Yu Yu Hakusho OVA Episodes are Finally Being Released With English Dubs

Yu Yu Hakusho is now in the midst of celebrating its 30th Anniversary, and that means that the special OVA episodes crafted decades after the original anime’s ending will finally be getting an English dubbed release! Back in 2018 when the anime was celebrating its 25th Anniversary, it brought back the original Japanese cast for OVA specials adapting two stories from Yoshihiro Togashi’s manga that never made it to the anime adaptation. It was announced back then that there were plans to have an English dubbed release for these specials, but it never quite came to pass in the years since.

This all started to change when earlier this year it was revealed that the English voice cast from Yu Yu Hakusho’s original dub with Funimation was apparently returning to record for these new specials. There had been questions about this following Funimation being absorbed by Crunchyroll, but now it’s been revealed that fans will be able to check out the OVA dubs as part of a new 30th Anniversary Blu-ray Collector’s box set being released by Crunchyroll early next year. 

Crunchyroll has announced that Yu Yu Hakusho will be getting a new Collector’s Edition Blu-ray box set for the 30th Anniversary. Featuring special art for the cover, this will not only include all 112 episodes of the series, but the two 25th Anniversary OVA specials released as well with the English dub versions being available for the first time! It will also include some special features looking at the legacy of the series overall, so there will be plenty to dig into for interested fans. 

There’s no word on a potential streaming release for the English dubbed Yu Yu Hakusho OVAs just yet, but this new collection is expected to release some time in February 2023. If you wanted to check out Yu Yu Hakusho‘s anime in anticipation of this new collection and the OVA special episodes, you can now find the entire series streaming with Crunchyroll. Available in both the Japanese and English dubbed audio releases, they tease the series as such:

“From cutting classes to brawling in the streets, Yusuke Urameshi is not your typical role model. In fact, this kid’s nothing more than a fourteen-year-old delinquent with a talent for trouble. But in a single selfless act Yusuke dies while saving another. For such noble sacrifice he is given a second chance at life, but it’s to be a life far different than the one left behind. Now a Spirit Detective, the young man must track down demons and humans alike who desire to rule over the three realms of reality.” 

Can you believe it’s been 30 years of Yu Yu Hakusho? Are you excited to check out these dubbed OVA releases soon? Let us know all of your thoughts about it in the comments! You can even reach out to me directly about all things animated and other cool stuff @Valdezology on Twitter!