If you don't watch anything else of the anime, the scene of Kuwabara crashing Yusuke's funeral is fucking heart wrenching and beautiful. As my favorite character in the series, it is such a powerful introduction and honestly sets up most of his, and Yusuke's, journey through the series.
It is the scene that convinced me to watch the rest of the show, I mean, Yusuke is ready to stay dead until he sees that so many of those people in his life actually cared, the stuff that - some of them- did was not to annoy him, but an expression of them caring; hell, even one of the teachers does that. They do see value and promise in him and only then does Yusuke realize that. It's a very powerful scene.
@ATRStormUnit It honestly establishes so many of the core characteristics and relationships between these characters, too. Until now, Kuwabara is set up as Team Rocket, a gag to blast off again. When he showed up I expected him to be happy, maybe even taunt the people mourning. Instead, we see that he measures himself by Yusuke. He NEEDS Yusuke. And I think THAT is when he decides to come back to life, because when people NEED him is when he steps up. And that relationship, of mutual dependence, measuring himself against Yusuke, the people around him holding him back because they think he doesn't belong but him KNOWING he needs to be there and being the emotionally aware source of inspiration moving forward. It's so effective.
One of the most important things for me is how Yusuke saving the kid is framed. His body is stretched out, it’s taking everything just to reach out and push him out of the way. There was no time to pick the boy up, or pull him to safety. The only way to save him was to give EVERYTHING to save him. …Yusuke doesn’t hesitate. It tells you everything you need to know about him in such a powerful framing.
Fun fact: In the Yu Yu Hakusho English Dub by FUNimation, Kuwabara is voiced by none other than Chris Sabat who also voiced Vegeta in Dragon Ball Z/GT/Super and All Might in My Hero Academia in their respective English Dubs as well.
If you watch this show, you absolutely have to watch it in the Funimation dub. Justin Cook and Christopher Sabat give their absolute best performances ever in my opinion in Yusuke and Kuwabara.
Yeah I feel like this was the only time he should've started with the dub first and then read it and watch the Japanese version 😂 ,I can't tell you how much i was on the end of my seat when i watched it for the first time ✨
A lot of times I prefer to watch a sub over dub because it feels like the original Japanese voices fit better and seem to have more passion in their lines. But man, dub of this show is top tier even down to the opening and ending songs.
There really is something fundamentally special and unique about this show. It's probably the main cast and how they interact, especially in the dub. It's probably why I find HxH more of a slog to rewatch, especially the Palace Invasion.
yeah holding it up to today's air tight no frills fast pacing story telling doesnt work well. Its more a story to be felt not rushed to get that thrill feeling. It's why i think modern anime fans hate old anime so much, they got to binge stuff people waited for and they think demon slayer pacing or jjk is too slow and confusing etc...while people grew up keeping up with plots for decades...they grew with the characters. Today people hate if they have to watch a marvel movie and remember something from the last one...they dont like remembering things for a year yet alone a month its on to the next fast fix on tiktok...
Nothing has ever, or may ever, touch me as deeply as Yusukes funeral, the reactions from his mother and his self proclaimed rival, the anger, the grief, it resonated so deeply with my soul that I genuinely choked up for the first time to any anime ever. I knew then and there that I was in for something special. Even after that theres so many moments between all the cool action that just touches something deep inside me. It was a fantastic ride.
I’ve binge-rewatched YYH more times than probably any other anime out there and I still cry like a bitch every goddamn time. The image of Yusuke’s mother bawling, Yusuke’s picture in black-and-white up on the pew, and Kuwabara trying to grab at it while his entourage try their hardest to hold him back, mixed with that amazing soundtrack. Ugh I’m getting teary just thinking about it 😢
@@CenturyBlade I am tearing up just reading your comment, so spot on. Episode 1 and 47 always make me cry. Seeing Kuwabara's reaction to a part of the show is like Ace diying in One piece for me
🎉👏🏼 Mark should be proud of himself, got the Annunciation right on the money, and I bet you he probably thought to himself "There's no way it sounds the way it looks" but it does.
@@eshel9886 I'll give him a pass, he's saying his name Right, just with more emphasis on the "U" (like "Gon" but saying it like "Gone" during his 1st HxH vid).
He might've nailed Hiei's name, which is really impressive (unless he just listened to the pronunciation of an episode) but of course he mispronounces _Kurama_ like 90% of all three syllable names
I think how often Yusuke wins from luck early on just showcases how in over his head he is. He is forced into this role, and he isn't ready for it. Even after Genkai's training, he still isn't ready.
@@Sprocktendo Can we even call that by himself? He only got there from others lifting him up. That's the entire point. Without is found family, he can't make it. They need each other.
@@twooey8232 If you wanna dig that deep into the theme no one has ever done anything on their own. The only reason humanity is the dominant form of life on the planet is by standing on the shoulders of what came before.
Yuyu Hakusho was such an awesome show. Kuwabarra, Kurrama and Hiei are such great secondary characters. The fact that Yusuke wins so often by dumb luck until he doesn’t.
I made a similar, long-winded comment about Yusuke's dumb luck. Eventually, we all know that luck doesnt stay on his side forever. He gets put into circumstances he has no control over and is forced to face his feelings/emotions. I think the luck aspect goes along with his immaturity in the beginning.
@@sluggernott It's less about his immaturity and more about him being thrust into a position he was never prepared for, and ordered into situations he was not ready to handle. Koenma shouldn't have sent Yusuke to any of his major battles except that he had no other real option.
How dare you attack Detective Conan like that. Nope, you're right. Episodic stuff is pretty ass on average, precisely because the balance of showing "everyday life" through the episodes and the character developing isn't there. Either there's too little development and the episodic stuff just feels like a meaningless waste dragging everything out or they are only used to develop characters without the other characteristics of episodic stuff which can make them feel like clumsy plot devices.
I think it can also be good for getting to know and understand the character, but honestly, you understand Yuusuke in episode one. Chapter one of the manga, even.
Smile Bomb encapsulates what the series is really about. It’s such an Disco Bop. Also Yusuke is such a great Shonen Protagonist. I love how his story of realizing how much ppl care about him and opening up emotionally to others
and one of the rare instances where the english dub of the opening is also worth a listen. the lyric translation is fantastic. really wish it was available on streaming too.
I know its mentioned that Mark finds the use of friendship even during the time it was common as boring, but I think this might have been prior to such point. That is fine and all, but it is completely missed that his power up was more from sacrificing his life (energy) than from friendship, and honestly, it was from love more so than friendship. Yusuke pretty much died in that fight. And Kuwabara saves him.
This definitely beats out other examples of the theme. As much as I understand Marks frustration with it, I do believe that is more bias on his part as a modern viewer than it is a failing of the author.
It really feels like Mark must have missed (skipped) past stuff cuz he THOUGHT he knew what was going to happen. Not to mention his training with Genkai wasn't 'in the face of death' it's that he's a slacker and doesn't actually try and put effort into things. While the outcome might be the same, how the character gets there makes a difference, not just in story, but also in character development. It seems like Mark was just skimming these chapters at this point cuz he 'knows the tropes'.
Yu Yu Hakusho is more of an inspiration to Bleach than Dragon Ball Z was. THe theme of the after life, the supernatural element and the Fullbring arc is so similar to Sensui arc. The main character is struggling against the gimmicky human enemies after defeating an over-powered main bad guy in the previous arc. I like them both since those fights tend to be more Jojo's fight with strategy rather than just powering up and win.
Quick thing about the final blow on Suzaku: After his first Shotgun failed, he didn't just gain new power from nowhere, he used a different source of energy. He was out of Spirit Energy so he opted to use his Life Energy to fire again. Basically it was meant to be more of a desperate gamble so likening it to a PoF moment, while not entirely unfounded, feels a bit misguided.
what i always loved about the series is that it's never "i need to get stronger cause i wanna be the very best like no one ever was!" he only puts in the effort to train when he has to for his position as spirit detective, has to so he can stay alive, or later on in the series......lets call it "family issues". And while the training does make him stronger to some degree, its his emotional growth and breaking through his emotional barriers he put on himself and find a sense of focus and inner peace that gives him his greatest boosts in strength, which i feel works with a power system that's about spirit power.
at the end of the day Yusuke beocming 'stronger' is not about strength in and of itself or for his eprsonal enjoyment but because he needs that strength for something, whether it be to be able to survive a fight with a dangerous foe threatening his loved ones or just to gain some understanding of the forces in his life
Yu Yu Hakusho is definitely in my top 3 favorite animes. After meeting Justin Cook (Yusuke’s English VA) at a con I decided to give it a try since it was made by Togashi and I’ve been hooked ever since. The fights, the characters, the emotional moments, they blew me away
Really? There are so many good animes. Hunter x hunter, berserk, parasyte, attack on titan, vinland saga, the 1st season of the promised neverland, future diaries, etc...
When i had a limited pallet for anime/manga genres, i thought the beginning episodes of yu yu hakusho were boring. I would just skip to dark tournament if rewatching. Now i think the beginning is incredible and emotive. "Waiting for the cool battle shounen" doesnt let you see the forrest for the trees
When Yusuke catches up to the truck where Kuwabara is being held captive. Kuwabara: What you couldn't find little girls tricycle?! Yusuke: What you couldn't go a day without getting kidnapped BY THE FORCES OF EVIL?! Every single time their back and forth cracks me up!🤣
Another good one is when Yusuke or someone else’s apartment is being attacked by Sniper and Kuwabara rushes outside and Yusukes goes “Wait you Idiot Haven’t You learned! You’re like an Ugly Singer with a good voice, Best for Backup” Unfortunately most of these iconic One Liners are dub only and the only other series I recall Mark watching Dubbed is Dragon Ball and that’s only because it was on when he was a kid, he watched Full Metal Alchemist subbed I believe and subbed clips were shown in this video. It’s honestly unfortunate and kinda annoying he doesn’t seem to give series with better dubs a watch. Not to say the subs of YYH and FMA are bad, but it’s almost unanimously agreed that the Dubs are better and only add more to the viewing experience rather than take away from it.
@tomasroberts3481 it just makes sense and doesn't feel forced. Great character development for almost every character. And of course the action is top notch.
I appreciate that they were forced into the tournament with a major threat up front against their will, instead of joining for fun and games and then finding out it's serious later on.
What I will say in defense of some of those 'power of friendship' moments (which I think Togashi clarifies more effectively in the Dark Tournament and beyond), is that it's much more about Yuusuke learning to be more honest with himself and his feelings. The early chapters are about him learning that other people actually do care about him despite his good-for-nothing facade, but a lot of the subsequent material is about him admitting to himself just how much he cares about them, and the fact that he's allowed to care about anything at all (the music and voice acting in the anime also really helps smooth this stuff out in the earlier sections imo). Not saying the fight with Suzaku is top tier or anything (and it drags for sure), but I think it works better than some give it credit for because of how well-crafted a character Yuusuke is.
