Hunter x Hunter manga sparks permanent cancellation rumors
The Hunter x Hunter manga has become infamous among fans for having countless hiatuses. But this time, speculations about its permanent cancellation have begun to spread after an update by manga anthology magazine Shonen Jump.
The magazine decided to put the long-running manga series created by Yoshihiro Togashi to its "serialisation archives" section. As pointed out by Shonen Jump News, the section is where other works that have either ended, cancelled, or transferred to other magazines are located.
Some of the works that could be found there include Gintama, Nisekoi, Assasination Classroom, and Kuroko's Basketball.
HUNTERxHUNTER is no longer listed as a 'serialized work' from Weekly Shonen Jump on the magazine's official website.
— Shonen Jump News (@WSJ_manga) February 19, 2023
The series is now listed in the 'Archived Serializations' section along with ended, canceled, and transferred works.https://t.co/0UjBu7K8HA pic.twitter.com/PyictFu45A
Hunter x Hunter is not new to delays as it has frequently gone on extended hiatuses since 2006. In fact, it gathered dust for three years due to Togashi suffering from severe back pain, which has rendered him unable to work on the story.
The manga finally made its comeback last year, but it didn't last long as Togashi once again announced that the popular series will be taking a break starting with chapter 401, reasoning that he is "trying to figure out" the publishing schedule.
While the author or the magazine has yet to confirm about the real status of the fantasy adventure manga, some fans highlighted that the statement was misunderstood by others and that Togashi isn't planning on closing his best-selling series just yet.
"It just means it'll no longer be on the Weekly Shonen Jump magazine since Togashi's health doesn't allow him to release chapters weekly. It'll most likely be moved to another magazine with my more flexible release schedule," one user said.
Another also pointed out that in the latest chapter of Hunter x Hunter, the magazine's editorial staff announced that future installments of the series "will no longer be released under the same old weekly serializationed model."
"Togashi-sensei will still pen the remaining story of 'Hunter x Hunter' to its completion with the help of the editorial team. However, particulars of how and when these future chapters will be released will be clarified in a future issue of Shonen Jump," the note read.
Since its publication in 1998, Hunter x Hunter grew to become one of the most popular and beloved manga of all time, having over 84 million copies in circulation and spawning an anime series.