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幽遊白書 [Yū Yū Hakusho] #19
Yu Yu Hakusho, Volume 19: The Saga Comes to an End!
A delinquent’s gotta do what he’s gotta do…in the afterlife.
Yusuke Urameshi was a tough teen delinquent until one selfless act changed his life...by ending it. When he died saving a little kid from a speeding car, the afterlife didn't know what to do with him, so it gave him a second chance at life. Now, Yusuke is a ghost with a mission, performing good deeds at the behest of Botan, the ferrywoman of the River Styx, and Koenma, the pacifier-sucking judge of the dead.
The final volume of Yoshihiro Togashi's legendary fighting manga!
The tournament to decide the ruler of the Demon Plane reaches its final rounds and you won't believe who comes out on top. But Yusuke and the gang still have a few loose ends to tie up, as they have to make sure the denizens of the Underworld don't get too far out of line. Later, everyone heads out to the countryside to hear a final message from Genkai. And then…
Yusuke Urameshi was a tough teen delinquent until one selfless act changed his life...by ending it. When he died saving a little kid from a speeding car, the afterlife didn't know what to do with him, so it gave him a second chance at life. Now, Yusuke is a ghost with a mission, performing good deeds at the behest of Botan, the ferrywoman of the River Styx, and Koenma, the pacifier-sucking judge of the dead.
The final volume of Yoshihiro Togashi's legendary fighting manga!
The tournament to decide the ruler of the Demon Plane reaches its final rounds and you won't believe who comes out on top. But Yusuke and the gang still have a few loose ends to tie up, as they have to make sure the denizens of the Underworld don't get too far out of line. Later, everyone heads out to the countryside to hear a final message from Genkai. And then…
192 pages, Paperback
First published December 2, 1994
24 people are currently reading
291 people want to read
About the author
Yoshihiro Togashi
320 books1,319 followersYoshihiro Togashi (冨樫義博) is a manga artist. Credited in Chinese translations as Fu Jian Yi Bo.
He began drawing manga at an early age; while he attended college, the publisher Shueisha recognized his talent. Togashi has authored numerous manga series in different genres during the past three decades. He is perhaps best known for writing and illustrating the YuYu Hakusho and Hunter × Hunter series, both of which have been published in the popular Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine. Togashi is married to Naoko Takeuchi, the author of Sailor Moon.
He began drawing manga at an early age; while he attended college, the publisher Shueisha recognized his talent. Togashi has authored numerous manga series in different genres during the past three decades. He is perhaps best known for writing and illustrating the YuYu Hakusho and Hunter × Hunter series, both of which have been published in the popular Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine. Togashi is married to Naoko Takeuchi, the author of Sailor Moon.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews
May 10, 2020
I remember liking the anime as a teen. It was hilarious and the action was great. In manga form, without the BGM and the characters' change in tone, the humour is not as effective and the action doesn't translate well.
Pros:
1. The plot was interesting
2. The world-building was different
3. It was funny, if not hilarious
4. There were unexpected twists every now and then
5. The main characters were so diverse and interesting, though they don't develop much over the series.
Cons:
1. Too much non-strategic action made it boring after a while
2. The ending felt rushed up
3. Fan service
Overall manga rating: 3/5
Pros:
1. The plot was interesting
2. The world-building was different
3. It was funny, if not hilarious
4. There were unexpected twists every now and then
5. The main characters were so diverse and interesting, though they don't develop much over the series.
Cons:
1. Too much non-strategic action made it boring after a while
2. The ending felt rushed up
3. Fan service
Overall manga rating: 3/5
July 7, 2025
E finalmente, após 2 anos fazendo a coleção, consegui concluir minha leitura de Yuyu Hakusho, obra do Yoshihiro Togashi que não tive contato quando era criança, mas por se tratar de um clássico, despertou meu interesse anos depois.
Nesse volume 19, temos a grande conclusão do torneio do mundo dos demônios, que surgiu de uma ideia bizarra de Yusuke para definir quem seira o governante desse mundo. Nesse sentido, eu acho que a obra pecou um pouco e se tornou repetitiva, pois é o mesmo conceito do torneio das trevas que ocorreu alguns volumes atrás, porém com regras diferentes, mas que acaba sendo uma desculpa para que ocorra muita ação e pancadaria na trama.
Embora eu tenha noção de que Yuyu Hakusho seja um Shonen de lutinha, a ideia acabou sendo pouco inovadora, mas destaco que as qualidades dos desenhos são incríveis, rendendo excelentes quadros de ação. Além disso, o torneio acabou sendo mais voltado para a estratégia dos lutadores do que apenas força e poder de cada um, tendo em vista que a duração do torneio foi exageradamente longa.
Ainda sobre o torneio para governar o mundo dos demônios, é importante destacar que devido à proporção que o mesmo atingiu, houveram muitos grupos e chaveamentos, o que levou a lutas mais estratégicas que mencionei anteriormente. Isso resultou em embates com vencedores surpreendentes, tendo em vista que a estamina e o poder se esgotam, e caso a luta não seja última, as próximas serão ainda mais difíceis, se tornando um torneio de resistência - e não apenas poder.
Em seguida, mesmo com o fim do torneio – que ocorreu de maneira estranha – existem algumas histórias finais, mais curtas, que contam a respeito de outros personagens da obra, dando um aprofundamento e conclusão à cada um; assim como mostrar o desfecho da jornada dos protagonistas, mas sem deixar de contar uma última história com a parceira entre Urameshi, Kuwabara, Hiei e Kurama.
Ademais, embora não tenha gostado tanto do final da obra, destaco a organização de mundo que ficou vigente após o fim do torneio, bem como a maneira que Yusuke estabeleceu as “eleições” para o mundo dos demônios.
Nesse volume 19, temos a grande conclusão do torneio do mundo dos demônios, que surgiu de uma ideia bizarra de Yusuke para definir quem seira o governante desse mundo. Nesse sentido, eu acho que a obra pecou um pouco e se tornou repetitiva, pois é o mesmo conceito do torneio das trevas que ocorreu alguns volumes atrás, porém com regras diferentes, mas que acaba sendo uma desculpa para que ocorra muita ação e pancadaria na trama.
