Hunter X Hunter’s Creator Keeps Making Secret Pop Idol References

When not on hiatus, Yoshihiro Togashi brings Hunter x Hunter to life. And in that famed manga, it appears he keeps making secret references to idol girl group Keyakizaka46.

Featuring a slew of members, Keyakizaka46 debuted in 2015 and is the sister group of Nogizaka46, which is AKB48’s official rival group.

As Hachima points out, Togashi appears to be a big Keyakizaka46 fan if the continual references are anything to go on.

冨樫先生、ハンターハンターに欅坂46ネタ仕込み過ぎやろ。こんな細かいところまでw pic.twitter.com/lBn2GoECqd

— 社畜のよーだ (@no_shachiku_no) March 21, 2018

CD product numbers appear on a seemingly unrelated sign.

https://twitter.com/a/status/973187442755878914

The group’s pose also popped up in Hunter x Hunter.

https://twitter.com/a/status/966088193270480897

Keyakizaka46 has a song called “AM1:27.”

https://twitter.com/a/status/971003797970407425

“Which do you like better, keyaki written in kanji (欅) or keyaki in hiragana (けやき)?” asks a character in a seemingly non-sequitur question. Keyakizaka46 is written officially both with kanji (欅坂46) and hiragana (けやき坂46).

ハンターハンターのサイレントマジョリティーって欅坂46が元ネタだったのか pic.twitter.com/attf5Nhf3A

— わあちゃん (@K9999_KUSANAGI) March 21, 2018

The hairstyle Keyakizaka46 member Yurina Hirate sported in the “Silent Majority” video appears to have inspired this.

See?

But the references do not stop there.

https://twitter.com/a/status/1047066742290354177

冨樫先生今週も欅要素ぶち込んでくるとかやってんなぁwwwww
カタミラってとこがまた良いwww
まさか小学生から読んでるマンガの作者と同じアイドルオタクになると思わなかったわwww#ハンターハンター#欅坂46 pic.twitter.com/xImifZtiSt

— バンブー (@5Ldw1z_6ao) October 6, 2018

Now, this might seem like a series of kwinky-dinks, right?

Well, here is a Togashi talking about buying music in Shibuya, including Keyakizaka46’s single “Garasu Wo Ware!”

流行り風邪からようやく復活。武道館大円団に喜びつつの涙。
今回ほどエンペラータイム発動できない自分を殴りたい。
冨樫先生も仕事してるようだし、小生も気合い入れよう。何はともあれ、風邪注意。ポカリスエット最強説。 pic.twitter.com/xN9hBvlvKA

— yoko k (@otomodachipunch) February 2, 2018

Togashi also sent the group flowers for their first performance at the Budokan. Looks like he prefers “keyaki” in hiragana.

For more on Hunter x Hunter, check out its English language site.