Yu Yu Hakusho

First of all, I'm a fan of the YYH anime, so was hard for me to not compare this mini-series to the anime. The story changes made was understandable to me. Especially, when it was obvious that Netflix wasn't going into the Dark Tournament saga.

There are some things this mini-series fail to deliver. I believe it was due to it being 5 episodes. One of YYH anime's highlights was the resonating backstory and motivations of the main antagonists, which the anime builds up as the story moves forward. But this mini-series failed to do that. They tried to do a quick retelling of younger Toguro's backstory with just few minutes of dialogue during the last episode. But that's weak. I think younger Toguro's backstory itself deserves one whole flashback episode. It might've made the climax battle and ending more emotionally impacting. In other words, in order for me to care about the deliverance of a tortured soul, I need to get to know the tortured soul first. If not, I won't care and don't know how to care about the deliverance. And again, this mini-series was just 5 episodes, maybe that's why they're forced to only use dialogue.

I wondered if this series was meant to be a one off and season 2 was never considered. It seemed to wrap up so nicely. Hopefully, it performs decent enough for a season 2. I want to see how Netflix would do Sensui (this antagonist is so emotionally scarred that he 7 personalities inside him). Please make at least 8-10 episodes if there's season 2, like One Piece or other Netflix original series.

I don't care much about changing the original script to fit into just 5 episodes. However, he was run over, which had an impact on the final fight, it didn't cause that tense air of fear. Much of this factor was because it shortened the narrative a lot.

It's a shame it doesn't have at least 10~12 episodes, it would have been possible to improve this, following the recipe of the first two episodes which, despite adapting and summarizing, everything was fine.

Congratulations to the cast, you surprised me and the battle effects, especially Yusuke's initial fights and Karazu's fight at the end. Perfect choreography and using objects from the scene well, making it more dynamic than in the anime.

Yu Yu Hakusho's first episode sets a promising tone for the series, impressively capturing the essence of its original manga. The episode's lighting is a standout feature, with its use of darkness adding a layer of depth and intensity to the scenes. This is particularly evident during the fight sequences, where the lighting effectively enhances the action. The animation of the fighting scenes is remarkably smooth, showcasing fluid movements that keep the viewer engaged. This fluidity in combat sequences promises an exciting viewing experience, especially as the series progresses and the action intensifies.

The plot may be thin and felt so rushed up but the fights to me is just a fun ride. Great watch just for those action sequences. Kudos to the choreographer and the camera angles because they produced something so fluid and I can actually see how they "danced".

As for the story. When I heard that it would just be 5 episodes I didn't think it could do any good but I did try to keep hope up and well the plot line needs more work but I'm pleasantly surprised to find the whole thing watchable. They don't dig in deep but it's still easy to keep up. I do lament the lack of time to get to know more of some of the leads though.

The VFX bordering on uncanny is doable. I like the color gradient they chose. There wasn't any point where I went "TOO DARK" because I can actually see. They didn't hide the VFX under darkness and you know what. Kudos.

Warning: Bright flashing lights sequence in ep 1. Also had plenty of blood if you're queasy on that.

In this live-action interpretation of the Yu Yu Hakusho story, we follow the tale of up-to-no-good Yusuke and unlikely allies, who secretly has a good heart, and needs to come back from the spirit world to save the day from demons. That's the gist, and it's good.

So far, so manga slash anime. It becomes more interesting however, when our anti-hero needs to make ambigious choices that are neither good nor evil, and suit our newly-found spirit detective. And most of the time, he will need to make those choices mid-fight.

As usual I will refrain from comparing it to original source matter and give it a judgement based on what this mini-series give us in the now. In short, it's both cool and alive. The fighting scenes are special because of the demon element and our cast has great comedic timing. It's on the sugary side though, just so you know.

It all really plays for fun, laughs and spectacle, and as such, it succeeds with flying colors. Plotwise it's best not to expect the world. Lots of clichés, melodrama, gushing violins and pumping horns... this is the pop-version of Japanese stories.

Also, the added CGI is on the simplistic side. And the music... You know, there's plenty of niggles to give, especially in comparison to original source material. Yet overall, you can feel the fun factor in this production, and I just had a good time gobbling this up with glee.