Yoshihiro Togashi's "Hunter x Hunter" finally made its grand return to "Weekly Shonen Jump" in October 2023 after a notoriously long hiatus. But just as fans were celebrating, the manga went back on temporary break after chapter 410, leaving everyone once again fretting over Togashi-sensei's health.
While the manga hasn't resumed serialization yet, Togashi has been keeping fans updated on X (formerly Twitter) since last August. Recently, he's even started sharing progress by posting sketches directly on his manuscript paper. Yesterday (January 27), he dropped a truly unexpected "Chrollo Pompompurin" illustration that immediately blew up, sparking a massive wave of fan art and becoming an instant sensation!
Togashi originally posted this image, featuring a Pompompurin character decked out as Chrollo, the leader of the Phantom Troupe, holding a sign that reads: "No. 421 Background Specification Book Completed." But the "Chrollo Pompompurin" crossover was so out of left field, and nobody knew what inspired Togashi to draw it, that it instantly ignited the creative sparks of fans everywhere!
Togashi's sketch immediately became a wellspring of inspiration for countless fan artists. Here are some of the amazing creations that popped up on X:
Pompompurin wielding Chrollo's "Skill Hunter" ability!
Hisoka playing with Chrollo-Pompompurin...
Fans even colored it in...
Chrollo-Pompompurin captured by Kurapika...
Shalnark joins the fun...
Hisoka: "The Chrollo I want to fight... why did he turn into this?" (Imagined dialogue)
This Hisoka is probably thinking about... Pompompurin's butt, huh?
Of course, this doesn't directly mean "Hunter x Hunter" is resuming serialization anytime soon. But it's both surprising and delightful to see how Togashi's casual doodle can instantly become the talk of the town!
Seeing Togashi-sensei consistently update his work progress means he's taking care of himself, which in turn means there's still hope for the manga to resume serialization... *fingers crossed!*