The Dark Tournament: Anime's Best Tournament Arc (Yu Yu Hakusho)
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- čas přidán 4. 07. 2020
- The Dark Tournament from the classic anime Yu Yu Hakusho already garners a ton of praise from its fans, and this video sheds light on why so many believe it to be Yu Yu Hakusho's best arc.
In this video, we go over things from the prelude (Rescue Yukina arc), the many characters, all the way up to the iconic Yusuke vs Toguro fight. Major spoilers for the Dark Tournament, of course so tread lightly if you haven't seen the show. And by 'tread lightly', I mean 'you can safely watch the first minute or two'.
For those that are curious the jazz cover I used of opening 1 (Smile Bomb) can be found here: • Yu Yu Hakusho - Smile ...
The extended version of ending 1 (The Homework Never Ends) was made by me just for use in this video. Clean/clear versions of the Yu Yu Hakusho OST were incredibly difficult to come by, for those wondering.
Be sure to follow me on Twitter: / cyclesaturn
#anime #YuYuHakusho #DarkTournament - Krátké a kreslené filmy
One of the best dubs of all time.
I absolutely agree! This and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood.
It might be the nostalgia from seeing it on toonami as a kid but this is one of the very few animes I prefer in dub
Probably the best dub of all time to be honest.
@@carteljameson8395 cowboy bebop easily takes it
@@ScytheFlame In terms of best dubs of all time, in no particular order, I'd put YYH, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, and Cowboy Bebop absolutely.
How dare you break Spirit World law by not putting Beautiful in front of Suzuka.
I thought the same thing
Is it "suzuki" or "suzuka"
@@macalloway1 Suzuki in the English dub.
@@johnnycaralta(Beautiful) Suzuka in the Original Funimation Dub.
@@dnmstarsi thank you I've been wondering the same thing for years😅
I like that Kuwabara fought in the tournament in his school uniform.
Yup, I thought it was neat that he went basically the entire tournament without an outfit change. Had to be flashy for the finals, though lol.
It's appropriate since he did become a scholar after all, hahaha
Given his track record he might even be more comfortable fighting in a uniform
@@SomewherePastNever Eh. Round 3 he didn't wear his school outfit.
gotta represent his school lol
Just wanted to mention this; If Yu Yu Hakusho had been dubbed by 4Kids back in the day, you just know that they would've given Younger Toguro an Arnold Schwarzenegger voice. lol.
In Hungarian dub Kurama is a female :D
I wouldn't be opposed to it to be honest
Fun fact back in the day the CEO of 4kids entertainment was Bobby Kotick yes the same who is CEO of Activision Blizzard 🤯
@@rottenpoet6675 when i was a young lad first watching this that was my first thought
In Brazil, they put Sylvester Stallone's main VA(not exactly the main VA at that time) to dub him. And he did an outstanding job.
the sad yu yu hakusho theme always gave me chills
Deadass same😤👌 and the scenes that the song played hit harder
its the G-note for men of culture
It was overshadowed by their overuse of it and bait and switch over and over thinking someone is "dead" or risking it all when they always get plot armored back to being fine by the next few episodes:/
I like how the creators of the show portrayed the corporate elites working in the background hand in hand with the demons
Very much so. It’s a creative way of saying that humans can often be the monsters, too.
Black Black Club was definitely an Illuminati-esque stand in.
Edit: For emphasis, Togashi has been on record as having a history of interest in the occult, which is evident throughout YYH and certain concepts in it (YYH's concept of Hell, separate from Demon World mind you, is based in a Chinese mythological concept of eternal punishment).
So it's very valid to assume that the uncanny resemblance is no assumption.
Nothing different from real life indeed.
Hell, Sakyo showed himself to be even more depraved than the demons.
@@thehoodybadger3402 Yeah, YYH has an interesting internal mythos. Add in the fact that Botan calls herself a "pilot of the River Styx" (which is Greek) or the way various characters make Judeo-Christian references (like during the Byako/Kuwabara fight Koenma crosses himself) . . . I like that the series doesn't limit itself to one culture, and it fits with the ideas introduced near the end of the series and then reinforced in the epilogue that not even Spirit World knows exactly how things work in a metaphysical, cosmic sense.
My nephew asked me a couple days ago if Yu Yu Hakusho was any good, and I said, "YESSSS!!!! WATCH IT!!!!!"
A true man of culture haha
Punish your nephew for asking that ridiculous question
Dont lie to him, at least tell him to stop after the Dark Tournament so he doesnt have to experience the shit that follows.
@@an3582 Honestly. ^ This! It also needs more likes...
@@rietzhu Chapter Black was actually pretty good, although, Yusuke getting that power up near the end felt kinda lazy, the 3 kings arc on the other hand was just rushed. All that hype about how terrifying the S class was during the previous 2 arcs, yet, in the end all the S class we were introduced to turned out to be honorable individuals, like I felt lied to.
Elder Toguro was a great villain. He's in my top 10 of all time for anime Villains. He also got the end he deserved at the hands of Kurama later on. Trapped in a living tree with the demon life force being constantly drained out of him forever. Unable to move or die. Perfect Justice for the guy.
He definitely got a suitable end at Kurama’s hand. Chapter Black is pretty dang awesome, too.
@@SomewherePastNever Elder Toguro is the sort of Villain that you need in a series. You want to be creeped out by at least one of them. That, or just terrified by the sheer evil of the guy like Frieza in DBZ. Frieza is one of the few examples of a flat character being successful in a series. He never changes, he is totally corrupt, power hungry, and evil, and he genuinely hates it when he has to train to stay on top. The essence of Evil is laziness taken to its highest extreme. And I think Frieza was the laziest , most delegatory villain I've watched in anime.
