How To Create A Magic System In Shonen Manga | Soft VS Hard Power System
Summary
TLDRIn this informative video, the creator of 'Monitor Comics' dives into the intricacies of soft and hard magic systems in shonen manga, a concept popularized by fantasy author Brandon Sanderson. The video serves as a follow-up to a previous tutorial on creating shonen power systems. A soft magic system is characterized by its abstract and loosely guided nature, which allows for a mysterious and open-ended exploration of magical possibilities. In contrast, a hard magic system operates on a concrete set of laws, providing a structured and predictable framework for magical use within a story. The video also discusses the advantages and disadvantages of each system, the importance of understanding their differences, and the potential for blending the two to create a hybrid magic system. The host emphasizes the significance of creativity and originality in crafting a memorable power system for readers, regardless of the chosen approach.
Takeaways
- 🎨 **Soft vs. Hard Magic Systems**: The video discusses the distinction between soft and hard magic systems in storytelling, which are characterized by either abstract guidelines or concrete laws governing the use of magic.
- 📚 **Brandon Sanderson's Influence**: Renowned fantasy author Brandon Sanderson is mentioned as a key figure in defining soft and hard magic systems, with his three laws of magic providing a framework for their understanding.
- 🧠 **Understanding Magic**: Sanderson's first law emphasizes that the effectiveness of magic in resolving conflicts is tied to the reader's understanding of how it works, advocating for clarity over arbitrary elements.
- 🚫 **Limitations and Weaknesses**: The second law highlights that the weaknesses of magic are more interesting than its powers, as they drive the story's conflict and force characters to be more resourceful.
- 🌱 **Expansion Over Addition**: The third law encourages expanding on existing powers rather than adding new ones without reason, suggesting that a smaller number of well-defined elements is preferable.
- 📐 **Hard Magic Systems**: These systems have strict rules that define how magic is used and produced, offering advantages in plot development, world-building, and reader comprehension.
- 🌫️ **Soft Magic Systems**: They are more ambiguous, offering a sense of mystery and flexibility in storytelling, but can risk plot conveniences and difficulty in conveying abstract concepts.
- 🔄 **Hybrid Magic Systems**: It's rare for a story to be purely soft or hard magic; most blend elements of both, offering a mix of concrete and abstract rules governing magic.
- 🌐 **Magic System Backstories**: A common element in all magic systems is a backstory explaining the origin of magic, which helps to deepen the world and establish its history.
- ⚖️ **Harmful Effects of Magic**: It's important to include the potential negative consequences of using magic to prevent characters from appearing invincible and to create conflict.
- 👤 **Definitive Magical Users**: Stories should clearly define who can and cannot use magic to establish a precedent and avoid confusion during pivotal moments.
- 🔗 **Relationship with Magic**: The interaction between the user and magic is often explored, with some stories examining how users can influence magic or suffer consequences from its use.
Q & A
What is the main topic of the video?
-The main topic of the video is discussing soft and hard magic systems in shonen manga and how to create them for comics, manga, and webtoon projects.
Who coined the terms 'soft magic system' and 'hard magic system'?
-The terms 'soft magic system' and 'hard magic system' were coined by renowned fantasy author Brandon Sanderson.
What are the three laws of magic as established by Brandon Sanderson?
-The three laws of magic are: 1) The author's ability to resolve conflicts with magic is proportional to the reader's understanding of it; 2) Weaknesses are more interesting than powers; 3) Expand on pre-existing powers rather than adding new ones without reason.
What is a hard magic system?
-A hard magic system is a set of established laws that regulate how magic is used and produced within a fictional universe, with concrete rules that make it easier to develop plot, world-building, and characters.
What is a soft magic system?
-A soft magic system is a system that lacks a precise set of guidelines, being more vague and open to interpretation, which can add an extra layer of mystery to a story.
What is a hybrid magic system?
-A hybrid magic system is a blend of concrete and abstract elements, where the rules overseeing the use and creation of magic combine features of both hard and soft magic systems.
What are some common characteristics of all magic systems?
-Common characteristics include a history of the magic system, potential harmful effects of magic, definitive magical users, and a relationship between the user and the magic itself.
What is the main advantage of a hard magic system?
-The main advantage of a hard magic system is the concrete rules make it easier to develop the plot, world-building, and characters, and it allows the reader to have a firm grasp on the magic system.
What is a disadvantage of a hard magic system?
-A disadvantage of a hard magic system is that the specified overarching rules can limit magical possibilities and may straighten the reader by closing their mind off to seeking the bounds of the magic system.
What is the main advantage of a soft magic system?
