‘Hunter X Hunter’ Creator Yoshihiro Togashi Tops Online Poll For Taking Too Many Breaks, Still Shows No Sign Of Chapter 361

The renowned creator of the hit manga series Hunter X Hunter continues to make headlines, this time, as he tops a recent online poll asking which manga creators take too many breaks.

On Wednesday, the Goo Ranking website revealed the results of a poll they conducted from December 13 to December 27. According to reports, a total of 3,638 participants responded to the said online poll revealing the manga artist who seems to go on hiatus often.

The 50-year-old mangaka garnered a total of 1,845 votes followed by Suzue Miuchi for Glass Mask(302 votes), Katsura Hoshino for D.Gray-Man(118 votes), Yoshiyuki Sadamoto for Neon Genesis Evangelion(108 votes), and Hisashi Eguchi for Stop! Hibari-kun(100 votes.) There were a total of 24 manga artists who made it on the list.

The result came as no surprise to many considering the number of times Hunter X Hunter has been interrupted mostly due to Yoshihiro Togashi’s health condition. In fact, his extended breaks led fans to create the so-called “Togashi Disease,” a condition wherein a manga artist put his or her work on long hiatuses.

https://www.facebook.com/Hunter.0x0.Hunter0/photos/p.1916441128588029/1916441128588029/?type=1&opaqueCursor=Abp9fOcu5VgWCUhIly6GXbpWx_EC0WQusApPLQca8nKo3U0ThRYksBct3jDubqN-t_oRK4gYe6ahLCZsFbc1H3jd7O29Pj-y02FITm6du-AneY2qG2jnNbVhUUNiF63YGcCd4RVGPACQ0XzV6CjasjcS7P6jGkh_jxptrIP7drmx3xsBTwHnImPaezkUTIyX3xtkYoJY14QMN8Ab3bCDc8FpvRJcvQ8RWLCB0-uNnb_3Slg4ZwJ7oPreSkKlQ6dhhqXn-fBRpdmW7jy9f5Lc9a7ENNw_A6th1A-tdMrsonkSWKDJ39zrNw2rabsPInPPD4gVdN2ZVd0mYCLPa9udILShVurAWSUYiE1t7OAuJbRK01qtGlC9PBdbrr4VUG7LnBk&theater

It can be recalled that Hunter X Hunter was put on hold indefinitely last year due to Yoshihiro Togashi’s recurring back pain. Many fans were dismayed especially since the series had just returned after yet another long break around 2014. The said break put fans to another gruesome wait for the much-awaited Chapter 361.

However, things started to look bright for the fans of Hunter X Hunter when Yoshihiro Togashi stepped out in public for the first time after going on a break. Togashi attended the 40th-anniversary celebration of Osamu Akimoto’s Kochira Katsushika-ku Kamearikouen-mae Hashutsujo also known as Kochikame. The said event was also attended by other talented manga creators all over Japan.

Many were quick to notice that Yoshihiro Togashi appears to be healthy and in good spirits during the event leading to speculations that he might be ready to resume work soon. While some expressed positivity about Yoshihiro’s possible recovery, there were some who doubted whether the artist’s medical condition is for real or just a made-up story to skip work.

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— ???? (@Eguchinn) October 24, 2016

There were endless speculations about Yoshihiro Togashi’s real condition especially since the manga artist himself remains mum about the issue. Recently, Hisashi Eguchi (Stop! Hibari-kun!), who ranked 5th on the list, claimed that he might be the one responsible for Togashi’s series of breaks. The 60-year-old mangaka joked that he somehow taught him to be “lazy.”

“I taught him it was all right to be lazy. Togashi looked at me and [kept taking hiatuses]. It’s my accomplishment… I’m the one who said you don’t have to draw weekly.”

With Hunter X Hunter Chapter 361 still pending, rumors are rife that the Weekly Shonen Jump is currently planning to extend the creative control of the series so that other artists can take part on it until Yoshihiro’s condition improves. Although unconfirmed, many expect that his wife, Naoko Takeuchi, will take over Hunter X Hunter. With her exceptional skills in creating the hit manga series Sailor Moon and her relationship to Yoshihiro Togashi, Naoko Takeuchi is probably the best choice.

Despite the lack of confirmation and concrete information about the fate of Hunter X Hunter, fans are hopeful that Yoshihiro Togashi will be able to pull it off and release Chapter 361 sometime this year. For now, relive some of the scenes from Hunter X Hunter animated series in the video below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAYc99piR6g&t=223s

[Featured Image by Hunter x Hunter/Facebook]