#Yukina is Great

[priscirat]

I had a dream where you fell in love with somebody else, please tell me it's not true

[skrunksthatwunk]

i think i mentioned this a while back but im working on an "every kuwameshi" video right (yes it's ridiculous i know somebody take them away from me) and i just need to say im so fucking sick of editing the saint beasts arc </3 pls i love that one normally but this section of the video is like. 70% silent group shots it's so bad and not fun to watch or edit and i hate it :[

[hollabastiongirl]

yuyu live action was ok, but I'm still mad about no Shizuru, and no Yusuke mom jeans.

[reisakumaproducer]

Aiba Aina

Babe wake up it’s aiba aina day

[yyh4ever]

Happy Yu Yu Hakusho Halloween!

I hope you all have a great Halloween!🎃

If anyone is interested in reading and watching some original Yu Yu Hakusho Halloween stories, those are official from the 100% Maji Battle game:

🎃Chase the Missing Pumpkins

Jorge Saotome comes to the Human World at the request of Koenma, who wants to eat sweets, but faces a case of missing pumpkins all over the city. Yusuke and Botan will help him.

🎃A Grumpy Halloween

A Halloween party organized by Kurama is held at Yusuke's place. Everyone is getting fired up, but Hiei, who came reluctantly, can't keep up with that ambience. Hiei sneaks out from the party alone in a grumpy mood and Yukina chases after him, then...

🎃A Costume Demon Feast

A Halloween party hosted by Enki is held in the Demon World. The youkai are all excited, since it is the first time they attempt such event. Hiei, who is not interested in the party, challenges Mukuro to a combat. However, she tells him she can think about his proposal if he joins the feast…

🎃Halloween message from Karasu (VA: Ryo Horikawa)

[crusty-chronicles]

Airheaded S/O Headcannons #9: Hiei (Yu Yu Hakusho)

He wants you dead at first

But that's just because he's a bit standoffish

You'd waltzed in right as he had Yusuke suspended in his clutches at a warehouse.

"Yusuke, you left your calc homework on your desk, you ditz!"

And then you looked up and saw the three eyed demon and your friend.

And he was a little shocked that a human had found his hideout, even with his manipulated spirit energy.

"Kinda in the middle of something here," the greasy haired boy responded.

"Well cut that out for a second. I've got places to be."

Like you weren't just witnessing him about to be killed

It was so baffling how you just completely dismissed the situation, that Hiei's powers actually faltered and let the detective get away.

What the actual hell????

"Get out of here, now!" Yusuke warned.

And you'd just frowned

"Dude, it's not that deep. Why are you even here?"

Now was Hiei's chance to attack

But when he disappeared and quickly reappeared behind with his sword raised, you just caught the blade and glared at him

"Can you back off, I'm trying to talk to my friend."

You shooed him away like a pest.

And that was the moment he decided he wanted you dead.

A strong believer in survival of the fittest

And what the hell, because you had not a single working brain cell but were somehow stronger than him????

Kuwabara is your best friend and the two of you combined are stupid²

And it's horrible because there's only so much stupidity Hiei can take.

During the time he's still conforming after being caught, he spends most of it in the human world scouting you out for any weaknesses.

He still holds a grudge from the first time you met

But he's so damn surprised to find out that you're a walking hazard

How does one leave the stove, microwave, and oven on?

How does one forget that they're all on at the same time????

It would be so easy to let your own recklessness kill you

But his damn pride won't let that happen because he wants to be the one that defeats you

So, you wake up from your nap to see all your appliances turned off

Which is surprising because you vaguely remember cooking something before you feel asleep.

You do earn his respect eventually

It's when Yusuke is tasked with defeating the Saint Beasts

All of you were struggling to keep the roof up from collapsing

Yusuke had suggested Hiei be the one to pull the lever because he was the fastest.

And you'd said something then. Something that made him not want to kill you anymore.

"I might be able to hold the whole thing by myself. You all have to be really fast though."

"Are you crazy?!? There's no way we're gonna leave you behind. We're in this together or not at all," the oaf had protested.

You gave a dopey smile and released all your spirit energy at once, lifting the ceiling with all your might and alleviating the pressure from all the others.

"You scared, Kuwabara? People die everyday. What's one more?"

Hiei had never moved as fast as he did when he pulled that lever down.

You were a fool for risking your life over the others.

A fool for wasting your power on the weak.

But you weren't scared of death, of dying for your morals

And that had his respect.

Hiei does not baby you and finds great amusement in your failures

After all, you're not his responsibility

You accidentally got captured by a demon?