@@bafenada1141 I don't see the problem. He is just pulling a Vegeta. Basically kamakazi to pull out a win. "I was wrong about you once again Yusuke, it wasn't because you weren't human that I lost, it was because you were. Feelings are your power. Touche' human, at last I understand." Togashi is just going for the continuous theme of the show that Yusuke is repressed and only achieves things when he lets himself loose. The only reason he even survives it is because of the external force of Kuwabara saving his ass because he can't do this by himself.
yeah, the English Dub is one of the few that even a lot of sub only people will say is better since it gives the characters a lot more, well, character. I won't say it here because of spoiler reasons but the dub has my FAVORITE monologue from Kurama in the arc right after the Dark Tournament. The sub/manga is really good, but the dub is amazing.
I hope the editor seeing these comments uses the English Dub Clips for the Dark Tournament Vid. The Fact that Mark was even aware of this tournament, let alone discovering that the series he's currently reviewing is where it takes place made me audibly gasp like Mark did when he saw SSB Kaio-ken.
Dark Tournament and Chapter Black are two of the greatest story arcs in all of manga. I'm genuinely excited to see someone experience them for the first time. No Spoilers!
@@JR-90it's because it was given a second anime run. Thankfully they didn't remake Yu Yu in the 2010s to introduce it to a new audience. The first Hunter x Hunter wasn't as popular. But this show is definitely helped by its time period and older aesthetic
@@abbasshah1963 it's probably of the stigma of the abrupt ending that YYH had(I do prefer HxH, but YYH is pretty much the most influential shonen of the 2 series that it pretty much one of the more prominent blueprints of modern shonen, looking at JJK, Chainsaw man, etc)
This story just drips charisma, and most of it for me was how the Rei-Gun is literally just finger guns. No need for a magical gestures or poses, just a classic "point-and-shoot" like a little kid playing as a cowboy. Something about that was so satisfying in its simplicity.
There's always two parts of the first episode/chapters that always get me: At first how Yusuke just says "Okay, just, take me to hell or whatever", and then, when he watching his wake and the way that the important people react always breaks me emotionally.
Love that Mark is covering this. The first episode of the anime has actually saved my life before. Can't wait to see him get to both the Dark Tournament and Chapter Black
That's great, i heard alot of people including fornever on this youtube got great inspiration from this show or manga...i dont know if he read or watched. He said it made the name he used and pushed against all the haters and made alot of himself, i dont wanna go into detail incase i say something wrong or offend but he said he got out of trouble just talking about what he loved and following his dreams. I hope that inspires you. I love yu yu and trigun personally it showed me stories can be deep and complex and simple for normal people. I was forced to watch simple comedies as a kid cause "thats fun" and i always hated media...I found out i actually like it but didnt find the type i love. I like stories with something to chew on and so on. Anyway hope your in a better place and know where all friends here talking crap about a book someone wrote and we like lol...negative or positive it made an impact and thats great... PS i hope togashi hears people like you so he finds a way without hurting himself to finish hxh.
I think Yu Yu Hakasho's Dub is something that perfectly reflects each individual characters' personality and dynamic, whether it's in English or Japanese. No one one can hate the opening either; as an English Speaker, I'm grateful we have a full Version of Smile Bomb. Not many dubs get full Translations and I always wished there was a full English Soundtrack for Trigun. Edit: Anyone who's already having a Sub vs. Dub, Manga vs. Anime argument I'm a stop here and now by saying that all 4 are excellent in their own rights and the series deserves better than this bs Pettiness. You guys act like these same characters wouldn't kick our asses and call us idiots over this while shoving our faces into the pavement. Yusuke, Kuwabara, and especially Hiei. He'd show none of us mercy. If anything, I hope the editor who reads the comments, sees this, uses both English and Japanese clips instead of just choosing 1. Mark is trying, in good faith, to give us Quality blind reviews while sh**heads intentionally try to spoil him like they did with Naruto (which became a damn talking point in a video itself) or giving him sh** because he chooses Manga over anime or his opinion wasn't the same as yours etc. Be happy your favorite series is being enjoyed at all instead of f***ing bashing fans for not enjoying it YOUR way. Don't forget why Mark had that international Dub Highlight for his DBZ review series. It was nore than it being about "Sub/Dub being better".
I remember Sound Life being the only song on Trigun that had lyrics, though I could be wrong (I haven't listened to my CD in a pretty long time) But, if that's the case, Sound life DOES have an English version, I think it should be here on YT actually. That said, one of the best Anime soundtracks of all time
@@Wallace-Amadeus If you actually have the CD of Trigun: The First Donuts I would love to know if there is an English Version of the soundtrack on it. I've never been able to find anything outside of the lyrics, snippets from the anime where Rem sings it, and cover songs (makes me appreciate the effort TFS put into their rescore for Day of Fate since the Official Version of the song is only in Japanese). Smile Bomb getting a full English Treatment to go with it's Japanese counterpart is just *chefs kiss*
@@Wallace-Amadeus No worries, settling on the Japanese version of Sound Life for my playlist should give you an idea but it's the 1st time anyone even acknowledged having the CD so kudos to you there bud 👍🏼 A Happy medium are Bilingual tracks like "Life is like s Boat" and "Brand New Breeze" playing when I'm doing Uber and watching the passengers' reactions when the language shifts 😲
Just found this little nugget of a cover by Diamond Incarnation, performed by Stardazer; it may only be a cover song, but it's a cover that does the song justice in my opinion and I'm taking it as the unofficial English version of Sound Life until further notice (reading the comments, all of us felt the same about this song too)
I absoloutely love this arc its a slice of life and it really demonstrates how Yuskei cares about his family and friends and the funimation dub for YuYu is amazing its uncensored and features all my favourate voice actors from dbz definitely a great anime and story
I read the manga before the anime because they conveniently had it in the library in HS Was genuinely so torn when I eventually hit up the anime and a lot of the early chapters that I loved weren’t in it. The manga catalog in that library was sparse but still lowkey impressive, I never thought the entire collection of both Aot AND yyh would be in it, I think ruroni kenshin was there too I was so obsessed in 11th grade I tried to ask the librarian if could buy the yyh collection It was a no sale because it was donated But MAN Whoever’s been donating their old manga collection sure as hell had taste
Uhhh the whole point of the first episode and the arc was to show to Yusuke there are people who care about him. I think you guys don’t understand things as well as you think.
@@MoriohAnime I got that from watching especially his mother and Kuabarra and his teacher they really cared for Yuskei and made him realise the friends he had/couldve made the whole time if he bothered to actually try
As someone who grew up watching this on Toonami in the 2000s, this was and still is a top 3 Shonen to me. Everyone wanted to do a Kamehameha as kid; that’s standard. But the one move I always wanted was the Spirit Gun
Kinda sad he didn’t cover yusukes wake, thats the main thing that hooked me when i watched the show originally, the reactions that we see from everyone in his life and how it changes his perspective on life and what he will be moving forward. Plus i cry every time.
I just finished rewatching this for the first time in almost 10 years and got my brother to watch it for the first time. It is for sure my favorite anime of all time and made me tear up more than once. FOREVER FORNEVER
Mark, im a 40 y.o dude who has been watching your videos for a while, and i feel eternally connected to you through our shared love for DB. Trust me, Yu Yu Hakusho is one of the most underrated shonen of all time. There is nothing quite like the dark tournamanent saga - in all shonen !! PS: On a side note, I would love, one day, to see your perspective on another (often forgotten) stalwart of the shonen genre : Hokuto no Ken
Incredibly excited to see Mark go through YYH. One of my favorite series (not just anime, in general) of all time. Its also aged remarkably well. In an industry where the standard has finally caught up with the classics, YYH still boasts top tier characters and a unique sense of style.
When I first watched the anime as a teenager, I felt the same way you did about how yusuke ends up winning a lot of his early fights by dumb luck. But something this series really highlights is the unfairness of life, and how much luck is a factor in how we succeed. Yusuke is an avatar of the young with a lot of potential in our society that life never gives them the chance to succeed. Yusuke does benefit from both good luck and bad at times, and sometimes, in order to survive long enough to get better, you either need help from others or just dumb luck to succeed. Its one of the reasons I love this anime so much!
Agreed! Yusuke succeeding based on luck is also a subversion of how "you just need to push through farther!!!!" Sometimes, you just get lucky. And I appreciate sometimes Yusuke just gets lucky. It's also hilarious. I also think it's important to note that Yusuke using his other abilities and being tough allows him to survive long enough to get lucky.
It has been YEARS since I’ve first watched this series and it’s still a high spot for me to this day. The fights, the characters, the protagonist, they’re all pure gold. Also the dub is truly something special.
This is my favorite anime of all time due to how much it means to me. Dragon ball was incredible but yusuke is just so relatable and I honestly empathized with him so much
Watched this as it aired, have watched it multiple times since, and even watched it again recently before I even knew the Netflix adaptation was coming. YYH is GOLD! Yes, Mark's criticisms are all valid and I agree with them too, but the stronger aspects of the story, art, and voice acting allow me to get past that and just enjoy it every time. I do hope Mark checks out the dub when he does watch it, Justin Cook pushed hard to get the dub made and to make it as good as it could be and it shows, YYH was the dawn of good English Anime voice acting.
@@PlayPodOG I know, I feel like a lot of his nitpicks were kind of subjective. Like, I enjoyed every bit of the story, and it kept hitting again and again. I feel like there was a lot of subversion that Mark didn't really acknowledge, and he kind of speed ran a few of the arcs, even though its the moment to moment that makes YYH so good. The comment here is just pushing their narrative and doesn't seem to care about YYH for real.
He's reading the manga. Can you please leave that sh*t elsewhere, English dubs are needless and unnecessary, and only serve as a rudimentary accessibility feature at best. This dub is okay, but you people ruin it entirely for me because you use it to push some bullsh*t that doesn't need to be pushed. Please stop.
Actually, I find that alot of the criticisms are invalid. Some of the tropes being mocked may be dated by todays standards, but when this was being written they were commonplace, and the author manages to subvert those expectations in ways. Also, with how the series ends, this video needs a retrospective, because the final arc(and a decent number of the revelations revealed) ties deeply into who Urameshi is and half of the things he's capable of right now.
YYH (especially in Chapter Black) is one of those shows that gets better with every rewatch. Like once you know where certain plot elements end up, it makes you appreciate and understand the characters a lot more and makes them much more compelling to watch.
