Netflix’s Yu Yu Hakusho is the rare tonal mishmash that works
Yu Yu Hakusho, from its earliest form as a manga series in the pages of Weekly Shonen Jump, has always been a genre high-wire act. That’s no surprise considering its talented author, Yoshihiro Togashi, specializes in blended tones and subjects in his work; Level E is sci-fi and comedy, while Hunter x Hunter is a sprawling epic of martial arts adventure, familial trauma, and intricate fantasy. But Yu Yu Hakusho, which begins as a supernatural comedy with juvenile hijinks and morphs into a bare-knuckle action series full of grim horror, is the most prominent example of Togashi’s categorical collages. And the latest adaptation of it, a five-episode live-action Netflix series, is no different.
However, despite the odds, Netflix’s Yu Yu Hakusho mostly succeeds at weaving around several atmospheres. Coming hot off the heels of the success of One Piece, another cross-genre manga adaptation that mixed heart-on-your-sleeve emotion with outlandish pirate journeys, this probably doesn’t seem like much of a surprise. But Yu Yu Hakusho might be an even bigger challenge, considering how much has to be covered in the meager episode count. Luckily it sticks the landing in this regard.
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The abridged plot attempts to hit all of the major beats — it centers around Yusuke Urameshi (Takumi Kitamura), a high school delinquent that few people seem to care for, including Yusuke himself. Yusuke gets hit by a truck while trying to save a young boy, and rather than die he’s offered the chance by the Spirit World to investigate uncanny crimes as a Spirit Detective. Though initially hesitant, Yusuke eventually decides to take on the role and — shadowed by his adorable, giggling guide, Botan — he dives into a conspiracy involving corrupt
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