Hajime no Ippo on hiatus: What the break means for fans and the manga’s future

Hajime no Ippo has been one of the most popular series in the sports genre, as the story has continued to inspire generations of its fans. The manga series started in 1989, and after being serialized for decades, it seems like there is an update that would be disappointing to its loyal readers. According to the latest news, it is confirmed that the manga is on another hiatus.

While the news is incredibly disappointing, it reason the creator had to take a break is due to his health reasons. It is understandable that health always should come first, but it does not take away from the fact that long-time readers who have invested in this show for years now will have to wait. Naturally, the fandom is understanding towards the author taking a break, yet it is difficult for them not to feel upset.

This is the best-case scenario in the anime community, and there has been a recent change in the way fans approach the news of hiatuses. There was a time when fans were so attached to a show that there would be visible outrage. In recent times, there has been a shift in the mentality of fans as they have been openly more understanding about letting a creator prioritize their health over forcing them to release chapters consistently.

Moreover, Hajime no Ippo has over 1500 chapters, so the creator going on a hiatus seems less like a break and more like an inevitable move that they should have taken a long time ago.

Fan reactions on Hajime no Ippo haitus: Concern over complaints

As we know that fans of Hajime no Ippo have been understanding towards hiatuses; they have taken over social media as they are discussing how important it is to take breaks because mangakas are clearly overworked, and they are worried about the creator's health. Some common comments towards this news have been:

"George Morikawa's health is number 1 priority right now. That's why the Hajime no Ippo manga is on hiatus. First a Taxi car almost killed Morikawa not too long ago. Then recently he was hospitalized. All of this happening in the middle of the Sendo vs Ricardo fight 😢😭" said a fan.

"For the sake of the manga, the best thing would be for Morikawa to hand the manga over to someone else and just supervise it himself. If it continues at this pace, Hajime will never end." added another fan.

"The best thing in general is for the entire manga industry to move towards more of an american monthly model. In general i feel like american artists have a way healthier life span than japan. I think i saw a stat that had japanese mangakas die 15-20 years earlier than the pop," stated a netizen.

There is also growing discussion about whether Morikawa should delegate more art duties to assistants, similar to how Dragon Ball Super operated under Akira Toriyama’s supervision.

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Final thoughts

At this point, Hajime no Ippo is more than a manga; it is a cultural institution. The current hiatus is not the end of Hajime no Ippo. It’s a reminder that even the strongest fighters, on the page or behind it, need time to recover. And if waiting ensures that George Morikawa can finish his story on his own terms, most fans agree: it’s a wait worth making.

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