From its storytelling to character designs, Yu Yu Hakusho stands as an underappreciated series. Written by Yoshihiro Togashi, the series fuses supernatural and action elements perfectly.
Interestingly, the underrated series has inspired several shonen bestsellers including Naruto and Jujutsu Kaisen. It also stands as one of the gems in the shonen genre because of its unconventional storytelling. But here’s a catch.
During its serialization, even Togashi was unsure about this anti-hero in his series. This applies to the character’s fate throughout the series including his pivotal role as a major character.
And while it may seem absurd, the mangaka’s approach did work out for the best. Additionally, this iconic anti-hero paved the way for another cool character in Kishimoto’s series.
Yoshihiro Togashi had qualms about this Yu Yu Hakusho character
Yoshihiro Togashi is one of the celebrated mangaka known for his contribution to the shonen genre. With a career spanning over four decades, Togashi’s literary prowess is no joke.
Decades back, he gave us one of the most underrated and underappreciated Shonen series. While it may not be on par with the Big 3, it most certainly is a masterpiece in most aspects.
Almost thirty years ago, Togashi released Yu Yu Hakusho, which reshaped shonen storytelling. The series showcased its unique perspective on supernatural and action tropes. What’s even more interesting is that it defied a common shonen trope.
Through Togashi’s introduction of four protagonists. While Yusuke is considered the MC, most fans would disagree with this. This is especially true with the mangaka’s equal emphasis on the other three main characters. This, however, was not how things were supposed to be initially.
In an interview, Togashi revealed his initial plans regarding Hiei and his fate in the series. He quoted:
I intended Kurama to be a major character from the very beginning, but I wasn’t sure about Hiei.
Hiei is one of the pivotal characters in the series whose characterization was unplanned. While Togashi failed to see potential in the character, his editor Toshimasa Takahashi felt otherwise.
Surprisingly, it was Takahashi san’s request that made Hiei one of the major characters. This happened during the Four Holy Beasts Arc in the series. This also paved the way for Kishimoto to create one of the coolest and most iconic characters.
Sasuke and Hiei resound the anti-hero trope
It is a known fact that Masashi Kishimoto was inspired by Togashi’s manga. Be it Kage Bunshin no Jutsu or Sharingan, the influences are pretty clear in Kishimoto’s series.
This also applies to one of his pivotal characters in the series. Despite their differences, both Sasuke and Hiei are similar in more ways than one. This holds true with their visual prowess along with the anti-hero trope.
Kishimoto once revealed Hiei as an inspiration for Sasuke. And while both characters are theoretically different, they’re bound by tragedies. The Uchiha witnessed betrayal and his parent’s death.
On the other hand, Hiei was feared and rejected because of his power. With his childhood squandered in desolation, he was labeled as a cursed child. It was only when he joined Yusuke that he was able to understand friendships better.
Both characters share similitude in terms of their lack of faith. Their betrayal by their close ones is attributed to this. But most importantly, both Sasuke and Hiei represent loneliness and self-dependency in most aspects.
Yu Yu Hakusho is available for streaming on Netflix. The manga is available for reading on Viz Media.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
