 YuYu Hakusho logo (English manga) YuYu Hakusho (幽★遊★白書 YūYū Hakusho, literally "The Playful Ghost White Paper," meaning "Ghost Files"/"Poltergeist Report"/"Ghost Fighter") is a manga in Shonen Jump magazine and an anime series by Yoshihiro Togashi. The anime consists of 112 TV episodes and two movies. One movie is a 30 minute special episode and the other is a feature length film titled Yu Yu Hakusho: Poltergeist Report.
In Japan, the series ran in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump. 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 that airs on Cartoon Network while the series's name is spelled YuYu Hakusho in Viz manga.
Distributed by 20th Television.
Background
Yusuke Urameshi's life was the pits: a street-brawling deliquent who only went to school about every ten days, his teachers hated him and he had few friends. Add to that an alcoholic mother too hungover to direct him on the right path, along with every punk in the city trying to take him on, Yusuke was pretty fed up with life. However, no one could forsee his most famous deed: he dies trying to save a little boy from a speeding car. When he arrives in the afterlife, they inform him that, since no one expected him to die in that way, they aren't prepared for his arrival. Eventually, Yusuke gets his life back and discovers a new power, he can see beings from the spirit world (yōkai). This is when the series really kicks off. He is enlisted as a spirit realm detective (Reikai Tantei), to help control the actions of spirits in the real world. His first assignment is to round up three demon prisoners (Goki (Gōki, spelled Gouki in the anime), Kurama, and Hiei) who escaped and stole three terribly powerful artifacts. His second is to participate in a contest to choose the next disciple of an aged fighter (Psychic in the English Dub) named Genkai, and to defeat a demon, Rando (Randō), who is posing as a contestant so he can win Genkai's powers. Yusuke's next assignment is to kill the four Saint Beasts, Genbu, Byakko, Seiryu (Seiryū), and Suzaku. In that mission, he is assisted by Kazuma Kuwabara, Kurama, and Hiei. The next mission involves the Kōrime, Yukina, who has been kidnapped by the evil Gonzo Tarukane (Tarukane Gonzō).
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 Dub) where he can manipulate his Reiki into a projectile.
- Kazuma Kuwabara (桑原和真) - Kuwabara (Which is what most people call him) is the second toughest kid in the school and was always trying to get Yusuke's spot. He leads a gang consisting of himself and three other people. As the show progress, Yusuke and Kuwabara cease being rivals and become great friends. His main powers are his high Reiki sensitivity and his Rei Ken (Spirit Sword in the Dub), Reiki he has manipulated into the shape of a 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 and she keeps up with her schoolwork much better than Yusuke.
- Koenma (コエンマ) - Looks like an infant, but he is the ruler and general manager of spirit realm (Reikai). He hires Yusuke on as spirit detective after he helps him come back to life. His father is King Enma (Enma is named King Yama, the Hindu name, in the English anime).
- Botan (ぼたん) - The ferrywoman of the Sanzu River (River Styx in Western Mythology). Originally assigned by Koenma to be Yusuke's spirit guide after the fatal car accident, she becomes his case manager when he becomes spirit detective and supplies him with equipment and information.
- Hiei (飛影) a.k.a. Hiei of the Evil Eye (Jaganshi Hiei) - Hiei is a fire/Kōrime demon (yōkai) who specializes in speed, swordsmanship and Black Dragon Technique (Jaou Ensatsu Kokoryuha). He possesses an Evil Eye, or Jagan, which amplifies his power and enables him to summon the fires of Makai (Demon Realm). Originally, he was the leader of an underworld crime ring and was one of the three demons Yusuke fought on his first case. Hiei became a valuable ally afterwards. His twin sister is Yukina.
