YuYu Hakusho
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YuYu Hakusho (幽★遊★白書 YūYū Hakusho, literally Spirits Wander White Book, meaning "Ghost Files" / "Poltergeist Report") is a manga and anime series by Yoshihiro Togashi.
The anime, produced by Studio Pierrot, consists of 112 TV episodes and two movies: "The Golden Seal" (YuYu Hakusho: The Movie) and "Bonds of Fire" (YuYu Hakusho: Poltergeist Report). In Japan, the series ran in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump. The series consists of 175 chapters across 19 volumes. In North America, the manga currently runs in Viz's Shonen Jump.
The name of the series is spelled Yu Yu Hakusho in FUNimation's distribution of the anime, and Yuu Yuu Hakusho in the Viz manga. It originally started airing in February 2002 on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim block. Around March 2003, the show moved to Cartoon Network's Toonami block due to higher ratings with children. Then Yu Yu Hakusho was taken off Toonami around March 2005 and moved to an early Saturday morning timeslot at 5:30 A.M. where the series finished its run. It currently airs as part of the FUNimation programming block on CoLours TV.
A series of Yu Yu Hakusho Original Animated Videos were released only in Japan:
- Eizou Hakusho: Ankoku Bujutsukai (2 Volumes)
- Eizou Hakusho II: Yusuke Volume
- Eizou Hakusho II: Kurama Volume
- Eizou Hakusho II: Hiei Volume
- Eizou Hakusho II: Kuwabara Volume
- Opening Ending Encyclopedia
- Recap Guide Complete Advance Set (3 Volumes)
In the Philippines, the anime and both movies were initially shown on IBC 13, then on GMA 7, all under the name Ghostfighter [1], with the names of the main characters changed. It has also been released in Italy under the title Yu degli spettri.
It has also been broadcast across Japan, Southeast Asia and the Indian Subcontinent by the anime television network Animax.
Contents |
[edit] Background
Yusuke Urameshi is nothing more than a street-brawling delinquent with a typical tough guy approach to everything. Yusuke's mother Atsuko, an alcoholic, had him at the age of 14 and shows little interest in raising her son. He has a reserved seat in the guidance counselor's office, and every single punk in the city is trying to take him on. Yusuke is pretty fed up with life.
However, no one expects a sudden act of heroism on his part: he dies trying to save a little boy from a speeding car. In fact, when he arrives in the afterlife, he is informed that no one was expecting him to die that way, and were not prepared for his arrival.
After numerous tests to gauge his worth, Yusuke is eventually revived, and is assigned to work for the Spirit Realm as a detective investigating demonic cases in the human world. He comes into spiritual abilities of his own, and enlists the help of numerous friends from Reikai (spirit world), Makai (demon world) and Ningenkai (human world) to aid him in his cases, and fight off demons and humans seeking to usurp and rule over all three worlds.
[edit] Characters
Main article: YuYu Hakusho characters
Names are in Western order, with the surname after the given name. The English anime name is to the right of the Japanese name if it applies.
- Yusuke Urameshi (浦飯幽助 Urameshi Yūsuke) - Yusuke is the toughest kid in Sarayashiki Junior High School and has a typical tough guy approach to everything. He becomes a spirit detective after he had died and was revived by Keiko's kiss. His main attack is the Rei Gun (Spirit Gun in the English Dub) where he can manipulate his Reiki into a projectile. He learns many other attacks from Genkai including the spirit gun double and shot gun. He mainly grows in strength from all of his different battles, because he responds to danger by unleashing his full strength. Near the end of the series, it is revealed that Yusuke is in fact a half demon. His demon ancestor copulated with a human female and arranged so that a descendant of his, once strong enough, would become a half demon. This explains Yusuke's incredible spirit powers.
- Kazuma Kuwabara (桑原和真 Kuwabara Kazuma) - Kuwabara is the second toughest kid in the school, and resents Yusuke for it. Originally rivals, Yusuke and Kuwabara would start a grudging friendship that only strengthens throughout the series. Although human, Kuwabara has high Reiki sensitivity; shortly after accompanying Yusuke on missions, he is able to manifest a Rei Ken (Spirit Sword in the English dubbing); a type of Reiki that normally takes on the shape of a glowing sword.
