Yoshihiro Togashi's Yu Yu Hakusho ranks among the greatest shonen anime and manga of all time. The adventures of Yusuke Urameshi and his friends offered audiences tons of well-developed characters, grotesque monsters, tragic antagonists, magnificent world-building and tons of action.
With the reveal that Netflix will adapt Yu Yu Hakusho for live-action, some fans are curious enough to give it a shot. The adaptation could even be good. However, with so many anime and manga being revived in the last decade -- including Togashi's other shonen epic Hunter x Hunter -- it feels like it's high time to bring Yu Yu Hakusho back to its anime roots.
Netflix's Track Record with Live-Action Anime Doesn't Bode Well for Yu Yu Hakusho
There have been good live-action manga adaptations, including the likes of NANA, Alita: Battle Angel, Ichi the Killer and the Lone Wolf and Cub movies. However, many of them, such as Dragonball Evolution, Devilman and Attack on Titan, proved ultimately disappointing. Netflix's track record for live-action manga adaptations has ranged from the so-so likes of Bleach and Fullmetal Alchemist (both Japanese productions) to the nearly unwatchable American Death Note movie, which so drastically altered his Light's character that none of his actions carried the same impact as the original. That film alone is enough to inspire cynicism about the phrase "Netflix live-action adaptation."
Nonetheless, Netflix is still going full-steam ahead with manga/anime adaptations. Some might just work, like adaptations of Sword Art Online and Cowboy Bebop, but others seem like less-than-ideal fits for the medium. The choice to adapt One Piece, one of the most cartoony action shonen, seems particularly suspect. While Yu Yu Hakusho's tone is more down-to-Earth than One Piece's, to accurately bring the series' fantasy world to life properly would still be an incredibly difficult feat for a TV show.
Changes might be made that compromise the spirit of the story. Demons might change, fights might change. If Yusuke's life as a street punk is lessened, then it might not be clear why his growth into a hero matters, nor his respect for powerful villains like Tugoro or disregard for authority figures. This is not even considering the especially high budget necessary to bring all the demons and spiritual abilities to life without looking absurd.
The Yu Yu Hakusho OVAs Were a Start, But Look To The Future
As many fans know, there was a brief revival that tickled the tastebuds of Yu Yu Hakusho fans back in 2018: two short OVAs adapting material from the Yu Yu Hakusho manga that had gone unadapted. These OVAs were brief but very entertaining, especially for a fanbase that hadn't received new content in decades.
However, these OVAs were still drawing from the original manga. While this is new content, it would be interesting to see an original story set in the Yu Yu Hakusho universe, especially given the open potential of both the world and timeline. Unlike series like Hunter x Hunter or Sailor Moon, the first anime was a fairly faithful and complete adaptation of the original manga. A redo of something that was already done pretty much perfectly is just redundant.
Any new animated Yu Yu Hakusho content should ideally be either a prequel or sequel series. There are multiple Spirit Detectives before and (presumably) after Yusuke who could be the subject of an Avatar or JoJo-style follow-up. A sequel series could also focus on Yusuke after his training, or potentially pull a Boruto or Yashahime, focusing instead on Yusuke and Keiko's future children embarking on their own journeys.
Given Togashi's long hiatuses in Hunter x Hunter's release schedule, believed to be the result of physical and psychological pain, it would be a bad idea to force him to juggle new Hunter x Hunter material with a new Yu Yu Hakusho series. As such, it might be wise to have him on as a consulting advisor for a Yu Yu Hakusho revival rather than have him actively take part in its creation, much like the role Toriyama has in new Dragon Ball content. That way, a new Yu Yu Hakusho anime would not come at the physical expense of the original mangaka.