- Kurama (蔵馬), also known as Shuichi Minamino (南野秀一 Minamino Shū'ichi) - Kurama is a demon who has the power to use plants as lethal weapons. He was one of the three demons Yusuke faced on his first case, but he did not fight Yusuke, for he was trying to use the artifact to save his human mother. He was originally the kitsune, Yoko Kurama (Yōko Kurama) until he was trapped and only barely escaped into a human baby. He grew up as the human child Shuichi, and regrets the grief he has given his human mother. The "pretty boy" of the group, he is also the cleverest and wisest member.
- Genkai (幻海) - The aged fighter who held a tournament to decide who would be her successor. Yusuke wins and defeats the demon, Rando. She trains Yusuke in the Spirit Light Wave Fist (Reikō Hadō Ken) and coaches him to the extreme.
- Yukina - She is an ice yōkai (apparition) who was captured by a mobster, Tarukane, who wanted to use her tears to produce jewels. Yusuke, Botan, and Kuwabara rescue her from the compound. She returns later during the Dark Tournament (Ankoku Būtsukai) looking for her brother (she isn't aware that Hiei is her brother). She is also naïve of Kuwabara's affection towards her.
- Hinageshi - Hinageshi is the guide to the spirit world. She gets around by flying on an oar, just like Botan does. Hinageshi is an expert on information about the nether world.
- Atsuko Urameshi - Atsuko is Yusuke's alcoholic mother. She tries to raise him into a respectable citizen despite her questionable private life.
- The teachers (Mr. Akashi, Mr. Iwamoto, Mr. Takenaka) - Yusuke doesn't get along too well with his teachers at school. Mr. Akashi and Mr. Iwamoto hate him and his friends. They try every trick in the book to expel them. Mr. Takenaka (Spelled Takanaka in the English anime) believes that Yusuke is a truly good person, and only scolds him when needed. During the Four Beasts saga, Mr. Iwamoto is infested with a roundworm monster/makai insect. Since Suzaku commanded all of the infested people to kill Keiko Yukimura, Iwamoto stalks Keiko around Sarayashiki Junior High School before Yusuke destroys the whistle, which causes the insect inside him to die; he returns to normal after the whistle is destroyed.
- Shizuru Kuwabara - Kazuma Kuwabara's tough older sister. Like her younger brother she also has a high level of Reiki sensitivity. She wants Kazuma to grow up and get a education so he can make something of himself. Is also a chain smoker and the biggest part she plays in the series is during the Ankoku Būtsukai (Dark Tournament) where she falls in love with Sakyo, the owner of Team Urameshi's rival team, Team Toguro. He saves her life twice, but she is unaware of his true identity until the end. She also knows Yukina's connection to Hiei because she saw a videotape that provided the details for the mission that Yusuke and Kuwabara had to rescue Yukina from Tarukane (only she, Botan, and Yusuke saw the details that Yukina is Hiei's sister).
Classes
In Yu Yu Hakusho the ranking of demons and apparitions is done by grade letters. E-class is the weakest class of demons. Meanwhile, S, which indicates "Super A-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+.
Theme songs
- Opening
- "Hohoemi no Bakudan" (Smile Bomb) by Matsuko Mawatari
- Ending
- "Homework ga Owaranai" (Neverending Homework) by Matsuko Mawatari
- English version is dubbed.
- "Sayonara Byebye" by Matsuko Mawatari - Used for the Cartoon Network version starting with the Finals of the Dark Tournament storyline.
- "Anbaransu na Kisu wo Shite" (Unbalanced Kiss) by Hiro Takahashi Used for the Cartoon Network Version starting with the beginning of the Chapter Black Storyline but with the English lyrics and music from Ending #4
- "Taiyō ga Mata Kagayaku Toki" (The Sun is Shining Again) by Hiro Takahashi
- "Daydream Generation" by Matsuko Mawatari
- Note: Endings 4 (Mainly the Images) and 5 are not heard in the Cartoon Network version as yet.
Video games
Several video games, released in Japan and North America, were based off of Yu Yu Hakusho.
See also
External links
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