Akutami's writing prevents Jujutsu Kaisen suffering from the Hunter x Hunter syndrome

Jujutsu Kaisen is one of the most popular manga to be serialized in Weekly Shounen Jump. This is because the series offers a good deal of action in its story, yet its plotline isn't too complicated for viewers to keep up, as it doesn't involve factors like intense politics.

However, the power ranking system of this series could intimidate some fans due to its moderate complexity and hard-to-grasp concept. Even then, many believe the concept is easy to grasp for those who pay attention to the way the techniques in the series are performed. In fact, several fans think that the anime's power ranking system is not that complex, especially when compared to one of the most complicated systems in Shounen, if not anime.

The latter anime is Hunter x Hunter, infamous for its Hunter x Hunter syndrome. The meaning behind this syndrome is the power-scaling of this anime being too complicated for fans to understand. While the basic concept of Nen, the power-scaling of Hunter x Hunter, is very simple, things get complicated when it comes to understanding its types and how it varies in each person.

Disclaimer: This article contains the author's opinions.

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Discovering why Jujutsu Kaisen's power-scaling is not as complicated as Hunter x Hunter's

Okkotsu Yuta as seen in the anime (Image via MAPPA)

Jujutsu Kaisen is a shounen manga series that received an anime adaptation from animation studio MAPPA. The premise of the series concerns Itadori Yuji, who learns about the existence of cursed spirits and is recruited by Gojo Satoru as a student at Jujutsu High.

The power-scaling of the series is centered solely on cursed energy and how it is used. Cursed energy, as the name implies, is the energy that emerges from negative emotions. As human beings are natural at evoking this emotion, most of them possess this type of energy.

To visualize cursed spirits and utilize cursed energy, a particular amount of this energy is required, which only some people possess, making them cursed sorcerers. Cursed energy manipulation is a must for utilizing this energy in different abilities. The key step to learning this is to maintain a continuous flow of cursed energy and control your emotions, just like how Yuji learned it.

Yuji learning to manipulate cursed energy by controlling his emotions (Image via MAPPA)

After learning cursed energy manipulation, the energy can be utilized as an innate technique, or a positive technique (reverse-cursed technique). The power of each individual is mostly calculated by their cursed energy output and the way they use their cursed techniques. Moreover, some restrictions also apply to cursed energy by bidding vows or as heavenly restriction (no cursed energy from birth).

This is the gist of power-scaling in Jujutsu Kaisen. While some cursed techniques could be too confusing to understand, such as Gojo's Limitless or Yuki Tsukumo's Star Rage, most of the techniques in the series are relatively easy to comprehend.

Gon as seen in the anime (Image via Madhouse)

This is not the case for Hunter x Hunter, a Shounen manga series that has received two anime adaptations, one from Nippon Animation and the other from Madhouse. The premise of the series lies around Gon, who wants to become the best hunter in the world.

The power-scaling of the series is solely centered around Nen, or simply, the aura of life. As every human being is a living being, they possess this energy, but not everyone can use it. Nen is accessible as a weapon after the Nen nodes are opened.

Killua (left) and Gon (right) getting their Nen nodes opened through Initiation (Image via Madhouse)

The nodes can either be opened through meditation over time or instantly by pushing a light stream of aura into the body. The latter method poses a risk of losing one's own life. The protagonists of the series, Gon and Killua awaken their Nen through the latter method, which is termed Initiation.

Nen is also linked to the emotions of its wielder and sometimes remains active even after the death of the wielder, out of emotions linked to someone (like Negarpitou's Nen after they were beheaded). Moreover, Nen is also affected by nature (surroundings) and other unknown circumstances.

Not so surprisingly, the opening of Nen nodes also doesn't guarantee a human can use this energy. So, a person needs to master control over four principles to understand Nen (just like the fans) and be able to accept this as a technique.

Gon (left) and Killua (right) using Ten (Image via Toei Animation)

The four principles are Ten (keeping Nen nodes open while channeling Nen through them), Zetsu (avoiding leaking Nen from the body), Ren (releasing a larger amount of Nen from nodes, as compared to Ten), and Hatsu (the natural expression of a person's Nen).

These principles are modified or combined to perform various advanced Nen abilities, such as En (a combination of Ten and Ren). To make this even more complicated, the advanced Nen abilities can also be combined among themselves, to make another technique. For instance, Ko is a combination of Ten, Zetsu, Ren, Hatsu, and Gyo, with Gyo being an advanced application of Ren.

Moreover, Nen is also affected by the aura of a hunter, which has six types. Nen abilities can also be divided into 15 sub-categories, can also have limitations that are as confusing as the combination of the four principles, and can vary depending on the training and quantification a hunter grows through, which could make Nen, arguably, the most diverse and complicated power-scaling in Shounen.

When compared to Jujutsu Kaisen, where cursed energy has no types and is manipulated differently by each sorcerer, Hunter x Hunter is way more complicated and requires time to understand.

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Final thoughts

The complexity of the power-scaling of an anime doesn't make an anime bad in any context. Hunter x Hunter is still regarded as one of the best Shounen anime series, and its power-scaling plays a main role in this. There is a reason Togashi, the author of Hunter x Hunter, tried to take his series to an ending but revealed the climax fearing his death.

If a fan cannot understand what Nen is, he could watch the series again, and learn how all of this was created inside the mind of a single person. Gege Akutami, the author of Jujutsu Kaisen, could have also referenced Hunter x Hunter various times in his manga, making the latter series one of the best anime of all time.

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