-The main advantage of a soft magic system is that the vagueness adds an extra layer of mystery to the story and encourages the reader to explore the potential of the magic system on their own.
What is a disadvantage of a soft magic system?
-A disadvantage of a soft magic system is that it can lead to lazily resolving complicated plot developments using cop-outs and it is more difficult to communicate abstract concepts to the reader.
How can a writer choose between a soft and hard magic system for their story?
-A writer should choose a magic system that fits with their unique story and personal interest, considering the pros and cons of both systems, and focusing on creativity and original ideas that will be memorable to readers.
Outlines
🎨 Introduction to Soft and Hard Magic Systems
The video begins by welcoming viewers to Monitor Comics, a channel dedicated to creating comics and manga. The host introduces the topic of soft and hard magic systems in shonen manga, continuing from a previous video on creating shonen power systems. The video is sponsored by Squarespace, which allows the host to present their work professionally. The discussion then delves into defining power systems and their importance in storytelling, mentioning popular examples from manga. Renowned fantasy author Brandon Sanderson's three laws of magic are introduced to clarify the concepts of soft and hard magic systems. The video outlines the differences between these systems, focusing on the strictness and clarity of the magical rules within a story.
🔮 Exploring the Advantages and Disadvantages of Soft and Hard Magic Systems
The second paragraph explores the pros and cons of soft and hard magic systems. Hard magic systems are characterized by concrete rules, which can facilitate plot development and character understanding but may limit creative possibilities. Soft magic systems, on the other hand, offer more flexibility and mystery but can be challenging to communicate to the reader and may lead to plot conveniences. The concept of a hybrid magic system is introduced, which combines elements of both hard and soft magic systems. The paragraph also discusses the similarities between the two systems, such as the history of magic, potential harmful effects, definitive magical users, and the relationship between the user and magic. Differences are highlighted, particularly in the explicitness of the rules and the reasoning behind magic use.
🌟 Choosing the Right Magic System for Your Story
The final paragraph emphasizes the importance of choosing a magic system that aligns with the unique story and personal interests of the creator. It acknowledges that both soft and hard magic systems have their merits and drawbacks, and the decision should be based on what best serves the narrative. The host encourages viewers to consider the impact of their choice on the story's development and the reader's experience. The video concludes with a call to action for viewers to like, subscribe, and comment on their favorite power systems. The host also promotes their published works and thanks the audience for their support, ending with a motivational message to continue creating.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Soft Magic Systems
💡Hard Magic Systems
💡Brandon Sanderson
💡Three Laws of Magic
💡Shonen Manga
💡Power Systems
💡World Building
💡Hybrid Magic System
💡Squarespace
💡Creativity
💡Definitive Magical Users
Highlights
The video discusses the creation of soft and hard magic systems in shonen manga, which are crucial for explaining the extraordinary powers and abilities of characters.
Soft and hard magic systems were defined by fantasy author Brandon Sanderson, known for his works like 'The Wheel of Time' and 'The Mistborn Trilogy'.
Sanderson's three laws of magic emphasize understanding, weaknesses over powers, and expanding on existing powers rather than adding new ones.
Hard magic systems have a concrete set of laws that regulate magic use, making it easier for world-building and character development.
Soft magic systems are more abstract, allowing for greater flexibility and mystery, but can be prone to plot conveniences if not well-managed.
Hybrid magic systems blend concrete and abstract elements, offering a balance between the two approaches.
All magic systems should have a backstory that explains the origin of magic in the fictional world.
The potential harmful effects of magic should be defined to create conflict and prevent characters from appearing invincible.
The story should clearly define who can and cannot use magic to avoid confusion and enhance plot development.
The relationship between the magic user and the magic itself is a common theme, affecting the narrative and character dynamics.
Hard magic systems are explicit with their rules, providing a clear framework for the reader to understand the magic's capabilities.
Soft magic systems offer more freedom for introducing new magical powers without the need for strict justification.
The choice between soft and hard magic systems depends on the writer's preference and the unique requirements of the story.
The video encourages creators to choose a magic system that aligns with their story and personal interests.
The presenter shares their personal experience using Squarespace to build a professional portfolio and gallery for their work.
Squarespace offers various gallery options and the ability to create password-protected pages for client sharing.
The video provides a discount code for Squarespace, offering 10% off the first purchase of a website or domain.
