Warning! Contains spoiler for Akane-banashi Chapter 58!Nen from Hunter x Hunter is one of the most iconic power systems in the manga, and a surprise Shonen dance The series pays homage to it by bringing a version of it into the real world. That manga is Akane-banashi by Yuki Suenaga and Takamasa Moue, about an aspiring storyteller Akane as she ascends in the world of Rakugo. While the classical Japanese art of Rakugo is very different from Nen’s powerful magic, the series somehow makes its comparison work.
In chapter 58, translated by Stephen Paul, one of Akane’s seniors, Maikeru, gives her advice on how to improve her performance. In response, he asks her to check what kind of Rakugoka she is. To categorize his personal style, Makeiru introduces Akane to the concept of Nin, a word used in Kabuki Theater to denote the nature of an actor. He divides Nin into six attributes of a Rakugo story that performers can excel at. Each performance and story is able to combine these different aspects in unique ways to particularly suit Rakugoka’s strengths, just as different Nen users have different specialties.
Akane-banashi‘s Nin makes Hunter x Hunter’s Nen come true
Nen is also divided into six properties that can be combined and interacted in interesting ways to create unique abilities tailored to their users. These abilities are usually magical powers like Hisoka’s Bungee Gum, which allows him to manipulate his aura into sticky and stretchy shapes. They can also be extremely complex, such as Tserriednich, the new dark villain of Hunter x Hunter, capable of avoiding dire futures. While these abilities are all wildly different, they all give the user amazing abilities, which is especially surprising given that a more realistic manga like Akane-banashi would adopt the system. this for itself.
Akane-banashi’s Nin is not an exact copy of Nen, but shares many of its characteristics. It may not endow performers with magical powers, but through its proper use it can make their performances much better than those of non-Nin users, which essentially making it a special ability in its own right. This isn’t the first time Akane-banashi has tweaked aspects of other Shonen manga to fit her own story, but it’s the most direct homage to date. However, this is quite consistent with Hunter x Hunter’s influence on the modern manga power system.
Akane-banashi pays homage to Nen differently from other Shonen Jump manga
Most modern Shonen fighting manga have absurd and complex powers, apparently thanks in large part to the revolutionary abilities Nen let mangaka Yoshihiro Togashi bring into Hunter x Hunter. But while series like Jujutsu Kaisen may include some of the craziest powers in Shonen Jump, they often don’t include the easy-to-understand framework that underpins Nen. Akane-banashi overcame this barrier through a playful reverence with Hunter x Hunterlet Shonen dance The series brings an amazing energy system into the real world.
Akane-banashi Chapter 58 available to read from Viz Media.
