With the creation of their magnum opus, Gege Akutami has built a world in Jujutsu Kaisen anime that has created a storm in the anime world and all over the internet. The series has not only shaken the system but has also reached the top in a short period, competing with other top anime series on par.
Akutami has been quite vocal about taking inspiration from other anime series for their series and they have exclusively mentioned that the series has been inspired by many other animes and manga writers. These include animes like Naruto, Bleach, Yu Yu Hakusho, and some more.
However, there is one particular aspect of the series that has been inspired by Yoshihiro Togashi’s Hunter x Hunter. It is the curse system on which the entire series’ powers and abilities are based and its similarities with Hunter x Hunter’s magic system can be seen in many instances.
The Magic System of Jujutsu Kaisen
The core of Jujutsu Kaisen’s magic system is the use of Cursed Energy as a weapon by Sorcerers. Cursed spirits and sorcerers use Cursed Energy, a source of power associated with negative emotions, to power their jujutsu. Cursed energy is built upon negative feelings like grief and rage.
Because most people experience these emotions to some extent, the great majority of people are cursed. Combat becomes more emotional than it should because a Sorcerer’s use or summoning of energy depends on how they feel, or don’t feel.
Akutami has admitted that Yoshihiro Togashi’s Hunter X Hunter, in which a character’s use of Nen determines their power level, is the main source of inspiration for Jujutsu Kaisen’s cursed energy system. Akutami combined Nen with elements of Daisuke Ashihara’s World Trigger, an anime in which characters use special weapons and skills to channel energy.
Gege Akutami Explains How Cursed Energy is Inspired by Hunter x Hunter’s Nen Abilities
In an interview with Japandigest, Akutami was asked about their inspiration for the magic system in Jujutsu Kaisen. They explained that the cursed energy system is based on Hunter x Hunter’s magic system. They said:
“The special abilities that Togashi Yoshihiro introduced in “HUNTER x HUNTER”* are pretty much perfect, so I had almost no choice but to focus on fights that reject emotional arguments.”
They further added:
“However, in Ashihara Daisuke’s “WORLD TRIGGER”**, the characters have weapons of the same type, and so he developed a style that was different from Togashi’s. Although my magic is essentially based on the rules created by Togashi, like Ashihara, I am in the process of finding and establishing my own style.”
Akutami explained how they based the magic system of their masterpiece on Hunter x Hunter and World Trigger, but they are trying to establish their style and these are just inspirations from the other manga writers.
