Yu Yu Hakusho, one of the most popular old school shonen anime series, is getting a live-action treatment from Netflix, and if you're one of the millions of fans of the classic supernatural adventure, you'd probably be excited to know that the first season of the show will be released soon. The series, which began filming in summer of 2021, is based on the Shonen Jump manga of the same title by Yoshihiro Togashi.
This won't be the first time Netflix is giving a manga/anime series a live-action treatment. The streaming giant released a Death Note movie from Adam Wingard, and more recently, a live-action adaptation of Eiichiro Oda's One Piece. This is also not the first time Yu Yu Hakusho is receiving a live-action treatment; the series got a stage play adaptation in Japan, and now, fans are hyped (and worried) to see Netflix will adapt one of the greatest shonen anime titles of all time.
Netflix announced the live-action adaptation of Yu Yu Hakusho back in December 2021, and it's being helmed by Kazutaka Sakamoto, who's known for being the executive producer of Alice in Borderland, Rilkkuma and Karou, Devil Man Crybaby, The Naked Director, Ride or Die, Aggretsuko, and more. Akira Morii serves as producer on the series, and Ryo Sakaguchi is the SFX supervisor with Netflix's internal studio Scanline VFX in charge of the project's visual effects.
Here's everything you need to know about Netflix's live-action Yu Yu Hakusho series:
Yu Yu Hakusho Live-Action Netflix Release Date
Update: The live-action Yu Yu Hakusho is now streaming on Netflix!
Yu Yu Hakusho live-action series is expected to release on Netflix globally, and an official release date has been confirmed: December 14, 2023.
Kazutaka Sakamoto, the producer of the project, also served as executive producer for Netflix's live-action adaptation of Alice in Borderland, which released its second season in December 2022, so with that already out, he's probably now focused on the live-action Yu Yu Hakusho series, so expect the show to arrive on Netflix soon.
Is there already a trailer for Netflix's Yu Yu Hakusho?
During Geeked Week 2023, Netflix released the first trailer for its live-action adaptation of Yu Yu Hakusho, giving us our first look at Yusuke and his team in action. Watch it here:
As you can see, the trailer gives fans their first look at the live-action incarnation of the powerful villain, Toguro and other villains in his team.
A second full trailer for the live-action Yu Yu Hakusho was released in early December, revealing more action-packed scenes:
Yu Yu Hakusho Live-Action Plot
Fans of the classic shonen series can expect that the beginning of the live-action Yu Yu Hakusho series will adapt the first story arc of Yoshihiro Togashi's manga series, which shows how Yusuke Urameshi becomes an Underworld Detective following his heroic sacrifice. However, based on what we've seen in the first trailer, it looks like the live-action adaptation will not be faithful to the manga as it looks like Toguro and his team are seen already fighting Yusuke and his friends outside of the Dark Tournament.
Season 1 will feature the beginning of Yusuke's journey in the Spirit World as well as his early adventures with his powerful team.
Yu Yu Hakusho Live-Action Cast
Takumi Kitamura will play the lead role of Yusuke Urameshi in Netflix's Yu Yu Hakusho. The young Japanese actor is well-known for playing the lead role of Hanagaki Takemichi in the live-action adaptation of the popular manga and anime series, Tokyo Revengers.
Kitamura's casting was confirmed by IGN on July 16, 2022 with a first-look photo.
Here's what he told IGN:
“The original work is a universal and unique masterpiece and a reason why Japan is so proud of its strong manga and anime culture. I am happy to share the masterpiece of Yu Yu Hakusho with the world and I hope we can create something people everywhere will enjoy,”
The first photo of Takumi Kitamura on set as Yusuke Urameshi was shared in June 2021:
Shuhei Uesugi (River's Edge, Shin Kamen Rider) will play Kazuma Kuwabara.
Kanata Hongo will play Hiei. The Japanese actor is well-known for playing Ryoma Echizen in the live-action film adaptation of The Prince of Tennis.
Jun Shison will play Kurama, the beloved fox demon. The 28-year-old Japanese actor had his first starring role in the live-action film adaptation of the romance manga series Senpai to Kanojo.
Is the Yu Yu Hakusho anime on Netflix?
The popular Yu Yu Hakusho anime series is available to stream on Netflix in select regions, but it's currently not available to stream in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia.
Here's a list of countries where the Yu Yu Hakusho anime is available to stream on Netflix:
Japan
Belgium
Hungary
Iceland
India
Israel
Italy
Czech Republic
France
Germany
Greece
Lithuania
Malaysia
Netherlands
Philippines
Poland
Romania
Hong Kong
Russia
Singapore
Slovakia
South Africa
Sweden
Switzerland
Thailand
Turkey
Ukraine
Where to read Yu Yu Hakusho manga online
In September 2023, Viz Media announced that it's offering the entire run of Yu Yu Hakusho manga through their official Shonen Jump digital library. If you want to read all 175 chapters of Yoshihiro's Togashi's original manga series on the platform, you'll have to have a paid subscription that costs less than three U.S. dollars a month.
