The first trailer of Netflix’s live-action Yu Yu Hakusho is missing one crucial thing

[Karlston]

Like Cowboy Bebop, Yu Yu Hakusho isn’t Yu Yu Hakusho without its iconic opening theme.

 

Netflix dropped a bit of a “Smile Bomb” (if you know, you know) during Geeked Week 2023. Not only did it share the first trailer for the live-action adaptation of Yu Yu Hakusho but we also got a release date. And it’s soon.

 

If you’re an anime fan of a certain age, I’m guessing simply reading the words “Yu Yu Hakusho” conjures a very specific sound in your head.

 

And I bet it sounds like this.

 

Unfortunately, the teaser did not feature this iconic song, but there is still hope that a remix will make an appearance. And while the ticky-tacky wigs (straight from the Tyler Perry School of Cosmetology) and visual effects aren’t quite putting the spirit in my bomb, I fully stood up seeing the Toguro brothers.

 

Yu Yu Hakusho is one of those all-time anime classics. It’s been 20 years since the show debuted on Cartoon Network, becoming a formative series for (older North American) anime fans right up there with Sailor Moon, Gundam, and the Dragon Ball series. To this very day, the show’s Dark Tournament arc is one of the best examples of the classic “shonen anime tournament” trope, and I hope the Netflix adaptation has the chance to show us what that could look like.

 

Yu Yu Hakusho is a certified banger and didn’t need a live-action reboot. But honestly, neither did One Piece, and that turned out pretty good. We’ll see if Netflix’s live-action success streak continues when Yu Yu Hakusho debuts on Netflix on December 14th.

 

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