Shaky Handwriting in Hunter x Hunter Chapter 425 Sparks Fresh Fears for Yoshihiro Togashi’s Health

Yoshihiro Togashi just popped back up on X with an update Hunter x Hunter fans have been waiting for, and of course it came with a little bit of drama. The good news: progress. The worry: his health, again.

What Togashi actually said

Togashi posted that the character inking for Chapter 425 is done. That is a real, tangible step forward on new material.

Character inking for Chapter 425 is complete.

Given how long this series has been in stop-and-start mode, any sign of movement is a win. For context, the last officially released chapter was 410 back in December 2024.

Why fans are worried (again)

The image he shared had something people immediately zeroed in on: shaky handwriting and visible strokes on the page numbering. That set off a wave of concern about his physical condition, which has been a long-running topic among readers.

It is not coming out of nowhere. In 2022, Togashi said his health had gotten worse while working on the series. He described severe chronic back pain and said even normal day-to-day tasks had become difficult. That is also the main reason for the repeated hiatuses and the series moving at such an irregular pace.

So when the new post showed that unsteady lettering on a Chapter 425 draft page, fans connected the dots. Reddit threads lit up with people worrying about him, hoping he takes care of himself, and generally bracing for whatever comes next.

Where the manga stands right now

• Togashi says the character inking on Chapter 425 is finished.
• The series has been on hiatus for a while, despite periodic work-in-progress updates.
• The last chapter that actually made it out the door was Chapter 410 in December 2024.
• His health remains a concern, and that has directly affected the schedule.

The bigger conversation: should he hand off illustration?

This always comes up with Hunter x Hunter, and it is coming up again: does Togashi bring in someone to help carry the load? There is a very clear precedent. In 2015, Akira Toriyama trained Toyotarou and let him take the reins on Dragon Ball. That move re-energized the franchise, and Toyotarou has basically been carrying it ever since, with Toriyama guiding the bigger picture.

Togashi has said he already mapped out different endings for Hunter x Hunter, and it sure sounds like he has the story in his head. If he brought on a dedicated illustrator to execute the pages while he focused on writing and supervision, it could ease the health strain and maybe even smooth out the release pipeline. Not a perfect solution for every creator, but for a series this beloved, it is worth considering.

Yoshihiro Togashi is one of the greats. He has poured a lot into this work, arguably at a cost to his health. If that means taking a big break or building a team so he can prioritize recovery, that is not a defeat; that is smart long-term planning.

Bottom line

New pages are being made. The inking update is real momentum. The handwriting detail is a worrying reminder of why the pace has been uneven. If shifting some duties helps him finish the story he clearly wants to tell, I am for it.

Hunter x Hunter is available to read on Viz Media. And yes, I want to hear it: would you be on board if Togashi brought in an illustrator to keep things moving while he steers the story?