As the old saying goes, "There's nothing new under the sun." And that is mostly true for every creation, including manga. New authors build their creations on top of the inspirations and influences of the authors who came before them. That is how creative works come to be.
One of the best examples of an exceptional new manga that has tastefully worn its influence on its sleeve and built its own unique story on top is Jujutsu Kaisen. It is no secret that Gege Akutami-sensei loves Hunter x Hunter. And these are 5 ways Jujutsu Kaisen was influenced by Hunter x Hunter.
Contains Manga Spoilers
5. Occasional Dark Atmosphere
The most notable influence that Hunter x Hunter has over Jujutsu Kaisen is the occasional dark atmosphere. Because unlike other shounen manga, these two have some of the most brutal fight scenes with real life and death consequences.
For the most part, both series live in a rather bright and carefree story mode. But occasionally, the atmosphere can get extremely dark. After all, who could forget the tragic end of Kite from Hunter x Hunter and Nanami from Jujutsu Kaisen…?
They may not be on a Game of Thrones level yet, but you still shouldn't get too attached to any particular characters because they could die in any given fight. Both Hunter x Hunter and Jujutsu Kaisen are not afraid to kill some of their most popular characters if the story needs it.
4. Gon Freecss and Yuji Itadori
There are a lot of similarities between the personalities of Gon and Itadori. Both are cheerful and easygoing boys who prefer to plunge head-first into danger. Both of them are the type of person who learns faster by doing, instead of sitting around and reading a book.
But that doesn't mean they're a couple of muscle heads who never think about their actions. They both have a firm sense of justice and won't budge once they make a decision about something despite what everybody says, such as the time when Gon befriends a Chimera ant or when Itadori sympathizes with the cursed spirit brothers.
On the other hand, they can also be so blinded by rage that they no longer care what happens to them as long as they can crush their enemies. This happens during the battle between Gon and Pitou and also when Itadori goes against Mahito.
3. Killua Zoldyck and Megumi Fushiguro
The influence is not only limited to the main character, but to the supporting characters as well. Fushiguro from Jujutsu Kaisen is quite similar to Killua from Hunter x Hunter. The similarities between the two are not only limited to their personalities, but also to their families and circumstances.
Killua and Fushiguro are both aloof boys who only truly open up to the people they trust. Both of them are initially more skilled than the main characters due to their natural abilities. After all, both of them come from highly influential families with well-known penchants for violence.
And to stack up even more likenesses between the two, their fathers also happen to be legendary assassins. The trajectory of their development as characters is also quite similar. Both started with a deep resentment towards everything and, as the story progressed, they became people who are willing to sacrifice themselves for the ones they truly care about.
2. Powers and Battle Systems
The characters in the world of Hunter x Hunter and Jujutsu Kaisen are equipped with supernatural powers that come from within themselves. In Hunter x Hunter, the power is called Nen. In Jujutsu Kaisen, it's called Cursed Energy. Every human supposedly has these powers, but only a select few can harness their true potential.
For both of these powers, there are basic techniques that can be learned and mastered by every practitioner, but going above that level requires a personalized technique that relies heavily on each user's ability, personality, and imagination.
These systems create a wide variety of unique abilities, to the point that pretty much nobody in either series has the same exact abilities as someone else. And yes, those abilities can get extremely weird and confusing. Hunter x Hunter gives us a character who can shoot blood-sucking fleas, and Jujutsu Kaisen has somebody who can move in 24 frames per second. It’s great.
1. Gon's and Itadori's Special Moves
And finally, back to the main characters themselves. As mentioned in the previous section, both Hunter x Hunter and Jujutsu Kaisen have a wide range of powers and some of them can get really strange and complicated. But that is not the case at all for Gon and Itadori.
You could even say that their abilities are some of the simplest ones in both series. Both of them have a power that utilizes their punching ability. Gon's ability is a lethal version of the game rock-paper-scissors, with rock being a big punch, scissors being some sort of nen blade, and paper being a nen projectile.
Itadori also has a similar ability. For now, he has two standout punching moves: Divergent Fist and Black Flash. Both involve directly punching the target, similar to Gon's rock punch. But since both series are still ongoing right now, their abilities might evolve into something totally different in the future.
Final Thoughts
Gege Akutami-sensei has said that Hunter x Hunter (as well as its creator, Yoshihiro Togashi-sensei) is one of his biggest influences and sources of inspiration. And as the previous points have shown, those influences are embedded into the foundation of Jujutsu Kaisen.
But rather than making a Hunter x Hunter 2.0, Jujutsu Kaisen manages to use that foundation to craft a new and exciting world, story, and characters on top of it. The result is an interesting manga that can deliver a unique supernatural action story and compete at the same high level as its predecessor.
What do you think about the influence Hunter x Hunter has had on Jujutsu Kaisen? Let us know in the comments!
Recommended Post
6 Manga Like Jujutsu Kaisen [Recommendations]
Recommended Post
Top 10 Modern Shounen Manga
Recommended Post
[Action Shounen Fall 2018] Like Hunter x Hunter? Watch This!
Recommended Post