Netflixappears to really be very intoanimeadaptations lately. After one high-profile release and the announcement of a couple other upcoming series, it seems its collection of live-action anime adaptations will only keep growing. The latest acquisition is Yoshihiro Togashi’s classic seriesYu Yu Hakusho.
Kazutaka Sakamoto, who is involved with the niche but still modestly popular Netflix showAggretsuko, will executive produce the upcoming series. This suggests that, contrary to other productions likeDeath Noteand the highly anticipatedlive-actionCowboy Bebopadaptation,Yu Yu Hakushomay end up with a Japanese cast, keeping things more faithful to the source material. No release date has been given as of yet, so there’s plenty of time to wonder.
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The popular manga by Togashi and similarly praised anime adaptation by Noriyuki Abe continually find spots on various “best of” anime lists to this day. Featuring a supernatural story about death, detective work, and martial arts tournaments,Yu Yu Hakushoquickly gained fame among anime fans for its endearing characters and entertaining storylines. Western anime fans have also praised it for its high-quality English dub, particularly during a time when such things were more often in the “awkward enough to make a YouTube compilation” category.
Yu Yu Hakushofollows Yusuke Urameshi, a 14-year-old hoodlum who dies saving a kid from a car wreck. His act of heroism impresses one of the higher-ups in the afterlife, who offers him a second chance at life, provided he works for them as a “spirit detective” and tracks down demons and other spirits in the real world. He’s joined by his friend Kazuma Kuwabara, a tough guy with a love of kittens and an impressive hairdo, and later gains the help of some of the demons he meets along the way.
While the series' premise sounds like something akin toSupernaturalor evenMiddle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, it largely uses that concept as a jumping off point, focusing primarily on martial arts throughout the show’s 112 episodes. Think less Sherlock Holmes and more Bruce Lee. As a result, it’s much more remembered for its action than its paranormal elements, though fans still look back fondly on its characters.
Netflix’s history with anime adaptations has been shaky so far, but it’s possible it will takeDeath Note’s less-than lukewarm reception as a learning experience. A focus on the characters and action rather than trying to fully adapt everything for more western sensibilities could go a long way, so here’s hoping live-actionYu Yu Hakusholives up to its legacy.