This is my third favorite anime/manga, and it’s just one of my favorite pieces of media ever! So so so so excited to see you covering it. The intro to this series will always be one of my favorites, as it was a middle schooler realizing just how important he was to others when he himself couldn’t see it. It hit me hard the first time watching it, and still does every time I revisit this series. The concept alone would’ve made for an excellent film or one shot about self worth and a will to live, yet it serves as our intro to the story and our hero. Truly an exceptional start! Can’t wait for when you get to The Dark Tournament :D
I actually liked how the first fight with Hiei went. Because it wasn’t about Yusuke being some special chosen one or training to super human levels. It was a hunch and dumb luck. that matters too and is often only ever acknowledged with 1 line after the culmination of some big event or something.
Kurama was my favorite character as a kid, his calm,cool but yet deadly personality was so badass to me and for some reason he always reminded me of Future Trunks when I was little
something I kinda wished you touched upon was the wake in the first chapter. Genuinely one of the most beautiful parts of the early story and a great message to people who think they don't matter: even if you think that, if you left tomorrow, there are people in your life that would be heartbroken.
@@PlayPodOG yeah, its a little disappointing but ive come to associate mark with just giving really brief overviews of things in his videos. I kind of wish he'd go a bit more in depth but im not ignorant to the amount of work that goes into these videos, and im still happy theyre made. But man, that is a scene you really cant just skip over...
The theme song to yu yu Hakusho will always and forever bring a smile to my face and brighten my mood. And the final scene where the theme starts playing and yuske get with girl he loves and that dang theme starts playing while their on the beach always hits me straight in the feels especially when he reveals he's not dead!
YYH is easily best experienced through the english dub anime. Its famous for the improv in the studio and how the performances and additions really elevated the characters to a whole new level
The smile on ny face when the op song played😊 YYH was such a hit in Brazil in the 90s. The dubbing is still remembered as one the best ever made here and is frequently cited as a reference when we talk dubbed anime
Dubbed anime is the best experience, they upped the characters to better versions of their original selves with so much sass lol, Justin Cook, absolutely cooked with this one.
Dude, as I'm writing this I'm getting chills just remembering the song at 32:49 from Mobile Suit G-Gundam which is played during Shining Finger blasts! Awesome job editors! It was so absolutely appropriate!
Yuyu Hakusho Definitely was lightening in a bottle! Airing on Fuji TV alongside DBZ, the music, action, characters and story are amazing! Still holds up as one of the very best series to this day!❤
Your description of Hiei makes me wanna watch the show again just for him lol. He was always my fav character but that was when I watched the show as a kid lol
THANK GOD Mark is finally reviewing this series! YYH is one of the greatest of all time. I won’t spoil but Mark I recommend for the last arc to not only read but also watch the anime as its a lot more fleshed out there. Can’t wait to see what you think!
Yu Yu Hakusho may be my favourite story ever and that is not an easy feat, specially since I consumed it as a child and normally you see the flaws of those growing up. But no, Yu Yu is a beatiful story that I will always cherish in my heart. It is one that defined me as an artist and as a person.
regarding Genkai's forest section, Kuwabara comes first because his spiritual awareness is so high but Yusuke did still impress genkai by defeating challenges he shouldn't have, the whole reason he was so late is he was fighting the bat tamer who he wasn't supposed to be able to beat, and the whole test is about spiritual awareness which Yusuke has a lot of potential for but is too busy brute forcing his way through things. It is still really good that they give Kuwabara his time to shine though since he has always been shown to be aware of spirits and such it makes sense that he would be better at certain things than Yusuke at this point.
Ah, Yu Yu Hakusho! My favorite shonen anime (and top 3 shonen manga). Of course, nostalgia is huge factor for me, since it was one of the first anime I watched, circa 1996. I just have this emotional attachment to it, so even though the plot is not the best, seeing these characters, this beautiful animation, hearing the music... it makes me happy. Shoutouts to the brazilian dub, which added so much to the already likeable characters, making them more relatable to our audience. And the br-portuguese version of the lyrics from the openings and endings, *chef's kiss* I hope you enjoy the Dark Tournament!
Thanks for being a real person here. I also love this anime because of it's animation, music, and nostalgia but it pains me to see that a lot of people here defends the writing and plot progression. They can't admit that it's bad.. I know it's Togashis earlier work but that's the more reason they need to admit that it's bad because it became a stepping stone on how Togashi made the story of his other future mangas better.
@@jarmsfirstclawI mean the plot is great in Chapter Black and in the Dark Tournament. Not as involved as HxH, but the characters and overall feel of the story is so much better.
@@jarmsfirstclaw Yeah i agree, i loved yu yu, but i know hxh is his best work IMO. But i watched level d or some story he did before and it makes more sense. Its not that he couldnt do what mark wanted and make the fights more serious...he was inspired by DBZ like all manga and does that. Watch his earlier work and the dude is definitely a genius of writing...he gets in his own head alot but the reason he gets so many breaks vs others is he really is that intimidating in potential. To put it in perspective he wrote modern feeling stories 20 years before it's time with some stuff...at the time the stuff in yu yu was ok...others not...stuff like the romace between a villain and another villian who's not what people expect or personalities fliping for power vs the usual...for a kid vs the time where dbz was killing it and most said just do tournaments and people couldnt buy as much manga etc...to put it another perspective. People say and watch one piece alot cause the clout of out selling...story wise its great...but alot of older stories might have reached that point if given the right timing...dbz if continued with consistancy would have 750 mill sold...demon slayer was unexpected and during the time when media is blown up and people hate everything popular it succeeded...so on. TLDR Yu yu is great and has low points i dont like to say flaws cause it makes it seem like any story exist without them and all stories have them by merit of existing (you cant cover everything someone won't like something due to something), but its fun...and that's what matters...
I think Yusuke winning by dumb luck is the literal point. He’s usually outclassed by ppl who’s trained for years and are demons and you said he’s a “14 year old punk” so it would make more sense for him to win by clever tactics or dumb luck. It also shows how yusuke gets thrown to the dogs and isn’t ready for these but still has to fight for the betterment of everyone else. It also makes his later fights way more earned since he actually got the training for his untapped potential
You'll only come to love Kuwabara more as you continue. Trust me. Also, with the Sazaku fight, it wasn't so much the "power of friendship" boost but rather Yusuke using life energy in his attack rather than spirit energy. Life energy is way more potent, but you need it to... you know... live. So it's not something one can just pull from on a whim.
I dunno, I feel like the anime was pretty great all together. Not perfect seems to mean 'not what I wanted' for most people. That's fine, but please don't act like its criticism.
Out of everything you've covered, seeing this pop up probably gave me the hardest chub of all. This is the anime that got me into anime. I remember watching Rando vs Kuwabara as a kid on adult swim and thinking "Holy shit, anime does this?" and I fucking loved it.
Yes! Yes! Yes! This is my absolute favorite anime of all time. I got the 30th anniversary blu ray when it came out and have never been more satisfied with a purchase. I love watching these Blind reviews and for you to be covering my absolute favorite. I couldn’t be happier 😊 I hope you love it, but it’s not for everyone and I’m just here to see your honest and thoughtful comments and opinions on the subject matter. Keep up the good work sir.
I really feel like you're missing out on stuff by not watching the anime as well. The anime actually adds extra stuff like Sakyo and Kuwabara's sister plotline during dark tournament and the reorganizing of the three kings ending.
I remember starting the manga around the time the show was out on Toonami -- totally agree, the Toguro Brothers instantly hooked me into the show and are some of my favorite antagonists in the series! That and Kuwabara and Yukina's relationship! :)
For everyone talking about Yusuke winning through dumb luck, I truly urge you to look over the over arching themes of the anime, and see what he is trying to get across.
Maybe it comes up in part two but there's a point that I'm seriously surprised I didn't hear you bring up. The Toguro Brothers reverse the trope of the smaller member in a pair of new fighters actually being the more dangerous one. You commented on the trope being present with Hiei being the most dangerous enemy instead or the soul-devouring ogre Gouki. Now with the Toguro Brothers the smaller older brother actually is the weaker one. The part that I find really funny about this is that it's kind of like a twist in two ways, because even though the younger Toguro looks more physically imposing he also looks 100% like hired muscle and not a boss but the older Toguro isn't just small, he looks ghoulish like he came directly out of a Japanese horror movie and you'd be terrified seeing someone that gaunt and pale in the middle of the night. So when you combine those visual signifiers with what we learned so far about how the spiritual power system works, it becomes a total subversion for us when the man who looks like he's pure muscle winds up having so much strength and skill that he totally invalidates just about every technique the heroes use. It's really fun seeing someone discover one of my favorite stories ever for the first time. I was a little kid when I was watching Yu Yu Hakusho on toonami, so I appreciate the more critical eye and it makes me happy to see you praise when it really pops off. Now on to see how you liked the Dark Tournament.
That Yukina rescue Case was fucking awesome. She's so cute! Also Sakyo is not appreciated enough as a Shonen Villian. Get ready for that Dark Tournament Mark!
i think what hurts him is how the anime added a pointless romance between him and kuawabara's sister, which just muddies his otherwise vile personality
@@sarafontanini7051 I don't see how that hurts him as a character. He is still human, even displaying an interesting humane sense of honor by essentially going down with the ship on his loss of his bet with Koenma. Shizuru's displays of "tough love" would fit into the type of character mold that might be perceived as the only way that Sakyo could accept love based on his back-story, in theory. It's inconsequential to the main story-line regardless, with just passing moments at a few junctures.
Another great review, Mark. Fun Fact: Hiei wasn't actually intended to be a main character first. Togashi's editor, Toshimasa Takahashi, is the one who suggested Hiei become a main character. Which is why Hiei's characterization changes when he returns during the Saint Beast arc. Source: The Yoshihiro Togashi and Masashi Kishimoto interview from JUMP GIGA (2016)
does explain why he jsut doesn't use his multi-eye form or act as sadistic as before. Hell, what did he even want a human-turned-demon army for anyway?
Hiei is that shining example of having to walk back a character's previous actions and explain them away with a back story. He did at least write a sense of reluctance with the virtual "parole" sort of aspect for him. Hiei feels like a character who's punishment forced him to be reformed in a sense. Another potentially unintended example on life lessons and virtues.
@@sarafontanini7051 Togashi actually regrets drawing all those eyeballs on Hiei haha he said "but had I planned to add him to the good guys from the beginning, I wouldn't have drawn all those eyeballs" in that same interview. Togashi also provides another reason why Hiei doesn't use that multi-eyed form anymore in the YYH Official Character Book. "Although he doesn’t show it too often, it’s also possible to fully unleash the demon power to “transform”, boosting his fighting abilities many times over. Perhaps, because it’s an acquired power and after he started controlling the flames, his inherent ability, he doesn’t actively take on this form anymore.” Not sure why he needed an army either.