Embora eu tenha noção de que Yuyu Hakusho seja um Shonen de lutinha, a ideia acabou sendo pouco inovadora, mas destaco que as qualidades dos desenhos são incríveis, rendendo excelentes quadros de ação. Além disso, o torneio acabou sendo mais voltado para a estratégia dos lutadores do que apenas força e poder de cada um, tendo em vista que a duração do torneio foi exageradamente longa.
Ainda sobre o torneio para governar o mundo dos demônios, é importante destacar que devido à proporção que o mesmo atingiu, houveram muitos grupos e chaveamentos, o que levou a lutas mais estratégicas que mencionei anteriormente. Isso resultou em embates com vencedores surpreendentes, tendo em vista que a estamina e o poder se esgotam, e caso a luta não seja última, as próximas serão ainda mais difíceis, se tornando um torneio de resistência - e não apenas poder.
Em seguida, mesmo com o fim do torneio – que ocorreu de maneira estranha – existem algumas histórias finais, mais curtas, que contam a respeito de outros personagens da obra, dando um aprofundamento e conclusão à cada um; assim como mostrar o desfecho da jornada dos protagonistas, mas sem deixar de contar uma última história com a parceira entre Urameshi, Kuwabara, Hiei e Kurama.
Ademais, embora não tenha gostado tanto do final da obra, destaco a organização de mundo que ficou vigente após o fim do torneio, bem como a maneira que Yusuke estabeleceu as “eleições” para o mundo dos demônios.
February 1, 2024
Yu Yu Hakusho Volume 19
Esse volume vai dos cap 168 ao 175 e finaliza a história cara que satisfação terminar essa obra sensacional e por mais que o final tenha sido corrido por conta do autor estar doente na época ainda é um encerramento ok e ver todos os personagens reunidos no final na praia emociona qualquer um com certeza é um dos melhores mangás já escritos na história esses personagens tem um lugar especial no meu coração.
Esse volume vai dos cap 168 ao 175 e finaliza a história cara que satisfação terminar essa obra sensacional e por mais que o final tenha sido corrido por conta do autor estar doente na época ainda é um encerramento ok e ver todos os personagens reunidos no final na praia emociona qualquer um com certeza é um dos melhores mangás já escritos na história esses personagens tem um lugar especial no meu coração.
April 6, 2024
Yu Yu Hakusho exceeded all my expectations, captivating me from start to finish. Despite a rushed and somewhat disappointing ending, the manga was truly remarkable. Its characters are incredibly endearing, and upon reflection, one can appreciate the profound influence it has had on subsequent shonen series.
One of my favorite moments in the manga remains Toguro's descent into the world of torture. There's a mystical quality to his acceptance of fate and his poignant farewell to Genkai.
In essence, Yu Yu Hakusho began as a lighthearted concept—a deceased protagonist turned ghost embarking on an adventure. Yet, as the story unfolded, it evolved into a gripping journey to the depths of underworld. Looking back, it's clear that it was a long and exhilarating journey.
I'm grateful to have experienced this captivating tale.
One of my favorite moments in the manga remains Toguro's descent into the world of torture. There's a mystical quality to his acceptance of fate and his poignant farewell to Genkai.
In essence, Yu Yu Hakusho began as a lighthearted concept—a deceased protagonist turned ghost embarking on an adventure. Yet, as the story unfolded, it evolved into a gripping journey to the depths of underworld. Looking back, it's clear that it was a long and exhilarating journey.
I'm grateful to have experienced this captivating tale.
October 3, 2011
Yoshihiro Togashi, Yuyu Hakusho, vol. 19: And Then... (ViZ, 1994)
I read an interview with Togashi—perhaps it was the afterword to the previous volume?—where he talked about how he and his publisher realized it was time to end Yuyu Hakusho when they realized the Demon Plane Unification Tournament storyline was a retread of the last big tournament. All well and good, but did that really mean you just had to give up on it altogether? There are two chapters that ram through the tournament as fast as possible (we only see pieces of a couple of first-round battles), then there's an aborted attempt to revive the detective-agency storyline, and after that it falls apart even more. A disappointing ending indeed to what had been a really fun series. **
I read an interview with Togashi—perhaps it was the afterword to the previous volume?—where he talked about how he and his publisher realized it was time to end Yuyu Hakusho when they realized the Demon Plane Unification Tournament storyline was a retread of the last big tournament. All well and good, but did that really mean you just had to give up on it altogether? There are two chapters that ram through the tournament as fast as possible (we only see pieces of a couple of first-round battles), then there's an aborted attempt to revive the detective-agency storyline, and after that it falls apart even more. A disappointing ending indeed to what had been a really fun series. **
January 6, 2022
Un epílogo. Si el anterior se sentía apresurado este fue abrupto.
Tiene corazón y eso le ayuda porque no tiene nada de sentido.
3.5/5
Tiene corazón y eso le ayuda porque no tiene nada de sentido.
3.5/5
September 15, 2024
The ending was so beautiful and every fight that happened in this manga I read it really carefully I really enjoyed it! And everyone is so fine
April 20, 2016
This was by far one of the greatest mangas I've encountered in my life besides Sailor Moon. I remember when I was elementary school, I would come home and watch Cartoon Network just to get my YuYu Hakusho. Then I never saw the ending and decided that I needed to read more mangas in my life thanks to Goodreads and reread the first volume that I bought years ago. From the beginning I got instantly hooked and so thankful that I have reached the conclusion.
I dislike that it took me a year of convincing myself to buy it on the Kindle because I don't like to pay for mangas especially since I've read the 18 volumes of this series from the library. I'm mad that they don't have volume 19 and left me hanging desperately to find out what happens in the end. Because of this year long waiting process, I had forgotten a lot of the major drama of the book and had to recap myself on what happen.
Overall I am pleased with the ending and didn't care much for the random adventures post Three Kings Tournament but I've realize that he wanted to showcased that Urameshi lives a normal life even though he is still a ghost detective. I'm shocked that they didn't add a romantic kissing scene at the end but this series isn't about love or affection, it's a coming of age and being with the people you love who is your family and I truly admired that about YuYu Hakusho.
