After 10 Years, Hunter x Hunter Is Overdue For a New Anime

It's time for Gon, Killua, and their hunter friends to return to the screen.

By Evan Valentine

Hunter x Hunter's manga return has been one of the biggest anime news stories in recent memory. Thanks to creator Yoshihiro Togashi's continuing health issues, the shonen manga spent years on hiatus. While it would return to release installments on a weekly basis, the mangaka's issues once again placed the series on an intermittent schedule. Returning this October to follow the Succession Contest Arc, the same cannot be said for Hunter x Hunter's anime. Ending in 2014, Studio Madhouse hasn't hinted at Gon and company's return but it's well worth revisiting the shonen world for a new generation.

Studio Madhouse's take on the anime hunters might be the biggest example of Hunter x Hunter's television journey but it wasn't the first time that Yoshihiro Togashi's tale was brought to life. In 1998, a brief anime film was released by Studio Pierrot (Naruto, Bleach) that introduced Gon and friends to the small screen for the first time. Following this effort, Nippon Animation released a series that stretched to sixty-two episodes, followed by an OVA that ran for thirty episodes in 2002. With close to one hundred and fifty episodes, Madhouse's Hunter x Hunter was the most expansive, covering up to the "Election Arc" but ending in 2014. 

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(Photo: Madhouse)

Hunter x Hunter: A Continuation or a Reboot?

You'd find few anime fans that wouldn't love to see Hunter x Hunter return to the anime world but the question arises over whether it should continue where Madhouse left off or if a new studio should start from the beginning once again. Madhouse's anime ended around the same time as Chapter 339, and since the shonen series only recently hit Chapter 400, a continuation of the television show would warrant maybe one more season or two to catch up to the current Succession Contest Arc. 

It has been ten years since we last saw Gon meet his father face-to-face to cap off the Election Arc, but anime fans would be more than willing to revisit the Madhouse production to catch back up to speed. On the flip side of the equation, creating a reboot or revival to the anime would put it in good company with series such as Fullmetal Alchemist, Hellsing, Urusei Yatsura, and Ranma 1/2. Even One Piece, whose main anime series is still releasing new episodes, is planning to start from the beginning thanks to its upcoming reboot that will see Netflix teaming up with Wit Studio. 

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(Photo: Madhouse)

Why Now Is The Perfect Time For Hunter x Hunter To Return

You would think that maybe with no new anime in ten years and frequent manga delays, the passion for the hunting universe would have died down at least a little. You would be mistaken however as creator Yoshihiro Togashi remains the most followed manga artist on social media and news about new Hunter x Hunter chapters continue to top the charts. Even theme parks like Universal Studios Japan recognize the following the shonen series has accrued and created a theme park ride for Gon and his allies.

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Hunter x Hunter's popularity refuses to wane and the anime that ended in 2014 is streaming on quite a few platforms, including Netflix, Crunchyroll, Hulu, and Peacock. Whether it be via a new movie, revival anime, or continuation of the Madhouse series, it is long past time that anime fans return to Yoshihiro Togashi's world to experience the beloved shonen classic once again. 

Want to see if Hunter x Hunter will return to the anime medium? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest updates on Gon and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime. 

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