Netflix's Yu Yu Hakusho: A Comparison Between the Live-Action and Original Anime

The Adaptation and Omissions

Netflix's Yu Yu Hakusho adapts a significant portion of the 1990s anime, yet it also skips key arcs and even entire sagas when adapting Yusuke's story. Following the release of One Piece, the list of Netflix live-action anime adaptations now includes Yu Yu Hakusho. The five-episode series is based on the manga by Yoshihiro Togashi, which received an anime adaptation that ran from 1992 to 1994.

A custom image featuring Yusuke and Sakyo in Netflix's Yu Yu Hakusho live-action

The Yu Yu Hakusho anime ran for 112 episodes, with the story also expanding to movies and OVAs. Similar to most anime series, Yu Yu Hakusho can be divided into sagas, which can then be split into arcs. Whereas the beginning and ending of each arc are made clear in the source material, Yu Yu Hakusho's ending does not exactly match any specific episode of the original series.

Takumi Kitamura as Yusuke Urameshi in front of scenes from Yu Yu Hakusho's opening credits

Netflix's Coverage of Sagas

Netflix's Yu Yu Hakusho season 1 covers the entirety of the Spirit Detective saga, starting with Yusuke's death and going all the way to the rescue of Yukina. The live-action series also technically covers the Dark Tournament saga, although it is hardly an adaptation of Yu Yu Hakusho's most famous batch of episodes. There is no Demon World tournament in the live-action Yu Yu Hakusho, but some of the fights depicted during that saga happen in episodes 4 and 5 of the Netflix series. This includes Yusuke vs. Younger Toguro, the latter of which surprisingly dies at the end of season 1.

Live-action Toguro in Yu Yu Hakusho

While the newest Yu Yu Hakusho adaptation covers the Spirit Detective saga, it does not include all of its arcs. Additionally, it merges different storylines into one, with events from the latter half of the saga happening as early as in episode 1. For example, the Makai Insects attack the city in Yu Yu Hakusho episode 1, but Suzaku does not appear in the live-action series. None of the Beasts of Maze Castle are featured in the Netflix show, and Genkai's tournament to choose her successor does not happen at all. The Artifacts of Darkness arc is also subject to changes, as it happens concurrently with the rescue of Hiei's sister.

Kurama fighting in Yu Yu Hakusho episode 4

Where to Continue After the Live-Action

For those who are experiencing Yu Yu Hakusho for the first time through the live-action adaptation, it is important to notice that the series spoils major moments from the Dark Tournament saga without actually adapting it. The outcome of the Hiei vs. Bui, Kurama vs. Karasu, Genkai vs. Younger Toguro, and Yusuke vs. Younger Toguro fights are all spoiled by the live-action, which features characters and moments from the Demon World tournament but does not include the tournament itself. That said, Younger Toguro's death in the anime happens in episode 64, meaning those who want to continue the story through the original show can start in episode 65.

Toguro in his final form in Yu Yu Hakusho episode 5

Considering how much Netflix's Yu Yu Hakusho changes from the anime, it is not recommended to skip the episodes that the show already covered. Whereas One Piece season 1 arguably works as a replacement for the East Blue saga, the same cannot be said about Yu Yu Hakusho. The way the arcs are combined and reinvented makes the live-action interpretation just too different from the anime in terms of chronology, which is why starting the anime or the manga from the beginning is the best choice for those who have been introduced to Yu Yu Hakusho thanks to the live-action.

Yusuke vs. Toguro in Yu Yu Hakusho