Congrats Yoshihiro Togashi for this wonderful series and I feel as though I have given another farewell to another adventurous friend and my childhood.
I dislike that it took me a year of convincing myself to buy it on the Kindle because I don't like to pay for mangas especially since I've read the 18 volumes of this series from the library. I'm mad that they don't have volume 19 and left me hanging desperately to find out what happens in the end. Because of this year long waiting process, I had forgotten a lot of the major drama of the book and had to recap myself on what happen.
Overall I am pleased with the ending and didn't care much for the random adventures post Three Kings Tournament but I've realize that he wanted to showcased that Urameshi lives a normal life even though he is still a ghost detective. I'm shocked that they didn't add a romantic kissing scene at the end but this series isn't about love or affection, it's a coming of age and being with the people you love who is your family and I truly admired that about YuYu Hakusho.
Congrats Yoshihiro Togashi for this wonderful series and I feel as though I have given another farewell to another adventurous friend and my childhood.
April 24, 2015
And it's over :(
This volume is more of a tie up, like an epilogue. It's rushed, even in the anime the last arc is rushed, almost like the writer/Author is saying... Lets just get this over with, so I can move on to something else.. That makes me sad.
Though everything does get tied up in a nice little bow, I'm still left feeling unsatisfied. In truth, even though there are more stories left in the mange that are not shown in the anime. The anime did a better job of putting the series to an end.
In all, though I'm left with a, meh, feeling, I am happy about this volume. More about what happened in the sprite world(after the fact) is explained, and Koenma plays a bigger role.
We get to see him step up and face his father. In the anime that is left out, balls on their part. I've always like Koenma and in the anime they made him out to be, well, a pansy.
In saying all that, and with a halfassed ending, I still loved this series. And I highly recommend it to anyone who loves a great story that is full of fighting, character development, strong world building and most of all, a story that will pull your heart strings on every page, and in some cases, break your heart all together.
Happy reading
-Emily
This volume is more of a tie up, like an epilogue. It's rushed, even in the anime the last arc is rushed, almost like the writer/Author is saying... Lets just get this over with, so I can move on to something else.. That makes me sad.
Though everything does get tied up in a nice little bow, I'm still left feeling unsatisfied. In truth, even though there are more stories left in the mange that are not shown in the anime. The anime did a better job of putting the series to an end.
In all, though I'm left with a, meh, feeling, I am happy about this volume. More about what happened in the sprite world(after the fact) is explained, and Koenma plays a bigger role.
We get to see him step up and face his father. In the anime that is left out, balls on their part. I've always like Koenma and in the anime they made him out to be, well, a pansy.
In saying all that, and with a halfassed ending, I still loved this series. And I highly recommend it to anyone who loves a great story that is full of fighting, character development, strong world building and most of all, a story that will pull your heart strings on every page, and in some cases, break your heart all together.
Happy reading
-Emily
June 8, 2021
yu yu ended in the first half of vol 17 and i believe everyone agrees with me.
sadly, the ending was rushed, the stories were meaningless and the characters were misrepresented.
but a LOT of things were problematic in vol 19, for example: they joking around about domestic violence, suicide (wtf the last page?) and (of course) machism was present.
didn’t expect any of that and this was one of the worst endings i have read in my entire life.
i am saving a special place in my heart for yusuke, hiei, kurama, kuwabara and genkai! they were brilliant characters and i’m gonna miss them so much!
sadly, the ending was rushed, the stories were meaningless and the characters were misrepresented.
but a LOT of things were problematic in vol 19, for example: they joking around about domestic violence, suicide (wtf the last page?) and (of course) machism was present.
didn’t expect any of that and this was one of the worst endings i have read in my entire life.
i am saving a special place in my heart for yusuke, hiei, kurama, kuwabara and genkai! they were brilliant characters and i’m gonna miss them so much!
July 27, 2010
this volume was a series of hodgepodge "endings" mooshed together to create a pseudo finale. it was anti-climatic through and through. i enjoyed all of the short stories, most were light hearted and fun, but it hardly followed the thoroughness togashi painstakingly crafted into this series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 20, 2024
3.5/5.
From what I remember, Togashi was suffering from pretty bad and worsening back issues, as well as the people at Shonen Jump pressuring him to do certain things a lot towards the end of Yuyu Hakusho’s serialisation. I wish this wasn’t the case, because it definitely shows for the whole last arc.
The whole final arc (vol.’s 17 - 19) is incredibly rushed. Like to the point that training arcs are glossed over in a couple chapters (if even), and the final tournament arc just straight up ends abruptly at the start of this volume right as a big fight is about to start. It was extremely jarring to go from this built-up confrontation about to occur, straight to the future with the characters being like ‘Oh yeah that whole thing was crazy haha’ literally 2 pages afterwards😭.
Despite all it’s flaws however, Togashi did what he could and gave us some slice of life type scenes with a lot of the side characters and main characters, and even provided one last ‘fight’ for all the characters to get together one more time.
So it could have been worse, and I’m glad that Togashi gave us as much as he could despite the bad position he was in (no pun intended). I had a great time overall.
Thanks for Yuyu Hakusho, Togashi🙏🏻
From what I remember, Togashi was suffering from pretty bad and worsening back issues, as well as the people at Shonen Jump pressuring him to do certain things a lot towards the end of Yuyu Hakusho’s serialisation. I wish this wasn’t the case, because it definitely shows for the whole last arc.
The whole final arc (vol.’s 17 - 19) is incredibly rushed. Like to the point that training arcs are glossed over in a couple chapters (if even), and the final tournament arc just straight up ends abruptly at the start of this volume right as a big fight is about to start. It was extremely jarring to go from this built-up confrontation about to occur, straight to the future with the characters being like ‘Oh yeah that whole thing was crazy haha’ literally 2 pages afterwards😭.
Despite all it’s flaws however, Togashi did what he could and gave us some slice of life type scenes with a lot of the side characters and main characters, and even provided one last ‘fight’ for all the characters to get together one more time.
