Netflix is getting its spirit energy up this weekend with a first official look at actor Takumi Kitamura (Tokyo Revengers) in the lead role of the upcoming live-action series adaptation of Yu Yu Hakusho, following its 2020 announcement. Sho Tsukikawa is directing the series from a screenplay by Tatsuro Mishima, with Akira Morii producing for ROBOT, and Kaata Sakamoto exec producing for Netflix.
The original IP centers on Yusuke Urameshi, a rebellious teen delinquent who dies saving a child’s life – an act that soon thrusts him into whirlwind adventure and danger as a newly-minted “Spirit Detective”. Joined by his friends, they encounter swathes of supernatural evil in an epic journey of self-discovery that will test his resolve and push him beyond his limits as a skilled fighter and warrior, all leading up to a final confrontation with his own darkness.
Yoshihiro Togashi wrote and created the original manga published by Shueisha for Jump Comics in 1990. Animation studio Pierrot birthed the animated series a few years later with other mediums taking shape in the form of OVAs, video games and live stage plays.
“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”, director Sho Tsukikawa reveals.”
IGN also rolled out several teaser images of the main characters whose actors will be announced in the coming months as we approach the show’s December 2023 launch. Check it all out below!