Transcripts
how's it going everyone welcome back to
monitor comics the channel where we
create comics and manga if this is your
first time stopping by the channel then
i hope you can check out some of my
other videos after you finish watching
this one in today's video we're gonna be
talking about soft magic systems and
hard magic systems in shonen manga this
video is going to be a part two of my
how to create shonen power systems video
make sure you watch this video in its
entirety because we'll be going over
everything you need to know about
creating soft magic systems and hard
magic systems for your comics manga and
webtoon projects but first let's hear a
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and now let's get back to the video
let's recap what exactly is a power
system a power system is an in-universe
system that explains the extraordinary
powers and abilities of the characters
in your story power systems should
follow a set of defined and precise
rules certain agreed upon factors make a
power system good such as creativity
strength drawbacks and limits some power
systems from popular manga include the
devil fruits from one piece nen from
hunter hunter the elemental breathing
techniques from demon slayer quirks from
my hero academia alchemy from fullmetal
alchemist brotherhood and cursed energy
and jiu-jitsu kaizen so then what is a
soft magic system and a hard magic
system these terms were coined by
renowned fantasy author brandon
sanderson sanderson is most famous for
the wheel of time series the mistborn
trilogy and the stormlight archive
sanderson's success and fantasy writing
has many considering him to be the
foremost expert on magic systems
sanderson established the
characterization of hard magic systems
and soft magic systems when formulating
the three laws of magic to clarify
sanderson's famous three laws of magic
are as follows rule 1 the author's
ability to resolve conflicts in a
satisfying way with magic is directly
proportional to how the reader
understands said magic basically don't
pull things out of thin air if you want
the magic to work make it real and
reliable rule 2 weaknesses are more
interesting than powers basically your
story's conflict comes from what the
magic can't do weaknesses force your
characters to work harder rule 3 expand
don't add basically don't just add new
magic powers for no good reason expand
upon pre-existing powers and connect
them to one another in your fictional
world fewer stronger elements are better
than a greater number of weaker ones
sanderson's theories are so well known
that many authors reference the
fundamentals of soft magic systems and
heart magic systems when creating their
own magical concepts don't be fooled by
the word magic in soft magic systems and
hard magic systems the theories found in
this concept can be applied to any power
system typically the term soft magic
systems and hard magic systems are used
when talking about fantasy novels
however understating soft magic systems
and hard magic systems can be beneficial
for your comic manga and webtoon
projects the main differences between a
soft magic system and a hard magic
system is how strict and definitive the
magical rules are within your story hard
magic systems must conform to a concrete
set of laws whereas soft magic systems
loosely follow an abstract series of
guidelines first let's break down hard
power systems a hard power system is a
set of established laws that regulate
how magic is used and produced within
the fictional universe one advantage of
a hard magic system is the concrete
rules of hard magic makes it easier to
develop the plot world building and
characters another advantage is in hard
magic systems it's easier to convey the
different uses of magic to the reader
when explicit supernatural laws are in
effect a third advantage of developing a
heart magic system is your reader will
believe they have a firm grasp on the
ins and outs of the magic system in your
story one big disadvantage of hard magic
systems is the specified overarching
rules limit magical possibilities once
your system is already established it
becomes harder to add additional
features another disadvantage of hard
magic systems is they can straighten the
reader by closing their mind off the
seeking the bounds of your magic system
on their own moving on to soft magic
systems a soft magic system can be
defined as a system that lacks a precise
set of guidelines that regulate magical
use and creation in your fictional world
soft magic systems are a lot more vague
than hard magic systems and sometimes
offer very little explanation to how the
powers work this may be justified by
characters in your story not knowing
enough about the magical phenomena one
advantage of developing a soft magic
system is that vagueness adds an extra
layer of mystery to your story another
advantage is there are unrestricted
possibilities for writers to utilize
magic in whichever way they see fit a
third advantage of a soft magic system
is it encourages the reader to explore
the potential of the magic system all on
their own a disadvantage of creating a
soft magic system is writers can lazily
resolve complicated plot developments
using cop-outs another disadvantage of
writing soft magic systems is it is more
difficult to communicate abstract
concepts to the reader a third
disadvantage for developing a soft magic
system is there is additional room for
error due to greater complexity it is
possible to blend the two magic systems
together in fact it is actually quite
rare for a story to be strictly hard
magic or soft magic most works of
fiction with magical elements are a
blend of the two magic systems the term
for this system is a hybrid magic system
a hybrid magic system can be defined as
a system where the rules that oversee
the use and creation of magic is a blend
of concrete and abstract elements in
most cases predominantly soft magic
systems may incorporate subtle elements
of heart magic systems such as a slight
justification for the magic that exists
in your story likewise predominantly
hard magic systems may contain aspects
that you expect to see in a soft magic
system an example of this might be an
element of ambiguity maybe your
characters are inexperienced and know
little to nothing about their powers
until later in the story now i want to
