By: Jia Jarin
This one’s for you, OG anime stans and ‘90s kids! Ready to fight demons and be a detective in the dark abyss? The Spirit World is finally taking shape as Netflix drops four new character posters for the exciting live-action adaptation of Yu Yu Hakusho (localized as Ghost Fighter).
The streaming giant breathed life into our favorite Ghost Fighters Yusuke, Hiei, Kurama, and Kuwabara (aka Eugene, Vincent, Dennis, and Alfred) by revealing its lead cast and a special poster on Twitter— giving fans a sneak peek of Eugene’s iconic spirit gun, Dennis’ rose whip, Vincent’s bandaged arm, and Alfred’s silhouette as he holds his uniform over his shoulder.
unveiling the cast of the live-action Yu Yu Hakusho over the next few days! stay tuned to this thread pic.twitter.com/2LUzsDhM3r
— Netflix Anime (@NetflixAnime) July 16, 2022
Netflix also kept the momentum going with a cast member reveal for the upcoming series, and it definitely looks promising!
Takumi Kitamara as Yusuke Eugene
Jun Shison as Kurama Dennis
Kanata Hongo as Hiei Vincent
Shuhei Uesugi as Kuwabara Alfred
The underworld adventures of Yusuke are currently in the works, with Sho Tsukikawa (director of “Let Me Eat Your Pancreas”) directing the live-action series. He said in a press statement: “When I first heard about Yu Yu Hakusho receiving a live-action adaptation, I honestly wondered if it would even be possible–but after being presented with the producer’s vision and possibilities with Netflix, my expectations grew and I found myself burning with passion to make this project come to life.”
Takumi Kitamara, who is known for his previous roles in Let Me Eat Your Pancreas and Tokyo Revenger, shared his enthusiasm in playing the iconic underworld detective. “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,” he told IGN.
Director Sho Tsukikawa also added in the same interview that fans can expect the best quality with Ghost Fighter’s action-packed scenes. “The visual effects we use are quite advanced, as we utilize cutting-edge technology, aimed for the best quality we can achieve. Lastly, from the very beginning, we were strongly aware of creating a series for a global audience. I will continue to pour my heart and soul into the project to deliver the best entertainment from Japan to the world,” he said.
The upcoming series is based on the legendary 1990 Japanese manga of the same name, made by Yoshihiro Togashi. Yu Yu Hakusho has sold over 50 million copies in Japan alone, and was adapted into an anime series in 1992.
In the Philippines, the Ghost Fighter (Tagalog-dubbed) anime series has become a fan-favorite classic as the episodes aired on IBC 13 and GMA 7 in the ‘90s and early 2000s.
Though the live-action reboot will be premiering in December 2023, the original series can already be streamed on Netflix for fans who wish to re-visit Yusuke’s escapades in the Spirit World (and childhood memories!).
What do you think of the Ghost Fighter cast members? Will this adaptation break the anime-to-live-action curse? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below!
Featured photo by Netflix.