Elder deserved the sinning tree
My favorite moment in the Dark Tournament was Kuwabara's last stand. He looked so cool with that white jacket.
A mulberry is a tree and kuwabara is a MAN
The drip was insane
@@ThePHATBASTURD I say this way too often.
@@ThePHATBASTURD such simple words, yet when being a man is literally everything to you they are some of the most inspiring words spoken.
Its often overlooked, but one of my favorite parts of the Dark Tournament Arc is the audience. While most of the time the audience is simply a way to pad out the background noise and show the incompetence of the normies, in the Dark Tournament they are demons who actively want to see the heroes fail, who would attack them if they ever let themselves get too beat up, who would attack their friends in the stands if they weren't properly protected, and who want them to not only lose in the tournament but spiritually by demanding they brutalize their downed opponents.
This audience is active and cruel, scary yet similarly disposable. When they die you feel bad for bystanders, but remember that they are demons and have been nothing but shitty this while tournament. They're hate humans, love the cheating, and enjoy torturous battles, not quick ends. They are the ambiance of the Dark Tournament, and they are a huge part of why it was so memorable.
When the crowd basically cheers for yuske st the end , is amazing . It’s like they finally see he isn’t the asshole they thought and realize rogues was the bad guy
I always loved how they cheered for the toguro team but once he starts evaporating the weaker apparitions the crowd starts chanting for Yusuke to beat toguro so toguro doesn't kill them all
Yu Yu Hakusho (Ghost Fighter here in the Philippines) was so popular in our country! It became a cultural phenomenon here in the mid to late 90s and early 2000s! Up to this day, the word "Tapusin!" (a dub Tagalog word meaning finish him/her) chanted by the audience at the Dark Tournament is still used in present time. Watching combat sports live in an arena? Expect "Tapusin! Tapusin! Tapusin!" to be screamed by everyone! I consider myself blessed growing up watching these excellent classic anime at their prime! Thank you Japan!
What country are you from?
…pretty sure yuyu hakusho did not start “finish him” 💀
It was popular till Slamdunk came around.
@@pikaboom6539 you're not so bright 💀
Yo, my wife told me how crazy the tagalog dub was. Apparently Kurama was a girl until he wasn't! XD
The Bui and Heie fight is definitely the most visually stunning of the entire tournament. Perfect for illustrating his transformation into the Darkness Flame Master
Bui screaming his ass off while going all out on, while Hiei just stands and takes it is one of my favorite parts in the series 😂
@@Hip-Gnosis1134Hiei was HIM.
The theme song for YYH will always bring happy tears. Yeah I said it
I find myself humming it and the first ending theme so often. They're short but so catchy.
@@SomewherePastNever the English dub to be specific but yeah man especially when the series end on the beach.
Thank you for waking me up
This Dark Tournament Arc/Saga ALONE is better than entire animes. YYH truly is the GOAT anime and it ain't close.
I would say Toguro's motivation makes him less like an evil Goku and more like Perfect Cell.
I can rock with that sentiment.
Accurate
What is Perfect Cell but what Goku would be without brain damage and Grandpa Gohan?
I would argue Toguro isn't even evil at this point anymore. He understands he's an abomination but the only way he can die and lift the curse is to literally use 100% of his power and be defeated. All his actions were made in order to create a fighter strong enough to kill him.
Ironically Cell and Toguro are voiced by the same dude in the dub.
I think Yusuke getting the spirit orb and the subsequent time spent is one of if not the most well done in terms of acting in any dub ever. I don't know if they genuinely tortured Justin Cook on set or something but his screams of agony and Yusuke's on conflict with himself and how if he doesn't truly push himself he wouldn't have just left everyone down - everyone will die is an actual tear jerker. The guy SALES just how much pain Yusuke is in.
Its a bigger picture on his entire life and the first arc. Just giving up and dying is easy but what about those who will miss you. What about those you aren't there to protect. It also points to how afraid Yusuke is of his own damn talent. That if he tries he MIGHT actually succeed. It's why he has to pushed into corner of one of his friends almost or literally dying to step up.
A powerup that wasn't through the power of friendship.
They took, 'oh, all I have to do is take this orb and I'll be super powerful', then they turned it into a two fold struggle. First he had the life threating torture of absorbing the orb in the first place, which already justified it as not just being a convenient power up. Then you had the emotional barrier that we have been told about from the very beginning where his divided emotions were dividing his spirit power. It didn't feel like it was just a convenient on the spot thing.
Apparently, the voice director tased Justin Cooks balls as a form of method acting
He got tased pretty much anytime his voice stuttered, cracked or asked for a lawyer.
That part at the end where he screams at fuu that they’re finally “getting the hell outta here” isn’t actually in the manga, nor is the dialogue in the subs or english dubbed script
That was genuinely just Justin celebrating his freedom
I think he’s been attached to voice acting unions ever since.
90’s anime dubs were wild 💀
There’s points where his screams break and come back due his throat closing up. There was some legit vocal cord damage happening there.
Genkai's death always gets to me. Even while you were explaining it, I was getting goosebumps and tears were welling up. Yu Yu Hakusho will forever be my favorite show of all time, and the Dark Tournament is a major reason why. It's pretty much a perfect (or as close to perfect as you can get), and adds so much depth to the show, which could've leaned on the characters just being tropes like most shounen tend to do.