go over the similarities between soft
magic systems and heart magic systems
these characteristics are universal to
all magic systems regardless of how
strict or definitive the magical laws
are similarity 1 history of the magic
system it is common for there to be some
sort of backstory that explains when and
where the magic in your story comes from
the specific details differ from story
to story some writers prefer to preserve
an element of mystery while others
prefer to reveal every minor detail that
may help uncover the roots of the magic
system an extensive past hints that
magic existed in the world long before
your current timeline this emphasizes to
the reader that this fictional world
extends beyond what we see to the
protagonist's eyes for more information
about effective world building please
check out my video covering 10 tips for
world building in your comics manga and
webtoon projects i'll link that video in
the description below and in the top
right hand youtube card right now
similarity to potential harmful effects
of magic writers rarely leave this up
for interpretation because then there
would be no repercussions for the use of
magic without repercussions readers will
assume magical users to be invincible
because there is no mention of any
limitations to hold them back there must
be flaws and weaknesses to your power
system to allow for conflict in your
story similarity 3 definitive magical
users you should explicitly address who
can and cannot use magic in your story
this is an important element to include
because it establishes a precedent for
how and why certain characters within
your story wield magic you should
distinctively point out who the magical
users are in your story so there's no
room for confusion during crucial
sequences in your story's plot if you
intentionally leave your reader in the
dark about who can or cannot use magic
they'll have a hard time following what
exactly is happening of course there are
exceptions to every rule sometimes
withholdingness information can be
beneficial for writing a successful plot
twist maybe a character who he once
thought was powerless reveals that they
have had an extraordinary power the
entire time similarity 4 relationship
with the user it is common for writers
to address the relationship between the
magical user and the magic itself this
is true for both soft magic systems and
hard magic systems in some stories users
are able to change the nature of magic
in the universe itself another
relationship may be through exploitation
for example in some stories when a magic
user overextends their magical
capabilities a direct consequence may be
fatigue or mental unconsciousness now i
want to move on to the differences
between soft magic systems and hard
magic systems difference number one
explicitness of the stated rules like i
mentioned earlier this is the most
obvious difference between the two magic
systems it is what most writers refer to
first when deciding how to label their
magic system to reiterate heart magic
systems definitively lay out all the
governing laws of how magic is created
and used in your story there are very
few loopholes in heart magic systems the
purpose of laying out a magic system in
this way is to present the reader with
all the facts this strict organization
of this type of magic minimalizes
confusion allowing the reader to fully
grasp the essence of the supernatural
elements found within your fictional
universe soft magic on the other hand
does not state any explicit laws that
govern magic because there are or may
not be any definitive rules in place
soft magic systems are more conceptual
and factual the purpose of soft magic
systems is to leave the prospect of
future magical possibilities open-ended
difference to reasoning for magic use
hard magic systems must adhere to a
rigid line of logic once the explanation
for magic is established it is firmly
set in stone and ingrained within the
very framework of your story it is
important to note that spontaneous
supernatural events cannot spring up in
a heart magic system without a solid
explanation soft magic systems have no
limitations soft magic systems are
abstract and conceptual magic can
materialize on a whim with no
explanation necessary it is important to
find a good balance between utilizing
his flexibility and not settling for
plot convenient cop-outs difference
number three future magical
possibilities magical possibilities are
restricted for hard magic systems
writers cannot create new magical powers
along the way as the story progresses
when a new magical power is being
considered it must comply with the
explicit rules of the heart magic system
itself these new magical powers must
also have supporting reasoning to
justify their existence this new power
must also add some literary meanings
here in narrative for example a reason
to introduce a new magical power maybe
to enhance the descriptiveness of your
story's characterization or further
complicate your plot structure on the
other hand soft magic systems are
nowhere near as restrictive a story with
this type of magic system could
introduce whatever kind of magic they
want introducing a new magic power
should add meaning to your narrative but
at the end of the day there are no
definitive set of rules with this type
of magic system so which type of magic
system is better for your story it all
depends on your personal preference
there are pros and cons for both soft
magic systems and hard magic systems
choose a system that fits with your
unique story and personal interest
regardless of which magic system you
choose to use for your story your
creativity and original ideas are going
to be what your readers remember you for
hopefully you got some value out of this
video if you did please drop this video
a like and subscribe to the channel if
you haven't already leave a comment down
below telling us about your favorite
power system in anime manga comics light
novels novels or anything else remember
you can read my first published manga
change the world and saturday am's new
branch pilot manga i'll link that along
with all my social media accounts down
below i want to thank you all for your
continued support as always keep
creating everyone i'll see you all in
the next one
you
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