HOW TO WRITE: Interesting Powers (In Anime & Manga)

Summary

This video explores the art of designing compelling powers for characters in battle shounen series, focusing on the balance between versatility and limitation. It delves into iconic abilities like Luffy's 'Gomu Gomu no Mi' from 'One Piece' and Megumi's 'Ten Shadows Technique' from 'Jujutsu Kaisen', illustrating how these powers offer a variety of combat approaches while maintaining strict constraints. The video emphasizes the importance of core concepts in creating powers that are both narratively fitting and dynamically engaging, ultimately enhancing the storytelling experience.

Takeaways

• 🌟 Battle shounen series rely on a diverse range of fighting abilities, from simple martial arts to complex and imaginative powers.
• 🔍 The effectiveness of a power in storytelling is measured by its versatility and the extent of its limitations, creating a 'sweet spot' for character abilities.
• 💪 Luffy's 'Gomu Gomu no Mi' from One Piece exemplifies a well-balanced power with both versatility and strict limitations, enhancing physical stats and offering multiple techniques.
• 🔮 The 'Ten Shadows Technique' from Jujutsu Kaisen allows for a variety of combat approaches, with each familiar having its own strengths and limitations.
• 🤔 The anticipation of how a character will use their power in a fight adds intrigue and keeps the audience engaged.
• 🎭 The balance of variety and limitation in a character's power is crucial for maintaining interest in their battles and for narrative development.
• 🌈 Popular franchises often feature abilities that fit the 'Goldilocks zone' of being interesting without being overpowered or too limited.
• 🏆 Main characters typically have abilities that are neither too simple nor too omnipotent, to ensure their role in the narrative is compelling throughout the series.
• 👥 Characters with significant roles in the story, such as mentors or main villains, often have abilities that reflect their high status on the power scale.
• 📚 The core concept of a character's power is fundamental; abstract concepts often lead to more powerful and varied abilities.
• 📝 When creating a character's power, consider their narrative role and the core concept to determine its place on the power scale and its impact on the story.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the video script provided?

The video script focuses on the design and analysis of powers in battle shounen series, discussing what makes a power interesting and how these powers are constructed and utilized within the context of the story.

What is the 'sweet spot' in terms of power design according to the script?

The 'sweet spot' in power design is a balance between versatility and limitation, allowing for a variety of uses while still imposing restrictions that prevent the power from being omnipotent.

Can you provide an example of a power that exemplifies the 'sweet spot'?

One example given is Luffy's 'Gomu Gomu no Mi' from One Piece, which allows him to stretch his body and enhances his physical stats, attack range, and more, but within strict limits.

What is the significance of having a power with a balance of variety and limitation?

A power with a balance of variety and limitation is interesting for fights because it encourages viewers to speculate on how it will be used and allows writers to introduce new uses without it feeling contrived.

Why does the script mention the 'ten shadows technique' from Jujutsu Kaisen?

The 'ten shadows technique' is mentioned as another example of a power that fits the 'sweet spot', offering variety through different familiars with distinct abilities, yet each with its own limitations.

How does the script relate the design of a power to the character's role in the story?

The script suggests that the design of a power should align with the character's narrative role, with main cast members often having powers in the middle ground for variety, while mentors and main villains may have more abstract and powerful abilities.

What is the role of core concepts in designing a character's power?

Core concepts underlie all abilities in fiction and are vital in determining the character's narrative role and the impact they have on the story. More abstract core concepts often lead to more varied and powerful abilities.

Why might a writer choose not to give a character a power with a balance of variety and limitation?

A writer might choose not to give a character a power with a balance of variety and limitation if the character is not a main cast member or if the power is meant to represent brute force or simplicity, fitting the character's story role.

What is the importance of the character's narrative role in determining the type of power they should have?

The character's narrative role is important because it helps determine where on the power scale the character should be and what kind of impact they will have on the story, whether it be as a main character with a versatile power or as a mentor or villain with a more abstract and powerful ability.

How does the video script suggest approaching the design of a character's power?

The script suggests that when designing a character's power, one should first determine the character's narrative role and core concept, then decide where on the power scale they should be placed, and consider what kind of impact they will have on the story.

Outlines

00:00

🎭 The Art of Character Power Design in Shounen Anime

This paragraph delves into the intricacies of designing character powers in battle shounen series, emphasizing the importance of a balance between versatility and limitation. It discusses the spectrum of abilities, from basic to omnipotent, using Luffy's gomu gomu no mi from One Piece as a prime example of a well-crafted power within strict limits. The paragraph also introduces the ten shadows technique from Jujutsu Kaisen, highlighting the variety and limitations of its summoned familiars. The key takeaway is the importance of inventiveness within set constraints to keep the audience engaged and intrigued by the character's potential in combat.