I love that for a show about beating up ghosts, it doesn’t shy away from making how a character FEELS the forefront of a scene, or showing how each character processes their feelings. Each struggle feels gritty and dirty, and Toguro isn’t just evil for the sake of being evil. Like another commenter pointed out just how deep Toguro’s character is that, if I had thought of, would have made the video easily ten minutes longer. Such an insane show that doesn’t get nearly the praise it deserves outside of the rabid fan base.
YYH his emotions even if they're closed off, it's so powerful
MY FAVORITE MOMENT THAT I THINK U SHOUDVE MENTIONED WAS YUSUKE SAVING PUU IN THE CAVE N STRUGGLING TO NOT LET HIS INNER SELF DOWN
I purposely left some things out so that people still had some surprises left to experience on their own if they chose to watch the arc.
@@SomewherePastNever i noticed and you did a really good job of that.
To be honest, I haven't seen this in like 10+ years. But I remember loving every second of it when it aired on Toonami. The scene with Toguro in the parking garage is second to when Aizen stops Ichigo's sword. It's a moment of, oh my God this can go bad for our hero.
Damnnn Toonami was my intro to anime when I was like 7. It's how I found out about Rurouni Kenshin and Inuyasha. Pure nostalgia
When yusuke said he didn't know how to reach it and that he has to live with that. That shit hurt my soul. If kuwabara stayed dead i wouldn't even be upset because it was written so well. That scene and the scene where he shoots his spirit gun after overcoming genkai death were both scenes that made me shed tears and to this day I can still feel the waterworks trying to burst through when I rewatch
It’s one of my very few gripes with the series, Genkai should have stayed dead. Her story was completed. She had come Hanging Neck Island knowing that she was going to face off with Toguro and knowing he was going to kill her. She had passed on her power and will to her surrogate son in Yusuke, he was going to carry the torch for her. There was no more reason for her to be in the story, she even takes a backseat in the subsequent arcs so I really don’t understand why Togashi brought her back.
Great video, Yu Yu Hakusho is my favorite anime of all time and I’m happy that this show is getting more Attention
You and me, both! It deserves so much more love.
yeha i bought all the manga volumes! as well as all the Hunter X Hunter volumes
I'm not. I dont want noobs to ruin it lol
It's my favourite anime as well!
Yu Yu Hakusho is my favorite anime too
The death of kuwabara is my favorite point of the series. The heart of the voice acting. The hurt that you can see in the soul of yusuke's eyes. Everything about it was done perfectly.
A mulberry is a tree. Kuwabara is a man. And I'll prove it. We all have to die when our time comes but if we do our duty we don't got regrets.
Great point made regarding the stakes. I've always loved the Dark Tournament Arc out of all anime tourney arcs because our heroes were forced to participate and HAD to win or die. When the power gap is made evident, you can't help but stress over freaking HOW? I love it.
Kuwabara's death was so much more emotional because he wasn't supposed to die, Genkai had lived her life, passed on her work and fought her rival leaving the rest to her protegee Yusuke, it was really another part of Toguro & Genkai's story where he chose to defeat every option with pure strength Genkai leaned more into humanity, her obsession with videogames, her protegee and the way the spirit orb works as a power to be passed down as opposed to Toguro's power attempting to achieve immortality.
On top of that there's something truly beautiful about going from "why is Kuwabara crying at my funeral were we even friends?" to the boiling point of his emotions coming over from his death.
I also love the fact that Hiei was the only one on Team Urameshi that went undefeated in the Dark Tournament.
If he's not gonna fight a whole lot, he better win all of his matches. With style.
Hiei is THAT dude 💪 🐉 🔥
Didn't Yusuke win all of his matches
@@Bowiiihowdy Yes but technically no since thanks to some meddling, his fight with Jin ended in a draw/double elimination than a Win.
and then he never won anything major ever again
Genkai showing her spirit gun to yusuke is soooo lit.
Also her fight with toguro is so emotional. Like when jiraiya faced pain. Yusuke's reaction to it got me hyped when he attacked toguro
This arc is just Togashi flexing
Please review the Chapter Black Arc it’s criminally underrated
Lmao Togashi was flexing mad hard during this arc.
There is a Chapter Black video coming, but it's not slated to be another super in-depth review like this one. I'm hoping people still like it, though.
Chapter Black is my Favorite arc with the dark tournament coming in as a close second.
This arc made me realize that the protags can be much more terrifying than the antagonists of the series.
I didnt like Chapter Black. Its like they went backwards instead of going forward. I never liked Yusuke demon power BS. Genkai should have stayed dead, and i love Genkai. I was never sold on Shinsui as a antagonist. I get he was supposed to be a tormented character but didnt really matter in the end. Chapter black minus few plot elements should have come before Dark Tournament. Demon Tournament was waste of time. Dark Tournament had finality great end to a series
@@ShimaS-0079 Yeah, being a kid who could never fully watch Yu Yu Hakusho in its entirety due to having football practice, I binge watched the entirety of Yu Yu Hakusho in one week during my freshman semester when a friend introduced me to a certain website that contains all cartoons (english & anime). I devoured the dark tournament arc and immediately felt underwhelmed by chapter black and the ending of the anime. A great anime, but the dark tournament and Toguro as the ultimate antagonist really made it difficult for Chapter black to shine through. Its ironic how much of my college experience was just reliving nostalgic moments like super smash brothers, nerf guns, pokemon/yugioh cards and watching childhood tv shows with friends. We used to reserve massive thousand person classrooms (using room dividers to create a maze) & have 25-50 people show up for a zombie nerf war (survive for 15min and you win.. start with 4-5 zombies and any zombie hit with a nerf gun is stunned for 3-5 seconds). Being at a Christian college where the peer pressure of having sex and alcohol wasn't shoved down your face 24/7, we were able to come up with a ton of fun activities/hobbies to fill the void.