So it could have been worse, and I’m glad that Togashi gave us as much as he could despite the bad position he was in (no pun intended). I had a great time overall.
Thanks for Yuyu Hakusho, Togashi🙏🏻
April 1, 2022
The end of a era.
This volume actually goes in a very different direction. Where's the anime, I remember the tournament at the end being WAY longer, which I think the author maybe was tired of repeating the same formula, or he was just tired of the manga and wanted to move on to hunter x hunter. Either way it did feel slightly rushed, and the art was a mixed bag at points, but the ending still hit me emotional and it was a nice goodbye to the gang. I believe a remake of this series could really flush out the ending in a positive way.
This volume actually goes in a very different direction. Where's the anime, I remember the tournament at the end being WAY longer, which I think the author maybe was tired of repeating the same formula, or he was just tired of the manga and wanted to move on to hunter x hunter. Either way it did feel slightly rushed, and the art was a mixed bag at points, but the ending still hit me emotional and it was a nice goodbye to the gang. I believe a remake of this series could really flush out the ending in a positive way.
January 9, 2023
Starting off 2023 by revisiting a classic of my childhood, and oh boy did it not disappoint! The Black Tournament arc? ICONIC. STUNNING. BONKERS. Shonen manga perfection. More graphic than I remembered, but the art is excellent and somehow doesn’t feel that dated despite being from the 90s. I had a few eyebrow-raising moments (good thing my parents didn’t monitor what I was reading as a child!), but there is certainly much worse out there. Also, none of the main cast of characters is annoying! This is a huge accomplishment!!! I liked them all!!!
Overall, would recommend to any nerd who made their parents pay for a monthly subscription to Shonen Jump when they were 11 and is looking for a hefty dose of nostalgia, but in a good way.
Overall, would recommend to any nerd who made their parents pay for a monthly subscription to Shonen Jump when they were 11 and is looking for a hefty dose of nostalgia, but in a good way.
April 21, 2019
Um volume final desleixado e corrido para uma grande saga. Parece que o autor gastou toda a criatividade que tinha nos volumes anteriores. A série vale pela nostalgia, mas deixa muitas coisas sem um encerramento adequado. Ótimo exemplo de como conduzir uma história do começo até (quase) o final. Algumas "piadas" soltas bem datadas. No geral, um exemplo do auge do shounen japonês nos anos 90. Uma narrativa que consegue divertir e emocionar ao mesmo tempo. Recomendo!
July 28, 2022
This is my 4th (maybe 5th) full read thru of Yu Yu Hakusho, so obviously I am a fan.
Yu Yu Hakusho combines great characters, that are fleshed out and explored, with excellent action, and a variety of styles of enemies and fights. While occasionally it feels like our main character has plot armor, I really love this series, it has so much to offer.
If you are a Shonen Jump fan, I think it is a must read.
Yu Yu Hakusho combines great characters, that are fleshed out and explored, with excellent action, and a variety of styles of enemies and fights. While occasionally it feels like our main character has plot armor, I really love this series, it has so much to offer.
If you are a Shonen Jump fan, I think it is a must read.
Read
September 9, 2022Me parece poco afortunado evaluar con las exigencias de hoy ediciones que tienen más de 15 años y que por todos lados parecen "deficientes", así que creé un nuevo shelf para las ediciones viejas de series que amo pero que tienen edicions posteriores muy superiores en todo sentido, y supongo que lo mismo voy a decir más o menos de todos.
August 27, 2022
Like most fans of this series, I don't like the rushed ending. However, I still think series is a staple in shounen anime and so worth the read
January 12, 2024
Naoko Takeuchi, I GETTTT it
Read
October 10, 2024Togashi was born to write a slice of life romance manga
May 2, 2018
THIS IS MY REVIEW FOR THE WHOLE SERIES (Volumes 1-19)
7/10
Yu Yu Hakusho is my favorite battle shonen and it hurts me I can't give the manga a higher score. I prefer reading to watching things now but I unfortunately have to agree with the consensus that the anime is better overall. The manga has less than desirable art, plot holes and terrible pacing at the end.
I will say however, volumes 1-6 are beautifully illustrated and fun as hell to read. I prefer that to the anime. And the Togoru fight was one of my favorite moments to ever read in manga. Certain moments in the manga felt hollow though. It makes me a bit sad. If the whole series had the same quality of volumes 1-6, I could easily have given this series a 9/10.
Oh well. YYH for life.
7/10
Yu Yu Hakusho is my favorite battle shonen and it hurts me I can't give the manga a higher score. I prefer reading to watching things now but I unfortunately have to agree with the consensus that the anime is better overall. The manga has less than desirable art, plot holes and terrible pacing at the end.
I will say however, volumes 1-6 are beautifully illustrated and fun as hell to read. I prefer that to the anime. And the Togoru fight was one of my favorite moments to ever read in manga. Certain moments in the manga felt hollow though. It makes me a bit sad. If the whole series had the same quality of volumes 1-6, I could easily have given this series a 9/10.
Oh well. YYH for life.
September 14, 2021
dos estrellas solo porque el cariño que le tengo a esta serie en su totalidad y por el arte de togashi, como siempre. tengo entendido que el final se dio así por desacuerdos con la editorial sobre las direcciones que querían tomar, y togashi simplemente le dio fin de manera apresurada. es una lástima la verdad. me pone muy triste que un manga tan bueno se haya visto víctima de los problemas de las serializaciones largas y de la poca libertad creativa que se dice tenía el autor. fue decepcionante como el torneo terminó de la nada, se mostraron tramas triviales y solo se comentó de pasada sobre eventos importantísimos. en general, me encantó leerlo todo pero este final no es el que se merecían yusuke y los demás (en especial kuwabara, mi personaje favorito).
June 11, 2012
The only problem I had with this series was how quickly it seemed to end. Rather than prolonging the story, which would probably have degraded the series, they chose to finish everything up. Unfortunately, there were more than a few loose ends that they never wrapped, but they were mostly subplots that seemed to be forgotten within the final chapters anyway. Still, if the mangaka or the publishing company ever decides to expand their universe (outside of the anime, anyway), I'll be the first in line to buy. Until then, we can only speculate how things turned out.