44:46 Power of Friendship is not dated or overused, at least not at the time of this anime's release. Not to mention it's a trope for a reason. It works and it works quite well in this case as Yusuke (YURA)meshi is learning how to actually be there for the people in his life because for Yusuke LIFE HASN'T BEEN THERE FOR HIM. I feel this is an element that Mark just didn't realize or skipped over. Kind of like he skipped over Kuwabara professing his guts out over how much Yusuke meant to him at Urameshi's own wake and how that affects their relationship going forward. How he had to convince these same people to kiss him in order to be revived and he even glosses over the conditional revival of his life a la becoming a spirit detective. Doesn't even mention why Yusuke is perfectly primed for the job. I tried to forget that and get through the video. However, this complaining over old tropes from a show that predates bleach, naruto, hunter X hunter, and One Piece just feels cheap. Maybe he needs to watch the anime instead of reading the manga. Maybe he needs a break. I have no idea. The heart is there, but the mind isn't. This has come up before in previous reviews, but they were just moments. They didn't color the whole review. This time around, it's becoming a hindrance to a proper review. Something I know Mark is more than capable of. I know it's his experience, but I don't feel he's doing his own due diligence. There's a lack of exploring the writer's methodologies or historical/social context that used to be present in his reviews that have just dwindled over time. Maybe he just needs more time. Maybe take 2 months instead of 1. Works wonders for the anime industry (when they implement it).
I mean, not every review has to treat a work in the context of its time. Mark is writing and reading this review in present day, for a present day audience with present day tastes. Our reaction to an early example of a trope is colored by that, so him wanting to give an honest opinion on the manga will obviously reflect that. Otherwise I agree.
@hiddenleafguy4576 I still think it's only fair to consider the context of when a work of art was released, so that it better reflects the information available and influences that played a role in said work.
Twenty years ago when, this show first showed up on Cartoon Network, we were getting a lot of older anime and the newer ones at the same time. It was very easy to end up watching the newer ones before the older ones and complain about cliches and tropes you encountered in the old ones and people would point out in forums that the older one created the trope. I do believe Mark does preface him comment about "the power of friendship" with how this might be a precursor to the ones we clown on later. I think this wasn't an actual example, per se. Keiko is his oldest, and really only friend. Kurabara and him had only just started to bond, and he hadn't really interacted with the other two since their introduction. Keiko means a lot more to him than anyone else by a wide margin. Heck, he was willing to throw away his chance to come back to life to save her's. There's a much later scene involving a potential threat against Botan that gives me similar vibes to his reaction to this one on Keiko. Now it might be an anime only, or Funi dub only, thing, but in this instance it was stated that Yusuke pulled a Tenhinshan and Kihousho'd himself by using life energy to fuel that last attack and get the victory. This could also be why he was able to overpower Hiei in their fight. There seems to be a number of removed and added scenes in the anime. (Such as Yusuke stumbling onto a demon with Kurabara's cat, Yusuke showing off his shotgun after coming back from training, and using his detective skills on the female demon.) I'm a little disappointed that certain things aren't being discussed and worry about what else will be missing.
Bro it's a review not a re telling. He's not gonna mention Everytime kuwabaras ball sack shifts to the left. A manga is supposed to be good. I don't call out one piece for every good singular piece of dialogue because it's what I come to except. If he didn't call it out Its because it wasn't stand out to him in a good way or negative way. How are you gonna argue he's being lazy or needs a break because he ain't jerk off a singular scene as much as you do. That's one of my favorite scenes personally but I ain't got the shows sack so far down my throat ima assume incompetence if somebody doesn't bring it up. I guess he saw it as whatever 🤷
Hello from Brazil. Yu Yu Hakusho was a major fever in the 90s after we finished consuming the entirely of Saint Seiya, because the localization work on the series was fantastic, to the point that too many "old fans" hate any re-dub because they felt it "killed the charm of the original" despite being more faithful to the source. It is kinda weird when I see someone calling this an "obscure series" since its so famous around here.
YAY!!!!! I love this opening arc and am a little sad it got cut down in the anime. This whole arc, to me, really helps to open up Yuske to us. We see how he's way more soft hearted than he lets on, how he reacts to certain moments, and his whole character before we get to the fightin and the kickin. It also has some damn good sad moments for me that still hit hard to this day. The rest for me is utterly fantastic. Kurama's little story breaks my heart with how well written and connected he is, the four demons are just so much fun to go through (Shiziru is such a beast) and then the Togero bits. Oh god I love this manga. So... Yugioh dive when?
There’s no way i just started reading this manga last week and Mark makes a video on it. It’s been great so far and I can’t wait to hear your thoughts!
If you don't watch anything else of the anime, the scene of Kuwabara crashing Yusuke's funeral is fucking heart wrenching and beautiful. As my favorite character in the series, it is such a powerful introduction and honestly sets up most of his, and Yusuke's, journey through the series.
It is the scene that convinced me to watch the rest of the show, I mean, Yusuke is ready to stay dead until he sees that so many of those people in his life actually cared, the stuff that - some of them- did was not to annoy him, but an expression of them caring; hell, even one of the teachers does that. They do see value and promise in him and only then does Yusuke realize that. It's a very powerful scene.
Always makes me cry especially in the dub
@ATRStormUnit It honestly establishes so many of the core characteristics and relationships between these characters, too. Until now, Kuwabara is set up as Team Rocket, a gag to blast off again. When he showed up I expected him to be happy, maybe even taunt the people mourning. Instead, we see that he measures himself by Yusuke. He NEEDS Yusuke. And I think THAT is when he decides to come back to life, because when people NEED him is when he steps up. And that relationship, of mutual dependence, measuring himself against Yusuke, the people around him holding him back because they think he doesn't belong but him KNOWING he needs to be there and being the emotionally aware source of inspiration moving forward. It's so effective.
“You’re supposed to be here…..for me!” - One of Kuwabara’s Heart Breaking lines.
I was in after that
One of the most important things for me is how Yusuke saving the kid is framed.
His body is stretched out, it’s taking everything just to reach out and push him out of the way. There was no time to pick the boy up, or pull him to safety.
The only way to save him was to give EVERYTHING to save him.
…Yusuke doesn’t hesitate.
It tells you everything you need to know about him in such a powerful framing.
Already at the beginning, Mark recognizes Kuwabara as being the best and most based. I love him so much
Kuwabara is the world record holder for the 'I hate this guy to Best Boi speed run any%'
He's a friend we should all strive to have
Fun fact: In the Yu Yu Hakusho English Dub by FUNimation, Kuwabara is voiced by none other than Chris Sabat who also voiced Vegeta in Dragon Ball Z/GT/Super and All Might in My Hero Academia in their respective English Dubs as well.
@@chrys_stone8716 Hes a friend we should all strive to BE
that's the thing the last 4 people I've shown this show all picked kuwabara as their favorite
If you watch this show, you absolutely have to watch it in the Funimation dub. Justin Cook and Christopher Sabat give their absolute best performances ever in my opinion in Yusuke and Kuwabara.
Yeah I feel like this was the only time he should've started with the dub first and then read it and watch the Japanese version 😂 ,I can't tell you how much i was on the end of my seat when i watched it for the first time ✨
@@TravissMcCoy It's because Ajay (one of his editors) is a mega weeb
Don't forget Chuck Huber's hiei
A lot of times I prefer to watch a sub over dub because it feels like the original Japanese voices fit better and seem to have more passion in their lines. But man, dub of this show is top tier even down to the opening and ending songs.
I mean, it's still one of the best english dubs of all time, right? Like, every character is perfectly cast, even the side characters.
I swear I rewatch this series once every year, it really is one of the greatest of all time
Same. Although Watching and reading Yuyu hakusho are two different experiences
Literally same. Once a year I binge it. Never gets old
There really is something fundamentally special and unique about this show. It's probably the main cast and how they interact, especially in the dub.
It's probably why I find HxH more of a slog to rewatch, especially the Palace Invasion.
So do I
yeah holding it up to today's air tight no frills fast pacing story telling doesnt work well. Its more a story to be felt not rushed to get that thrill feeling. It's why i think modern anime fans hate old anime so much, they got to binge stuff people waited for and they think demon slayer pacing or jjk is too slow and confusing etc...while people grew up keeping up with plots for decades...they grew with the characters. Today people hate if they have to watch a marvel movie and remember something from the last one...they dont like remembering things for a year yet alone a month its on to the next fast fix on tiktok...
Nothing has ever, or may ever, touch me as deeply as Yusukes funeral, the reactions from his mother and his self proclaimed rival, the anger, the grief, it resonated so deeply with my soul that I genuinely choked up for the first time to any anime ever. I knew then and there that I was in for something special. Even after that theres so many moments between all the cool action that just touches something deep inside me. It was a fantastic ride.
And they did that EPISODE ONE!!! Insane to get that much emotion out so quickly with characters we've just met.
Right? Talk about a major punch to the feels right at the start!
The acting takes it up a notch.
I’ve binge-rewatched YYH more times than probably any other anime out there and I still cry like a bitch every goddamn time. The image of Yusuke’s mother bawling, Yusuke’s picture in black-and-white up on the pew, and Kuwabara trying to grab at it while his entourage try their hardest to hold him back, mixed with that amazing soundtrack. Ugh I’m getting teary just thinking about it 😢
@@CenturyBlade I am tearing up just reading your comment, so spot on. Episode 1 and 47 always make me cry.
Seeing Kuwabara's reaction to a part of the show is like Ace diying in One piece for me
Just the mention of “Dark Tournament” made my freakin spine tingle. That’s the arc that turned our boys into Men, literally and figuratively
Well said.
Everyone talking about that arc is what got me into watching yu yu to begin with.
so... yeah I agree 29500000%
Mark pronouncing Hiei's name properly on the first go is the character development I've been waiting for.
🎉👏🏼 Mark should be proud of himself, got the Annunciation right on the money, and I bet you he probably thought to himself "There's no way it sounds the way it looks" but it does.
He pronounced yusuke’s last name wrong though
@@eshel9886 I'll give him a pass, he's saying his name Right, just with more emphasis on the "U" (like "Gon" but saying it like "Gone" during his 1st HxH vid).
