New ‘Yu Yu Hakusho’ Clip Reveals One Important Meeting

If you didn’t know, Yu Yu Hakusho is back, and it has come prepared with some all-new content. Over in Japan, the franchise has rolled out two anime special featuring never-before-seen stories. Now, if wade through social media, you’ll see a clip from one of the specials has made its way online and has given fans a unique look at one important meeting.

After all, Kurama and Hiei needed to meet at some point, and that fateful encounter has been brought to life at long last.

As you can see below, a clip from the recent Yu Yu Hakusho OVAs bundle has gone live. The reel sees a young Kurama come into contact with Hiei for the first time, and their greeting is anything but surprising.

You know, since the pair were apparently born to fight with one another and all.

The clip sees Hiei challenge Kurama to a battle as the latter escorts a classmate of his named Maya through town. The girl has a massive crush on Kurama, and she is made privy to his spiritual heritage thanks to her own supernatural gifts. However, Hiei is quick to call Kurama on the attachment, and their fight leaves Maya behind to be abducted by a demon known as the Hedoki.

As fans will notice, the animation style lent to this special is a departure from the one Yu Yu Hakusho lovers grew up with. The classic shonen has become famous for its unpolished ’90s art, but this modern OVA gives the franchise a smooth makeover. Kurama and Hiei are done up with fluid animation, but the OVA makes sure to nod to the anime’s infamously dark color palate.

At this point, there is no way to check out these new OVAs in the U.S. legally, but Yu Yu Hakusho has released the bundle overseas. The episodes were housed in a special anniversary Blu-ray box that hit shelves on October 26, so fans are hoping a company like Funimation will bring the mini-revival to the U.S.

So, what do you think about this clip? Are you a fan of its refined art style? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics and anime!

For those unfamiliar with Yu Yu Hakusho, the series was originally created by Yoshihiro Togashi and follows the story of Yusuke Urameshi, a teenage delinquent who loses his life when he is hit by a car trying to save a child’s life. After passing a series of tests, Yusuke is allowed to return to the living world but with a few caveats. With the gained ability to see spirits and demons, Yusuke is given the title of “Underworld Detective” and must solve various cases of spirits running amok in the living world.