- Keiko Yukimura (雪村螢子 Yukimura Keiko) / Kayko Yukimura - Although Yusuke vehemently denies it, Keiko is his girlfriend. Her personality is almost the exact opposite of his; she is a model student, and often berates Yusuke for playing hookey or for getting into trouble. Her relationship with Yusuke has sometimes made her a target of demons who had sought to gain the uper hand against the detective. Keiko eventually learns of Yusuke's life as a Reikai detective, and while apprehensive of some of his more dangerous fights, often supports and cheers him on. At the final episode, it seems that she will no longer wait for Yusuke because Yusuke made a promise to her that he will be right back after his mission in the demon world is done. Eventually, when Keiko seems to be breaking down and looks broken hearted, Yusuke surprises her and the two confess their mutual love for each other.
- Koenma (コエンマ) - Though he resembles an infant in appearance, he is actually over 700 years old and is the son of Enma-Daioh (King Yama, the Sanskrit name, in the English anime), the ruler of the spirit realm (Reikai). Koenma also has the ability to transform into a teenage version of himself (ostensibly for formal occasions) but still retains his trademark pacifier.
- Botan (ぼたん)- One of the hundreds of ferry girls of the spirit realm (a type of shinigami) responsible for guiding the souls of the recently departed to eternal judgement (in the American version, she is referred to as the "grim reaper"). Originally assigned by Koenma to be Yusuke's spirit guide after his fatal car accident, she becomes his case manager, supplying him with equipment and much of the information he needs. Botan is a kind and warm-hearted woman who has put herself in peril on several occasions to protect the people she cares about.
- Hiei (飛影) a.k.a. Hiei of the Evil Eye (Jaganshi Hiei) - Hiei is a fire demon (hi yōkai) born of a Koorime (氷女 Ice Maiden) who specializes in speed, swordsmanship and "Jagan" (Evil Eye) skills (邪眼術). His artificially created Jagan amplifies his power and enables him to summon the black fires of Makai (Demon Realm) and channel it as an energy attack, often in the shape of a dragon. His twin sister Yukina is unaware of their relationship, and Hiei has gone as far as to threaten harm to others to prevent Yukina from realizing that he is actually her brother. The choice of vocabulary used in reference to Yukina's age in the early manga suggests Hiei and Yukina may be adolescents throughout the series.
- Kurama (蔵馬), also known as Shuichi Minamino (南野秀一 Minamino Shūichi) in his human form - Kurama is a demon with the ability to summon and control plants. He was originally the powerful and infamous Kitsune thief, Yoko Kurama (妖狐蔵馬 Yōko Kurama) until he was wounded by a hunter. Managing to escape by inhabiting the body of an unborn human baby, he grew up as the human child Shuichi, and planned on abandoning his "family" once his demonic power returned at the age of ten, but grew to love his human mother, Shiori. Kurama has a wide variety of techniques, because of his ability to control a wide variety of plants, including the often seen Rose Whip.
- Genkai (幻海) - The aged Reiki fighter who rigorously trains Yusuke in the Spirit Light Wave Fist (霊光波動拳 Reikō Hadō Ken, Spirit Wave in the English dub) technique. Though her manner is often gruff, she cares for Yusuke and the others, and constantly tries to help them grow stronger. In the past, she was feared as one of the most powerful human fighters in both Ningenkai and Makai.
- Yukina (雪菜) - An ice yōkai (An "Ice Maiden" 氷女 Koorime/Kōrime) whose tears can harden into rare, priceless jewels (a characteristic of the Kōrime race). Yusuke, Botan, and Kuwabara rescued her from Tarukane Gonzou, a black market businessman who was torturing her to produce the gems. She reappears later in the series, searching for her brother. She is unaware of the fact that Hiei is her sibling, and that Kuwabara is in love with her. As a Koorime, she has the ability to cause cold temperatures, as well as use powers of healing.
[edit] Story arcs
[edit] Terms
Reikai Tantei (literally Spirit Realm Detective) / Spirit Detective - "Spirit Detective" is the name given to those who defend the human world (Ningenkai) from interference from demons, beasts, and apparitions known as yōkai hailing from the Demon World (Makai). Reikai Tantei are usually picked by Koenma, the prince of Spirit World (Reikai), the realm of the dead or disembodied.
Ningenkai The human world. (Earth)
Reikai The world of spirits.