He might've nailed Hiei's name, which is really impressive (unless he just listened to the pronunciation of an episode) but of course he mispronounces _Kurama_ like 90% of all three syllable names
I mean Hiei is easy to say compared to Yhwach from bleach
I think how often Yusuke wins from luck early on just showcases how in over his head he is. He is forced into this role, and he isn't ready for it. Even after Genkai's training, he still isn't ready.
That's a good point. he truly doesn't beat anyone on his own merit until Tagoro, and even then it's the only time he himself did it.
@@Sprocktendo Can we even call that by himself? He only got there from others lifting him up. That's the entire point. Without is found family, he can't make it. They need each other.
@@Sprocktendo I mean.... unless you just mean major antagonists thats just not true. He pulls nothing but W's in the Dark Tournament.
@@twooey8232 If you wanna dig that deep into the theme no one has ever done anything on their own. The only reason humanity is the dominant form of life on the planet is by standing on the shoulders of what came before.
@@Novictus Exactly!
Yuyu Hakusho was such an awesome show. Kuwabarra, Kurrama and Hiei are such great secondary characters. The fact that Yusuke wins so often by dumb luck until he doesn’t.
I made a similar, long-winded comment about Yusuke's dumb luck. Eventually, we all know that luck doesnt stay on his side forever. He gets put into circumstances he has no control over and is forced to face his feelings/emotions. I think the luck aspect goes along with his immaturity in the beginning.
@@sluggernott It's less about his immaturity and more about him being thrust into a position he was never prepared for, and ordered into situations he was not ready to handle. Koenma shouldn't have sent Yusuke to any of his major battles except that he had no other real option.
I really like how Mark framed how to do good episodic stuff. Episodic stuff works when your characters actually develop because of those episodes.
How dare you attack Detective Conan like that.
Nope, you're right. Episodic stuff is pretty ass on average, precisely because the balance of showing "everyday life" through the episodes and the character developing isn't there. Either there's too little development and the episodic stuff just feels like a meaningless waste dragging everything out or they are only used to develop characters without the other characteristics of episodic stuff which can make them feel like clumsy plot devices.
I think it can also be good for getting to know and understand the character, but honestly, you understand Yuusuke in episode one. Chapter one of the manga, even.
Smile Bomb encapsulates what the series is really about. It’s such an Disco Bop. Also Yusuke is such a great Shonen Protagonist. I love how his story of realizing how much ppl care about him and opening up emotionally to others
One of the best anime openings I heard and both the English and Japanese versions are both awesome.
I try to embody what the song means, when I walk into a room a smile bomb goes off
and one of the rare instances where the english dub of the opening is also worth a listen. the lyric translation is fantastic. really wish it was available on streaming too.
@@kotalee2106 yep
Mark went from Z to Ippo to Now this immaculate masterpiece. Dudes just been at a Buffet a quality haha love to see it
It’s like he’s in a mountain range jumping from one peak to the next
Totally Not #JaxBlade
If he reviews Pluto (just finished the anime in Netflix) I’d be blown away cous he goes deep into good stories with good themes, that shit I like
@@alfonsopayan09I'm waiting for his Pluto review. He loved the manga so it'll be a fun review and a bit more in depth than his blind reviews
Hey I just saw you in the comments on the Neds Declassified podcast talking about blowjobs
I know its mentioned that Mark finds the use of friendship even during the time it was common as boring, but I think this might have been prior to such point. That is fine and all, but it is completely missed that his power up was more from sacrificing his life (energy) than from friendship, and honestly, it was from love more so than friendship. Yusuke pretty much died in that fight. And Kuwabara saves him.
This definitely beats out other examples of the theme. As much as I understand Marks frustration with it, I do believe that is more bias on his part as a modern viewer than it is a failing of the author.
It really feels like Mark must have missed (skipped) past stuff cuz he THOUGHT he knew what was going to happen. Not to mention his training with Genkai wasn't 'in the face of death' it's that he's a slacker and doesn't actually try and put effort into things. While the outcome might be the same, how the character gets there makes a difference, not just in story, but also in character development. It seems like Mark was just skimming these chapters at this point cuz he 'knows the tropes'.
It seems like him seeing HxH before Yu Yu was probably a bad thing.
@@richborn6700 Nah, because that's basically how I did it too and I became a big fan of Yu Yu Hakusho pretty much from episode 1.
@@EgesleanMark does this a lot tbh
Yu Yu Hakusho is more of an inspiration to Bleach than Dragon Ball Z was. THe theme of the after life, the supernatural element and the Fullbring arc is so similar to Sensui arc. The main character is struggling against the gimmicky human enemies after defeating an over-powered main bad guy in the previous arc. I like them both since those fights tend to be more Jojo's fight with strategy rather than just powering up and win.
The Supernatural Them for Bleach comes from GeGeGe no Kitaro not Yu Yu Hakusho and The Story line is inspired off Saint Seiya and Fuma no Kojiro
Bleach is a rip off of Yu Yu Hakusho. It took Toriyama stepping in to get WSJ to publish Bleach.
True as a Bleach fan, I remember reading that the manga of Bleach was rejected at first for being too similar to Yu Yu Hakusho.
True @@azriellen8865
@@ChillDeathgod😊l..
Quick thing about the final blow on Suzaku: After his first Shotgun failed, he didn't just gain new power from nowhere, he used a different source of energy. He was out of Spirit Energy so he opted to use his Life Energy to fire again.
Basically it was meant to be more of a desperate gamble so likening it to a PoF moment, while not entirely unfounded, feels a bit misguided.
If I recall correctly, Yusuke only survived because Kuwabara donated his energy. So it really was Kurama on the rooftop all over again.
@@death1019correct. Yusuke essentially drained his life energy into the last Spirit Gun to beat Suzaku. So Kuwabara gave him some of his life force
More than misguided, it's an ignorant take. You're allowed to call Mark out on stuff like this lol
what i always loved about the series is that it's never "i need to get stronger cause i wanna be the very best like no one ever was!" he only puts in the effort to train when he has to for his position as spirit detective, has to so he can stay alive, or later on in the series......lets call it "family issues". And while the training does make him stronger to some degree, its his emotional growth and breaking through his emotional barriers he put on himself and find a sense of focus and inner peace that gives him his greatest boosts in strength, which i feel works with a power system that's about spirit power.
at the end of the day Yusuke beocming 'stronger' is not about strength in and of itself or for his eprsonal enjoyment but because he needs that strength for something, whether it be to be able to survive a fight with a dangerous foe threatening his loved ones or just to gain some understanding of the forces in his life
Watching yusuke grow is so gratifying because its never an asspull with the feats that he accomplishes.
Yu Yu Hakusho is definitely in my top 3 favorite animes. After meeting Justin Cook (Yusuke’s English VA) at a con I decided to give it a try since it was made by Togashi and I’ve been hooked ever since. The fights, the characters, the emotional moments, they blew me away
He also voiced evil buu, so funny
@@JohnnyVee007and Raditz his voice is amazing
Really? There are so many good animes. Hunter x hunter, berserk, parasyte, attack on titan, vinland saga, the 1st season of the promised neverland, future diaries, etc...
What about the manga though?
As someone that's covered this show pretty extensively, I'm glad to see Mark finally giving it some attention!
When i had a limited pallet for anime/manga genres, i thought the beginning episodes of yu yu hakusho were boring. I would just skip to dark tournament if rewatching. Now i think the beginning is incredible and emotive. "Waiting for the cool battle shounen" doesnt let you see the forrest for the trees
Still one of my favorite moments: Yusuke "We have to go save Kuwabara" - Hiei "I hate Kuwabara"
When Yusuke catches up to the truck where Kuwabara is being held captive.
Kuwabara: What you couldn't find little girls tricycle?!
Yusuke: What you couldn't go a day without getting kidnapped BY THE FORCES OF EVIL?!
Every single time their back and forth cracks me up!🤣
Another good one is when Yusuke or someone else’s apartment is being attacked by Sniper and Kuwabara rushes outside and Yusukes goes
“Wait you Idiot Haven’t You learned! You’re like an Ugly Singer with a good voice, Best for Backup”
Unfortunately most of these iconic One Liners are dub only and the only other series I recall Mark watching Dubbed is Dragon Ball and that’s only because it was on when he was a kid, he watched Full Metal Alchemist subbed I believe and subbed clips were shown in this video. It’s honestly unfortunate and kinda annoying he doesn’t seem to give series with better dubs a watch. Not to say the subs of YYH and FMA are bad, but it’s almost unanimously agreed that the Dubs are better and only add more to the viewing experience rather than take away from it.
Which chapter did this happen in? I kinda forgot
@@yusamkomedia4390 it was Episode 80
@@gc8568 what about the manga?
Legitimately one of the most beautifully animated animes of all time and it has the best tournament arc ever.
The dark tournament arc is one of the greatest pieces of anime ever
Facts
What makes it the best tournament arc of all time
@tomasroberts3481 it just makes sense and doesn't feel forced. Great character development for almost every character. And of course the action is top notch.
The dub is godly too
Once he hits dark tournament it’s going to blow his mind
I appreciate that they were forced into the tournament with a major threat up front against their will, instead of joining for fun and games and then finding out it's serious later on.
What I will say in defense of some of those 'power of friendship' moments (which I think Togashi clarifies more effectively in the Dark Tournament and beyond), is that it's much more about Yuusuke learning to be more honest with himself and his feelings. The early chapters are about him learning that other people actually do care about him despite his good-for-nothing facade, but a lot of the subsequent material is about him admitting to himself just how much he cares about them, and the fact that he's allowed to care about anything at all (the music and voice acting in the anime also really helps smooth this stuff out in the earlier sections imo).
Not saying the fight with Suzaku is top tier or anything (and it drags for sure), but I think it works better than some give it credit for because of how well-crafted a character Yuusuke is.
But I think the execution is the problem. Imo this sudden power up doesn't feel earned at all
@@bafenada1141 I don't see the problem. He is just pulling a Vegeta. Basically kamakazi to pull out a win. "I was wrong about you once again Yusuke, it wasn't because you weren't human that I lost, it was because you were. Feelings are your power. Touche' human, at last I understand." Togashi is just going for the continuous theme of the show that Yusuke is repressed and only achieves things when he lets himself loose. The only reason he even survives it is because of the external force of Kuwabara saving his ass because he can't do this by himself.
Just finished this anime for the 20th time… and I still get teary eyed at the end
As a wise wizard once said, "Always..."
The only problem I have is on Mark for not using the English dub for his clips The vocal range the Justin Cook brings too yusuke makes the whole show
Def should do English for the dark tournament. Yusuke has some of his best lines out of that
yeah, the English Dub is one of the few that even a lot of sub only people will say is better since it gives the characters a lot more, well, character. I won't say it here because of spoiler reasons but the dub has my FAVORITE monologue from Kurama in the arc right after the Dark Tournament. The sub/manga is really good, but the dub is amazing.
