Netflix has given YuYu Hakusho fans a glimpse at its upcoming live-action adaptation of the classic series.
The image, which was posted on Twitter, teases the series' four heroic leads. It shows Yusuke's spirit gun about to fire, Kurama's deadly rose, Hiei's bandage-wrapped fist and Kuwabara's iconic blue jacket. The post also promises that cast members for the adaptation will be revealed over the next couple of days.
Actor Takumi Kitamura's casting as series protagonist Yusuke Urameshi has already been confirmed, but the casting of his three teammates and other beloved characters like Keiko, Botan, Koenma and Genkai has been kept under wraps by Netflix. Kitamura isn't new to the world of adapting popular anime to live-action. He previously starred as Takemichi Hanagaki, the time-traveling protagonist, in the live-action versions of Tokyo Revengers. He is also the guitarist and lead singer for the rock band DISH//, which has performed the opening theme songs for multiple iconic anime, including Naruto Shippuden and My Hero Academia.
Studio Robot is producing the live-action YuYu Hakusho adaptation with Sho Tsukikawa signed on to direct. Kazutaka Sakamoto (Alice in Borderland) and Akira Morii (Wild 7) are two of the series' producers. Toho Studios, the company behind the long-running Godzilla franchise, is also contributing to the production, allowing Netflix to lease several of its facilities, including two of its main sound stages.
Yoshihiro Togashi's YuYu Hakusho began serialization in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump in December 1990 and published its final chapter in 1994. The manga follows the journey of delinquent teenager Yusuke, who dies at the very beginning of the story. However he is eventually resurrected and becomes the Spirit Detective, meaning it's his responsibility to investigate cases in the Human World that involve the machinations of apparitions and demons. Along the way, he eventually teams up with fellow delinquent Kazuma Kuwabara and two demons, Hiei and Kurama.
The manga, which has sold over 50 million copies in Japan alone, was adapted by studio Pierrot (Naruto) into an anime series, which ran from 1992 until 1994, producing 112 episodes. The series quickly garnered a passionate fan following and was voted the best anime of the year in both 1994 and 1995 at the Animage Anime Grand Prix. Critics generally praised the YuYu Hakusho anime with many spotlighting the strength of the story's villains.
Netflix's live-action adaptation of YuYu Hakusho is expected to premiere in December 2023. The anime is available on Hulu and Crunchyroll.
Source: Twitter