Combining the intensity and style of anime fights with live-action is incredibly difficult, if not impossible, but Netflix Yu Yu Hakusho show came close to that. While One piece The first season dominated the conversation in 2023 when it came to live-action anime adaptations, a different Netflix production presented a solid take on another shonen beloved. Yu Yu HakushoOne of the most influential anime series of the 1990s has finally received a live-action adaptation in the form of a five-episode Netflix series produced in Japan. Although the show had problems, its fight scenes were spectacular.
Yu Yu Hakuho’The live-action program with just five episodes was surprising and contradicted the adaptation. The show felt like two feature films divided into five chapters, which resulted in a very fast pace but led to major changes to the source material. That said, IIt’s impossible to look at one Yu Yu Hakusho adaptation without discussing the fight scenesand the Netflix series did not disappoint in that regard. Both the fight choreography and visual effects were perfect.
Netflix’s Yu Yu Hakusho live-action fights felt like anime brought to life
Yu Yu Hakusho Live-Action got the fight scenes right
Anime fights have a very unique style for them and are usually defined by a lot of energy and a sense of speed. Of course, each series has its own style, with each animator doing something different. However, some recurring aspects of shonen anime fights can be found in practically every series, from Yu Yu Hakusho and Dragon Ball Z to Jujutsu Kaisen and Demon Slayer. Replicating this style in live-action is very difficult and has probably never been done. However, some projects have come close, and this includes Yu Yu Hakusho.
The action in Yu Yu Hakusho the live-action show may not have looked as fantastic and grand as those in the anime, but the excellent fight choreography made up for it. From the confrontation between Yusuke and his zombified friend to the final battle against Toguro, Yu Yu Hakusho delivered one great hand-to-hand fight after another. Even when the fights were full of visual effects – like when Kurama fought Karasu – they still felt grounded and featured incredible choreography. The fights on Netflix Yu Yu Hakusho adjust the tone of a live-action show while paying homage to the anime.
Yu Yu Hakusho’s fight scenes are what the live-action anime should be like
Solid fight choreography and smart editing go a long way
Given that it is arguably impossible to fully replicate the style and look of an anime fight in live-action, adaptations like Netflix’s One piece or the next naruto the film must find clever ways to honor its source material. The personality of the characters and the pacing of the story are obviously very important, but so is the quality of the action scenes and how well they resemble what was done in the manga or anime. Yu Yu Hakusho left a lot to be desired in some aspectsbut at least it made for some great fights.
It felt like Netflix Yu Yu Hakusho did not want to leave room for a second season, opting to end the stories of Yusuke and his friends in five episodes.
Finding the balance between good fight scenes and getting everything else right isn’t easy. For example, although Netflix One piece is arguably Hollywood’s best live-action anime adaptation, it didn’t have any notable fights in the first season. Zoro versus Mihawk was well choreographed, but it didn’t feel like an anime fight. Likewise, Arlong didn’t feel as powerful in live action as he did in the source material. Interestingly, One piece star Mackenyu teased that season 2 will have better fights.
Yu Yu Hakusho wasn’t a perfect adaptation (despite its amazing fight scenes)
Netflix’s Yu Yu Hakusho changed a lot of things about the anime
Unfortunately, although Yu Yu Hakusho it had great fights, it wasn’t the best possible live-action version of Yoshihiro Togashi’s manga. The series made many changes to the source material, some of which completely altered the structure of the story and made it impossible for the Netflix series to be an accurate live-action of the manga. While some small changes made sense – like using Koenma’s adult form from the start – others were difficult to understand. This includes skipping the Dark Tournament and condensing the entire story into five episodes.
It felt like Netflix Yu Yu Hakusho did not want to leave room for a second season, opting to end the stories of Yusuke and his friends in five episodes. The final battle between Yusuke and young Toguro, which only happens at the end of the anime’s Dark Tournament, took place at the end of season 1 as the heroes tried to rescue Hiei’s sister. Given that everyone looked great and the fights were fun, it’s disappointing that Yu Yu Hakusho the live action couldn’t live up to the anime.