are nothing but recaps and fillers. for example the iconic and grandfather series to alot of americans was DBZ. i think the majority of you guys would probably agree that taking 18 episodes to defeat each bad guy was a bit tedious. that said, i can honestly say that if HxH continued and kept the standards as it has i would be a happy-happy otaku.
Marina Fransiska Agustin
October 1, 2014 at 3:47 amIn the manga, the story is still going, so I hope they will continue to make a new season of hunter x hunter..
:'(
Akinyi Adongo
October 2, 2014 at 3:11 pmI really enjoyed tho show! And now that it is over, I need to fill the void in my life! Eh, any suggestions?
admin
October 3, 2014 at 1:49 pmOff the top of my head, the first two seasons of Rurouni Kenshin and then Level E. And you could read Tower of God…
Chiacha Lee
October 8, 2014 at 3:20 amYou can't freaking leave us hanging and lusting for more of HXH. Like NO! Keep Pushing Yourself and Motive yourself to make more!
Joshua Magansay
October 27, 2014 at 5:22 amhes tired of his same routine every week..
bannanna cream
November 19, 2014 at 8:29 pmNooooooooooooooo why ;_; I love HXH its so awesome
Christer Torririt
December 19, 2014 at 4:03 pmHxH my favorite anime ever. i was 16 when i first watch this , now im 30, and still waiting for 149, ive jst watchd epsd 1 -75 six times, and 2x for the rest. your fan ck
Unknown
September 22, 2015 at 8:49 amPlease I am waiting for the Episode 149+
Cristian Suarez
September 22, 2015 at 8:51 amHunter x Hunter would be my favorite anime for the rest of my life. No one could ever replace this. I 've been watching many animes since now and I firmly stand HXH is irreplaceable and would be my FOREVER favorite.
Cristian Suarez
September 22, 2015 at 8:54 amEpisode 149+ please. Since when I was a kid, I've been watching. HXH is part of my interesting childhood days. I always see to it that I reach home early so I can watch this, I'm from the Philippines btw. And, this brought a intrinsic effect on my life. I love HXH and the characters.
john kurt banaag
October 26, 2015 at 7:48 pmThis is the BEST ANIME I've watched !!
THE BEST !!
wish it continues … still waiting for episode 149 and more 😀