Makai The world where demons reside.
Reiki Spirit energy possessed by humans.
Youki Energy possessed by Youkai (demons). Demonic energy
Youkai Demons.
[edit] Classes
The ranking of demons and apparitions is done by grade letters. E-class is the weakest class of demons, only slightly stronger than ordinary humans. Meanwhile, The S-class is the strongest demon classification. Each class also has sub-divisions of upper (or +), middle, and lower (or -). For example, A has three subclasses: A-, A, and A+. While the classes are intended for ranking demons, they are also used to classify powerful humans. A* indicates that the particular character is at the highest level of that rank. In the Three Kings Saga, it seems that many demons surpass the Upper S-Class rankings, so Yu Yu Hakusho adopts a numerical system. 80,000 on this system is equivalent to a Middle B-class, 120,000 to a middle A-class, and 200,000 to a Middle S-class. However, the Device used to record the energy levels aforementioned breaks before the Makai Tournament, so the exact class and energy readings of some of its contestants remain unknown.
[edit] Theme songs
- Opening
- "Hohoemi no Bakudan" (Smile Bomb) by Matsuko Mawatari (originally used only on Adult Swim but now seen on regular Cartoon Network)
- In the English version, this and the ending themes are dubbed on the English tracks.
- During the Chapter Black Saga, the images of the entire opening have been replaced with updated ones. Some of those images are updated during the Saga of the Three Kings.
- The full song was used as the closing for the final episode.
- "Hohoemi no Bakudan" (Smile Bomb) by Matsuko Mawatari (originally used only on Adult Swim but now seen on regular Cartoon Network)
- Ending
- "Homework ga Owaranai" (Neverending Homework) by Matsuko Mawatari (1-29) (Used on Cartoon Network up until Toonami moved to Saturday Nights)
- "Sayonara BYE BYE" by Matsuko Mawatari (30-59) - Used on the Cartoon Network version starting with the Finals of the Dark Tournament storyline.
- "Anbaransu na Kisu wo Shite" (Unbalanced Kiss) by Hiro Takahashi (60-83) Used for the Cartoon Network Version starting with the beginning of the Chapter Black Storyline using the English lyrics and music from Ending #4.
- "Taiyō ga Mata Kagayaku Toki" (The Sun is Shining Again/When the Sun Shines Again) by Hiro Takahashi (84-102) Used for the Cartoon Network Version finishing the Chapter Black Saga.
- "Daydream Generation" by Matsuko Mawatari (103-111) Used for the Cartoon Network Version starting the Three Kings Saga(episode 95)
- Main Character Songs
- Kurama (By Megumi Ogata)
- "Kurayami ni Akai Bara ~Romantic Soldier" (Red Rose in the Darkness ~Romantic Soldier)
- "Kyou no Sayonara wa Mirai no Hajimari" (Today's Goodbye is the Start of Tomorrow)
- "Nightmare"
- "Koori no Naifu o Daite" (Embracing the Ice Knife)
- Hiei (By Nobuyuki Hiyama)
- "Kuchibue ga Kikoeru" (I Hear a Whistle)
- "Manazashi no Aria"
- "Ryuusei no Solitude" (Solitude of a Shooting Star)
- "Tasogare ni Se o Mukete"
- Kuwabara (By Shigeru Chiba)
- "DACHI" (Buddies)
- "Eien ni THANK YOU!" (Thank You Forever)
- "Konjou Icchokusen" (Guts All the Way)
- "Otoko no Junjou" (The Simple Feelings of a Man)
- Yusuke (By Nozomu Sasaki)
- "All Right!"
