Warning! Contains spoilers for Chapter 399 of Hunter x Hunter!
The latest chapter of the long-running manga Hunter x Hunter shows how mangaka Yoshihiro Togashi has been influenced by some of Shonen Jump's newer series like Jujutsu Kaisen. This is somewhat ironic given the clear influence Hunter x Hunter has had on creators like Jujutsu Kaisen's author Gege Akutami. But it also shows one of the potential consequences of a series running for so long.
In Chapter 399 of Hunter x Hunter, Hinrigh and Nobunaga finally encounter some Heil-Ly henchmen in their secret hideout. One of these lackeys is Yokotani, the Heil-Ly lawyer. Yokotani's Nen ability is based on whether their enemies have broken any laws. If they have, then Yokotani's ability can create invincible guards that can escort them from the premises. It is extremely similar to Hiromi's domain expansion from Jujutsu Kaisen. In that series, if Hiromi is able to convince an impartial judge of his enemy's guilt, their powers will be stripped from them leaving them at his mercy. Both abilities are nearly impossible to stop if their victims are guilty and both are based on the legal system.
The complex nature of both these abilities is a perfect example of how similar Jujutsu Kaisen and Hunter x Hunter's power systems can be. Both series feature a simple base energy system (Cursed Energy and Nen respectively) that can be applied in very innovative ways to create more interesting powers. In this, Hunter x Hunter clearly influenced Jujutsu Kaisen, as its power system was developed years before the latter manga began serialization. But Jujutsu Kaisen has become an influential series of its own during Hunter x Hunter's absence, and it is not impossible that Togashi could have read it, which would explain his latest character's power.
Jujutsu Kaisen's Influence on Hunter x Hunter is a Good Thing
Hiromi first appeared back at the beginning of the Culling Game arc, sometime before Hunter x Hunter's latest chapter was published. One of Togashi's assistants has said that many of the latest Hunter x Hunter chapters were first written years ago, but this doesn't mean that Togashi didn't add or tweak any new characters or abilities before they made it to the pages of Shonen Jump. And given how similar Yokotani and Hiromi's abilities are it is very likely that Togashi drew inspiration from Gege's work, completing a beautiful cycle of influence that could only arise in a long-running series like Hunter x Hunter.
Very few manga last long enough to actually be influenced by new generations of artists. It is always exciting when this does happen though as it can give readers a glimpse into how the older series they have loved would look with more modern similarities. Jujutsu Kaisen's influence on Hunter x Hunter is a very positive sign as it shows that Togashi is constantly trying to improve and evolve his work in exciting and new ways.
Hunter x Hunter Chapter 399 is available to read from Viz Media.