Dissecting the Arcs Covered in the Yu Yu Hakusho live-action: A Breakdown

The recent release of the Yu Yu Hakusho live-action adaptation on Netflix has captivated both long-time fans and newcomers to Yusuke Urameshi's journey across the Human, Spirit, and Demon World. Spanning five episodes, this adaptation required significant cuts to Yoshihiro Togashi's original manga, focusing solely on the content leading up to the Dark Tournament. As a result, the live-action had to deftly navigate multiple plot points and arcs to ensure a seamless flow in the limited episode count. The success of this approach ultimately hinges on the reactions of fans.

Yu Yu Hakusho live-action covers the first 51 episodes of the manga

The new Yu Yu Hakusho live action series was released on Thursday and consists of five episodes. It begins with the death of Yusuke Urameshi, who sacrificed himself to save a child from a car accident. The earlier moments of the original manga remain unchanged, including the addition of the scene showing Yusuke smoking at school, which was also featured in Studio Pierrot's anime adaptation from the 1990s.

Upon Yusuke's arrival to the Spirit World, he meets Koenma for the first time, marking a shift in the plot to accommodate the limited number of episodes. This adaptation covers the first 51 episodes of the manga while condensing a significant amount of material.

As a result, the series provides minimal coverage of Yusuke's adventures as a spirit, effectively combining the arcs of Hiei and Kurama, the Saint Beasts, and Yukina's rescue into one cohesive narrative.

Some plot points still remain the same, such as Kurama, Hei, and Kuwabara joining Yusuke's party, and Younger Toguro being the final boss during this portion of the series.

The validity of this project

The live action project for Yu Yu Hakusho was always going to be a challenging endeavor for a few reasons. Firstly, Netflix's track record with anime adaptations has not been stellar, despite the success of the One Piece adaptation. Secondly, the project involved reimagining a beloved property that had not been given a proper adaptation since the 90s.

The series has received overall positive feedback for several reasons including the acting, visuals, faithfulness to the source material, and impressive battle choreography. Additionally, the adaptation effectively portrays the series' ability to transition between genres, a reflection of protagonist Yusuke's display of various emotions.

Final thoughts

The live-action adaptation of Yu Yu Hakusho may not appeal to everyone due to the condensed portrayal of several story arcs. However, it effectively captures the essence of the characters and the rich world they inhabit.

The series focuses on the first 51 chapters of the manga, set before the iconic Dark Tournament saga. Despite only spanning five episodes, this adaptation makes significant cuts to many of these arcs.

Editor's P/S

As a Gen Z netizen, I am excited about the release of the Yu Yu Hakusho live-action adaptation on Netflix. I grew up watching the original anime series and have fond memories of the characters and their adventures. The live-action adaptation brings these characters to life in a new way, and I am eager to see how the story unfolds.

I appreciate that the live-action adaptation stays true to the original manga and anime series. The characters look and sound like their animated counterparts, and the story follows the same basic plot. However, I am disappointed that the live-action adaptation only covers the first 51 episodes of the manga. This means that some of my favorite arcs, such as the Dark Tournament and the Three Kings Saga, are not included. I hope that Netflix will release additional seasons of the live-action adaptation so that these arcs can be covered.