'Hunter x Hunter' is Making a Big Comeback in Japan

Yoshiriro Togashi's Hunter x Hunter may have a cult following in the United States, but the series [...]

Yoshiriro Togashi's Hunter x Hunter may have a cult following in the United States, but the series is slowly picking up heat in Japan because of the series' incredible staying power despite the manga's current hiatus.

The latest show of support from Hunter x Hunter fans came in the form of the latest Ame Talk, which buzzed so much about the series that it was pushed into the most trending world wide topics on Twitter.

Ame Talk is a super popular variety show in Japan where celebrity guests, comedians, and experts are brought on to talk about whatever the topic is that week. The latest episode featured Hunter x Hunter, and the guests broke down everything from the complexities of villains like Meruem, the Nen energy system, world building arcs like the Greed Island game, and even Togashi's numerous hiatuses.

The best part of the variety show (of which you can find in full here, but without subtitles) are the cosplay gags which took very muscular men and had them dressed up into Hunter x Hunter's muscular transformations of Gon and Biscuit.

This was just one big example of the series' fan support and popularity, and this demonstrates how well constructed the original series is as fans are still so close to it despite facing numerous troubles. Not only do fans have the patience to wait out Togashi's health break hiatuses, but they have also lost the support of two different anime adaptations.

A new anime series is one of the most requested things by Hunter x Hunter fans, so perhaps there is hope still out there. While chances of a new anime series happening is slim, maybe these big shows of support will grease the wheels. Either way, this will show its creator that fans will still be there with open arms when he brings the manga serialization back.

For those unfamiliar with Hunter x Hunter, the series was originally created by Yoshihiro Togashi. The story follows a young boy named Gon Freecss, who discovers that his previously thought to be dead father is in fact alive. Not only is he alive, he is a famous Hunter, a professional traveler who specializes in finding rare treasures, exploring unidentified lands, and hunting down dangerous individuals. Gon then decides that in order to meet his father he has to become a licensed Hunter, but in that journey gets wrapped up in way more strangeness than he ever could have anticipated.

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