September 1, 2021
Y llegamos al final del que se convirtió en uno de mis mangas favoritos. Aunque cierta parte fue ''cortada'' y ocurrió todo muy rápido, se da un cierre muchísimo más completo que el del anime. Lo que más me sorprendió es que haya cosas que se cambiaron completamente en la adaptación, y es una lástima, porque en el manga es perfecto.
July 8, 2022
Tomo final, publicado poco más de dos años después que el número 1. Unos años después entró en oferta y luego fue descatalogado, hasta que comenzó a reeditarse en edición Kanzenban en 2021.
También fue el último tomo de Yoshihiro Togashi publicado en Argentina en casi 15 años, ya que Hunter × Hunter recién de comenzó a publicar en 2020.
También fue el último tomo de Yoshihiro Togashi publicado en Argentina en casi 15 años, ya que Hunter × Hunter recién de comenzó a publicar en 2020.
July 5, 2021
Volví a la infancia con este manga que es muy parecido al anime, sigo disfrutando más el anime, pero esta versión no se queda atrás, un poco apresurado sí el final, pero se entiende que estaba del punto de vista de yusuke
March 6, 2024
[Review for last volume but also final thoughts on the series as a whole. Overall series rating is probably 3-3.5 stars, solely for the art and characters.]
I don't even know where to begin.
This series truly ended in volume 17, obviously. Volume 18 had all of this great arc setup, just to slap two chapters together of another tournament, and then dump a bunch of epilogue shit into the final volume. Yusuke never should have gotten this demon heritage shit. The Three Kings arc shouldn't have happened.
The only thing I'm happy about is the return of so many characters from the Dark Tournament arc, and the ending itself being happy and promising. The found family aspect of the series is one of its strong points for sure, and I really did love so many of the characters.
But the problem with the last two volumes is also very much present throughout the entire series, in smaller doses. I know everyone loves the Dark Tournament, and as someone who was like 10 or 12ish watching up to that part originally, I loved it too. But now that's it's been like 20 years and I've finally read the whole story, I have to admit that the first six volumes--before the Tournament--were the most solid part of this series. Yusuke growing as a person, taking on cases, making new friends--that formula could have continued on well past the Dark Tournament, even with him getting more and more powerful and taking on stronger foes. The whole unification thing could still have happened--I'm not against that part of the last two volumes, even though it's just thrown in and glossed over for the most part. But even in those first few volumes, Yusuke training with Genkai is like entirely off-page, events between then and the Dark Tournament happen off-page. There's never any real down time--which I think I would usually be happy to see just small parts of to make the story cohesive--but just never including those things altogether was a weak point from the start.
It's like Togashi was trying to tell three different stories, or just didn't know what he wanted from his characters and the world he'd built. Like I wrote in my review of an earlier volume, the Dark Tournament didn't REALLY present a big bad. It was a whole lot of volumes dedicated to a tourney without really having a main antagonist or goal. Toguro can hardly be considered one since he didn't really have machinations against the world. There were a lot of cool fights and new abilities, but the purpose of all of those volumes was just...tournament. After that, the Chapter Black stuff could have been really phenomenal. Sensui was a true antagonist, and there were so many great new characters, with the "territory" powers being varied and offering up great new challenges. But then the end of that arc just got slapped together, Yusuke was given surprise heritage that just ruined his growth for me, characters were given epilogues to write them out, and then we're given this trash for the last two volumes.
I'm thankful for the glimpses into Hiei and Kurama's pasts, because Hiei was always my favorite character and Kurama was a really great character. I was disappointed that Hiei never told Yukina (or Kuwabara, for that matter) about them being siblings.
My heart just feels a little heavy right now. It took me a long time to come back to this series, because I wanted to finally read it all after having just watched to the end of the DT as a kid. I've loved so many of the characters for so long, and it's hard to digest that I've reached an ending, regardless of how I feel about how it was handled. Some of it is nostalgia, sure, and I did know most people aren't happy with the last arc of this (understandably)--so I knew it was coming--but it definitely hit me pretty hard, knowing that Yusuke and company deserved a better final arc.
Overall, I loved every second of the art. Togashi's range is incredible, from the goofy depictions to the incredibly detailed realistic portraits. It was never difficult to follow fight scenes; they were admittedly pretty basic most of the time, yes, but there was a nice clarity there not always found in action-focused manga.
I will probably always have a special place in my heart for this series, because of the characters and the potential of where the story could have gone. I still want to watch through the anime and maybe even the recent live action eventually, but I doubt I'll revisit this manga.
I don't even know where to begin.
This series truly ended in volume 17, obviously. Volume 18 had all of this great arc setup, just to slap two chapters together of another tournament, and then dump a bunch of epilogue shit into the final volume. Yusuke never should have gotten this demon heritage shit. The Three Kings arc shouldn't have happened.
The only thing I'm happy about is the return of so many characters from the Dark Tournament arc, and the ending itself being happy and promising. The found family aspect of the series is one of its strong points for sure, and I really did love so many of the characters.
But the problem with the last two volumes is also very much present throughout the entire series, in smaller doses. I know everyone loves the Dark Tournament, and as someone who was like 10 or 12ish watching up to that part originally, I loved it too. But now that's it's been like 20 years and I've finally read the whole story, I have to admit that the first six volumes--before the Tournament--were the most solid part of this series. Yusuke growing as a person, taking on cases, making new friends--that formula could have continued on well past the Dark Tournament, even with him getting more and more powerful and taking on stronger foes. The whole unification thing could still have happened--I'm not against that part of the last two volumes, even though it's just thrown in and glossed over for the most part. But even in those first few volumes, Yusuke training with Genkai is like entirely off-page, events between then and the Dark Tournament happen off-page. There's never any real down time--which I think I would usually be happy to see just small parts of to make the story cohesive--but just never including those things altogether was a weak point from the start.