Good luck to whatever idiot thought they'd last more than a minute in the same room as you

You swallowed a poisonous plant Kurama was growing because you were hungry?

That's what you get for giving into your human whims

You threw a punch at an enemy that missed and hit Yusuke instead?

You should've hit him harder

Uses your naivety to his advantage

The tape with Yukina?

You'd told him without much thought about the situation

Only for Hiei to drag you towards where she was being held captive.

"Ooh, where are we going?"

"Just quiet down and follow me, human."

It's because you can sense spirit energy a little better than he can.

That and if he's spotted, he can just pass it off as you dragging him along to see Kuwabara.

Surprisingly, you're quiet and don't make a sound that gets the two of you caught.

And maybe he's a little grateful you don't question him about it.

You don't question why he wants to save this girl you've never heard of up until a few days ago.

You just go along with it because 'We're friends.'

You're so stupid for trusting him that easily when he wanted so badly to kill you not long ago

So unbelievably stupid for following around a demon just cuz

You had a fool's heart, that was for sure.

You were a trustworthy ally during the Dark Tournament, a strong warrior during the battle with Sensui, and a true fighter during the demon tournament.

It's the last event that he realizes he values you a little more than he should.

He had just barely beaten Mukuro and was set to fight you next.

The thing was, Hiei could barley stand with his injuries, while you hadn't broken a sweat.

This was the one fight he looked forward to the most, besides the one he wanted with the spirit detective.

But there was this look on your face

An uncomfortable yet sorrowful look.

Why weren't you as excited as he was?

He shrugged the feeling off as the announcer told them to begin.

His sword was long destroyed, so he resorted to basic combat skills instead.

He lunged, fist clenched to hit, but you just dodged with that same look

He tried again and the result was the same

You didn't even try to block his attacks, just moved out of the way.

Like he was beneath you to even try.

He recognized the look now

It was pity

And that infuriated him.

"Why won't you fight back!" A kick aimed for your side.

"You think you're so-called friendship matters here? Your emotions mean nothing. Not in here. So quit acting like a fool and fight!" A punch aimed at your throat.

You stopped it this time, but didn't attack him back.

You were making a fool out of him.

And before he could berate you again, you spoke.

"I don't care if we're friends or not. Either way, the fight still isn't fair."

And that had temporarily halted his anger.

"What do I gain from beating someone so injured, they can't stand up? What do you gain from fighting when you have no power? Think about it."

You didn't want to fight because you wouldn't enjoy it?

It wouldn't be a win for you

"It's not fair to either of us if we fight like this. We'd never get to find out who's really stronger."

Hiei was the fool.

He'd lashed out at Mukuro for letting her feelings get in the way and here he was, doing the same.

Letting his pride get in the way of rational thought

He'd been the one to get upset that you weren't fighting him as an equal, when the condition he was in clearly said otherwise.

"I know you don't want to lose the tournament, so I quit. But I want you to heal up and get stronger. Don't die because next time I see you, I'll kick your ass the way you want. Got it?"

Don't die

You and that oaf shared the same moral code.

But something about it being you made him tolerate it.

"...I surrender. I'm in no shape to continue. Y/n, you better not hold back next time."

Much to the dismay of the audience, the two of you walked back together. The outcome of the match: no winner.

There was something for him to look forward to now. A new goal.

He'd surpass you and then Yusuke.

Following the events of the demon tournament, he's a little softer towards you.

You and that stupid human heart of yours had him observing you from the trees.

He was unused to the heaviness he felt seeing you visit Yukina and making her laugh.

He couldn't understand the warmth consuming his face when you would fight a stray demon and win.

He didn't know why he used his Jagan to see you while he was in demon world.

But he did know he didn't like seeing you and the idiot duo hanging off of each other, cackling at something one of them said.

Don't count on him acting on his feelings.

He would never tell you.

But his actions towards you are more than enough to let the others know you're his.

He calls you fool(derogatory) and if he's feeling sweet, just by your name.

Jealousy is a big one.

Hiei's never had something special he's been allowed to keep.

So if you're spending a little too much time with Kuwabara, don't be surprised to see him at your window the next day.

He'll deny to his dying breath that he came all the way from demon world just to see you.

He'll also deny leaving some of his own clothing or even his sword at your house just so it smells more like him than it does your (just as stupid) best friend.

Hiei leaves for months at a time and without fail, will always come back the day after you went crying to Kurama that you think he's died.

(Thanks to his Jagan that is. There isn't a day he doesn't check up on you so he's bound to know when you miss him.)

