User blog comment:XxMapSyrxx/If you follow Himaruya sensei's blog vehemently..../@comment-2241574-20100929205016

(knocks on wood) Please don't jinx Himaruya...I've seen too many authors/artists become ill and too many cancelled series... On another note, I can't believe I actually read all that (a wall of words rising in front of my eyes)...okay so I skimmed, but I got the gist of your argument.

Back to the matter at hand, I would say that you have a plausible speculation. However, you have to remember that Himaruya is human; he has a life outside of his work. The gaps between sketches and refined drawings may be caused by his schedule. Sometimes he might not have time to draw; other times he might have so much time that he can attempt to create larger images.

I will give you props for your argument because there is always the possibility that Himaruya is planning something; the hint about Russia was definitely thought-provoking, though the clovers reminded me of St. Patrick's Day. However, the announcement doesn't necessarily have to come out on Halloween.

Sure, he's releasing the pictures earlier than usual, but could one argue that Himuraya considers Halloween to be a significant holiday; perhaps he's simply excited. After all, he did live in America for some time, and he must have seen the extent of the celebrations (I'm guessing from the previous Halloween comics)

Although I have so far argued against your ideas, I will say that it will be awesome if he really did make an announcement; personally, I hope he will say the next volume of the manga is ready (wishful thinking). Unfortunately, I too am swamped by life, so I can't spend a lot of time waiting for something that might be superficial.

Finally, if something big does happen, I will acknowledge your discernment. But for now, I will remain skeptical until more information is available.