Yu Yu Hakusho

Netflix
4 stars

Adapting a written work for television is always tricky business, but doing so with a manga as beloved as the action-fantasy series Yu Yu Hakusho is particularly fraught.

The manga, which ran from 1990 to 1994 and has sold more than 78 million copies, is hailed as one of the most influential works in the shonen genre targeted at young adult men, while its anime (1992 to 1994) often lands on best-of lists.

Netflix’s Japanese live-action adaptation, which dropped on Dec 14 and is now one of the top 10 most-watched series in Singapore, had big shoes to fill. While there are things the five-part series missed in translating the four-year manga on-screen, it is exuberant, colourful and tells a classic story in a satisfying manner.

Here are three reasons to tune in.

1. A well-told hero’s journey

Set in a world separated into three realms – human, spirit and yokai, or demon – Yu Yu Hakusho follows teenage delinquent Yusuke Urameshi (Takumi Kitamura). He dies after performing a heroic act, but is revived as a Spirit Detective who must stop evil demons from wreaking havoc on the human world.

The story of Yusuke, who matures through his missions, is an archetypal tale of a hero’s journey that has been told many times in various forms. But Yu Yu Hakusho still manages to make it a rewarding experience.

Kitamura captures the essence of the protagonist, a bad boy with a heart of gold, someone who will do what feels right to him without hesitation, be it jumping in front of a speeding truck to help a boy or eye-rolling the ruler of the Spirit World.

And it helps that audiences get to see Yusuke grow.

In his early fight scenes, he is picked up, slammed down, strangled and, once, thrown across a carpark. But he improves over the course of the series, becoming better at wielding and controlling the Spirit Energy he needs to fight demons, and even embarks on a training regimen to hone his skills. You cannot help but root for him.

2. Cartoonish, colourful world

Given its fantastical and action-packed premise, Yu Yu Hakusho should not feel realistic. And it is not.

Forgoing a natural palette for very saturated colours, the show creates a delightfully kooky and supernatural world that is fun to look at.

The demons and villains are blatantly evil with roaring laughs and slimy mannerisms. The visual effects team also created different types of monsters. One is a big, red and horned monstrosity who eats the souls of children, another has a head that can glue itself back together after being blown to pieces.

It is cartoonish and over the top, which could be a turn-off elsewhere, but is pitch-perfect for something that has its aesthetic roots in shonen manga and anime.

3. Lovable foe-turned-friend

While the story largely focuses on Yusuke, attention is also paid to the character of Kazuma Kuwabara (Shuhei Uesugi), a fellow neighbourhood delinquent who is Yusuke’s rival-turned-friend.

There are a host of supporting characters, but Kazuma is a lovable and comedic standout who has a fully fleshed-out arc. After recklessly leading his friends into a brutal fight with a demon, one of his pals is burnt and injured. The incident makes him determined to get strong enough to slay demons.

Uesugi is good in the role. The exaggerated swagger he uses to challenge Yusuke to fights is amusing, yet one also feels his guilt and desperation.