I hope the editor seeing these comments uses the English Dub Clips for the Dark Tournament Vid. The Fact that Mark was even aware of this tournament, let alone discovering that the series he's currently reviewing is where it takes place made me audibly gasp like Mark did when he saw SSB Kaio-ken.
@@afrothekobold The one where hes playing the game?
@@whoisslade45 Why?
Kuobara is my favorite character. He’s just that guy, ya know?
The ultimate homie
He's a total bro
agreed kuwabara is my favourite.
Kuwabara*
He’s the heart of the squad and lawful good. I love how loyal he is and his relationship with yukina is adorable
Dark Tournament and Chapter Black are two of the greatest story arcs in all of manga. I'm genuinely excited to see someone experience them for the first time. No Spoilers!
Yu Yu Hakusho >>> Hunter x Hunter. It amazes me how Togashi's second work got more recognition than the first one that even inspired the second one.
Agreed. I'm excited to continue watching Togashi's other masterpiece, Hunter X Hunter
@@JR-90I also second that opinion.
I don't get why YYH doesn't get the same recognition that HxH does, maybe it's because of the more modern anime.
@@JR-90it's because it was given a second anime run. Thankfully they didn't remake Yu Yu in the 2010s to introduce it to a new audience. The first Hunter x Hunter wasn't as popular. But this show is definitely helped by its time period and older aesthetic
@@abbasshah1963 it's probably of the stigma of the abrupt ending that YYH had(I do prefer HxH, but YYH is pretty much the most influential shonen of the 2 series that it pretty much one of the more prominent blueprints of modern shonen, looking at JJK, Chainsaw man, etc)
This story just drips charisma, and most of it for me was how the Rei-Gun is literally just finger guns. No need for a magical gestures or poses, just a classic "point-and-shoot" like a little kid playing as a cowboy. Something about that was so satisfying in its simplicity.
There's always two parts of the first episode/chapters that always get me: At first how Yusuke just says "Okay, just, take me to hell or whatever", and then, when he watching his wake and the way that the important people react always breaks me emotionally.
Kuwabara's reaction always chokes me up...
Did Mark skip talking about the funeral or did I somehow miss it?
@@ASpaceOstrich Yea he did skip over it.
@@ASpaceOstrich it has less of an impact in the manga. The scene in the anime is really well done.
Love that Mark is covering this. The first episode of the anime has actually saved my life before. Can't wait to see him get to both the Dark Tournament and Chapter Black
That's great, i heard alot of people including fornever on this youtube got great inspiration from this show or manga...i dont know if he read or watched. He said it made the name he used and pushed against all the haters and made alot of himself, i dont wanna go into detail incase i say something wrong or offend but he said he got out of trouble just talking about what he loved and following his dreams. I hope that inspires you. I love yu yu and trigun personally it showed me stories can be deep and complex and simple for normal people. I was forced to watch simple comedies as a kid cause "thats fun" and i always hated media...I found out i actually like it but didnt find the type i love. I like stories with something to chew on and so on. Anyway hope your in a better place and know where all friends here talking crap about a book someone wrote and we like lol...negative or positive it made an impact and thats great...
PS i hope togashi hears people like you so he finds a way without hurting himself to finish hxh.
I think Yu Yu Hakasho's Dub is something that perfectly reflects each individual characters' personality and dynamic, whether it's in English or Japanese. No one one can hate the opening either; as an English Speaker, I'm grateful we have a full Version of Smile Bomb. Not many dubs get full Translations and I always wished there was a full English Soundtrack for Trigun.
Edit: Anyone who's already having a Sub vs. Dub, Manga vs. Anime argument I'm a stop here and now by saying that all 4 are excellent in their own rights and the series deserves better than this bs Pettiness. You guys act like these same characters wouldn't kick our asses and call us idiots over this while shoving our faces into the pavement. Yusuke, Kuwabara, and especially Hiei. He'd show none of us mercy. If anything, I hope the editor who reads the comments, sees this, uses both English and Japanese clips instead of just choosing 1. Mark is trying, in good faith, to give us Quality blind reviews while sh**heads intentionally try to spoil him like they did with Naruto (which became a damn talking point in a video itself) or giving him sh** because he chooses Manga over anime or his opinion wasn't the same as yours etc. Be happy your favorite series is being enjoyed at all instead of f***ing bashing fans for not enjoying it YOUR way. Don't forget why Mark had that international Dub Highlight for his DBZ review series. It was nore than it being about "Sub/Dub being better".
I remember Sound Life being the only song on Trigun that had lyrics, though I could be wrong (I haven't listened to my CD in a pretty long time)
But, if that's the case, Sound life DOES have an English version, I think it should be here on YT actually.
That said, one of the best Anime soundtracks of all time
@@Wallace-Amadeus If you actually have the CD of Trigun: The First Donuts I would love to know if there is an English Version of the soundtrack on it. I've never been able to find anything outside of the lyrics, snippets from the anime where Rem sings it, and cover songs (makes me appreciate the effort TFS put into their rescore for Day of Fate since the Official Version of the song is only in Japanese). Smile Bomb getting a full English Treatment to go with it's Japanese counterpart is just *chefs kiss*
@@Sant323 If I remember to, I'll check when I get home, I think I might be misremembering though, so don't get your hopes up lol
@@Wallace-Amadeus No worries, settling on the Japanese version of Sound Life for my playlist should give you an idea but it's the 1st time anyone even acknowledged having the CD so kudos to you there bud 👍🏼 A Happy medium are Bilingual tracks like "Life is like s Boat" and "Brand New Breeze" playing when I'm doing Uber and watching the passengers' reactions when the language shifts 😲
Just found this little nugget of a cover by Diamond Incarnation, performed by Stardazer; it may only be a cover song, but it's a cover that does the song justice in my opinion and I'm taking it as the unofficial English version of Sound Life until further notice (reading the comments, all of us felt the same about this song too)
50:51 - accurate. Dark Tournament is peak anime. And now I have the entire OST stuck in my head. Thanks. No, really. Thanks.
I absoloutely love this arc its a slice of life and it really demonstrates how Yuskei cares about his family and friends and the funimation dub for YuYu is amazing its uncensored and features all my favourate voice actors from dbz definitely a great anime and story
I started watching it because I met yusuke’s English voice actor at a con and got curious. One of the best decisions I’ve ever made
I read the manga before the anime because they conveniently had it in the library in HS
Was genuinely so torn when I eventually hit up the anime and a lot of the early chapters that I loved weren’t in it.
The manga catalog in that library was sparse but still lowkey impressive, I never thought the entire collection of both Aot AND yyh would be in it, I think ruroni kenshin was there too
I was so obsessed in 11th grade I tried to ask the librarian if could buy the yyh collection
It was a no sale because it was donated
But MAN
Whoever’s been donating their old manga collection sure as hell had taste
@@solidskullz5736 Justin Cook is one hell of a voice actor he's amazing he's also a producer
Uhhh the whole point of the first episode and the arc was to show to Yusuke there are people who care about him. I think you guys don’t understand things as well as you think.
@@MoriohAnime I got that from watching especially his mother and Kuabarra and his teacher they really cared for Yuskei and made him realise the friends he had/couldve made the whole time if he bothered to actually try
As someone who grew up watching this on Toonami in the 2000s, this was and still is a top 3 Shonen to me. Everyone wanted to do a Kamehameha as kid; that’s standard. But the one move I always wanted was the Spirit Gun
FINGERBANG!!!
Kinda sad he didn’t cover yusukes wake, thats the main thing that hooked me when i watched the show originally, the reactions that we see from everyone in his life and how it changes his perspective on life and what he will be moving forward. Plus i cry every time.
I just finished rewatching this for the first time in almost 10 years and got my brother to watch it for the first time. It is for sure my favorite anime of all time and made me tear up more than once.
FOREVER FORNEVER
Mark, im a 40 y.o dude who has been watching your videos for a while, and i feel eternally connected to you through our shared love for DB.
Trust me, Yu Yu Hakusho is one of the most underrated shonen of all time. There is nothing quite like the dark tournamanent saga - in all shonen !!
PS: On a side note, I would love, one day, to see your perspective on another (often forgotten) stalwart of the shonen genre : Hokuto no Ken
Incredibly excited to see Mark go through YYH. One of my favorite series (not just anime, in general) of all time. Its also aged remarkably well. In an industry where the standard has finally caught up with the classics, YYH still boasts top tier characters and a unique sense of style.
When I first watched the anime as a teenager, I felt the same way you did about how yusuke ends up winning a lot of his early fights by dumb luck. But something this series really highlights is the unfairness of life, and how much luck is a factor in how we succeed. Yusuke is an avatar of the young with a lot of potential in our society that life never gives them the chance to succeed. Yusuke does benefit from both good luck and bad at times, and sometimes, in order to survive long enough to get better, you either need help from others or just dumb luck to succeed. Its one of the reasons I love this anime so much!
Agreed! Yusuke succeeding based on luck is also a subversion of how "you just need to push through farther!!!!"
Sometimes, you just get lucky. And I appreciate sometimes Yusuke just gets lucky. It's also hilarious.
I also think it's important to note that Yusuke using his other abilities and being tough allows him to survive long enough to get lucky.
Mark you need Gintama. At some point.
It has been YEARS since I’ve first watched this series and it’s still a high spot for me to this day. The fights, the characters, the protagonist, they’re all pure gold.
Also the dub is truly something special.
Please stop. He's reading the manga. Please stop.
@@theperson8539Please stop. Nobody cares. Please stop.
@@theperson8539 And he should also watch the anime
you should probably re-watch it with a better lens now.
Its right next to dbz for me
I just love how they used the lightsaber sound for kuwabara’s spirit sword, absolutely classic
I actually love how lucky yusuke gets early on. He avoids the garystu effect and it makes his later dubz that much more satisfying
This is my favorite anime of all time due to how much it means to me. Dragon ball was incredible but yusuke is just so relatable and I honestly empathized with him so much
Watched this as it aired, have watched it multiple times since, and even watched it again recently before I even knew the Netflix adaptation was coming. YYH is GOLD! Yes, Mark's criticisms are all valid and I agree with them too, but the stronger aspects of the story, art, and voice acting allow me to get past that and just enjoy it every time. I do hope Mark checks out the dub when he does watch it, Justin Cook pushed hard to get the dub made and to make it as good as it could be and it shows, YYH was the dawn of good English Anime voice acting.
i wouldn't say they are all valid
@@PlayPodOG I know, I feel like a lot of his nitpicks were kind of subjective. Like, I enjoyed every bit of the story, and it kept hitting again and again. I feel like there was a lot of subversion that Mark didn't really acknowledge, and he kind of speed ran a few of the arcs, even though its the moment to moment that makes YYH so good. The comment here is just pushing their narrative and doesn't seem to care about YYH for real.