05:00

🤼‍♂️ Balancing Variety and Limitation for Dynamic Fights

The second paragraph explores the concept that the most interesting abilities for fights are those that strike a balance between variety and limitation. It suggests that this balance not only spurs viewer speculation but also satisfies with the character's strategic decisions during combat. The paragraph provides examples from various popular franchises, such as Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, Naruto, and My Hero Academia, to illustrate this point. It also touches on the narrative roles of characters and how their powers can reflect their significance in the story, with main cast members often having abilities in the middle ground to maintain interest over multiple arcs.

10:10

🎯 The Core Concept: Abstraction and Power Scaling

In this final paragraph, the focus shifts to the core concept underlying every fictional ability, which is essential for crafting a character's power. It points out a trend where more abstract core concepts tend to result in more versatile and powerful abilities, as seen with prominent villains who manipulate perception or time. The paragraph emphasizes the importance of understanding a character's narrative role and their core concept when designing their abilities. It concludes by encouraging creators to consider what they want to achieve with a character rather than adhering to rigid rules, acknowledging the complexity and thoughtfulness behind creating memorable abilities in fiction.

Keywords

💡Battle shounen series

Battle shounen series refers to a genre of anime and manga that focuses on young male characters engaging in battles, often with a coming-of-age theme. These series are central to the video's theme, as they form the basis for the discussion on character abilities. The script mentions that these series have been around for a long time and are characterized by various fighting methods, from martial arts to unique powers.

💡Powers

In the context of the video, 'powers' are the abilities or skills that characters possess, ranging from basic to extraordinary. The script explores what makes these powers interesting and how they are designed for characters in battle shounen series. Examples from the script include Luffy's 'gum gum' powers from 'One Piece' and Megumi's 'ten shadows technique' from 'Jujutsu Kaisen'.

💡Gomu Gomu no Mi

The 'Gomu Gomu no Mi' is a Devil Fruit ability from 'One Piece' that grants the user, Luffy, the properties of rubber. The video discusses how this power, while not original, has been utilized in various creative ways by the series' creator, Oda, to enhance Luffy's physical abilities and provide a wide range of techniques, demonstrating the balance between versatility and limitation in power design.

💡Versatility

Versatility in this video refers to the range of applications and situations a power can be used in. It is a key aspect of designing interesting powers, as it allows characters to adapt to different challenges. The script uses Luffy's rubber powers as an example of a versatile ability that can be used in multiple ways, such as increasing speed or rebounding attacks.

💡Limitation

Limitation is the constraint or restriction placed on a character's power, which is essential for maintaining balance and interest in the story. The script explains that having strict limits on powers like Luffy's 'gum gum' ability prevents them from becoming overpowered and keeps the narrative engaging by requiring creative use of the abilities.

💡Ten Shadows Technique

The 'Ten Shadows Technique' is a power from 'Jujutsu Kaisen' that allows the character Megumi to summon different familiars from his shadow to fight for him. The video uses this as an example of a power with variety, as each familiar has a unique ability, yet they are all limited in scope, which contributes to the character's overall power design.

💡Narrative Role

Narrative role refers to the function a character plays within the story. The script discusses how the narrative role influences the design of a character's power, with main cast members often having powers that are balanced for long-term story involvement, while mentors and main villains may have more extreme abilities to reflect their positions on the story's power scale.

💡Core Concept

The core concept of a power is its fundamental idea or principle, which underlies all its abilities. The video suggests that the more abstract the core concept, the more potential the power has for variety and strength. Examples given include 'stretchiness' for the 'Gomu Gomu no Mi' and 'infinity' for Gojo's power in 'Jujutsu Kaisen'.

💡Balance

Balance in the context of the video refers to the equilibrium between a power's versatility and its limitations. It is crucial for creating engaging and dynamic fights, as it encourages viewers to speculate on how the power will be used and allows writers to introduce new uses without breaking the established rules of the narrative.

💡Mentor Role

The mentor role in the video is characterized by characters who guide and support the protagonist, often possessing powerful abilities that demonstrate their competence. Examples from the script include Kakashi with the Sharingan and Gojo with the Infinity technique, whose powers reflect their high status within the story's power hierarchy.

💡Main Villain

The main villain in the video is portrayed as a character with significant power, often positioned on the higher end of the power scale to pose a substantial threat to the protagonist. Their abilities are designed to be imposing and reflect their role as the primary antagonist, as illustrated by the script's mention of Aizen's perception manipulation and Pain's Rinnegan.

Highlights

Battle shounen series are popular and have a variety of fighting methods.

The key to designing a good power for characters is its ability to let a character do various things.

Abilities can be scaled from basic to omnipotent, with a 'sweet spot' in the middle for balance.

Luffy's gomu gomu no mi from One Piece is an example of a versatile yet limited power.