- "Akatsuki no Chikai" (Rising Sun)
- "Dead or Alive ~Toshi Kami" (Dead or Alive ~Holy Battle)
- "FIRE"
- "Kokoro o Tsunaide" (Join our Hearts)
- "TOUGH"
- "Tsukanoma no Sunset"
- young Genkai (By Megumi Hayashibara)
- "Forever Dreamer"
- Kurama (By Megumi Ogata)
- Other Character Songs
- Hinageshi
- "Anata o Dakishimeru Watashi de Itai" (I Want to Embrace You)
- Toguro
- "Cry Lonely Cry"
- "Icy Blood"
- Keiko
- "Donna Toki Demo Anata to Mezametai"
- "YELL"
- Touya
- "GLEAM ~Yami ni Hikaru" (GLEAM ~Shining in the Darkness~)
- Kaname Hagiri
- "Kiri no Naka no Sniper" (The Sniper in the Mist)
- Chuu
- "Maa, Nome yo" (Just Have a Drink)
- Itsuki
- "Never Ending Dreams"
- Mukuro
- "REBIRTH ~Saisei~" (REBIRTH ~Rebirth~)
- Yomi
- "Sennen no Yami no Hate" (The End of a Thousand Years of Darkness)
- Koenma
- "TOKOTON"
- Jin
- "Tsumujikaze de Fly Away" (Fly Away with a Whirlwind)
- Sensui
- "Unbelievable"
- Suzuki
- "Utsukushi Sugite..." (Too Beautiful...)
- Hinageshi
- Group/Duet Songs
- "Mienai Mirai" - Kurama, Yusuke, Hiei, Kuwabara, Yukina, Keiko, Botan, and Koenma
- "Wild Wind ~Yasei no Kaze no You ni (Wild Wind ~Like the Wind of the Wild) - Hiei and Kurama
- "Yasashisa Wa Nemuranai" (Kindness Never Sleeps) - Kurama, Yusuke, Hiei, and Kuwabara
- "Moonlight Party" - Botan and Koenma
- "EYE TO EYE" - Kurama, Hiei, and Kuwabara
- "Rocket Hanabi no LOVE SONG" - Kuwabara & Yukina
- "Omoide o Tsubasa ni Shite" (Turning Feelings into Wings) - Yusuke & Keiko
- "Love Song o Anata ni" (A Love Song for You) - Koto, Juri, Ruka
- "HOLD OUT!" - Botan, Keiko, Yukina
- "Hikari no Naka de" (Inside the Light) - Yusuke, Kuwabara, Kurama, Hiei
- "Eien no Requiem" (Never Ending Requiem) - Sensui & Itsuki
- "Dark Side Stories" - Yoko Kurama & Hiei
- "Boku-tachi no Kisetsu" (Our Seasons) - Yusuke, Kurama, Kuwabara, Hiei
- On the FUNimation DVDs, there is a flaw in DVD volumes 9-12. The English lyrics track for Ending #2 did not start until Episode #43, which is the first episode on DVD Volume #13. On all the DVDs that have this, it will only play the English version of Ending #1 for the end credits by not turning on the Japanese subtitles (English subtitles that follow the Japanese version) in the menu. The reason behind this flaw is that no English track was produced at that time during the DVD releases.
- "Daydream Generation"(Ending 5) first aired on episode 95 in the U.S. starting the Three Kings Saga.
- "Hohoemi No Bakudan" and "Homework ga Owaranai" were re-made by Kurama on a special collecter item CD. The same applies for "Anbaransu na Kisu wo Shite" and "Taiyō ga Mata Kagayaku Toki" by Yusuke. Koenma re-sang "Daydream Generation". The dance re-mixes and karaoke versions of most of the character songs were also on this (and other) Yu Yu Hakusho CD's.
[edit] Trivia
- Volume 1 of the manga has an advertisement for a dōjinshi manga created by Togashi titled Church! Volume 3 - We're Carried Away Here. According to the volume, the manga is no longer available.
- Kuwabara's favourite band is Megallica, the "Gods of Heavy Metal" as he calls them, in the Chapter Black saga; Megallica may possibly be a tribute/parody of both Megadeth and Metallica.
- Several references to the Sailor Moon metaseries is found throughout YuYu Hakusho, perhaps because series creator Yoshihiro Togashi was dating Sailor Moon creator Naoko Takeuchi at the time (whom he later married).
- In The Three Kings saga, Koenma appears at the tournament dressed incognito as Sailor Moon's Tuxedo Mask.
- In chapter 44 of the manga, Kurama states: "Just call me Tuxedo Mask." after breaking up a fight by throwing a rose.
- In the final episode of the series, two of Keiko's classmates bear strong resemblances to Haruka Tenoh (Sailor Uranus) and Michiru Kaioh (Sailor Neptune).
- In one chapter of the manga, Yusuke heads over to the local cafè and begins to read a comic-book magazine called "Weekly Chunen Jumbo". This could most likely be a reference to the magazine that distributes the manga, Shueisha's "Weekly Shonen Jump" and Viz's "Shonen Jump Magazine". The images visible in in this comic-book mirror an actual scene in a previous volume.
