'Hunter X Hunter' latest news: Manga to go on another indefinite hiatus after chapter 360
"Hunter X Hunter," the long-running Japanese manga series written and illustrated by manga artist Yoshihiro Togashi, is going on another hiatus.
According to Anime News Network, Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump magazine, which has serialized the manga since 1998, will be making the announcement in its latest issue on Monday, July 11. The website also reported that there is no fixed end date for the hiatus and that the resumption date for the manga will be revealed when it has been decided.
The news comes as "Hunter X Hunter" fans await chapter 360, which will now be the final chapter before the manga goes on its latest indefinite hiatus. While fans will no doubt be disappointed to learn that they won't be getting any new "Hunter X Hunter" chapters for a while, the news of a hiatus isn't exactly new to them, as "Hunter X Hunter" has in fact just come out of an earlier extended hiatus.
In August 2014, the combined 37th/38th issue of Weekly Shonen Jump contained the final chapter of "Hunter X Hunter" before it went on a two-year hiatus. The publication break, which was a result of the 50-year-old Togashi having to take time off due to lower back pain, ended in April this year.
According to Kotaku, Togashi's longest publication streak for "Hunter X Hunter" is 30 issues. His longest hiatus, meanwhile, is 80 issues long.
The website suggested that Togashi's battle with back pain may be behind the frequent and sudden breaks in publication of "Hunter X Hunter."
Rocket News 24 reached out to Shueisha, which confirmed that the latest "Hunter X Hunter" hiatus is a result of Togashi's worsening condition.
"The last time the series was put on hold, it was because of Togashi-sensei's lower back pain, and once again, his condition has gotten worse, necessitating a break again," the company said in a statement. "At this time, it is not certain when we will be able to resume the series."
Meanwhile, fans can still look forward to chapter 360, which is titled "Parasite." The chapter is said to find Kurapika doubting the honesty of Prince Woble's guards and testing their loyalty to the prince.