Netflix's live-action adaptation of YuYu Hakusho has cast Takumi Kitamura as series protagonist Yusuke Urameshi.
The announcement was made in a report from Variety. Their article was later taken down, but the news was confirmed by Anime News Network. Kitamura is best known for his starring role as Takemichi Hanagaki, the time traveling protagonist of the live-action adaptation of Tokyo Revengers. He is also the lead vocalist and guitarist for the rock band DISH//, which has performed opening themes for several popular animes, including My Hero Academia and Naruto Shippuden. Netflix's live-action YuYu Hakusho series will debut worldwide in December 2023. The announcement is official confirmation that Kitamura will take on the role, as he was previously seen in Urameshi's costume in a leaked photo from the show's Japanese set.
Sho Tsukikawa (live-action Let Me Eat Your Pancreas) is helming the project at Robot Communications (often shortened to Robot). Kazutaka Sakamoto, who was also involved in the production of the live-action Alice in Borderland series, will be working as Executive Producer for YuYu Hakusho, while Akira Morii (Wild 7) will work as the series' Producer. Toho Studios, the famous company behind the Godzilla franchise, is collaborating with Netflix for YuYu Hakusho by leasing several of its facilities for the production of the series. These include two of the main sound stages, two acting centers and a production center.
Yoshihiro Togashi's supernatural-action manga was serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump from December 1990 to July 1994. The series was later adapted into an anime that debuted in October 1992 and ran for 112 episodes. The story revolved around a delinquent teenage boy named Yusuke Urameshi that dies while trying to push a child out of the way of oncoming traffic. He then meets an emissary from the Spirit World named Botan who informs Yusuke that he has died before he was meant to and therefore has an opportunity to be resurrected. In the process of coming back to life, Yusuke is granted extraordinary powers and becomes a Spirit Detective, working to protect humanity from dangerous supernatural forces.
In addition to the anime series, YuYu Hakusho's popularity also led to the production of two animated films, one live-action film, and over twenty different video games. YuYu Hakusho: The Movie was helmed by series' director Noriyuki Abe and released in 1993, while YuYu Hakusho The Movie: The Poltergeist Report was directed by Masakatsu Iijima (Lupin III: Part III) and came out in 1994. The 2020 live-action YuYu Hakusho film was written and directed by Chuji Mikasano (Tokyo Ghoul: re).
The YuYu Hakusho anime is available on Crunchyroll and Hulu. The manga is available in English from Viz Media.
Source: Variety, Anime News Network