He's reading the manga. Can you please leave that sh*t elsewhere, English dubs are needless and unnecessary, and only serve as a rudimentary accessibility feature at best. This dub is okay, but you people ruin it entirely for me because you use it to push some bullsh*t that doesn't need to be pushed. Please stop.
Actually, I find that alot of the criticisms are invalid. Some of the tropes being mocked may be dated by todays standards, but when this was being written they were commonplace, and the author manages to subvert those expectations in ways. Also, with how the series ends, this video needs a retrospective, because the final arc(and a decent number of the revelations revealed) ties deeply into who Urameshi is and half of the things he's capable of right now.
YYH (especially in Chapter Black) is one of those shows that gets better with every rewatch. Like once you know where certain plot elements end up, it makes you appreciate and understand the characters a lot more and makes them much more compelling to watch.
This is my third favorite anime/manga, and it’s just one of my favorite pieces of media ever! So so so so excited to see you covering it. The intro to this series will always be one of my favorites, as it was a middle schooler realizing just how important he was to others when he himself couldn’t see it. It hit me hard the first time watching it, and still does every time I revisit this series. The concept alone would’ve made for an excellent film or one shot about self worth and a will to live, yet it serves as our intro to the story and our hero.
Truly an exceptional start! Can’t wait for when you get to The Dark Tournament :D
Yu Yu Hakusho hit me so hard that I regularly cosplay Yusuke at cons now
@@solidskullz5736 I wanna dress up as him for next Halloween. Him, or Vash, or Ichigo, but it ain’t happened yet 😭
you’ll get to it eventually, took me a while too
Also way better than HxH.
I actually liked how the first fight with Hiei went. Because it wasn’t about Yusuke being some special chosen one or training to super human levels. It was a hunch and dumb luck. that matters too and is often only ever acknowledged with 1 line after the culmination of some big event or something.
"you you hakashow" lol
The opening episodes of the anime are so underrated.
Kurama was my favorite character as a kid, his calm,cool but yet deadly personality was so badass to me and for some reason he always reminded me of Future Trunks when I was little
Kurama is the best! I'm pretty sure he's the reason I tend to favor "the smart one" in other stories
something I kinda wished you touched upon was the wake in the first chapter. Genuinely one of the most beautiful parts of the early story and a great message to people who think they don't matter: even if you think that, if you left tomorrow, there are people in your life that would be heartbroken.
yeah. he omitted some great scenes cause i think he is rushing to complete it within the month. which isn't good....
@@PlayPodOG yeah, its a little disappointing but ive come to associate mark with just giving really brief overviews of things in his videos. I kind of wish he'd go a bit more in depth but im not ignorant to the amount of work that goes into these videos, and im still happy theyre made. But man, that is a scene you really cant just skip over...
Yu Yu Hakusho is one of my favorite series of all time. You're in for a wonderful treat Mark
The theme song to yu yu Hakusho will always and forever bring a smile to my face and brighten my mood.
And the final scene where the theme starts playing and yuske get with girl he loves and that dang theme starts playing while their on the beach always hits me straight in the feels especially when he reveals he's not dead!
That intro song grew on me like a fungus.
I still occaisonally hear it in my dreams.
Mark's so used to Dragon Ball that he calls Togashi Toriyama at 27:16, XD
YYH is easily best experienced through the english dub anime. Its famous for the improv in the studio and how the performances and additions really elevated the characters to a whole new level
Funny enough, it's THE SAME in Brazil. The dubbing is a reference when it comes to localizing the lines and jokes
No. I know you can't read, but please give the manga a shot, I beg you.
@@theperson8539 I've read it multiple times my guy
@@thedizzytuna That’s the worst case scenario. The raccoon chapter made me cry, so do you need American voices to value stories and characters?
@@theperson8539 I never said there was no value to the cut content from the manga.
The smile on ny face when the op song played😊
YYH was such a hit in Brazil in the 90s. The dubbing is still remembered as one the best ever made here and is frequently cited as a reference when we talk dubbed anime
The most underrated anime of all time. The fact it is not talked about enough is a crime. Glad you got around to read it/watch it.
Dubbed anime is the best experience, they upped the characters to better versions of their original selves with so much sass lol, Justin Cook, absolutely cooked with this one.
Yeah ive heard yusuke is more sarcastic in the dub and it benefits his character.
@@DartkittenThe dub makes all the characters better
Dude, as I'm writing this I'm getting chills just remembering the song at 32:49 from Mobile Suit G-Gundam which is played during Shining Finger blasts! Awesome job editors! It was so absolutely appropriate!
Mark's finally reading one of the most influential shonen stories ever. Really excited to see if it lives up to the hype for him.
I've been waiting so long for Mark to experience this amazing series and one of my personal favourites.
Yuyu Hakusho Definitely was lightening in a bottle! Airing on Fuji TV alongside DBZ, the music, action, characters and story are amazing! Still holds up as one of the very best series to this day!❤
"Togashi knows how to tug on your heart strings"
Oh boy, if you only knew what was coming.
Your description of Hiei makes me wanna watch the show again just for him lol. He was always my fav character but that was when I watched the show as a kid lol
THANK GOD Mark is finally reviewing this series! YYH is one of the greatest of all time. I won’t spoil but Mark I recommend for the last arc to not only read but also watch the anime as its a lot more fleshed out there. Can’t wait to see what you think!
As someone who only watched the anime for that section of the story, hearing that it’s MORE fleshed out than the manga makes me sad
His health was really going down
Yu Yu Hakusho may be my favourite story ever and that is not an easy feat, specially since I consumed it as a child and normally you see the flaws of those growing up.
But no, Yu Yu is a beatiful story that I will always cherish in my heart.
It is one that defined me as an artist and as a person.
YYH and HxH are epic stories I could see anytime of the year when I'm feeling for something great.
Yusuke when using the spirit gun: I am about to do whats called a Clint Eastwood Move!
regarding Genkai's forest section, Kuwabara comes first because his spiritual awareness is so high but Yusuke did still impress genkai by defeating challenges he shouldn't have, the whole reason he was so late is he was fighting the bat tamer who he wasn't supposed to be able to beat, and the whole test is about spiritual awareness which Yusuke has a lot of potential for but is too busy brute forcing his way through things.
It is still really good that they give Kuwabara his time to shine though since he has always been shown to be aware of spirits and such it makes sense that he would be better at certain things than Yusuke at this point.
hiei is the foundation for a lot of popular anime characters we have gotten in the last couple decades.
I found this arc pretty understandable on the cast of characters and their feel it was very rewarding to know the Yusuke wanted to do with himself
This was my favorite shows growing up. Amazing writing and the art was just awesome. Deep characters that just draw you in.
Ah, Yu Yu Hakusho! My favorite shonen anime (and top 3 shonen manga). Of course, nostalgia is huge factor for me, since it was one of the first anime I watched, circa 1996. I just have this emotional attachment to it, so even though the plot is not the best, seeing these characters, this beautiful animation, hearing the music... it makes me happy.
Shoutouts to the brazilian dub, which added so much to the already likeable characters, making them more relatable to our audience. And the br-portuguese version of the lyrics from the openings and endings, *chef's kiss*
I hope you enjoy the Dark Tournament!
Thanks for being a real person here. I also love this anime because of it's animation, music, and nostalgia but it pains me to see that a lot of people here defends the writing and plot progression. They can't admit that it's bad.. I know it's Togashis earlier work but that's the more reason they need to admit that it's bad because it became a stepping stone on how Togashi made the story of his other future mangas better.
@@jarmsfirstclawI mean the plot is great in Chapter Black and in the Dark Tournament. Not as involved as HxH, but the characters and overall feel of the story is so much better.
@@jarmsfirstclaw Yeah i agree, i loved yu yu, but i know hxh is his best work IMO. But i watched level d or some story he did before and it makes more sense. Its not that he couldnt do what mark wanted and make the fights more serious...he was inspired by DBZ like all manga and does that. Watch his earlier work and the dude is definitely a genius of writing...he gets in his own head alot but the reason he gets so many breaks vs others is he really is that intimidating in potential. To put it in perspective he wrote modern feeling stories 20 years before it's time with some stuff...at the time the stuff in yu yu was ok...others not...stuff like the romace between a villain and another villian who's not what people expect or personalities fliping for power vs the usual...for a kid vs the time where dbz was killing it and most said just do tournaments and people couldnt buy as much manga etc...to put it another perspective. People say and watch one piece alot cause the clout of out selling...story wise its great...but alot of older stories might have reached that point if given the right timing...dbz if continued with consistancy would have 750 mill sold...demon slayer was unexpected and during the time when media is blown up and people hate everything popular it succeeded...so on. TLDR Yu yu is great and has low points i dont like to say flaws cause it makes it seem like any story exist without them and all stories have them by merit of existing (you cant cover everything someone won't like something due to something), but its fun...and that's what matters...
I think Yusuke winning by dumb luck is the literal point. He’s usually outclassed by ppl who’s trained for years and are demons and you said he’s a “14 year old punk” so it would make more sense for him to win by clever tactics or dumb luck. It also shows how yusuke gets thrown to the dogs and isn’t ready for these but still has to fight for the betterment of everyone else. It also makes his later fights way more earned since he actually got the training for his untapped potential
Haven’t thought about this anime in years… the memories 😭😭
You'll only come to love Kuwabara more as you continue. Trust me.
Also, with the Sazaku fight, it wasn't so much the "power of friendship" boost but rather Yusuke using life energy in his attack rather than spirit energy. Life energy is way more potent, but you need it to... you know... live. So it's not something one can just pull from on a whim.
I think the "Life Energy" concept is exclusive to the anime. I could be wrong, though.
@@sluggernott
Could be. It's been *ages* since I read the manga but re-binged the anime last year.
My LITERAL number one anime ever. It's not "perfect" but even with its handful of flaws I can watch it over and over!!!
To paraphrase another group of misfits: Its got heart. Miles and miles of heart.
I dunno, I feel like the anime was pretty great all together. Not perfect seems to mean 'not what I wanted' for most people. That's fine, but please don't act like its criticism.
@@theperson8539 I think you took the comment the worst way possible.
@@ggregg2667 Probably, but I am pretty incensed rn. Sorry if that was a misguided one though.
@@ggregg2667
Dexter: My favorite anime, even with its flaws!
Theperson: How dare you say it’s flawed!