Kurama is his best friend, but that doesn't stop Hiei from getting upset when he comes to get you and sees you sound asleep on the fox's bed.

You just smell so much like the other demon now, it pisses him off.

"Keep your scent off my human."

And Kurama finds immense joy in his childish anger.

"Maybe if you would physically see them more, they wouldn't come by so often."

And Hiei's grumbling as he picks you up, still dead asleep, to bring you back to the home that would restore his own scent back on you.

The time spent when you wake up is for sparring.

He can't find it in him anymore to fight you for real

But that doesn't mean he won't enjoy the false matches you have with each other.

He refuses to take you with him to demon world.

You have a life here

And though it's tempting to take you where you wouldn't be very far away from him, he knows you wouldn't be happy away from everyone else.

So, the one and only thing he does that hints at his feelings for you is give you the makeshift necklace made from hiruiseki stone. His to be exact.

"Take it."

"Why?" Your small little brain was struggling to figure out why he would want you to have it.

"It represents a promise. A promise that I'll be back for you no matter what. So take care of it for me, human."

NEXT UP: Kurapika Kurta

MASTERLIST

An: Yall sorry it took so long, i deadass got sick last week.

[maleyanderecafe]

Akahane Academy (Visual Novel)

Created by: Scratchitone

Genre: Comedy

Akahane Academy is a parody and it knows it. All of the male characters the player meets in the beginning are yanderes, and all with long chins that will stab you through the chest. There are three different yanderes, all of which are kind of unique in their own way. The intended play is to go from top to bottom when it comes to routes, so I'll try to follow that order when writing this review.

The player heads to Akahane academy to meet up with their club leader, Yukina-san, the neko girl, who seems to be rivals with the main character. She tells the player that she's left a surprise for them in the classroom, to which they walk in and find three different guys, Hiro, the blonde cheerful one, Misaki the black more mysterious one and Yuusei the more aloof one. From there, the player can interact with them and get their route.

Starting with Hiro, the player stalks to him about some of the manga that they like, and finds out that he's in the cooking club. He shows the player around the home economics room, and lets the player have a taste of cherrypie that he just baked. However, upon taking the pie out, the player smells a strong iron smell, and sees that the pie has a human face stretched out on it. Hiro reveals that he killed all of the player's friends and turned them into pies so that no one else could have them.

If the player goes with Masaki, he starts to brood on about how nobody understands him (complete with an emo wolf in the background), until the player tries to resonate with him. Shocked by this development, he falls in love for the first time and ends up telling them that they will be together forever and ever.

Finally, if the player goes with Yuusei, he will continue to stare at her, sort of breaking waiting for them to notice him until Yuki-san enters the room. She states that this entire thing was revenge for winning the science fair, where she worked really hard on her project and the player won by... making something they don't even understand. As revenge, she ends up making the three boys to ruin their life. She ends up leaving and the player is now stuck with the three yandere boys.

As I've said, very much a parody, since they call everyone weeby names and have dumb things go on but it's great and I like it. Definitely the most "serious" route is Hiro's route since we actually do get to see him basically cook all of the player's friends (which explains why we see such few people in the school anyways and the fact that the Home Eco's room is mysteriously covered in blood. It's probably the most scary route in the entire game and it's a shock because it's likely the first one that you play. The other two are a lot more lax, with Masaki's being probably the most tame (and funniest one) since it plays on the trope of an overly emo/brooding male lead, and the image of him sitting under a tree with a wolf to symbolize his brooding side is actually hilarious. He falls in love and becomes rather protective afterwards but there isn't really too much after that. Masaki's has even less than that but there are little flashes of him smiling as he talks to the player and his figure becomes more creepy as it goes on. It gets interjected by Yuki-san revealing her whole plot of making three yandere guys to ruin the player's life (though I'll be honest so far the only one who actually did anything was Hiro after cooking all of those weird blood pies). Still, it really does lean into the weeby OWO UWU type of writing and it is pretty fun to play since nothing is really taken that seriously. Also man, those chins are so sharp I could probably cut cheese with them.

Anyways, short game, pretty fun. Lots of dumb moments. I enjoyed it! If you like more parody games/ comedic type of yandere games, try this one out- it's short and it likes to make fun of itself which I can always appreciate.

