Summary
For a show with only five episodes,Yu Yu Hakushohas a surprising number of fights in it. Some episodes have two or more in them, and they aren’t small bouts either. Some last as long as a typical action anime fight scenes, but they never feel out of place as the pacing is done well.
The choreography feels well rehearsed as well inYu Yu Hakusho, giving it that extra anime tinge of authenticity and commitment. The costumes and special effects help bring the magic to life too. So, in no particular order, let’s go through some of the best fights in season one. There will be spoilers.
7Yusuke Vs Sawamura
Episode One
This is the first big fight of the show, which caps off episode one. One of the demon bugs from the underworld crawls inside Sawamura’s head and starts to turn him into a Yokai. It gives him great strength to fight against his bullies along with Kuwabara’s gang, who only want to help.
By the time Yusuke arrives, Sawamura is deep into metamorphosis with some true body horror going on, and it’s a design straight out ofParasyte: The Maxim. His hand even turns into a blade. The choreography of this one is wild for a TV budget. It’s a great way to show fans what they are in for in the rest of the season.
6Yusuke Vs Gouki
Episode Two
In episode two, there is a Yokai known as Gouki who is terrifying kids in Japan. He has a mystical object that allows him to steal their souls for consumption. The way souls are colored and shaped inYu Yu Hakushoisreminiscent ofOnimusha.
Eventually, Gouki and Yusuke cross paths in a car junkyard, which is a perfect place for a fight. Whole cars get thrown around as Yusuke dives in and out of them. Kudos to Netflix for having this fight take place in daylight too, as most in the rest of the season take place at night or in dark rooms. Even though Gouki is full CG, the fight still looks good in the brightly-lit arena.
5Yusuke Vs Genkai
Episode Three
Every great anime has to havea training arc. Since this season is only five episodes long,Yu Yu Hakushothankfully only spends half an episode on training to save time. During Yusuke’s training, he decides to take his master, Genkai, head-on.
He is cocky and full of rage after losing to Hiei. This rage does him no good against Genkai, who schools him with a bunch of nuts. From her nutty antics to her squat runs, this whole sequence feels like it was taken out of a classic Jackie Chan movie.
4Kurama Vs Karasu
Episode Four
In episode four, there are two fights shown simultaneously, and the show cuts back and forth between both. For example, Kurama has to fight against a man named Karasu who is wearing a mask to cover his face. Karasu can blow things up, which makes it hard for Kurama to get his seedlings close to him.
Kurama holds out long enough until he decides to take his true fox form, giving him an upper hand in battle. Ultimately though, he wins by implanting a seed in Karasu near the start of the fight. Kurama is basically a male version ofPoison Ivy from theBatmanseries.
3Hiei Vs Bui
The other fight in episode four is between Hiei and Bui. Bui also wears a mask, but his entire body is covered in armor too. He looks like a Terracotta Soldier from Chinese mythology in the way that he is decked out, plus he has a giant mace.
Thankfully, Hiei’s blade handling is second to none, which is shown throughout the show. He isbasically a ninjain both his fighting style and the way he dresses. His ace in the hole has nothing to do with his blade skills though, as Hiei summons a dragon to light Bui on fire.
2Kuwabara Vs Elder Toguro
Episode Five
Kuwabara is shown as a himbo throughout most of the season. He is a loudmouth who likes to fight, but he has a pure heart too. He doesn’t want to be strong to have maniacal power like some villain. Kuwabara wants strength to protect the ones he loves.
His shining moment comes in episode five when he fights Elder Toguro. Even though Elder Toguro can shape-shift into some trulyterrifying body horror machinations,Kuwabara slices through him with his energy sword like some sort of anime Jedi. Technically, Elder Toguro survives, but is being alive on a beach with no body truly living?
1Everyone Vs Younger Toguro
The final fight of the season in episode five is mainly about Yusuke vs Younger Toguro. However, Yusuke is no match for this hulking beast of a man. Thankfully, his friends jump in to help weaken Younger Toguro even though they are badly hurt too.
Without their help, he would have decimated Yusuke for sure. After all, Yusuke is still coming into his own as a fighter who just learned about spirit energy. It’s a miracle he was able to defeat Younger Toguro by harnessing the gift that Genkai gave him. LikeGoku fromDragon Ball Z, Yusuke gets stronger after every defeat of extreme pummeling, which should come through even more in season two.
