Netflix Announces Live-Action ‘Yu Yu Hakusho’ Series

Netflix’s content acquisition director, Kazutaka Sakamoto, will executively produce the popular 1990s series that sold millions of copies in Japan alone.

Akira Morii of “Wild 7” and “Brave Heart Umizaru” will produce at visual effects company Robot, according to Comic Natalie via Anime News Network.

 

“I’m part of the generation [that] was growing up when the original work was being published, and have clear memories of the enthusiasm for it,” Sakamoto said in a statement via SoraNews24. “Even 20 years later, the fanbase continues to grow in Asia and throughout the world, and we’ll be making this series on Netflix, the platform that allows us to utilize the maximum amount of creative freedom.”

While no official release date has been announced, the streaming platform said they are planning to release the live-action “Yu Yu Hakusho” series worldwide. The series had its own TV series from 1992 to 1995, including two films and two original video anime releases, according to HypeBeast.

“Being able to convey the magnificent world of Yu Yu Hakusho on a limitless scale while developing the story episode by episode with no restrictions on scale fills me with joy as we work with our talented team both in Japan and abroad,” Sakamoto added.

“Yu Yu Hakusho” follows the story of Yusuke Urameshi, a delinquent who died while saving a boy. He was given a second chance by the Spirit World to come back to life as a “spirit detective,” taking on the responsibility of defeating demons.

The upcoming series is one of the many live-action adaptations that Netflix has released on its platform. Recent others include “Cowboy Bebop,” which is currently in production starring John Cho; a “One Piece” series based on the epic manga created by Eiichiro Oda; “Bleach” and the infamous “Death Note,” a film that was accused by many critics of whitewashing.

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