Yu Yu Hakusho: Ghost Files

I started watching this on Cartoon Network last week when they started showing it at 5:00 PM central time, 6 for most of you. I was instantly hooked. Yusuke had a kick @$$ attitude that I really related to (not that I am that way, but I still relate). And I love the fact that a "toddler" can rule the spirit world. Boton is really funny. Seems too perky to be the grim reaper, but it's their world, not mine. Great show. I recommend it to all of you.

If Yu Gi Oh can be considered the companion piece to Pokemon, than Yu Yu Hakusho could be considered as a suitable companion piece for Dragon Ball Z.

The story concerns Yusuke Urameshi, a teenage boy who dies and comes back to life in an unusual twist of fate. As a side effect, he develops unusual psychic powers and is appointed as the spirit detective of the Earth, defending it from various demonic creatures.

The fights are more interesting than in DBZ, they really keep you on the edge of your seat, and they generally aren't too long and drawn out. The characters powers are also more entertaining and believable at once (i.e. They only get achieve levels capable of destroying the Earth towards the end, rather than in the very first saga, therefore, they usually must rely on strategy).

The characters are realistic and diverse, at least compared to most other shonen anime. They can be despicable, lovable, heroic, tragic and everything else, often all at once.

Of particular interest is the Chapter Black Saga, which tells the story of Sensui.

If anything, I'd say that this anime has quite a bit of what you'd want in an anime: action, drama, comedy and a bit of a few romantic elements.

I really don't think it's a lost cause to watch, but if you can, stay clear of the watered - down Toonami version.

I give this anime a 9 out of 10.

This is a great series. Not because of superior animation or music. Not because of innovative plots or creative story-telling. Its just fun to watch.

The series grabs hold of you with the first line of the first episode, which goes something like this: "This is our hero, Yusuke Urameshi. And surprisingly enough, he's dead." I mean, if the main character dying in the first episode doesn't pique your interest, what will? After that, the story is one we've seen often enough: guys with super powers fighting evil. Basic, but with good execution it can be quite effective.

I think the main strength of this show is in the characters. Yusuke is the jerk with the heart of gold. He'll do the right thing, but he'll always have a smart-alec remark to rub your wounds with salt. He has most of the best fights, and his scenes with his girlfriend are classic, and usually end with him getting slapped. Hiei and Kurama are just cool, if you'll simply look past Kurama's unfortunate fashion sense (the pink jump suit just doesn't work for me). Kuwabara's probably the best. He's so arrogant, and yet he loses nearly every fight he's in. It's great just to watch him get the crap beaten out of him after his long descriptions of how he's going to win the fight.

The only negatives for this show are some annoying habits they have. They usually pull the old, "There are four of us and one of him, but we're not going to all fight at once and overwhelm him, we'll just sit back while one of us (namely Kuwabara) gets pummeled. We could simply shoot the guy with a finger, but let's let him tire himself out kicking Kuwabara's face in instead." It makes for good comic relief, but gets kind of old when the fights stretch out unnecessarily long. Let's not turn this into DBZ here.

Yu Yu Hakusho is a truly excellent anime. Sure, people compare it to the Dragon Ball series, but the story is original and laden with humor, drama and romance.The characters are diverse and interesting, the voice cast is excellent, the animation is fluid and bold and...I can't say it enough...it's terrific!

Yusuke Urameshi is your typical teenage delinquent: cutting class, getting into fistfights and being overall unpleasant are his trademarks. But, that all changes when he gives up his life to save a little boy from being hit by a car. He, in floating spirit form, is greeted by the cheerful "Grim Wreaper," Botan. She takes him to see the great lord Koenma, who looks like a toddler, but is actually over 600 years old. From there, he is appointed spirit detective, one who is assigned to protect all three worlds from evil. Before he knows it, he is swept up into being a spirit detective...and it gets better and more interesting from there.

The characters have many different abilities and classes. For instance, two of my favorite characters are demons. One, Kurama, in an especially handsome human body, and, even though he is one of the weaker ones in his team, he relies on sharp stealth to defeat the enemy...and usually wins. One of the weaker ones? HA! One of the weaker ones indeed! The other, Hiei, looks human, but is, indeed, demon...trust me. But, later in the anime, his dark past is revealed and you see why his is so sharp and distant.

The animation gets better as the series progresses. You can see the anime is more detailed in the final episode compared to the very first episode. Not only that, the plot becomes more and more twisted and intense, leading up to the climactic final saga.

You can't miss Yu Yu Hakusho!