'Hunter x Hunter' season 3 release date: lack of source material pushing back anime indefinitely?

Promotional banner for "Hunter x Hunter"Viz Media

It looks like "Hunter x Hunter" season 3 is also affected by the hiatus of its manga counterpart, whose chapter 361 is yet to be released.

Yoshihiro Togashi is unable to continue his work on the manga at the moment because of his back issues, which have also resulted to manga hiatuses in the past.

It is unclear if "Hunter x Hunter" season 3 is in active development at the moment as there is no enough material for it. As fans know, the anime is adapted by story arcs.

The ongoing story arc is "Dark Continent Expedition." So far, it has 21 chapters with the most recent one released back in July. Togashi is yet to release a new chapter.

Either way, "Hunter x Hunter" season 3 will likely be delayed further with the source material stagnant and the anime dependent on it.

This means that fans will have to wait indefinitely before they can once again check back in on Gon and the gang in both the media.

There are ongoing reports that Viz Media and Madhouse are not happy about both "Hunter x Hunter" season 3 and the manga getting stuck in limbo at the moment.

Togashi suffers a back problem, which makes it impossible for him to work long hours. It has happened before, and the hiatus can take a couple of years.

Whether or not this will be the case on the manga's current hiatus remains to be seen. Previous reports, however, suggested that the companies are growing impatient.

There were claims that new writers and artists will be brought in to continue the "Hunter x Hunter" manga, which will, in turn, help season 3 of the anime move forward.

While this is yet to be corroborated, fans are not expected to be too thrilled about the news. Many patrons of Togashi's masterpiece have proven to be unfazed by long waiting games knowing it will be worth it.

Having a new set of people handling "Hunter x Hunter" season 3 and the manga might result in a backlash and even a boycott.

As for a possible premiere date, the new season of the anime is expected return by 2018.