A meme combining quantum physics with shonen-manga aura farming has exploded on the internet lately, thanks to a scene from the manga Sakamoto Days.

A recent chapter from the comic shows the character Atari calmly explaining how he avoided getting sliced in half due to "the tunnel effect," a real quantum principle repurposed into anime pseudo-science.

The line caught the attention of anime nerds online, and within days, fandoms like Jujutsu Kaisen (JJK) latched on to the joke, churning out memes that joked about their heroes sidestepping attacks using this newfound "technique."

Here's a recap of memes about "The Tunnel Effect."

What's "The Tunnel Effect" from Sakamoto Days?

The "tunnel effect" debuted in Sakamoto Days chapter 216, released June 8th, 2025, on Manga Plus. In it, the character Atari explains to Shin that he survived a sword slash thanks to a special ability. His body's particles didn't collide with the sharp edge of the sword because of "a phenomenon in which a particle can penetrate a barrier greater than its own energy."

It’s loosely based on quantum tunneling, but here it's used as anime science to justify a character's impenetrable plot armour. The sheer nonchalance with which the character delivered the absurd line made it perfect meme material upon release, with X user @farris206 reposting the panel the day of its release with the caption, "It gets to a point," gathering more than 1.3 million views and 35,000 likes in three days.

Why Are Jujutsu Kaisen Fans Posting Jokes About the Tunnel Effect?

Jujutsu Kaisen fans are no stranger to turning their manga's ridiculous plot points into absurd memes, and the Tunnel Effect aligns perfectly with past JJK tropes like Doman Expansion. Plus, both fandoms also overlap in their obsession with aura farming, and what's more "aura" than bending the laws of physics to escape sure death?

On June 8th, 2025, X user @PandtraYamus posted JJK fan art showing Gojo surviving Hollow Purple via "mass tunnel effect," gathering tweet reached 2.9 million views and 76,000 likes, with TikToker @bzrva_ posting a dubbed-over video of the scene soon after.

@bzrva_ Tunnel Effect | Comic by PandtraYamus | #fyp #jujutsukaisen #jjk #toji #gojo #meme #tunneleffect #sakamotodays #voiceover #voiceacting #comicdub ♬ original sound – BZRVA_

The next day, @ToxicWeave joined the trend with a painting of Sukuna, joking about the meme using the Ah Yes, My Technique, I Haven't Used It Since the Heian Era format. That post racked up 249,000 views and 23,000 likes in under 24 hours.

What Are Some More 'Tunnel Effect' Memes?

By June 10th, 2025, the meme had spread to TikTok, where people incorporated the Tunnel Effect into scenarios entirely separate from its manga premise.

TikToker @bornyahh posted a video of an Eric Andre sketch in which he appeared to be getting shot at, writing, "when im walking down the street and get shot at but a 6'5 goth baddie is looking at me so i have to lowkey tap into the ancient technique known as the tunnel effect so the bullets atoms miraculously manage to not collide with my body."

@bornyahh #sakamotodays #ericandre ♬ Thinkin – Fbgfatslime

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For the full history of The Tunnel Effect, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.