The ten shadows technique from Jujutsu Kaisen offers variety with inherent limitations.

Interesting powers encourage viewers to speculate on their use in fights.

The introduction of new techniques within established powers can be intriguing without seeming forced.

Popular franchises often feature powers with a balance of variety and limitation.

Main cast characters typically have powers in the middle ground to suit their narrative role.

Main villains often have powers on the higher end of the scale to be imposing threats.

Mentors and main villains may have abstract powers reflecting their high status on the power scale.

Writers can choose powers based on narrative needs rather than following rigid rules.

The core concept of a power, such as stretchiness or explosions, is fundamental to its design.

Abstract core concepts can lead to more varied and powerful abilities.

Narrative role and core concept are vital first steps in creating a character's power.

The video provides insight into the thought process behind creating interesting fictional powers.

Transcripts

Battle shounen series are everywhere and have been around since before most of us were even born.

At the core of what makes them work is a method of fighting, from basic martial arts to the wackiest abilities the human mind can conceive.

But, what makes a power interesting and what goes into designing a good power for the characters in these stories?

Today, I want to delve into that, from their varying complexity, to how they differ based on the role of the characters that possess them.

But before getting into the video, be sure to like and subscribe if you want more content like this and it really does help if you hit the bell icon and comment your thoughts.

And if you really want to support the channel, head on over to my Patreon in the description below. It all helps out. Anyway, back to the video.

When looking at any ability in terms of its construction, the most important metric to look at is how much it lets a character DO.

Really, every ability can be put on a scale, going from the most basic to the most all-encompassing.

At the far left, you have your basic energy blasts, your super punches, anything that just does damage. On the far right, you have pretty much omnipotence.

Characters that are just straight up God with a capital G. It’s a scale that charts abilities from being able to do one thing to being able to do literally anything.

Every power in fiction exists somewhere on it. And when you look at abilities from this perspective, it reveals something kind of interesting.

Within the middle of this graph is a sweet spot where you have the perfect balance of versatility and limitation.

One example I want to focus on is one of the most iconic powers in anime, the gomu gomu no mi from One Piece.

Luffy’s ability to stretch his body is far from original. But the gum gum fruit is an ability that Oda has done literally everything he can with.

For anyone that doesn’t read or watch One Piece, Luffy has a technique called gear 2nd, where he uses the elasticity of his body to increase the speed at which his blood pumps

improving his physical abilities. And that’s only one of several other techniques.

Using just the power of rubber, Oda has created an ability that enhances physical stats, increases attack range, allows him to rebound attacks, let’s him fly and grants him different forms.

The gomu gomu no mi is a power that allows him to handle a variety of situations but he still has to be inventive within very strict limits.

Another ability in this little goldilocks zone is a more recent one, the ten shadows technique from Jujutsu Kaisen.

For anyone that hasn’t seen it, Megumi has an ability that allows him to summon ten different familiars from his shadow and use them to fight for him.

Compared to Luffy, there is much more variety here, from a lightning bird, to an elephant that shoots water, to a bunch of frogs.

However, the reason it works is because all of the familiars (except for one but that’s manga only) is inherently very limited.

Nue can fly and shock you. Max elephant is a tank and shoots water. The frogs can bind people. His divine dog is good for close combat.

None of them do anything too crazy, they just all have their own strengths and he has to choose depending on the situation.

Now, so far all I’ve done is really explain the powers. That doesn’t say why they’re interesting.

So let’s look at it this way. Imagine Luffy is about to start fighting some strong opponent.

At this point in time, we have a very good understanding of his power and how he likes to use it.

We have in mind that there are a variety of ways he can approach a fight, and if he goes into gear 4th, there’s an inherent intrigue on which one he’ll choose.

Maybe he’ll focus on overall stats and his ability to fly. Or maybe he’ll stay back and try to overwhelm his enemy with speed.

And then there’s the secret other option of Luffy using his devil fruit in a way we simply didn’t think of before.

Remember all the way back in Enies Lobby when Luffy used Gear 2nd for the first time? By all means, that was an asspull. It had no build up, no foreshadowing.

But it doesn’t feel that way. At least for a massive majority, no one really seems to mind. And that’s because of the inherent nature of the ability.

The technique has a solid explanation for how it works and it all exists within the confines of an established power.

The same kind of thing goes for Megumi and the ten shadows technique. He has literally 10 different ways he can approach every fight.

More than that, since he can combine his shikigami into new forms to gain new advantages. How he approaches a fight is always something worth thinking about before that fight starts.

You get to speculate and then there’s the satisfaction of seeing the decisions he makes.

To sum it up, an ability is most interesting for fights when it has a balance of variety and limitation,

because it encourages a viewer to think about how it will be used and allows a writer to add new ways for it to be used without it feeling contrived.

And there are a lot of examples of this kind of power in popular franchises.