It's like Togashi was trying to tell three different stories, or just didn't know what he wanted from his characters and the world he'd built. Like I wrote in my review of an earlier volume, the Dark Tournament didn't REALLY present a big bad. It was a whole lot of volumes dedicated to a tourney without really having a main antagonist or goal. Toguro can hardly be considered one since he didn't really have machinations against the world. There were a lot of cool fights and new abilities, but the purpose of all of those volumes was just...tournament. After that, the Chapter Black stuff could have been really phenomenal. Sensui was a true antagonist, and there were so many great new characters, with the "territory" powers being varied and offering up great new challenges. But then the end of that arc just got slapped together, Yusuke was given surprise heritage that just ruined his growth for me, characters were given epilogues to write them out, and then we're given this trash for the last two volumes.
I'm thankful for the glimpses into Hiei and Kurama's pasts, because Hiei was always my favorite character and Kurama was a really great character. I was disappointed that Hiei never told Yukina (or Kuwabara, for that matter) about them being siblings.
My heart just feels a little heavy right now. It took me a long time to come back to this series, because I wanted to finally read it all after having just watched to the end of the DT as a kid. I've loved so many of the characters for so long, and it's hard to digest that I've reached an ending, regardless of how I feel about how it was handled. Some of it is nostalgia, sure, and I did know most people aren't happy with the last arc of this (understandably)--so I knew it was coming--but it definitely hit me pretty hard, knowing that Yusuke and company deserved a better final arc.
Overall, I loved every second of the art. Togashi's range is incredible, from the goofy depictions to the incredibly detailed realistic portraits. It was never difficult to follow fight scenes; they were admittedly pretty basic most of the time, yes, but there was a nice clarity there not always found in action-focused manga.
I will probably always have a special place in my heart for this series, because of the characters and the potential of where the story could have gone. I still want to watch through the anime and maybe even the recent live action eventually, but I doubt I'll revisit this manga.
December 10, 2021
One of my big reading goals for the new year is to read a bunch of my childhood favorite manga for the first time in nearly 20 years to relive the nostalgia and see how they hold up. First up is Yu Yu Hakusho!
Yusuke Urameshi is a hardass teen delinquent that loves skipping classes, smoking cigarettes, disrespecting authority and throwing hands with the toughest gangs in the halls and on the streets. He’s hated by almost everyone around him and he knows it. When he’s killed after pushing a child out of the way of an oncoming car, he’s surprised to find from the afterlife that he has more people that love him than he ever realized after attending his own funeral as a ghost.
Against all odds, Yusuke makes a deal with the angel of death to turn his deviant behavior around in exchange for giving him another chance at life with his friends. He must prove himself that he’s worthy of being brought back to life by becoming a spirit detective, saving the lost souls of sorrowful ghosts one good deed at a time.
The spirit world is more complex than Yusuke realizes, however. He’s soon wrapped up in a world of cutthroat demons, evil spirits and other dark beings that have a bone to pick with him. While performing good deeds to save the living and the dead, Yusuke also finds the chance to put his supernaturally-enhanced martial arts abilities to use by fighting powerful paranormal foes from underworld societies.
---
Yu Yu Hakusho is extremely nostalgic and has a lot of appealing factors. The hilarious banter between Yusuke and his band of badass bros is the forefront of the series. Kuwabara is a lovable goofball who tries to mimic the tough guy antics of Yusuke while constantly revealing himself to be a huge softy with a heart bigger than his fake ego. Hiei is the classic edgy antihero that softens up and becomes gradually more sympathetic as you learn more about his tough upbringing. Kurama is pure class and elegance, his wits and tongue are as sharp as his looks. Then there’s the sassy, beautiful and hilarious Botan who acts as the grim reaper and leading lady. Quite the memorable crew.
Another great thing about the series that may seem odd to point out is the beautifully drawn 80’s inspired fashion. The characters change outfits almost every chapter and they always look clean and refined. It’s hard not to appreciate the style throughout the series. This coupled with the witty banter, crazy martial art demon fights, self-aware humor and fast paced story arcs with lots of action make it a pretty fun series.
While the series is simple and enjoyable, the story, world and villains aren’t that well made in my opinion. Everything seems made up on the fly with little logic or build up. The story and battle arcs get very repetitive and the second half of the series feels like a massive rehashing of everything we’ve already seen. The final arc and ending were unsatisfying and anticlimactic in my opinion. It introduced a bunch of new concepts out of nowhere and then did absolutely nothing with them. Then the series ends with a big cliffhanger with no real resolution.
Overall, I actually enjoyed the calm and relaxed chapters and subplots where it focuses on the main cast of characters bonding and hanging out with each other over the main plot, the battle arcs and the forgettable second half. I think the first arc of the story where it’s just Yusuke and Botan solving mysteries and saving the lives of lost souls was actually the best part of the entire series. The constant focus on battling mundane villains, training arcs and tournament arcs took away from the otherwise lovable group of protagonists.
Not as good as I remember from my childhood, but a fun and engaging series overall that’s easy to read and can lift your spirits when you’re feeling down.
***
If you're looking for some dark ambient music for reading horror, dark fantasy and other books like this one, then be sure to check out my YouTube Channel called Nightmarish Compositions: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPPs...
Yusuke Urameshi is a hardass teen delinquent that loves skipping classes, smoking cigarettes, disrespecting authority and throwing hands with the toughest gangs in the halls and on the streets. He’s hated by almost everyone around him and he knows it. When he’s killed after pushing a child out of the way of an oncoming car, he’s surprised to find from the afterlife that he has more people that love him than he ever realized after attending his own funeral as a ghost.
Against all odds, Yusuke makes a deal with the angel of death to turn his deviant behavior around in exchange for giving him another chance at life with his friends. He must prove himself that he’s worthy of being brought back to life by becoming a spirit detective, saving the lost souls of sorrowful ghosts one good deed at a time.
The spirit world is more complex than Yusuke realizes, however. He’s soon wrapped up in a world of cutthroat demons, evil spirits and other dark beings that have a bone to pick with him. While performing good deeds to save the living and the dead, Yusuke also finds the chance to put his supernaturally-enhanced martial arts abilities to use by fighting powerful paranormal foes from underworld societies.