@@jihadalott992 i agree with you 100% . It was simpler times when you're young and starting out. Toguro was one of my favorite villains of all time. To me stakes were the highest. I still quote YuYuHakusho. I used to hate Kuwabara first time i watched but i realized he was heart of team and really hard worker. I can go watch series again
(Trying to make this as spoiler-free as possible) Toguro is my favorite anime antagonist, and my favorite moment of the entire arc is actually once the tournament ends. Toguro's request to Koenma, and the final bridge scene with him, does so much character development in such a short amount of time.
Throughout the arc, and with his demeanor with Sakyo, it was often easy to forget that Toguro was actually a demon, but the past experiences with him in the story kept it in the back of your head about how cruel Toguro could actually be. The scene with Koenma and the bridge reveal an incredible amount of depth to him. They reveal that, unlike most anime antagonists, at no point did Toguro think his actions were morally right, and he accepted and understood the fact that he should pay for his actions someday. Even beyond death and even if it means he has to make the decision of payment. Toguro's main trait that makes him the antagonist isn't his hubris (which is incredibly common in anime), it's his emotional lack of it; his feeling of inadequacy. He never felt like he was enough. Never felt like he was worthy. And it caused his lust for power. But, what pulls all of his actions together in the arc, is that he saw that potential for being "enough" in Yuseke.
He was a lonely and sad individual that was haunted by his remaining humanity, and was only looking for someone that would truly learn something valuable in defeating him to partly atone for his perceived self-inadequacy. Like Genkai says, he "really [is] a big hearted fool."
Sounds like you could have made an entire video about this, alone! I've honestly never looked at Toguro like that, but it really does add even more depth to an already wonderful arc. Dang, dude!
Also worth mentioning, part also of what brought Toguro over the edge was Kairen killing of all his disciples, further exacerbating his sense of self-inadequacy in his own mortality & strength. You hit it right on the head with this analysis though.
You could probably say that the whole Dark Tournament Arc was just one long suicide-note for Toguro who was actually happy that someone, in this case Yusuke, was finally able to defeat him.
The thing is he, sadly, he was never able to get past this trait of his even in death, as shown in that bridge scene...
One of the deepest and most interesting anime antagonists ever, even for someone who looks like the Terminator lol.
There's actually a video analyzing toguro by alecxandr, check that out
What an amazing comment I'd love see that in video form
Omg. Seeing this brings back childhood memory. I guess it's time to finally rewatch it
Right? I'd been meaning to make this video for AGES and since I was recently re-watching the show, I figured now was as good a time as any!
It's fully on youtube!
Just finished The Dark Tournament in manga for the first time. I really wanted to watch it again but this was better. Great vid.
I'm glad you enjoyed it! There are two more YYH videos dropping this month, so be on the lookout!
no, watch the entire arc in the anime, it's an experience.
I always look back fondly at this arc. Because of the life and death stakes, the tension was nail biting when enemies would fight dirty and unfair. I remember times when I would get riled up, thinking "How are they allowed to get away with that!?" All while our protagonists are forced to fight clean, raising the question "how is Team Urameshi EVER going to win now!?" Great stuff, good times. :D
Haha that's how I felt when I first truly watched the arc from start to finish. Watching the tournament committee cheat frustrated me so much but it just made the payoffs even better!
@@SomewherePastNever So true lol
My second favorite moment was Chu vs Yuske, specifically the final part of the fight when they did things their way in spite of everything else. Beyond that my favorite moment is the tournament negotiation with Yomi in season two and seeing Yuske and dark tournament favorites reunited.
Chu was such a likable character. He and Jin were definitely the standouts in terms of characters I wanted to see come back.
I honestly like Chu and Jin's fights more than Yusuke vs Toguro. That had major stakes while the other two are just Yusuke having a good time throwing hands
I feel like the tournament negotiation with Yomi was the perfect summary of Yusuke as a character. The sort of person who would turn the world order on its head in an act of both cunning and whimsy. The sort of person who would carelessly destroy priceless artifacts... because the person he was going to see was blind, so *of course* he has to carve all the names into the gems so Yomi would be able to read them. The last arc had its issues but that scene is one of the ones that sticks with me
The thing I love about Chu was, in the manga at least; was the art style in the manga during that fist fight at the end. Really cemented it as a classic.
My favorite thing about this anime has always been the believable weight on the characters as well as the believable way of how they interact with each other.
You have a rude and disrespectful main character that isn't as tough (emotionally) as the act he likes to put on. You have the tough love banter and sarcasm between all members of the cast. You have the selfish behavior that the group has to step in be reason.
Overall the characters and how they speak/interact with each other is something that's believable. It's not this over the top embellished a heroic sounding display. It replaces, "I fight for my friends", with something a little more abrasive in, "you're really starting to piss me off". Even if the end result is the same between these two approaches, one is much more believable and relatable in the sense of being able to see youself or someone you know react in the latter way as opposed to the first way.
The approach to the dialog is really what pushes the show to be what it is. It could have easily have been dubbed to be a cheesy battle shonen and it probably would have still done well. But the reason why we still talk about and sing praise over the anime to this day, is due to the choice of communication between the characters.
Ah yes, younger "I wear sunglasses under a full face helmet that I don't need" toguro
One of my favorite villians
Traffic laws, even he obeys them
In Brazil, YYH's dub is regardedd as the best localization ever made. In fact it is so spot on that during the Dark Tournament saga, the crowd attending the tournament had chants similar to the ones chanted by soccer fans at stadiums.
