Yu Yu Hakusho began airing on October 10th, 1992, in Japan, and since then, its legacy as one of the greatest Shonen Jump series remains unmatched. Shueisha’s Shonen Jump magazines have dominated the anime and manga industry for several decades now. Most of the popular Shonen series you have come across over the decades are tied to the publisher’s magazines. This is especially the case for Weekly Shonen Jump, the manga magazine which was launched in 1969 in Japan. It eventually became the best-selling manga magazine thanks to the popularity of several classics such as One Piece, Dragon Ball, Naruto, and many more.
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One of the magazine’s biggest manga during the 1990s was Yu Yu Hakusho, written and illustrated by Yoshihiro Togashi, the creator of Hunter x Hunter. While Hunter x Hunter remains his most successful work to date, it was Yu Yu Hakusho that helped him gain fame across Japan and later on in the West. The anime began airing decades ago, and even now, not many series can keep viewers hooked as it did. A huge reason behind its success is how it killed off its protagonist at the beginning of the story, after which the story took one unexpected turn after another.
Yu Yu Hakusho Begins With the Death of Yusuke Urameshi
On the surface, Yu Yu Hakusho doesn’t seem much different from a majority of Shonen series that follow the protagonist’s journey after they gain newfound powers in the very first episode. However, there’s one thing that completely sets it apart from any other show. Instead of going through the conventional route of having the protagonist gain power after some unexpected encounter, the story begins with the death of Yusuke Urameshi. As a 14-year-old delinquent, he used to spend his days skipping school and causing trouble for those around him. He would even get into fights with his rival Kazuma Kuwabara. If that wasn’t bad enough, Yusuke would also ridicule his childhood friend Keiko Yukimura with every opportunity he got.
His behavior stemmed from self-loathing and the burden he had to bear due to his alcoholic mother. However, when he saw a little boy in danger with the way of an oncoming car, he decided to sacrifice himself to save his life. Thanks to the intervention of the spirit guide Botan, after losing his life in the accident, Yusuke gains the opportunity to see how everyone around him reacted to his death. He never imagined that his death would cause so much grief to his mother and even his rival. However, due to his heroic deed, he gains an opportunity to return to life and become a Spirit Detective.
Yusuke begins solving a series of increasingly difficult paranormal mysteries while also befriending and battling demons along the way. His journey begins with his problematic life, but after getting a second chance, he turned everything around for himself and those close to him. What truly makes the series special is how it uses the death of the protagonist as the core narrative and the driving force right after the story kicks off. Not many people get a second chance in life, but when Yusuke did, he managed to fight for the good of the people and completely abandoned his delinquent lifestyle.
Yu Yu Hakusho Deserves a Reboot Now More Than Ever
The original anime was a massive success and, surprisingly enough, that’s exactly why the anime deserves a reboot. The 1990s animation style isn’t used anymore, which is why it’s increasingly difficult for series to attract new viewers. Not to mention that it was released in a long-running format, which was pretty common back in the day. Anime series were released two or three years after the manga, and both versions of the story would run new episodes or chapters every week.
Yu Yu Hakusho also followed the same format, but there’s a huge drawback when it comes to long-running anime adaptations. The uneven pacing and inconsistent animation couldn’t escape the viewers’ eyes. Not only that, but Togashi had to rush the Three Kings arc in the manga due to his health issues. It had the potential to be greater than what it already was. An anime reboot might also expand the arc into what Togashi initially envisioned.
Do you think Yusuke Urameshi’s shocking death made Yu Yu Hakusho one of the most memorable Shonen anime from the very beginning? Let us know in the comments!
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