More than three decades after Yu Yu Hakusho (幽☆遊☆白書, Yū Yū Hakusho) first captured the imagination of readers, the beloved manga gets a live-action adaptation that will debut exclusively on Netflix on December 14.

Takumi Kitamura as Yusuke Urameshi. Photo courtesy of Netflix. © Yoshihiro Togashi 1990-1994 Yu Yu Hakusho/WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP (Shueisha Inc.) © 2023 Netflix, Inc.

The original manga by the legendary Yoshihiro Togashi made waves when it was serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump for four years from 1990. The series breathes new life into the story, and fans old and new can expect to encounter their favorite characters in ways that have never been seen before.

The story revolves around Yusuke Urameshi, who spends his days getting into fights and dies in an accident while trying to protect a young child. As he grapples with the fact that he is looking down on his dead body, a woman named Botan who calls herself a guide to the spirit world relays to him the shocking truth: no one expected a delinquent like Yusuke to die performing an act of goodness, and there was no place for him in either heaven or hell. Thus, Yusuke is given a chance to be revived, and after passing his trial, he becomes an Underworld Detective. From there, Yusuke becomes entwined in a mystery that envelopes the human, demon and spirit worlds.

Utilizing a unique global one-team production strategy that spanned both Japan and the United States—the same approach to adapt the acclaimed One Piece manga—Netflix took the same level of commitment to quality and authenticity in the live-action ONE PIECE to the production of YU YU HAKUSHO.

An international dream team was also assembled to bring the epic tale to the screen, tapping into the most advanced CG and VFX technologies from around the world. Known as “the most innovative VFX studio in the world” and lauded for their work on major Hollywood productions, Scanline VFX was instrumental in giving life to all the characters, both human and yokai (spirits), while delivering realistic battle action sequences.

Taking five years to complete the production of YU YU HAKUSHO, the team painstakingly ensured that the subtleties of every character’s emotions were accurately depicted in the adaptation. The fusion of state-of-the-art technology and a passion for staying true to the source material promises to make this adaptation a standout in the world of live-action anime.

Watch YU YU HAKUSHO on December 14, 2023, only on Netflix.

Project Details
Based on the manga: Yu Yu Hakusho by Yoshihiro Togashi (Shueisha Jump Comics)
Director: Sho Tsukikawa
Cast: Takumi Kitamura as Yusuke Urameshi, Jun Shison as Kurama, Kanata Hongo as Hiei, Shuhei Uesugi
Screenplay: Tatsuro Mishima
VFX Supervisor: Ryo Sakaguchi (Scanline VFX)
Executive Producer: Kaata Sakamoto (Netflix) 
Producer: Akira Morii
In Association with: THE SEVEN
Production: ROBOT 
Produced by: Netflix

Photo courtesy of Netflix. © Yoshihiro Togashi 1990-1994 Yu Yu Hakusho/WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP (Shueisha Inc.) © 2023 Netflix, Inc.

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