---
Yu Yu Hakusho is extremely nostalgic and has a lot of appealing factors. The hilarious banter between Yusuke and his band of badass bros is the forefront of the series. Kuwabara is a lovable goofball who tries to mimic the tough guy antics of Yusuke while constantly revealing himself to be a huge softy with a heart bigger than his fake ego. Hiei is the classic edgy antihero that softens up and becomes gradually more sympathetic as you learn more about his tough upbringing. Kurama is pure class and elegance, his wits and tongue are as sharp as his looks. Then there’s the sassy, beautiful and hilarious Botan who acts as the grim reaper and leading lady. Quite the memorable crew.
Another great thing about the series that may seem odd to point out is the beautifully drawn 80’s inspired fashion. The characters change outfits almost every chapter and they always look clean and refined. It’s hard not to appreciate the style throughout the series. This coupled with the witty banter, crazy martial art demon fights, self-aware humor and fast paced story arcs with lots of action make it a pretty fun series.
While the series is simple and enjoyable, the story, world and villains aren’t that well made in my opinion. Everything seems made up on the fly with little logic or build up. The story and battle arcs get very repetitive and the second half of the series feels like a massive rehashing of everything we’ve already seen. The final arc and ending were unsatisfying and anticlimactic in my opinion. It introduced a bunch of new concepts out of nowhere and then did absolutely nothing with them. Then the series ends with a big cliffhanger with no real resolution.
Overall, I actually enjoyed the calm and relaxed chapters and subplots where it focuses on the main cast of characters bonding and hanging out with each other over the main plot, the battle arcs and the forgettable second half. I think the first arc of the story where it’s just Yusuke and Botan solving mysteries and saving the lives of lost souls was actually the best part of the entire series. The constant focus on battling mundane villains, training arcs and tournament arcs took away from the otherwise lovable group of protagonists.
Not as good as I remember from my childhood, but a fun and engaging series overall that’s easy to read and can lift your spirits when you’re feeling down.
***
If you're looking for some dark ambient music for reading horror, dark fantasy and other books like this one, then be sure to check out my YouTube Channel called Nightmarish Compositions: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPPs...
December 19, 2022
Guess I'll add this to my "favorites" shelf, as if to remind myself Yuu Yuu Hakusho is one of my favorite manga. Not that I'd forget, but... whatever. What else is Goodreads good for?
So the Demon World Unification Tournament starts and ends somewhat abruptly. For whatever reason, Togashi introduced a chunk of characters, then wrote many names for the brackets of all four blocks for the tournament, only for us not to see most of it. Like, 99% of it. There's a point where Togashi gives us the narration, "The tournament continues and all the (remaining) main characters advance to the second round," which is like the essence of this leg of the Three Kings Arc. Basically, it's more important that Yusuke, Hiei, and Kurama develop in certain ways, and that certain old foes from the Dark Tournament are back in action as friends, than we're meant to really care about the new tournament itself. I guess another example might be how the winner, and new ruler of Makai, is a goofy-lookin' dude instead of one of the more "badass"-looking guys (though necessarily must be an actual badass to have made it so far...!) (I also half-suspect he was meant to be a partial analogue for Togashi himself, with the later lines about his back hurting?). We see part of Yusuke's fight against Yomi, mainly to get more of this "Son Goku versus Tenshinhan" sense that Yomi is learning to be less of an asshole through the thrill of combat as provided by Yusuke. We don't see Mukuro fight at all, unless we count a later epilogue part when she hits Hiei for reasons.
The bulk of this volume is like an extended epilogue. We see Kuwabara and Kurama go back to school. Koenma has apparently discovered his father was fabricating charges against demons to encourage his people to maintain the barrier between Makai and Ningenkai, so he usurps as the new ruler of Reikai, and the barrier is fully dissolved, with demons forced to play nice per the rules of the new leader of their realm. Yukina becomes a boarder in the Kuwabara household. Hiei's fucking Mukuro. Yusuke sets up a ramen stand as a front for his new business as a Reikai/Makai liaison (which is mostly just getting autographs from the new idol trio, Koto, Juri, and Luka...!). There's a very brief attempt at a "serious" story with the old Spirit World Defense Force guys becoming jihadi to punish Yusuke and Koenma for allowing Makai to thrive better, and we get a neat bit of Yusuke, Kuwabara, Kurama, and Hiei collaborating for the mission, with special guests Puu and Genkai, working as like a decent capstone for the Reikai Tantei element at the heart of the manga, possibly "making up for" the harder shift into pure battling from a certain point on. The manga closes with a pretty cute chapter of (most of) the gang (Hiei is elsewhere) hanging out after paying their respects to the departed , where we get more cute moments between Yusuke and Keiko. Oh!, and we see Yusuke's biological human father at one point!
The art in the omake at the end of the bunkobon edition has more of an HxH feel. It's interesting to see Kurama looking like Kurapika or Hiei looking like Killua.
So the Demon World Unification Tournament starts and ends somewhat abruptly. For whatever reason, Togashi introduced a chunk of characters, then wrote many names for the brackets of all four blocks for the tournament, only for us not to see most of it. Like, 99% of it. There's a point where Togashi gives us the narration, "The tournament continues and all the (remaining) main characters advance to the second round," which is like the essence of this leg of the Three Kings Arc. Basically, it's more important that Yusuke, Hiei, and Kurama develop in certain ways, and that certain old foes from the Dark Tournament are back in action as friends, than we're meant to really care about the new tournament itself. I guess another example might be how the winner, and new ruler of Makai, is a goofy-lookin' dude instead of one of the more "badass"-looking guys (though necessarily must be an actual badass to have made it so far...!) (I also half-suspect he was meant to be a partial analogue for Togashi himself, with the later lines about his back hurting?). We see part of Yusuke's fight against Yomi, mainly to get more of this "Son Goku versus Tenshinhan" sense that Yomi is learning to be less of an asshole through the thrill of combat as provided by Yusuke. We don't see Mukuro fight at all, unless we count a later epilogue part when she hits Hiei for reasons.