- In the last issue of Shonen Jump, a demon holds a banner that says "Togashi, pay me back!"
- In episode six of the anime series, the words "Mad Piero" can be seen as graffiti on one of the walls. This is a self-reference from the anime studio behind the production of the series, Pierrot, whose name is pronounced as Piero, and is the Japanese word for clown, derived from the French language. A villain by the name of "Mad Piero" also appears in the anime title Cowboy Bebop.
- In episode 9, The Successor to Genkai! The Tournament Begins, background characters that look remarkably like Zangief, Dhalsim and E.Honda from the fighting game franchise Street Fighter appear behind Yusuke and Kuwabara.
- In episode 21, when Yusuke reawakens in Kuwabara's room after the Maze Castle battle, we discover that he has an Oingo Boingo poster on his wall in the background.
- In episode 22, when Yusuke, Botan, Kuwabara and his sister Shizuru were watching a video (VHS) (sent by Hiei under orders from Koenma) about Yukina, Koenma spoofed (with trademarks of his own name) Columbia Pictures, with Koenma posing and holding a torch. Shortly afterwards, a stunted male oni appeared, meowing inside the name 'Koenma' as a parody of the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer lion.
- In Episode 44, while Kuwabara is playing cards, the Ace of Spades is printed with Nintendo's name, with Nintendo also coming up again other times throughout the series.
- The Idunn Box used during the Dark Tournament may have been named from the Norse goddess, Iðunn.
- In the final episode, while Kurama is speaking to Kuwabara on the train, a sign on a building reads in English "YUYUHAKUSHOEND!".
- Also in the final episode, in the scene where Keiko is walking home, a truck drives by with the name "Narlboro" on the side, a reference to the cigarette brand Marlboro.
- YuYu Hakusho is the only anime that debuted on Adult Swim to move to Cartoon Network's Toonami block. Other shows have transitioned from Toonami or the rest of Cartoon Network to Adult Swim, such as some of the Gundam series and The Big O, but this is so far the only example to do it in reverse.
- The kanji that were used by the author to spell Yuu Yuu Hakusho have 2 possible meanings. 1 is "Astral Visit Report", and the other is "Chronicle of Yuusukes Journey". The second is supported by the fact that the same kanji is used for the Yuu in the title, as for the Yuu in Yuusukes name (Yuusuke means lit. "Ghost Helper", Hakusho translates roughly to document, white paper, or report). The second meaning is also supported by the end of the anime, which states that the show is nothing but a record of Yuusukes travels, recorded by rei-kai intelligence.
- Originally in the English Dub, Spirit Energy was defined as the special power used by both Humans and Demons. However, the special power used by Demons was later given its own defination as Demon Energy. The Demon Energy term was first coined by Hiei in Episode 88.
- In episode 26 of the English Dub, Hiei says that he and his sister are half siblings and have different mothers. Yet in episode 100 in his reflections of his life, they have the same mother.
| YuYu Hakusho |
|---|
| Characters |
| Yusuke Urameshi | Kazuma Kuwabara | Keiko Yukimura (Kayko Yukimura) | Koenma | Botan | Hiei | Kurama | Genkai | Yukina |
| Story Arcs |
| Spirit Detective Saga | Dark Tournament Saga | Chapter Black Saga | Saga of the Three Kings | The Movie | Poltergeist Report |
| Other |
| YuYu Hakusho characters | Ability list | Demon ranks | Manga chapters | Makai | Episodes | Trading Card Game |
[edit] External links
- Studio Pierrot's Yu Yu Hakusho website (Japanese)
- FUNimation's Yu Yu Hakusho website (English)
- GMA's Ghost Fighter website
- YuYu Hakusho at the Internet Movie Database
- YuYu Hakusho at TV.com
- Yu Yu Hakusho MUD A game based on the Yu Yu Hakusho anime and manga series.es:Yu Yu Hakusho
fr:Yû yû hakusho it:Yu degli spettri he:יו יו האקושו nl:YuYu Hakusho ja:幽☆遊☆白書 pt:Yu Yu Hakusho th:คนเก่งทะลุโลก zh:幽遊白書
