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“Power systems” refer to the in-universe mechanics that explain how and why anime powers like mind reading, energy beams, and transformations work. Shounen anime – being the action-driven genre catering to young males – often makes use of power systems to measure how characters use and develop their skills.
Far from being your typical superpowers, anime has certainly made a name for itself in conjuring some very wacky abilities – things like a spell to steal underwear like Kazuma from Konosuba, or a mutation that lets you rip off sticky spheres from your head like BNHA’s Mineta both come to mind. All anime abilities have to come from somewhere.
Inventiveness and a mindset of growth are both important to harnessing any anime power. “Power systems” refer to the in-universe mechanics that explain how and why anime powers like mind reading, energy beams, and transformations work.
The merit of an anime’s worldbuilding and universe can be measured through how it depicts its powers and abilities in all sorts of creative, refreshing, and interesting ways.
Over the decades, anime has produced some memorable powers and abilities, filling the public’s imagination with spectacles such as concentrated Kamehameha waves and crackling Chidori orbs. These powers usually propel the action and tension in a fight scene, whether it’s a gut-wrenching clash between fighters or a more cerebral battle between minds.
Chakra is a real-life concept in Hinduism tied to spinning points of energy in the body. Chakra in Naruto shares the same idea – as the Seventh Hokage himself explains, it is a type of energy innately present in all beings.
Kurapika’s Chains are powerful weapons in Hunter X Hunter, but they come at a high cost.
Most titans in Attack on Titan are dumb titans who can’t transform into humans. There are, however, a small number of Titan Shifters who can morph between human and titan forms.