From Hunter x Hunter‘s Yoshihiro Togashi’s infamous chronic back pain to World Trigger‘s Daisuke Ashihara’s neck and spine, mangaka have gained an infamous reputation for pushing their bodies to their physical limits in order to produce the art they love – and not even Plus Ultra could spare My Hero Academia mangaka Kohei Horikoshi from recently joining their ranks.
Gentle and La Brava in My Hero Academia Chapter 379 “Hopes” (2023), Shueisha. Words and Art by Kohei Horikoshi via Digital Issue
the official My Hero Academia Twitter account announced on February 2nd that the series would be going “on hiatus due to the author’s poor health.”
Official My Hero Academia via Twitter
In a particularly deflating for fans, the series’ upcoming absences comes just on the heels of Shigaraki’s self-liberation from the control of the the villainous All for One in the latest chapter, thus leaving them with an unexpected and extended cliffhanger.
Shigaraki liberated from All for One in My Hero Academia Chapter 379 “Hopes” (2023), Shueisha. Words and Art by Kohei Horikoshi via Digital Issue
Worryingly, this latest hiatus announcement comes almost immediately on the heels of Horikoshi’s last forced break, which saw the mangaka’s best-selling take a one week absence from Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump in December 2022.
Likewise, this brief hiatus was undertaken because of “the author’s poor health.”
Official My Hero Academia via Twitter
While the exact nature of the mangaka’s health problems have yet to be made public, his recent ‘Author’s Comment’ in the combined sixth-and-seventh issues of Weekly Shonen Jump have led some fans to speculate that his body has fallen victim to the requirements of drawing a 19-page weekly serialization.
“My shoulders hurt so much,” vaguely declared Horikoshi. “If it was gonna hurt this much, then I wish I never had shoulders.”
Kohei Horikoshi’s Author Comment in Weekly Shonen Jump Issue 5/6 (2023), Shueisha
Regardless of the cause for this break, the good news for fans is that, barring any setbacks, Horikoshi and My Hero Academia are set to return to the pages of Weekly Shonen Jump on February 19th.
The cast of My Hero Academia in Kohei Horikoshi’s color spread to Ch 359 ‘Place of Learning” (2022), Shueisha via digital issue
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