The Rurouni Kenshin: Hokkaido Arc manga, penned by Nobuhiro Watsuki and his novelist wife Kaoru Kurosaki, is currently on hiatus due to Watsuki’s poor health. The series has been absent from Shueisha’s Jump SQ. magazine since its June 2024 issue.
Extended Break for Watsuki’s Recuperation
The ongoing hiatus was officially confirmed by the Jump SQ. magazine’s editorial department, citing the need for Watsuki to rest and recover. While the manga had briefly resumed serialization in September after a one-month break in August, it has since entered another extended pause. The editorial team and Watsuki discussed the situation, concluding that a period of rest is essential for a stable and continuous resumption of the series. No specific details regarding Watsuki’s ailments have been disclosed, but the official announcement suggests that new chapters are unlikely for at least several months.
A History of Pauses and Resumptions
This is not the first time the Hokkaido Arc has experienced breaks in its serialization. The manga, which began in September 2017, went on hiatus in December 2017 following Watsuki’s charge for possession of child sexual abuse images. It later resumed publication in June 2018. The series also paused in June 2021, resuming that August.
Viz Media had been simultaneously publishing the manga in English but ceased after the 2017 hiatus.
The Enduring Legacy of Rurouni Kenshin
Nobuhiro Watsuki first launched the original 28-volume Rurouni Kenshin manga in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine in 1994. The acclaimed series, which centers on Kenshin Himura’s journey beyond his past as a deadly assassin, has sold over 72 million copies worldwide. Its enduring popularity has led to numerous adaptations, including a 95-episode TV anime series, an anime film, three original video anime projects, five live-action films, and a stage musical. A new anime series, re-adapting the main manga, premiered its first season in July 2023, with the second cour beginning in October 2023.
Fans eagerly await Watsuki’s recovery and the return of the Hokkaido Arc, which is a sequel to the original manga. The latest information indicates the manga is expected to make a comeback in Spring 2025, a hopeful sign of Watsuki’s improving health.
