I have officially started watching Yu Yu Hakusho and have completed the Spirit Detective Saga, which, from what I have researched, is the first of four. The Spirit Detective Saga takes place from episode 1 all the way through to episode 25 of the series. It introduces us to the core characters and structures of the human and spirit worlds.

Yu Yu Hakusho is a classic shounen anime from the 90s that follows the adventures of Yusuke Urameshi, a delinquent teenager who dies and is revived as a spirit detective, tasked with solving supernatural cases and fighting evil spirits. 

For those who are wondering, I am streaming Yu Yu Hakusho on Netflix in the English dub.

With this being my very first exposure to Yu Yu Hakusho on the whole, I am not going to do a deep dive into the plot. I am watching it to enjoy it and will not be analysing the plot. If there is a glaring plot hole that “world breaks” the anime for me, I will mention it, or if there are tropes that pull my attention or anything that risks the credibility of the story, I will likely mention it. Otherwise, these thought pieces are literally my first thoughts and impressions while I watch the anime. I have turned my reviewer brain off and am just enjoying it for what it is. With that said, let’s dive in, shall we?

Thoughts I have about Yu Yu Hakusho’s Spirit Detective Saga

While watching the series, I could not help but notice a similarity to Sailor Moon. At first, I thought it might just be the age and thus the animation style of the anime. However, that did not sit right with me. Twenty-five episodes into Yu Yu Hakusho, and I can tell you it is the overall feel of the anime; the overall vibe just reminds me of Sailor Moon. 

I love that the characters are well fleshed out and believable. They have actual personalities, histories, friend groups, and quirks outside of the main character. Both the male and female characters are developed enough to be believable. They have actual emotional depth, which means it is easy to bond with them and immerse myself in their world. The camaraderie among the main cast is entertaining to watch, and it is being meticulously built. It feels natural. There are still tensions and things that need working out. They are not instantly a dream team or instant besties. Their relationships do not feel forced; we can see them developing. I am enjoying the bond development and the dynamics between the characters. I can already see why this is such a beloved series among its fans. 

It is that realism and connection between the characters that remind me of Sailor Moon, and that is by no means a bad thing. The villains have been ruthless and actual threats to the cast, which I adore. It is what I have come to expect from older anime villains. I am glad that they have not let me down. I also appreciate that the demons are not the only bad guys around. The villainous characters have made me worry about our main cast and how they will find their way out of each predicament.

The diverse and stylish clothing worn by the characters has caught my attention. I like the clothing that has been shown so far. I appreciate that we get to see Yusuke in clothing outside of their uniforms each character changes up their clothing while reusing items. I am particularly a fan of Botan’s outfits that we see in this first saga. I am mildly tempted to recreate a few of her looks.

Thoughts on the main character

Can we get more shots of him with his hair down? Pretty please. I really like how innocent he looks with his hair down. He looks like an entirely different character. He seems softer, younger, and more sheltered. Personally, I prefer his hair down.

On a series note, though, Yusuke, the protagonist of the story, is a character that I have not yet fully connected with. I am waiting to see how he will grow from being a rebellious and cynical teenager to a character that I admire. His being the type of teenager that he is makes complete sense, though, with what I can only imagine being a questionable upbringing. Overall, I feel he is a good kid who needs to learn how to manage his temper. I am not yet sure how I feel about his ‘pervy’ side when it comes to Keiko.

Episode I enjoyed the most: Holding back and studying

So far, episode three, Kuwabara in a Corner! A Man’s Oath is my favourite episode of the series and, obviously, of this saga. As viewers, we get to see the good side of quite a few of the characters. In this episode, Kuwabara is caught fighting once again and now has to promise he will not fight for a week. If he breaks that promise to his teacher, his friend Okubo will lose his job, which is what supports his family. Kuwabara makes the promise and has to endure provocation and being beat up. Yusuke and the rest are surprised that Kuwabara is keeping his oath for his friend. The teacher then throws him and his friends a curve ball, saying that they must all pass a test; otherwise, the deal to let his friend carry on working is off. Kuwabara is worried because his grades are really bad. For the first time, he is really trying and studying. Yet he just cannot stay awake. This is where Yusuke steps up and helps Kuwabara study in his dream. 

It is this episode where I actually committed to the characters and this anime. Seeing this side of the boys had me invested. I am now officially worried about the Yu Yu Hakusho live-action adaptation. I sincerely hope that the cast has the chemistry that the anime team clearly has. Just that alone can make or break the live-action.

Favourite character

This took me completely by surprise. I had expected Hiei to be my favourite character. He was the one character I was most looking forward to meeting, due to the opening credit video. The first few episodes also did not do much to have any character really stand out for me as one I would dote on. Then Kuwabara got better and better. He is so earnest and true to himself. Did I mention that he is a cat person? That he owns a cat? I love that. He grew on me before that, though. I have had a soft spot for him since the no-fighting episode. The way that he held himself back from responding to provocation and the way that he tried his best to study and take the test for the sake of his friend softened me right up. The more we see of him, the more I adore him. He very quickly gained a fan.

Character I want/need to know more about

Sakyo came on screen, and he had my immediate attention. I was instantly hooked. I want to get more of him on screen and learn a lot more about him. I hope he proves to be a worthwhile character to invest time in. I really hope that he is not only around for five or so episodes.

Expectations for what comes next

All that really happened in the Spirit Detective Saga was the establishment of the team and a basic introduction to the world and its dynamics. I look forward to the next saga, the Dark Tournament, to see the next step of the team and get a better understanding of power scaling.

I have a feeling that this is where the team will learn how to work together. Rather than just being a thrown-together group of strong individuals, each muscling their way forward, I hope to see them go from acquaintances to full-fledged friends and teammates who can trust each other and work smoothly together.

While I am busy watching the series, I am doing my best not to look up characters or read any posts or write-ups about it. I am trying not to spoil it for myself or ruin any major plot points or twists. It is proving challenging, especially when I am trying to get the spelling of the names of each character. I paused watching so that I could write up my thoughts here. I did not want any other episodes or reveals to influence the initial thoughts and processing. Now that this post is done, I can officially hit play on episode 26.