Lol
Out of everything you've covered, seeing this pop up probably gave me the hardest chub of all. This is the anime that got me into anime. I remember watching Rando vs Kuwabara as a kid on adult swim and thinking "Holy shit, anime does this?" and I fucking loved it.
omg I'm so ready for this I love Yuyu
Mark about Kuwabara: "And I thought I was going to hate this guy"
Me, loudly: HA!
Yes! Yes! Yes!
This is my absolute favorite anime of all time. I got the 30th anniversary blu ray when it came out and have never been more satisfied with a purchase.
I love watching these Blind reviews and for you to be covering my absolute favorite. I couldn’t be happier 😊
I hope you love it, but it’s not for everyone and I’m just here to see your honest and thoughtful comments and opinions on the subject matter.
Keep up the good work sir.
It's funny how Aqua and Kazuma from Konosuba's first interaction feels like an intentional parody of Yu Yu Hakusho
I really feel like you're missing out on stuff by not watching the anime as well. The anime actually adds extra stuff like Sakyo and Kuwabara's sister plotline during dark tournament and the reorganizing of the three kings ending.
I remember starting the manga around the time the show was out on Toonami -- totally agree, the Toguro Brothers instantly hooked me into the show and are some of my favorite antagonists in the series! That and Kuwabara and Yukina's relationship! :)
For everyone talking about Yusuke winning through dumb luck, I truly urge you to look over the over arching themes of the anime, and see what he is trying to get across.
Maybe it comes up in part two but there's a point that I'm seriously surprised I didn't hear you bring up. The Toguro Brothers reverse the trope of the smaller member in a pair of new fighters actually being the more dangerous one. You commented on the trope being present with Hiei being the most dangerous enemy instead or the soul-devouring ogre Gouki. Now with the Toguro Brothers the smaller older brother actually is the weaker one.
The part that I find really funny about this is that it's kind of like a twist in two ways, because even though the younger Toguro looks more physically imposing he also looks 100% like hired muscle and not a boss but the older Toguro isn't just small, he looks ghoulish like he came directly out of a Japanese horror movie and you'd be terrified seeing someone that gaunt and pale in the middle of the night. So when you combine those visual signifiers with what we learned so far about how the spiritual power system works, it becomes a total subversion for us when the man who looks like he's pure muscle winds up having so much strength and skill that he totally invalidates just about every technique the heroes use.
It's really fun seeing someone discover one of my favorite stories ever for the first time. I was a little kid when I was watching Yu Yu Hakusho on toonami, so I appreciate the more critical eye and it makes me happy to see you praise when it really pops off. Now on to see how you liked the Dark Tournament.
That Yukina rescue Case was fucking awesome. She's so cute! Also Sakyo is not appreciated enough as a Shonen Villian. Get ready for that Dark Tournament Mark!
i think what hurts him is how the anime added a pointless romance between him and kuawabara's sister, which just muddies his otherwise vile personality
@@sarafontanini7051 I don't see how that hurts him as a character. He is still human, even displaying an interesting humane sense of honor by essentially going down with the ship on his loss of his bet with Koenma. Shizuru's displays of "tough love" would fit into the type of character mold that might be perceived as the only way that Sakyo could accept love based on his back-story, in theory. It's inconsequential to the main story-line regardless, with just passing moments at a few junctures.
Another great review, Mark. Fun Fact: Hiei wasn't actually intended to be a main character first. Togashi's editor, Toshimasa Takahashi, is the one who suggested Hiei become a main character. Which is why Hiei's characterization changes when he returns during the Saint Beast arc.
Source: The Yoshihiro Togashi and Masashi Kishimoto interview from JUMP GIGA (2016)
does explain why he jsut doesn't use his multi-eye form or act as sadistic as before. Hell, what did he even want a human-turned-demon army for anyway?
Hiei is that shining example of having to walk back a character's previous actions and explain them away with a back story. He did at least write a sense of reluctance with the virtual "parole" sort of aspect for him. Hiei feels like a character who's punishment forced him to be reformed in a sense. Another potentially unintended example on life lessons and virtues.
@@sarafontanini7051 Togashi actually regrets drawing all those eyeballs on Hiei haha he said "but had I planned to add him to the good guys from the beginning, I wouldn't have drawn all those eyeballs" in that same interview.
Togashi also provides another reason why Hiei doesn't use that multi-eyed form anymore in the YYH Official Character Book. "Although he doesn’t show it too often, it’s also possible to fully unleash the demon power to “transform”, boosting his fighting abilities many times over. Perhaps, because it’s an acquired power and after he started controlling the flames, his inherent ability, he doesn’t actively take on this form anymore.”
Not sure why he needed an army either.
44:46 Power of Friendship is not dated or overused, at least not at the time of this anime's release. Not to mention it's a trope for a reason. It works and it works quite well in this case as Yusuke (YURA)meshi is learning how to actually be there for the people in his life because for Yusuke LIFE HASN'T BEEN THERE FOR HIM. I feel this is an element that Mark just didn't realize or skipped over. Kind of like he skipped over Kuwabara professing his guts out over how much Yusuke meant to him at Urameshi's own wake and how that affects their relationship going forward. How he had to convince these same people to kiss him in order to be revived and he even glosses over the conditional revival of his life a la becoming a spirit detective. Doesn't even mention why Yusuke is perfectly primed for the job. I tried to forget that and get through the video. However, this complaining over old tropes from a show that predates bleach, naruto, hunter X hunter, and One Piece just feels cheap. Maybe he needs to watch the anime instead of reading the manga. Maybe he needs a break. I have no idea. The heart is there, but the mind isn't. This has come up before in previous reviews, but they were just moments. They didn't color the whole review. This time around, it's becoming a hindrance to a proper review. Something I know Mark is more than capable of. I know it's his experience, but I don't feel he's doing his own due diligence. There's a lack of exploring the writer's methodologies or historical/social context that used to be present in his reviews that have just dwindled over time. Maybe he just needs more time. Maybe take 2 months instead of 1. Works wonders for the anime industry (when they implement it).
From the way some of these comments read, Kuwabara's outburst was not present in the manga. I don't know, I haven't read it.
I mean, not every review has to treat a work in the context of its time. Mark is writing and reading this review in present day, for a present day audience with present day tastes. Our reaction to an early example of a trope is colored by that, so him wanting to give an honest opinion on the manga will obviously reflect that.
Otherwise I agree.
@hiddenleafguy4576 I still think it's only fair to consider the context of when a work of art was released, so that it better reflects the information available and influences that played a role in said work.
Twenty years ago when, this show first showed up on Cartoon Network, we were getting a lot of older anime and the newer ones at the same time. It was very easy to end up watching the newer ones before the older ones and complain about cliches and tropes you encountered in the old ones and people would point out in forums that the older one created the trope.
I do believe Mark does preface him comment about "the power of friendship" with how this might be a precursor to the ones we clown on later. I think this wasn't an actual example, per se. Keiko is his oldest, and really only friend. Kurabara and him had only just started to bond, and he hadn't really interacted with the other two since their introduction. Keiko means a lot more to him than anyone else by a wide margin. Heck, he was willing to throw away his chance to come back to life to save her's. There's a much later scene involving a potential threat against Botan that gives me similar vibes to his reaction to this one on Keiko. Now it might be an anime only, or Funi dub only, thing, but in this instance it was stated that Yusuke pulled a Tenhinshan and Kihousho'd himself by using life energy to fuel that last attack and get the victory. This could also be why he was able to overpower Hiei in their fight.
There seems to be a number of removed and added scenes in the anime. (Such as Yusuke stumbling onto a demon with Kurabara's cat, Yusuke showing off his shotgun after coming back from training, and using his detective skills on the female demon.) I'm a little disappointed that certain things aren't being discussed and worry about what else will be missing.
Bro it's a review not a re telling. He's not gonna mention Everytime kuwabaras ball sack shifts to the left. A manga is supposed to be good. I don't call out one piece for every good singular piece of dialogue because it's what I come to except. If he didn't call it out Its because it wasn't stand out to him in a good way or negative way. How are you gonna argue he's being lazy or needs a break because he ain't jerk off a singular scene as much as you do. That's one of my favorite scenes personally but I ain't got the shows sack so far down my throat ima assume incompetence if somebody doesn't bring it up. I guess he saw it as whatever 🤷
Yusuke is hands down my favorite character in anine. His sass in the dub is untouchable. Just looking for beef wherever he goes.
the use of silent hill music near the end is haunting and surreal, and i love it. it's so fitting for yyh
Hello from Brazil.
Yu Yu Hakusho was a major fever in the 90s after we finished consuming the entirely of Saint Seiya, because the localization work on the series was fantastic, to the point that too many "old fans" hate any re-dub because they felt it "killed the charm of the original" despite being more faithful to the source.
It is kinda weird when I see someone calling this an "obscure series" since its so famous around here.
This is the only anime where i rewatched the seres over 20 times. No exaggeration. Its just that good
only 20?
I’ve watched it through only 3 times, but I never skip the opening song!
@MagnusPrimeZ over 20 times not just 20 lol
@@MechAdv shit goes hard
@@Ashberryvillage10 I recently rewatched the entire show after putting a couple grand into my sound system, and the opening song goes even harder!
YAY!!!!!
I love this opening arc and am a little sad it got cut down in the anime. This whole arc, to me, really helps to open up Yuske to us. We see how he's way more soft hearted than he lets on, how he reacts to certain moments, and his whole character before we get to the fightin and the kickin. It also has some damn good sad moments for me that still hit hard to this day.
The rest for me is utterly fantastic. Kurama's little story breaks my heart with how well written and connected he is, the four demons are just so much fun to go through (Shiziru is such a beast) and then the Togero bits. Oh god I love this manga.
So...
Yugioh dive when?
The first time you see yoko kurama is soooo dope! Chapter black has gotta be my favorite
He was first shown at the Dark Tournament though.
@@JadenYukifan28 I know it’s just one of my favorite scenes. But chapter black is my favorite as a whole.
@@Kungfukenny187 Well, technically, it's still Kurama, but in Yoko's body.
Knowing what I know now about Hiei, Mark's take on his character through this first arc is hilarious but understandable
One of the greatest Opening Songs to come out of the 90s!
The English Dub's Opening is a jam! Everyone can dance to it.
There’s no way i just started reading this manga last week and Mark makes a video on it. It’s been great so far and I can’t wait to hear your thoughts!
Hope you check out the dub too, atleast for the dark tournament. The dialogue between characters is so good its unreal.
The dragon quest battle theme is a nice touch too
My level of hype for some actual YT content from one of my top 10 anime, cannot be measured.