In the Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure anime, you have abilities like Josuke’s Shining Diamond and Bucciarati’s Sticky Fingers. In Naruto, you have Shikamaru’s shadow possession jutsu.

In My Hero Academia, you have Deku’s black whip and Bakugo’s explosion. And there are a ton more that I can think fit this.

In fact, I’d love to hear what you guys think fits this kinda mold in the comments.

However, at the end of the day, this is just a mold. Not every ability needs to be this way.

In fact, with all of the characters and abilities I described so far, you might notice a trend among them.

They all belong to characters that are a part of the main cast or at least have significance for multiple parts of the story as someone on the side of the protagonist.

That’s because this middle section is perfect for characters on the protagonist’s side that will be there for a lot of the story.

Going back to Luffy, you kind of need him to have a power with variety because he is going to have the most fights.

If you don’t give him an interesting power, his fights will get stale really quickly. You do not need to give these powers to characters that will be there for a single arc.

In fact, you shouldn’t, as it would be a complete waste. However, there’s the other side to this balance.

Oda gave Luffy an inherently limited ability because otherwise he would simply mow down his opponents.

You would usually not give that kind of power to a main villain because it is generally their job to be imposing.

Overall, the main point is that most main cast members with interesting powers will have an ability that is in or around that middle ground because it suits their narrative role best.

However, that isn’t always the way to do that. For example, the main examples I gave are from One Piece and Jujutsu Kaisen.

In One Piece, most of the time, you can only have one devil fruit and in Jujutsu Kaisen, you can usually only have one curse technique.

So the writers of those shows need to make that one ability interesting if that’s their goal. But let’s look at someone like Naruto.

The chakra system is much less limited in that capacity, as a person can learn multiple jutsu.

So while the shadow clone jutsu and the rasengan, his two signature moves, are much more on the simple side of things, together, they make for a rather interesting fighting style,

especially since the rasengan has multiple variants suited for different situations by the end of the series. And that isn’t mentioning any of the other stuff he can do.

In a story where characters can stack abilities on top of each other, creating interesting combinations is another way of making for a dynamic fighting style.

But again, this is only talking about main cast characters. What about other narrative roles?

One similarity I noticed was how both characters in the mentor role and the main villain role both tend to have abilities on the right side of the spectrum.

This makes sense because while they are usually on opposing sides, they are also both indicative of being higher up on the story’s powerscale.

At the beginning of a story, the mentor is generally someone who shows extreme competence in the world they inhabit and most of the time, their powers reflect that.

Kakashi has the sharingan, Gojo has the infinity technique, Yami has arcane stage darkness magic, stuff like that.

Antagonists, as I already said, need to be a reasonable threat, so their abilities have to be something that's threatening.

Although this is only most of the time. There are occasions where it’s the exact opposite.

Sometimes, the writer isn’t trying to make a neat concept for an ability and instead wants them to be the embodiment of brute force.

All Might is a great example of this in the mentor role, as that is what better suits his story.

Uvogin from Hunter x Hunter, a story renowned for its interesting and diverse powers, is just a brawler. And that works for his character.

It really depends on what the writer wants to do with the character.

This all being said, while I’ve gone over a lot of examples, I haven’t actually gone into HOW to write an interesting power.

Knowing the workings and getting the method are two different things. This brings me to the facet that underlies all abilities in fiction. This brings me to the core concept.

If you look at all of the abilities I’ve mentioned so far, they all have an underlying core concept. The gomu gomu’s core concept is stretchiness or rubber

Bakugo’s explosion’s is explosions. You get the point. And noticing this brought an interesting trend to my attention.

Generally, the more abstract the core concept, the further right on the scale it is. Like when you compare All Might’s one for all and Gojo’s infinity,

the concept of strength is inherently much more limiting than the core concept of infinity. That’s because infinity is much more abstract as a concept. And it’s a consistent thing.

Just looking at prominent villains in shonen, Aizen manipulates perception, every other Jojo’s villain manipulates time,

All for One and Chrollo literally interact with the power system they’re a part of and Pain’s rinnegan is based on the samsaric realms of reincarnation.

You get the point: abstract concepts lead to more varied abilities, leading to more opportunities to make them extremely powerful.

So when coming up with the powers of a character, figuring out what their narrative role and their core concept is would be the vital first steps.

Where on the scale do you want them to be and what kind of impact do they have on the story?

A lot of it is really just figuring out what it is you want to do with a character instead of following some hard rule. And that means there is quite a bit to think about for it.

But I hope this video provided some insight on the kind of thought that goes into this and the kinds of abilities that suit which kinds of characters.

It’s complicated, but that kind of thought has made some of our favorite abilities in fiction. Anyway, that’s the video.

If you liked it, do be sure to show it in any way you can. Thanks for watching and have a good one.