JAPAN TODAY



 

TOKYO - For a good chunk of the 1990s, "Yu Yu Hakusho" was one of the biggest hits in the anime/manga world. The story of undead teenage delinquent Yusuke and his supernatural atrial arts battles, "Yu Yu Hakusho" took the "Demon Slayer: Kietsu no Yaiba" route and wrapped up in a timely fashion near the peak of its popularity, but along the way the original manga was adapted into TV, OVA, and theatrical anime, as well multiple video games.

But now, as the series is celebrating its 30th anniversary, comes an announcement that "Yu Yu Hakusho" is entering a new media realm in the form of a live-action series from Netflix.

This isn’t Netflix’s first foray into anime-to-live-action adaptations. In addition to "Death Note" in 2018, the streaming service is also producing a live-action "Cowboy Bebop," and promises that a live-action "One Piece" is on the way too. However, while Netflix switched "Death Note’s" setting to the American northwest and put together a non-Japanese cast for "Cowboy Bebop," it looks like the live-action "Yu Yu Hakusho" will be sticking to its Japanese roots, with production being handled by Japanese company Robot (which also put together the just-released live-action adaptation of "Alice in Borderland").

Netflix Japan’s Director of Content and Acquisitions, Kazutaka Sakamoto, will serve as executive producer for the live-action "Yu Yu Hakusho," and his admiration for the source material shows in his comments about the project.

“I’m part of the generation tat was growing up when the original work was being published, and have clear memories of the enthusiasm for it. Even 20 years later, the fan base continues to grow in Asia and throughout the world, and we’ll be making this series on Netflix, the platform that allows us to utilize the maximum amount of creative freedom.

Being able to convey the magnificent world of 'Yu Yu Hakusho' on a limitless scale while developing the story episode by episode with no restrictions on scale fills me with joy as we work with our talented team both in Japan and abroad.”

No release date has been announced, but Netflix does say that its live-action "Yu Yu Hakusho" will stream worldwide.