Yoshihiro Togashi, the creator of Hunter x Hunter, has said he will step back from deadline-driven work. In an update shared through his X/Twitter account, the manga author explained that he will decline future work requests that come with deadlines so he can focus on his own manuscripts, citing his physical and mental health.
The announcement is the latest turn in a long, well-documented struggle between Togashi’s output and his health, and it gives readers a clearer sense of how the series will be worked on going forward: on his terms, at his pace.
What Togashi actually said
The message came from Togashi’s own social media account rather than a publisher statement, and its substance is straightforward — he intends to turn down work offers that carry fixed deadlines. The goal is to protect time for his own manuscript work while managing his health. No end date or schedule change was attached to the statement, and neither Shueisha nor the Hunter x Hunter editorial team issued a separate timetable.
Because the update concerns how he will take on future requests, it does not by itself announce a new hiatus or a return date for the manga. Treat any specific chapter date as unconfirmed until it comes from an official source.
Where Hunter x Hunter stands
The timing matters, because the manga’s recent history has been stop-and-start. Hunter x Hunter went back on hiatus on September 7, after having resumed serialization on June 29. The story left off at its 420th chapter. On September 15, Togashi posted an update saying he had finished the manuscript for the 428th chapter, which suggests work has continued behind the scenes even while the serialization is paused.
Shueisha published the manga’s 39th compiled volume on July 3 — its first collected volume in 22 months. The series has now exceeded 100 million copies in circulation, including digital copies.
Before that, Shueisha ran chapters 401 to 410 in Weekly Shonen Jump from issue 45 of 2024 to issue two of 2025. Togashi underwent surgery and announced in December 2024 that he had drafted storyboard layouts for two more chapters.
The manga had previously gone on hiatus in January 2023, again citing the author’s health. At that time Shueisha said it had consulted with Togashi and decided the series should no longer follow a weekly serialized format going forward, adding that concrete details on its return and future release pattern would be shared in the magazine once they were settled.
A career built on one of manga’s biggest hits
Togashi launched Hunter x Hunter in Weekly Shonen Jump in 1998. The series has inspired two television anime, two anime films, several original video anime titles and several stage plays. Viz Media releases the manga and anime in English. Its reach makes any change to its production schedule a genuinely significant piece of news, not just a niche update.
Togashi’s health has shaped the series’ release rhythm for years, and the decision to avoid deadline-bound side work reads as a practical attempt to keep the main story moving. It is also a reminder that the gaps between chapters are not arbitrary — they are the result of an author managing a long-term condition while trying to deliver the story he wants to tell.
Why it matters
For readers, the practical takeaway is simple: expect the manga to continue on an irregular, author-driven schedule rather than a reliable weekly or monthly cadence. For the industry, Togashi’s statement is another example of a veteran creator drawing a line around his workload — something that has become more common as publishers and creators talk more openly about health and burnout.
What is not confirmed is when chapter 421 will arrive, how many chapters are finished, or how the next stretch of the story will be released. Those details will come from Shueisha or the author when they are ready. Until then, the clearest verified news is the one Togashi shared himself: fewer outside commitments, more room for his own manuscripts.
Health-driven breaks have become a recurring thread in manga news. We recently covered Chained Soldier’s hiatus over artist Yohei Takemura’s health and Battle in 5 Seconds’ return after a health hiatus.
Source: Anime News Network, citing Yoshihiro Togashi’s X/Twitter account
Featured image: Cover art for the 39th compiled volume of Hunter x Hunter, via Anime News Network.