That’s a fantastic approach for a Brazilian localization of a tournament arc.
That's crazy. There is another comment on this video where the guy said basically the exact same thing for the phillipines except it was for combat sports and it meant to finish your opponent. That person said the show had a huge impact on their culture in the late 90s that still persists to today
Still wish the Bui fight wasn’t so one sided after Heia mastered the darkness flame. Or at least I wish they didn’t make Bui look like a doofus after he realized he was screwed and started panicking. I wish Bui was part of the team that Kurama put together to train and be part of Yomi’s army, because I really like him and his power. I’m a sucker for anime characters that take off weighted clothing/armor for a power boost.
That is something I do have to agree with. Everyone else got solid finales in the clash except Bui. Considering he was spared, I’m honestly surprised I never even wondered why he doesn’t show up later. Very good point!
He probably did kill himself after hie told him too
This was the best tournament arc but definitely the most cohesive and well thought one in anime history. Every inferior fight was fast & quick, every mismatch fight was one sided until some weren’t lol and every big fight was spectacular
You did a great job explaining this arc of the show. You understood the assignment my guy.
I got a tattoo of yusuke, heie, kurama and kuwabara's eyes on my right wrist. I watched the dark tournament arc while getting it done. When yusuke was in the cave and enduring all that pain I was thinking "this pain isn't that bad but if yusuke can go through THAT I'm totally fine" it was nice
Smallest tattoo of all time lmfao. Also lol at the cringe in the room while people have to deal with you pretending to be so extra that not only youre gonna get a tattoo but youre gonna watch it while getting it.
@@ShinzoUchihaX I'm picturing him just doing some lame ass anime-screams and talking about the power of friendship or some shit lmao
It’s a cartoon. Not real life.
@@ShinzoUchihaX wow you’re really gross🤣 so much negativity commenting on something you know nothing about. And you really thought you did something too😭
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - The best tournament arc in anime history. Period.
I concur
Masterful review. I've watched Yu Yu Hakusho many times, and I appreciate how you didn't spoil certain pieces of the story while still going through it.
I have all the steel books. I remember watching yyh when I was in 5th grade and then inyuhasha came on after. My most nostalgic animes. I wish I could go back to those times 😢
Still the best tournament arc of all time. So much amazing animation and use of color is always top notch in Hiei's fights.
Hiei vs bui has to be one of the most underrated fights of all time. Such a unique stylization and representation of emotions. I love it
1/8/21 Edit:
I keep getting comments like “you forgot to mention ____” or “You left out ___”
A lot of the moments some of you are referring to are incredible moments, I agree! But I purposely omitted them so that in case someone did still want to watch this arc after this video, they’d have a few surprises to experience for themselves. I appreciate the enthusiasm, though! I figured I’d explain that here so everyone could see.
Oh you spent money to promote the video thats why ive never seen you befor
@@c97x I’ve never spent a cent to promote my videos lol. I’m a small channel, that’s why you’ve never heard of me. The only reason this video even got any attention at all was because I posted it in a YYH Facebook group. And according to my analytics, it started being recommended on other Dark Tournament videos. So, it was just luck, dude. 🤷🏾♂️
Just discovered you. Just subbed you. And I personally don't mind if you take your time on videos if they are all this quality.
@@godofyouall489 Much appreciated! I don't like to rush things out, especially the longer videos.
without the genkai toguo stuff this arc would just be ok but that twist and the conclusion of it put this arc on goat tier levels...its ironic...all the yusuke stuff is fine but to me toguro makes this arc on rewatch..hes so smooth and in control and the last scene we see him in kills me ...no genkai but it would of been a beatiful life...god damn
When life gives you delemons, make delemonaide
This is probably my favorite comment lmao
Some of the little details that also made this arc amazing:
-The announcers Koto and Juri have some of the best writing for comic relief characters. They take the job if color commentator, which normally would be done by every character always talking on the side lines. Their dialogue along with the demon audience also helps set the tone of the tournament.
- The fact that teams chose how they would play out their fights, as well as a general loose rule set (outside of the rigging) allowed each match to be a bit unique. Usually reflecting the personalities of the enemy teams.
- While characters are definitely superhuman levels of powerful like any shonen, the fights feel more grounded and even realistic compared to most other flashy battle anime. Stuff like Yusuke always having a limited number of spirit guns, or how getting punched into the stands is always potentially fight ending damage. It gives more weight to every attack.
I really respect the way you deal with spoilers in proving your thesis. As someone who's seen YYH a number of times I was dying to see many of the scenes you cut out for my own satisfaction, but you did new viewers a great service (even though they really should just watch this anime).
It's been about 3 years since my last re-watch. So happy this popped into my feed - know what my next anime is going to be!
The two best power up moments in anime are Goku going Super Saiyan against Frieza and Yusuke breaking the spirit cuffs and summoning a goddamn phoenix vs. Toguro. It's of those scenes that, when viewed in the full context of the series, is just 2 minutes of pure goosebumps. Can't wait to get there!
It's definitely a wonderful moment. Context is what makes this show one of my absolute favorites; when the pieces line up and you start getting to the payoffs, goosebumps all day.
I love Yu Yu Hakuso, it’s one of my favorite animes growing up in the 90s. The characters, the setting especially the way the characters grow as the story moves forward is just amazing! I’m actually watching it right now to relieve the memories but also getting to see what I’ve missed about this anime. This was a great video you did the way you described this arc was perfect! Keep up the good work.
