I agree HxH is overrated, but I don't agree with downplaying Togashi's health condition.
Surely you can understand physical and mental health become entwined when an artist can no longer perform their craft without experiencing severe pain and/or discomfort because their body has broken down after years of toil and sacrifice for said craft?
I don't know of it's still the case, but Togashi has several conditions, on of which is a back condition that has him drawing on his back.
I'm all for criticising Togashi's work and the reception to it, but I don't think you have to go there when it comes to his health. Especially in an industry that's known for its artists breaking down in similar ways.
Oda started his career pretty damn young, and even him, being the golden child with the billion dollar IP and all the benefits and creature comforts of modern medicine, technology, etc. is experiencing health problems in his 40s.
And it's JAPAN, these mfers love to work. If they're not working for whatever reason, I tend to believe them.
I understand perfectly.
But the health problem did allow him to write 50+ chapters a year.
He has no excuse for the non-ending of YYH.
And knowing he was sick, why did he not wrap up HxH instead of this boat arc that feels completely detached, almost a spin off of the main plot?
The only real loose thread is Kurapika killing the spiders, Gon is
dead fine, Killua has no plot whatsoever as always, Leorio is still irrelevant.
He could have written a final arc of Kurapika vs Spiders instead he went above his level, and now we have a mid arc that goes ultimately nowhere, like Berserk. Or GRRM and ASOIAF.
He knew he was sick, instead of wrapping his story he preferred to leave it unfinished starting a wandering arc.
LOL.
At least Oda is consisted in delivery mid chapters.