Fans of Yu Yu Hakusho will get to enjoy an early Christmas this year. After months of radio silence, Netflix has given an update on its upcoming live-series adaption of the hit anime classic. The series is slated to premiere on 14 December, with an announcement post on X (formerly Twitter) offering a first look at the logo.
More than three decades after Yu Yu Hakusho by Yoshihiro Togashi first captured the imagination of readers, the beloved manga gets a live-action adaptation.
— Netflix (@netflix) October 11, 2023
Yu Yu Hakusho premieres December 14! pic.twitter.com/KUpeSuLXPB
An extended trailer or even a teaser of the characters in action hasn’t been revealed, but the show was previously confirmed to draw directly from the manga. The story follows a teenage delinquent named Yusuke Urameshi who dies while committing an act of goodness. Unable to find a place in both Heaven and Hell, he becomes an underworld detective in an effort to reunite his soul with his body.
Takumi Kitamura, who starred in the live-action film adaptations of Tokyo Revengers and Let Me Eat Your Pancreas, will play Yusuke. The actor is joined by Jun Shison (Bubble, Battle of Supreme High) as the fox demon Kurama; Kanata Hongo (Kingdom, Attack on Titan) as Hiei, the Master of the Evil Eye; and Shuhei Uesugi as Kazuma Kurabawa.
Netflix’s Yu Yu Hakusho is produced by Alice in Borderland‘s Akira Morii, and directed by Sho Tsukikawa. Tatsuro Mishima serves as screenwriter on the project, which is surely looking to ride on the coat-tails of One Piece‘s success. In a rare turn of events, the live-action take on Eiichiro Oda’s popular manga proved to be a hit among fans and has been renewed for a second season.
It’s a much-needed boost for the streamer, especially after its live-action foray failed to take off with Cowboy Bebop. Apart from Yu Yu Hakusho, the other upcoming Netflix anime/manga adaptations include a Death Note series helmed by the Duffer Brothers, a reimagination of My Hero Academia, and a live-action Gundam movie. Season 3 of Alice in Borderland, meanwhile, joins the Ryohei Suzuki-led live-action City Hunter film in the Japanese adaptation space.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
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