Semifinal Hunter x Hunter vs. Fullmetal Alchemist

[Haya-san]

While HxH sounds like something that I'm going to enjoy, I've been avoiding it for years because of the hiatuses with the intention to read it in one sitting once it's finished (let's hope so). I must admit this competition made me tempted to finally start it lol! I read a lot of posts how the hiatuses are not a big issue compared to everything else I'll be getting, but I'm still worried that I'm going to deal with another Nana or Glass Mask.

A question to HxH readers, just how much of the manga is finished?

 

[The President]

That's not mechanics, that's creativity.

Yeah, I made that distinction in my post.

Obviously Araki has a huuuge imagination, but I was talking about how the system is articulated and how well the different powers articulate with each other. Yes there are rules in stands but it is not at the level of the limitation/condition system in HxH. By the way, it is logic that Jojo has a larger range of diverse power, first because it is longer (6 parts with stands) and secondly because the fewer limitations allow to less balanced and thus more diverse powers. HxH's abilities can't be overpowered because of the limitation system.

But like I said, even thats debatable. There are quite a few intricacies to Stands as well. It even has the "Getting stronger after death with a grudge" aspect that Nen has, as well as others such as decreased power over distance, damage reflection into the master, evolved forms and many others.

Also, Stands are actually far more balanced then nen is. Its been made very clear time and time again in Jojo that even the weakest of stands can defeat "the strongest" in the proper conditions. A mere rat (yes, a rat) was beating one of the people who are deemed to have a powerful stand. Whereas for HxH, whereas its definitely balanced, you could still create a tier list (you cannot in Jojo, because 80% of the stands are only viable in certain conditions to begin with. There are very few power types.). Hell, the series itself has created one. So Jojo maintains its balance while being more diverse.

Also, HxH may very well have been inspired by Jojo (ok it has x) ) but it doesn't mean that it can't do better.

Very true, but its not.

 

[Demonspeed]

A question to HxH readers, just how much of the manga is finished?

Hm, I would say it's between 50 and 60%.

But they exist withing limitations. Equivalent exchange forces fights to be about changing what's there to begin with. So they can't just do anything with it. This in turn makes the fights more interesting because once you know what a character can do. That character CAN'T do anything more than that unless they think of a clever way to use their particular skill and what is around them.

That is Nen's, and a lot of aura based systems, main problem. There are very few limitations and it's effected by emotion. Meaning it can do whatever Togashi wants or needs it to do and also creates essentially an asspull generator to fall back on.

It's the classic Dragon Ball problem.

Togashi even tried to address the problem with his vows and such but since it doesn't apply to everything and it's repercussions are vague it doesn't really help all that much. Because as long as a character getting emotional can turn them into a demigod. That's shounen magic.

I don't think Togashi tried to remove the emotional aspect and I don't think it's a problem either. Emotions and mental state do affect performances IRL. There are series where it's overdone and sometimes exaggerated but is a fact. The emotional state doesn't affect someone's skills at Alchemy but it plays a role in battle and action scenes. Manga of this genre without these kind of things would be dull, they are not robots.

No not really, the amount of different techniques displayed in those series is actually pretty minimal even compared to series like Naruto and Bleach, let alone the likes of Jojo. Not to mention, there is the factor of variability here as well. The techniques in DB are 99% just aura blasts, whereas in Jojo every single power has virtually no resemblance to the others (obviously a few exceptions like the aforementioned time abilities, but thats inconsequential in the grand scope of stands).

But Stands are not random either, it shapes itself based on the persons characteristics or needs. I dont see how a Nen user having some degree of freedom in choosing what he wants is any better, or how it makes for better fights.

I am not talking about fights. It's exactly because of that degree of freedom that I am saying that it's more versatile overall, a Stand user doesn't get to choose his ability while the Nen user can. For example we have Cheetu who realized that his ability was ineffective after his fight with Morel and left to develop a new one with Pouf's help. It's not something a Stand user can do. There are tons of various Stand abilities but the system itself is not as versatile. Nen users have the potential to develop countless abilities regardless of their Nen category, Stand users don't.

 

[shionoro]

A question to HxH readers, just how much of the manga is finished?

To an extent, you could say the manga IS finished.

The manga begins with the story of gon and the story of gon will be finished by chapter 339, so you can read a complete work (arguably more complete even than other shonen because it didnt have to rush this story).

After that, the story shifts to something that could even be called 'part 2' and shifts focus away from the prior two maincharacters.