By Cheyenne Ewulu
Picture this: The school bell rings, you grab your backpack, trading cards in hand, and race home as fast as you can to make it in time to start your favorite anime block on Toonami.
If this sounds familiar, you’re probably pushing 30.
It also means that you most likely have impeccable taste when it comes to anime because, let’s face it, you grew up watching some of the BEST titles on TV. Welcome to Funimation Flashback, the video series where I, Cheyenne, revisit some of my favorite anime titles from my childhood (the ’90s all the way through the early 2000’s). Nineties babies represent!
But before we jump into today’s topic, be sure to follow Funimation everywhere for more anime videos like this one!
In today’s episode, we’re talking GHOSTS. And by ghosts, I mean spirits. And by spirits, I mean demons. And by demons I mean…
Yoshihiro Togashi’s Yu Yu Hakusho! This anime is truly one of the best anime of all time, in my opinion. For those of you that need a refresher, Yu Yu Hakusho centers around a teenage delinquent named Yusuke Urameshi who is accidentally killed after being struck by a car while trying to save a child’s life. But, because of his unexpected good deed, The Spirit World decides to give Yusuke a second chance at life, and turns him into a Spirit Detective.
From there, Yusuke, along with his awesome friends Kuwabara, Botan, Hiei and Kurama, have all types of runin’s with nasty demons and humans who have plans to rule the three realms of reality. Sounds pretty cool, right? Yoshihiro Togashi-sensei was really in his BAG when he created this one.
SO. You’re probably thinking: “Cheyenne. It’s a new year with tons of new anime on the way. Why should I watch this show?”
RELATED: Atsuko Goes Ghost With New Yu Yu Hakusho Collection and We Cannot Wait
Yu Yu Hakusho fans, back me up here. What I really love about Yu Yu Hakusho is that it tells such a unique story. One that, despite seeing other titles with similar story lines today, was really the first of its kind in the ’90s.
This anime also has a little bit of something for every kind of anime fan. If you’re a lover of the supernatural, Yu Yu Hakusho‘s got you.
Ghosts, Demons, The Spirit World? What more could a supernatural fan want? More into fighting? You’re gonna LOVE the action and suspense in the Dark Tournament arc, which fans have called one of the best tournament arcs in the history of shounen anime. Is humor more your thing? Yusuke and Kuwabara will definitely have you in STITCHES after every interaction. More into shows that have the ability to leave you on the verge of tears? Say no more, fam.
Oh, and we can’t forget, one of my personal favorite things about this show: the fashion. If there’s one thing anime characters in the ’90s knew how to do, it was dress. Drip or drown, I always say.
RELATED: What Are You Watching? Yu Yu Hakusho
This is one of the few anime that I can say really had me HOOKED from the first episode mostly due to the main character, Yusuke, being the spicy, witty and relatable shounen protagonist that he is. I mean, skipping class to go kick demon butt with my hot demon friends? I remember those days clearly. And I really have to give major props to the English dub.
I don’t think I’m alone when I say that Yu Yu Hakusho has one of the best English dubs ever. From the performances to the clever, witty writing, this is a show that you’re definitely going to want to experience dubbed. The writing is super-relatable without being too corny or forced. It’s simply *chef’s kiss motion.*
Let’s face itm, nostalgic nerds, Yu Yu Hakusho definitely had a lot of us running around our rooms yelling “SPIRIT GUN!” at the top of our lungs. In fact, I still do it. Don’t judge.
You know you’ve been itching to feel like a Spirit Detective again, so why not give it another watch? Lucky for you, it’s on Funimation RIGHT NOW, just waiting for you to dive in once again. You’re welcome.
If you’re a Yu Yu Hakusho fan, share this post and let us know what you loved so much about the anime. If you haven’t already, be sure to follow Funimation on all of their social media for more anime goodness, and I’ll see you Spirit Detectives on the next video.
UP NEXT: Yu Yu Hakusho Is a Master Class on Examining Grief and Trauma
Flashback fashion
Want to sport Cheyenne’s look from this week’s episode? You can snag the T-shirt and more as part of Atsuko’s Yu Yu Hakusho collection!
And of course, you can stream the entire series, subbed and dubbed, right here on Funimation, or pick up a copy for that anime collection over on The Funimation Shop!
