Many anime enthusiasts consider Hunter x Hunter to be one of the must-see series on the market. The manga has sold more than 85 million copies internationally. An additional 30 episodes would be created and released as OVAs in 2011.
Hunter x Hunter has a distinct flaw in that it has been on hiatus for more than three years. This latest hiatus has left fans wondering if Hunter x Hunter will ever be completed.
Why so Many Breaks?
Yoshihiro Togashi, who is well-known for directing Yu Yu Hakusho, spent years working on Hunter x Hunter. It was during this series that Togashi was unable to sit down for more than two hours without feeling pain and at one point couldn't stand down at all.
Togashi made a decision to begin drawing manga while lying down on his back, but the problem was that this method of drawing manga was lengthy and laborious. He has had to take several leaves on his manga due to persistent medical issues, the most recent of which being his longest.
Some fans are concerned that, like George R.R. Martin, he might die before the series gets finished. The good news is that there is a strategy in place to finish the series should Togashi find himself unable to complete the work. It involves another manga artist you may have heard of.
Sailor Moon Saves the Day Again
Naoko Takeuchi is well-known for being the creator, artist, and author of Pretty Guardian Soldier Sailor Moon, as well as Hunter x Hunters' very own Yoshihiro Togashi. Over the years the two have remained connected, whether it be through art touch-ups or script patches.
Takeuchi is very supportive of her husband both in terms of growth and ensuring that Hunter x Hunter does not become an abandoned series. As such, she has been assisting him with character designs, making notes about the series, and drafting scripts for the final series.
She has taken these notes and written them down, ensuring that Hunter x Hunter's whole conclusion is mapped out, scripted, and even partially drawn for characters that have yet to be seen by the readers.
The Hunter x Hunter finale is done and just needs to be drawn, according to the book. That is a huge task, so in the meantime, Takeuchi has been assisting her husband with his recovery by making sure he takes his medications and gets all the rest he needs, since she understands how vital it is to him and his followers to finish the series they started many years ago.
The Back-Up Plan
Togashi has been a sick man and may not be able to finish Hunter x Hunter one day, which is why there were two scenarios in which the final installment of the film was planned and pre-produced. The first was to make the final chapters easier to complete when Togashi was feeling better and ready to resume work.
If Yoshihiro Togashi is unable to finish Hunter x Hunter, these notes, scripts, and character designs will be there for him. In the unfortunate event that Togashi is unable to finish Hunter x Hunter, his wife and Sailor Moon legend Naoko Takeuchi will personally finish the series for him.
Fans are understandably concerned about Togashi's condition (and the hope that he will recover), but they can breathe a sign of relief knowing that Hunter x Hunter will be completed as he envisioned it and that it is in Naoko Takeuchis' capable hands.