Yu Yu Hakusho’s Live Action Series Has Cast Its Yusuke

Netflix is going all-in when it comes to creating live-action adaptations of both video games and anime franchises, with Yu Yu Hakusho being one of the biggest examples that is on the horizon. While the new take on the spirit detectives is still a while away from hitting the library of the streaming service, set to release in the winter of next year, the leading man for the anime adaptation has been confirmed as Yusuke Urameshi and his fellow supernatural brawlers are set to hit a new medium.    

According to Variety, the main spirit detective of the series will be played by actor Takumi Kitamura and will hit Netflix in the winter of 2023. This wouldn’t be the first live-action anime character that the actor has portrayed, as Kitamura also played the role of Hanagaki Takemichi in the adaptation of Tokyo Revengers. Kazutaka Sakamoto will be executive producer of the series, with Akira Morii taking the role of producer and Sho Tsukikawa set to direct. 

The original Yu Yu Hakusho manga arrived in 1990 and became a worldwide hit by following along with the story of a high-schooler that loses his life in saving a young child from a traffic accident, but is given the chance to rise from his grave by becoming a spirit detective. With the anime adaptation giving fans over one hundred episodes and having what is touted as one of the best Shonen arcs of all time with the Dark Tournament, anticipation, and expectation, for the series will be high.

Kitamura playing the role of Yusuke Urameshi has been an open secret, with set photos bouncing around social media for some time though this marks official confirmation of the actor accepting the role.

Yu Yu Hakusho was created by Yoshihiro Togashi, the same mangaka responsible for the world of hunters in Hunter x Hunter. While Togashi is set to return to the story of Gon and his fellow brawlers with new chapters of its manga, there has been no word that he is set to bring back Yusuke and company any time soon, with the Shonen series coming to an end in the 90s.

What do you think of this casting for Yu Yu Hakusho? Do you think a live-action take can live up to the original? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly on Twitter @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and spirit detectives. 

Via Variety