I get so nostalgic talking about YYH. I still remember the first time I ever saw it and how I was immediately hooked, it came on so late though I was nervous I wouldnt be able to watch it every week. I remember my dad also watching it and not being too fond of the show. In hindsight it might be because of the dude with the swastika symbol on his forehead in the first arc.
This video makes me want to watch YYH all over again. I’m glad people out there give this amazing series the flowers it deserves. Earned the sub.
Linda Young Genkai and Frieza are the best and most underrated voice acting in the two greatest animes ever and the preferable dubs with ocean dub of dbz which is entertainingly underrated up till jeice and burter vs goku with amazing bruce falconer score and the yu yu hakusho score is amazingly underrated as well!!
Linda Young was such a wonderful part of this cast. Honestly, everyone does such a stellar job considering the era this came out in. The score for this show is probably my all time favorite but it’s so absurdly difficult to find crisp versions of the OST.
Issue is why the hell did Linda Young change Frieza's pitch post-death by Trunks? The high pitchness makes him less threatening.
not underrated at all.
@@SomewherePastNever Look up Alex Ryuu here. He has clean rips of the OST and even has the more emotional themes set with a rainy background.
I’m happy that people are realizing how awesome this anime is. I always thought no one knew what it was when I first watched it as a kid.
Personally My #2 Favorite Anime Right Behind DBZ But I Saw DBZ 1st In 1996 From Pioneer Entertainment 1999 Was When I Discovered Yu Yu Hakusho.
Bro have you ever heard of a band called “the beetles”? Talk about some real underground ish, check them out.
@@ShinzoUchihaX Hey be nice. I loved this anine as a kid, but let's be real it really fell out of focus after the early 2000's and was never as popular as the Big Three
@@ToxicSunrise132 😅 I couldnt help it. Which big 3 are you referring to?
@@ShinzoUchihaX Big Three are Naruto, One Piece, and Bleach
This started with being an anime I liked and would catch random episodes on TV back in the day, to watching the whole show and really liking it, to rewatching it and parts of it and being one of my favourite haha.
That is exactly how it went for me, too lmao
Definitely a well thought out tournament arc. Great review. I never thought of it as in depth before
Honestly, this arc is what really cemented my love for this show.
its not just a bunch of fights for plot reasons..it actually has depth
And how the other teams had unique personalities and powers mixed with their own reasons made it more interesting
@@jaredwoods1999 That's Togashi's writing for ya!
28:33
Hey man. That's "Beautiful Suzuki (Suzuka)"
Ah, a person of culture, I see. 👌🏾
Was looking for this comment before making it myself. I'm glad someone understands the Beautiful Suzuka
*Pauses video to check comments...*
...
"Cool someone mentioned it"
*Play*
My only exposure to this show before this was that one clip about orange juice and a brief skit in Dragonball Z Abridged. Looks like it's actually worth watching after seeing this video. Also, your editing skills have gotten top notch for this video. Quality transitions and quick gags throughout!
ZoranTheSiegeTower it’s been one of my absolute favorites for a long time, so I always recommend it when I can. I’m glad you liked the editing choices I made this time around! Figured I’d learned a few things since the Persona video that I’d put to use lol.
It starts a little slow (to me) but it is great. Has o lot of great fights. And like this video says almost everyone has a story
@@godofyouall489 I really love how interesting and diverse the side characters are. It was awesome to talk to friends and see that many of them had different favorite characters that they related to immensely, due to just how each side character was completely unique and well developed. As a kid Heye was my favorite bc I was an edge lord but now that I have grown up, Kuwabara is my favorite (probably bc I have always been known for having a "big heart"/empathetic). I thought Kuwabara was annoying as a kid bc of how weak he always felt but that completely flipped as I got older.
the dark tournament is amazing remember watching it when i was younger and thinking it was good but i recently rewatched the series just finishing it today and watching the dark tournament arc again years later it was even better then i remember it being
It's definitely one of those kind of arcs that ages really well, despite how much the culture has grown and changed.
Yu Yu was one of the first anime I can remember watching, aside from Cyborg 009 and Saint Seiya, and it's always been a favorite just because of the Dark Tournament. My best friend and I still talk about it being the best Arc in anime to this day, amd we rewatch it together every once and awhile. I really enjoyed your video, which popped up in the recommended videos for TeamFourStar's most recent DBCember video. I enjoy content like this, and it's worth subscribing just to see what other opinions you have.
Daaang, I forgot all about Cyborg 009! I used to watch that super late after runs of Case Closed/Detective Conan. I’m glad that you enjoyed this video, maybe your friend will, too!
Also, being told it popped up next to a TFS video has me screaming internally. That’s awesome haha. Do stick around, I’ve got more videos coming with one being edited right now!
The Death of Genkai is the one episode of this anime that I watched only once, and vowed to never watch again. That episode did to me what the chimera episode in FMA did as well: completely broke me.
Honestly I love this arc so damn much. Everyone gets great character moments, their time to shine, and the fights are great. The humor is fantastic too, and the dub is INSANELY fun, funny, and quotable. I watched this arc the most back in the day and I still enjoy it as much now as I did then.
I told my nephew about this show when he was just getting into anime. It wasn't long until I learned that he and his younger brother binged the whole series and loved it.
The younger, being only 7, said Dark Tournament was his favorite and that he'd willingly watch it again and again.
