It has been a long time since we topically covered anime as a genre. Let today be the start of a new series, Know Your Anime. The premise is simple: we bring up a classic production series from Japan that we think our readers would enjoy, and then share it with you guys. Some of this might come down to opinion, but we promise our best to remain as popularly objective as possible. Also, some of the items we cover in this series may not be available from the library, but we believe are relevant to our audience's interests.
Today we start with a series near and dear to my heart: Yu Yu Hakusho. Have you heard of it?
The series began life, as many of the series we'll probably end up discussing, as an inclusion in Shonen Jump Weekly, the mega-popular teen manga magazine from Japan. The series was created by Yoshihiro Togashi, as well as his later works Level E and Hunter x Hunter. Togashi also went on to perhaps having the most celebrated marriage in Japanese manga history, when he made his nuptial vows to the renown Naoko Takeuchi, creator of Sailor Moon. The two artists remain happily married with two children.
Yu Yu Hakusho, published from 1990 to 1994, tells the story of Yusuke Yurameshi, a delinquent student who is tragically killed while saving a young boy from a car accident. Yusuke quickly realizes he has become a ghost, only to be informed by the Grim Reaper herself -the blue-haired Boton- that ironically, the little boy he 'saved' would've been fine after all! Yusuke's death results in the Spirit World (afterlife) having no place for Yusuke's soul to rest. Instead, Boton offers to help him reconnect with his body and rehabilitate his delinquent life by becoming the new Spirit Detective. And of course, in typical shonen fashion, it's a job perfect for a school student.
Nineteen volumes of manga ensue, during which Yusuke tracks down nefarious spirits and protects the Living World. Along the way he is joined by fellow delinquent Kazuma Kurubawa, half-demon Kurama, and the three eyed bandit Hiei, and together they deal with various threats. Along the way, Yusuke goes through significant character growth, as he discovers his own special heritage, as well as why he fights in the first place. The manga, and later show based on it, became emblematic of a particular niche known for tournament competitions. It's far from the first manga to feature tournaments, and it might not even be the most popular when accounting for raw sales, but most viewers would probably agree that Yu Yu Hakusho's Dark Tournament (Season 2) is arguably the most well constructed tournament in manga, narratively and mechanically. Among the anime community, Yu Yu Hakusho
In 1992, Togashi brought his project to television screens. Produced by Studio Pierrot (famous for Rumiko Takashi's Urusei Yatsura, Bleach, Naruto, Boruto, and Black Clover, among many others), the anime adapted the manga very faithfully. The anime was picked up for English dubbing by Funimation, and became one of the very first anime released on Cartoon Network's Toonami programming block after its initial rebranding in 1999. Toonami was a very popular block of anime and anime-style cartoons held on Cartoon Network, notably also including Dragon Ball Z and Sailor Moon. As such, Yu Yu Hakusho was one of the earliest anime to receive a wide release on a major network in the US.
Yu Yu Hakusho kept its spot on Toonami until 2005, after running through its entire episode list. During that time, it was among the top rated Nielsen shows on the network, particularly among teen and young adult males. It currently ranks #93 on Anime News Network and #158 on Anilist, two respected English-language anime websites.
The show's popularity has not ended. Yu Yu Hakusho lives on as a classic of 1990s anime, highly regarded to this day. In fact, Netflix was interested in adapting the series, producing a live-action series, opens a new window which vaguely covered the events of the first and fourth arcs, while controversially skipping the highly anticipated Dark Tournament, seemingly. As of 2026, the series has a second season in the works, presumably to cover the remaining half of the show. Notably, the series was a Japanese production, including crew and cast, and on release became the highest performing non-English production on all of Netflix. Not bad!
That wraps up our discussion! Looking for more anime to watch in the meanwhile? The St. Tammany Parish Library is always happy to offer access to our online catalog, opens a new window for more information on this and other topics.
Want to enjoy other Tournament anime in the meantime? The St. Tammany Parish Library has a few suggestions to make in the meanwhile:
Stay tuned next time when we explore another popular anime franchise.
Sources:
Anilist Yuu Yuu Hakusho, opens a new window
Anime News Network Top 100 List, opens a new window
Otaku Mazagine: Yu Yu Hakusho Top 10 Title , opens a new window
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