Rurouni Kenshin is suspended indefinitely

On Monday, the official Twitter account of Shueisha's Jump SQ. magazine announced that the manga "Rurouni Kenshin: Hokkaido Arc," written by Nobuhiro Watsuki and his wife Kaoru Kurosaki, will go on an indefinite hiatus due to the author's health problems. This hiatus began from the May issue of this year's magazine, when Jump SQ. He reported that the manga would not have a new chapter in June. However, the manga has also not been published in the July, August, or September issues.

Watsuki and Kurosaki released "Rurouni Kenshin: Hokkaido Arc" in September 2017, but the manga had already faced a suspension in December of the same year when Watsuki was charged with possession of adult material starring minors. Despite this scandal, the manga resumed publication in June 2018, which generated a great deal of controversy among fans, some of whom have not yet forgiven the author for his legal actions.

"Rurouni Kenshin," an iconic work that began publication in 1994 in Weekly Shonen Jump magazine, has amassed more than 72 million copies in circulation worldwide. The story follows Kenshin Himura, a former deadly Meiji-era assassin who seeks to leave violence behind and find a new purpose in life.

Over the years, "Rurouni Kenshin" has been adapted into a 95-episode anime series, one anime film, three OVA projects, five live-action films, and even a stage musical. Despite the controversy surrounding the author, the franchise is still ongoing, with the new television anime project based on the original manga premiering in July 2023. This anime, which has had a total of 24 episodes to date, will continue its broadcast on October 3 and will be extended for two consecutive cours, that is, half a year more.

However, the manga's indefinite suspension and Watsuki's health problems have generated uncertainty among fans of the work, many of whom remain torn between Rurouni Kenshin's legacy and the author's dark past.

Source: Twitter