- anime
- manga
Yoshihiro Togashi
Quick Fact
Born in 1966, Yoshihiro Togashi is a manga author best known for writing and illustrating HUNTERxHUNTER and YuYu Hakusyo, both are some of the best-selling mangas in history. Married to Naoko Takeuchi, the author of Sailor Moon.
HUNTERxHUNTER
His biggest work is HUNTERxHUNTER, 1998 - present. It is serialized in the Weekly Shonen Jump magazine and available as comic books. First anime run: 1999. Then in 2011 they gave it a full reboot — brand-new cast and crew — and relaunched the series from the ground up.
As a shōnen manga it keeps the story at a level elementary-schoolers can enjoy, yet it's full of quietly thoughtful settings and character work. Inside the story it even builds a fully structured power system called Nen — effectively explaining, in-universe, the kinds of superpowers earlier manga artists had been inventing.
HUNTERxHUNTER Manga - Kurapica - © Shueisha
Yoshihiro Togashi — a Remarkable Anomaly
Togashi just kills it at manga — the artwork, the page layouts, the plot moves, and — most strikingly — his language. His phrasing is unexpected but always feels like the only possible choice. The guy owns the medium.
Yet it is exactly this extreme level of craftsmanship — that "you did not have to go that far…" overkill — that tickles hardcore manga fans. He knows that trying to pull that off on a weekly deadline would crush him (the workload would be insane), but he can't help himself. Glorious madness.
HUNTERxHUNTER Manga - Killua - © Shueisha
HUNTERxHUNTER Manga Page - Kurapika - © Shueisha
Breaks and Comebacks
So not surprisingly, Togashi is known for frequent, long breaks from his work, due to his chronic, severe back pain. On May 24, 2022, 3 years after his latest break began, Togashi posted on Twitter, saying “For now, 4 more pages”. It blew up headlines worldwide when reports confirmed its latest break was ending. It did make my day.
On October 24, 2022, funs in Japan celebrated the return of HUNTERxHUNTER in Weekly Shonen Jump. On November 8, the new HUNTERxHUNTER vol 37 comic book was released.
HUNTERxHUNTER Yoshihiro Togashi's Tweet
Exhibition: Togashi Yoshihiro 2022
Starting in October, 2022, Exhibition: Yoshihiro Togashi was held in Japan which showcased his original drawing, special artworks and memorabilia goods. When I went on December 30, it was packed with fans - locals and international visitors a like.
Exhibition Togashi Yoshihiro: Mori Art Center Entrance