Kite from HxH hit me pretty hard just cause of what ends up happening with Gon. Like it's almost the opposite of how Yusuke takes it: repress and delude yourself into a foaming murder rage instead of expressing your emotions and moving on. It's a pretty interesting contrast tbh
this is one of my favorite old school animes. The entire show is run on a tournament style format. Wish this show came back or didnt end
Hey, the same guy who wrote this also did Hunter×Hunter. It's not a sequel, but it's great in its own right, you should check it out if you haven't already!
Kurama is like the Kakyoin of the YYH universe, real calm and collected
Yu Yu Hakusho is my favorite anime ever, and I'm so glad that I found yet another video made about Hakusho! Great detailed video man over the of course great Dark Tournament arc!
Just gotta say that I love your breakdown of one of my favorite animes of all time. You have a true ability to breakdown narrative in a simple and concise way that is very enjoyable. I can't wait to see your next videos!
I’m happy to have kept you entertained! I don’t like to be bombastic or over the top, so I’m glad my simple approach appeals to you and others! I look forward to seeing how you enjoy my upcoming projects!
343 is a disgustingly low sub count for how outstanding this video was. I just subbed because I absolutely loved this vid
What's stunning is that all of these subs came in over the past few days! Same with the view count. This time last week, I was at 65 subs and the video had maaaaaybe 500 views? I dunno where the sudden interest is coming from, but I'm grateful for it and your sub!
Woah awesome video! I recently watched Yu Yu Hakusho for the first time on Hulu and usually it's hard for me to get into anime. But this one is amazing! Great characters, interesting worldbuilding, and man this story tackles emotions big time. I hope there's a Yu Yu Hakusho revival/or maybe reboot with a more conclusive last season.
While I do agree that the Three Kings arc left the anime in a weird place, I’m kinda apprehensive about the idea of a revival series. The OVA, while good, felt too sterile.
Good News: We are getting a Revival.
Bad News: It’s Live Adaptation from Netflix.
I think a new season taking place like 8 or more years in the future would be good. Have a loud mouth girl as the new spirit detective where she eventually learns about Yusuke through her own investigating after suspecting Koenma is withholding info. Then eventually gets to watch him fight in the next demon world tournament arc or something to see how powerful he and his friends are.
Or how about this: That boy Yusuke saved in the beginning of the series? Yeah he's all grown up now and he is the next Spirit Detective Koenma appoints after Yusuke. You can even have Kuwabara(for Physical/Martial arts fighting) and Kurama (For spirit/life energy control shenanigans) as his mentors.
A sequel wouldn't be bad if done correctly...but seeing Togashi can't even finish HxH, this may be a pipe dream.
@@derekrichardson7853 na, just do a more faithful remake like they did with HXH and do the demon world arc better... tired of all these moe protagonist in anime now...
You are a God for covering this. This is my hands down favorite anine of all time and Yusuke is my favorite character. This arc displays fantastic story telling, acting, and is timeless
I'm just happy to know other people love this arc as much as I do!
@@SomewherePastNever You are not alone, there are plenty of us out there. I constantly argue Yu Yu Hakusho as the greatest anime of all of time
thanks for reviewing a really great anime that was one of the formative anime's of our generation, I remember watching this and Tri-gun + Outlaw star all the time when I was a kid.. good times!
My all-time favorite anime. I've never found a better anime than this, other than Dragonball and DBZ.
Hits so many right notes!
My Favorite Anime..
Storyline & Characters like in no other series..
Enjoyed ur video, amazing work👍
Much appreciated! 🤘🏾
Perfect video, took some of the words right out of my mouth. Ty for putting together exactly why this arc is one of the greatest in manga/anime!
I watched this and DBZ as a kide. It’s a tie between the Namek Arc in DBZ and the Dark Tournament for Yu Yu.
The Namek arc/Frieza saga is definitely one of my favorites, too.
Best dub of all time
Dude I'm only 7 minutes in and I know this video will be a banger. You literally just made my Sunday chores bearable because I'm listening to this. Thanks for talking about the GOAT of anime.
Love to see all these yyh videos on CZcams. It will always hold a spot in my heart for being my first anime back in the toonami days.
Man, the good old days of Toonami. That’s how I discovered this gem as a kid, too.
in addition to the moments in between, you forgot to mention the parts where shizuru (kuwabaras sister) has a love interest development with sakyo
That kind of falls into the 'moments between', though I didn't really find it important enough to dedicate time to. I also tried to leave at least some stones unturned for those who decided to watch the arc despite me spoiling so much of it haha
@@SomewherePastNever its also one of the few things u cld take out of the arc entirely and have no real consequence. Ur right its not rlly important enough to mention
@@arkinrain5758 I actually really like it because it fleshes out the main villain and humanizes him (as much as one can).
Love what you doing !
Keep going on !
Making such long video with all of the extra stuff must take you really long (i know i tried it one time with much smaler project)
I really enjoy your analys
Dark tournament is best tournament arc with i watch so far
I hope you gonna make the review of other arcs couse YYH is underated
Thank you very much! And you're right, these videos take an insane amount of time and effort to produce, so it's genuinely heartwarming to see people are enjoying this. I do have videos planned for the remaining two arcs, but they won't be as in-depth as this because if they were, everyone would have to wait a few months to get them.
Ok this has always been my favorite arc of any anime. I didn't exactly know why, but you did an amazing job of explaining why it's so brilliant. Also, YuYu is my favorite anime with FMA and FMAB right behind it. Thanks for this awesome video!
I’m glad you enjoyed it and thought my explanation was adequate haha. Also, it’s funny because YYH is tied for my favorite with FMAB lol.
incredible video dude. so in depth and it really shows your love for the show.
Great video , it deserves more recognition
That’s much appreciated! Feel free to share it around if it ever tickles your fancy.