The bulk of this volume is like an extended epilogue. We see Kuwabara and Kurama go back to school. Koenma has apparently discovered his father was fabricating charges against demons to encourage his people to maintain the barrier between Makai and Ningenkai, so he usurps as the new ruler of Reikai, and the barrier is fully dissolved, with demons forced to play nice per the rules of the new leader of their realm. Yukina becomes a boarder in the Kuwabara household. Hiei's fucking Mukuro. Yusuke sets up a ramen stand as a front for his new business as a Reikai/Makai liaison (which is mostly just getting autographs from the new idol trio, Koto, Juri, and Luka...!). There's a very brief attempt at a "serious" story with the old Spirit World Defense Force guys becoming jihadi to punish Yusuke and Koenma for allowing Makai to thrive better, and we get a neat bit of Yusuke, Kuwabara, Kurama, and Hiei collaborating for the mission, with special guests Puu and Genkai, working as like a decent capstone for the Reikai Tantei element at the heart of the manga, possibly "making up for" the harder shift into pure battling from a certain point on. The manga closes with a pretty cute chapter of (most of) the gang (Hiei is elsewhere) hanging out after paying their respects to the departed , where we get more cute moments between Yusuke and Keiko. Oh!, and we see Yusuke's biological human father at one point!
The art in the omake at the end of the bunkobon edition has more of an HxH feel. It's interesting to see Kurama looking like Kurapika or Hiei looking like Killua.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 3, 2020
*heavy sigh* at last, it's finally over...
When I reviewed the first volume, I had two questions I wanted to answer. The first was, does this series holdup in comparison to newer Shounen Jump titles?
The answer...well, yes and no.
I say yes because I think people who like action series would still be entertained and the four main characters are fun. HOWEVER, BIG FUCKING CAVEAT HERE, I highly recommend the anime over the manga. As I was rereading this, I couldn't help but think that a lot of the bigger moments were better in the anime, and the dialogue though drastically different was infinitely better. So if you want to experience this series, please watch the anime, it is so much better.
As for the no part, the biggest flaw is that it feels rushed (even by manga standards) and the worldbuilding is average at best. There is no history regarding demons unless it is necessary to the specific situation at hand, the demon plane may as well be an empty map with a few landmark locations based off of what was given, and the lore surrounding demons is bare bones. The story tries to add more stuff towards the end, but worldbuilding should be taking place throughout the story, not shoehorned at the very end. Not to mention the fact that so much information regarding both the human and demon world had been left out that by the time the Three Kings arc started, the whole arc was pretty much info dump after info dump that gave me a headache by the end. I want to make it clear, though, that I'm not saying every single series needs to have flawless worldbuilding; however, the fact is compared to series like One Piece, My Hero Academia, and Demon Slayer, Yu Yu Hakusho's worldbuilding is lackluster and leaves a lot of questions that will forever be unanswered.
Now then, the second question was, has this series withstood the test of time?
The answer...actually, yes.
As much as I bitched and moaned while rereading this (I blame this on the manga, like I said the anime was really good) this is a solid action series that had a lot of high points that I think readers will enjoy. The characters are fun, the action is really solid, Togashi has an art style all his own and I think others should see it, and it's a pretty quick read despite it's length. I can safely say that if someone was looking for an older action title, I would recommend this series in a heartbeat. That being said, is it as strong as newer Shounen Jump titles? Sadly, no. But that doesn't mean it's bad or unworthy of your time.
So, final thoughts. I know I had a rough time rereading this and bitched A LOT throughout, but is this the worst thing I've ever read? FUCK NO, I will defend it to my dying breath. As usual, take what I say with a grain of salt, primarily because this is considered a classic Shounen Jump title and others are far more protective of it than I am. I do recommend the anime over the manga, but if you'd rather read the manga, it's still a good time.
When I reviewed the first volume, I had two questions I wanted to answer. The first was, does this series holdup in comparison to newer Shounen Jump titles?
The answer...well, yes and no.
I say yes because I think people who like action series would still be entertained and the four main characters are fun. HOWEVER, BIG FUCKING CAVEAT HERE, I highly recommend the anime over the manga. As I was rereading this, I couldn't help but think that a lot of the bigger moments were better in the anime, and the dialogue though drastically different was infinitely better. So if you want to experience this series, please watch the anime, it is so much better.
As for the no part, the biggest flaw is that it feels rushed (even by manga standards) and the worldbuilding is average at best. There is no history regarding demons unless it is necessary to the specific situation at hand, the demon plane may as well be an empty map with a few landmark locations based off of what was given, and the lore surrounding demons is bare bones. The story tries to add more stuff towards the end, but worldbuilding should be taking place throughout the story, not shoehorned at the very end. Not to mention the fact that so much information regarding both the human and demon world had been left out that by the time the Three Kings arc started, the whole arc was pretty much info dump after info dump that gave me a headache by the end. I want to make it clear, though, that I'm not saying every single series needs to have flawless worldbuilding; however, the fact is compared to series like One Piece, My Hero Academia, and Demon Slayer, Yu Yu Hakusho's worldbuilding is lackluster and leaves a lot of questions that will forever be unanswered.
Now then, the second question was, has this series withstood the test of time?
The answer...actually, yes.
As much as I bitched and moaned while rereading this (I blame this on the manga, like I said the anime was really good) this is a solid action series that had a lot of high points that I think readers will enjoy. The characters are fun, the action is really solid, Togashi has an art style all his own and I think others should see it, and it's a pretty quick read despite it's length. I can safely say that if someone was looking for an older action title, I would recommend this series in a heartbeat. That being said, is it as strong as newer Shounen Jump titles? Sadly, no. But that doesn't mean it's bad or unworthy of your time.
So, final thoughts. I know I had a rough time rereading this and bitched A LOT throughout, but is this the worst thing I've ever read? FUCK NO, I will defend it to my dying breath. As usual, take what I say with a grain of salt, primarily because this is considered a classic Shounen Jump title and others are far more protective of it than I am. I do recommend the anime over the manga, but if you'd rather read the manga, it's still a good time.
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