Whenever somebody disses Dub, I say “Yu Yu Hakusho” and they say “aight fair enough”
Don’t you know that I, Kuwabara am The warrior of love! Never gets old
Amazing video. Yu Yu Hakusho is a widely loved anime in Brazil and the dubbing work they did here was really remarkable. Props to you for making this really nice video. Um abraço
This was my absolute favorite anime that I've seen. Of course as someone who isn't a major anime fan I must admit my knowledge of shows is limited.
Your not wrong at all!!! Been watching anime for years, it's the O.G, all others have taken from it and paled in comparison!!
I've tried watching more modern anime and ultimately so much of it is repackaging of these older shows I grew up with. I dont think we are missing anything by not keeping up
Just finished rewatching it after nearly 20 years since its original run on Adult Swim. Never finished this arc due to how late it ran on TV. Glad I got to finish it now. Following arcs did fall a bit flat for me, but the action pulled me back in.
Love seeing some nice YYH analysis on here, and I'd LOVE for a new generation to get into it! Chu was always one of my favorite fights in the arc, and you hit the nail on the head as far as the balance Togashi gave to his characterization.
ay this video is fire bro, I appreciate you putting the time into making something like this, I know it prolly took forever but you covered in perfectly, yu yu hakusho is personally my favorite anime. love to see people getting tapped in or remembering to rewatch it
Yeah, these long video essays take days and days to do, but seeing this suddenly get so much love out of nowhere really makes it worth it. I’ve got more videos coming soon, so stay tuned!
Hakusho was a masterpiece.
Dark Tournament WAS HEAT!!!!!
Big facts, my dude 🤘🏾
Honestly I loved this video. Thank you so much for posting this.
I’m just glad to hear you enjoyed watching it!
Thanks man. Seriously.. This show is amazing. Like 6 times through already since I was a kid, now once with my daughter. She loves Kurama, her fox angel.
Summed up my thoughts exactly. This is my favorite series other than Naruto. It does remind me of the Chunin exams. Even though their is a degree of freedom in participation for the Genin, after the second phase, its a life or death situation. The animation still holds up today. I dont know if Hakusho was a weekly series but it consistently has good art. I think every series should be like this: no filler and straight action. Dragon ball is entertaining but theirs no emotional value in the fights, not after Cell in my opinion. I hope it does get a continuation one day.
First anime I fully watched start to end. I loved it, it got me into anime, and I do think the Dark Tournament Arc is the best Tournament Arc in anime history.
While there is still a large cast of characters, they don't feel like sode characters that die after a few hits. There's thought and motive behind their actions. An example being Gama vs. Kurama. While Gama goes down pretty easily, his intentions in the end do end up meaning something as Kurama is limited in movement and Spirit Energy in his battle with Touya and after that fight passes out from his injuries.
The Dark Tournament itself is interesting with both humans and demons wanting the downfall of Team Urameshi and with corruption working behind the scenes. It's saying that humans and demons are not so different, as humans can be capable of despicable things demons are capable of. And as you stated, there are high stakes at play, as the losers of the Dark Tournament are played with with death of their friends and family. These high stakes provide an ample motivation for the protagonists.
I really couldn't look at other Fighting Tournament Arcs the same ways after the Dark Tournament, they don't have that same impact the Dark Tournament had. Only a few are a close second, such as the Varia Ring Arc from Katekyo Hitman Reborn (if it is considered a Tournament Arc).
Either way, this is a fantastic video! Nice job!
This video really reminds me of all the reasons I love Yu Yu Hakusho and I got into the series late only watching in 2013 but you've really encapsulated those core themes that resonate regardless to time.
This was a damn good video. I appreciate when people give Dubs the credit they deserve and I agree that the Dark Tournament was the best arc in the show. Good job. I like this video so much that I'm going to check out your other stuff.
The dark tournament is easily my favorite arc in yuyuhakisho the chapter black arc 3 kings arcs were great too but the story and the character development of kurabara and genkai And the way how the fights played out in the dark tournament were great and the togoro brothers are easily my favorite villians in the whole show especially younger toguro
I cried multiple times watching this. It brought back so many memories of first witnessing this arc and remembering just how emotionally vested I became to both the heroes and villains. Kuwabara was the highlight for me. He was just a human teenager without a drop of demon blood in him fighting to the best of his ability to defend his family and friends. He wasn't given any special training or powerups and had to rely on his raw grit and emotion to see him through. And Yusuke's reaction to his death...fuck man. It's sending shivers through my body just thinking about it.
"Then suddenly, my intuition and my wisdom grow
And then I know
That most of all I sense compassion's real
Thanks to strangers wherever I go
Thank you for waking me up!"
Just a regular normal teen like anyone else. I remember fighting demons with my energy sword in a different dimension like it was yesterday. Remember how crazy it was when youd have to fight to the death on the daily basis on stage with crowds of alien species? Those were the days.
@@ShinzoUchihaX Yup. I remember those days clearly. It was mostly against fellow humans on a wrestling mat in front of a few hundred people, but occasionally an alien would pop up in the brackets and make us wrestle to the death. Those were my golden years.
@@themanwithnoname5310 I remember, I am the alien
@@ShinzoUchihaX 😯👽🤼♂️
@@themanwithnoname5310 Appreciate the banter, I must have been having a moment of a negativity earlier when I first commented. My bad lol
Yuyu hakusho will probably be my favorite anime forever. Great video. Really appreciate the break down.
great stuff man! i love this show so much. been a while seen i watched it. was a joy to see u cover its excellence
Glad to hear you had a good time with it!