[anime-chick]

YYH live action - disappointments and highlights!

disappointments:

off the bat - it's five episodes and the pacing and storylines are squished, but you just have to accept these limitations and embrace this for what it is - MOVING ON

the music - it was generic and had some weird choices and overall didn't feel very cohesive?

hiei's zoomies - the sound effect when he's going fast is a bit cartoony in a bad way

3 times the cgi was noticeably iffy: genkai's younger face, when yusuke and kurama went into the mirror of forlorn hope, the blooms coming out of karasu

skipping over hiei and kurama's backgrounds - this is what made me think this series is more for yyh fan than anyone else, at the very least i would think there would be some exposition about youko kurama or hiei being a thief

bui - he was flat and really just there for hiei to show off his dragon (which isnt a bad reason! but in comparison to karasu, he didn't have much of a personality, even after taking off his armor)

highlights:

fucking everything i loved it askldjhsdfg

SMILE BOMB!!!!

but really - kuwabara's introduction, yusuke's flying drop kick, it perfectly captured their dynamic

kuwabara in general, he was everything i hoped he'd be

the costuming: while there wasn't as much variety in what yusuke and co. wore, there were lots of details that made everyone's clothes stand out (the chains and lining on kuwabara's uniform, yusuke's cropped uniform top, everything hiei wore to the buckled strap for his sword in the back, kurama's magenta uniform with the gold lining that IS NOT his school uniform but just - something he wears i guess?? which makes it even more insane and i love that)

THE FIGHT SCENES, they put so much effort into each fight and you can tell and it makes the show stand out SO MUCH in comparison to other live action adaptations

the way they, despite having to condense so much of the story, managed to tell a very interesting and entertaining twist to the story without losing too much

hiei and kuwabara arguing - hiei going out of his way to tell kuwabara to get away from yukina <- i'm still laughing

speaking of - THE HUMOR, it was serious! it was funny! it did a great job of balancing out the two

the dynamic of the group is just like in the anime/manga (though we didn't get as much of them interacting as i'd like, we got some and i enjoyed every bit of it!)

karasu. he was creepy. he was gay. his eyeliner was sharp. his attacks looked awesome. his fight lived up to his anime counterpart

the toguro brothers. while we didn't get as much of a lead up, they were perfect. older toguro was straight out of a horror movie. younger toguro managed to be complex and not just a big muscular villain. there was depth to him that felt very authentic.

hiei diving off the tower, i really enjoyed seeing his demonic abilities on display (though where were his fire powers???)

YOUKO KURAMA. i was so worried he'd look terrible in live action but he was just pretty and fluffy and aslkdjhsdfg

hiei and yukina's reunion. awkward. sincere. sweet. sad. the fact that hiei was surprised yukina even spoke to him. i wanna squish the two of them

everyone was beat to hell, their clothes were crunchy and gritty and i like that no one was left 'pristine' like in so many other shows - these boys got nasty

everything honestly just everything i watched the entire five episodes grinning and having a blast

controversial opinion:

i like kurama's wig. i said it. yeah. i do.

[parasolladyansy]

DxP REWRITE - Ansy

Meet Ansy! She’d been traveling around the various regions of the Pokémon world since she was 15 (following a failed first journey at 10 in her home region). Originally from Cerulean City in Kanto, she spent most of her life in Unova’s coastal towns when she’s not off in another region (see her full timeline here!). Now that she’s married, she’s been traveling with her husband, Ikrit.

While she reached Champion rank in a few regions now, she’s not the strongest battler (often just barely wins lol) & is a bit of a klutz, but cares a lot about her Pokemon. As she got older, her maternal instincts have gotten stronger, as she discovered in her most recent journey through Paldea lol.

Her great-great-grandmother, Mizumi recently gave her the storied Azure Flute & her Froslass, Yukina (as seen in the Scarlet x Violet Epilogue). This comes from the very neat fact that if you have a completed save of Legends Arceus (aka have befriended Arceus), & then make a save in BDSP, you will have the Azure Flute in your room, implying that it’s a family heirloom that has made its way down to you:

Also yes, in-game Ansy got to actually travel with Mizumi’s Froslass via Pokémon Home because I love immersive gameplay (seeing as I literally make these comics / drawings about my experience playing these games lol).

—

UPDATE: As you can see, I decided to update these character profiles with new art, & a cleaner design that allows for more info! If you want to compare / contrast, here’s the older version:

[yuyuconfessions]

"I've noticed that younger fans seem to have trouble connecting the dots that a lot of adults on this website were kids younger or close to the age of Yusuke when this series was originally airing back in the 90s in Japan and the 2000s in the west.

Although these fictional characters' stories ended for them at 18 it doesn't mean that Yusuke and the gang stop being important, interesting, or compelling to us. It also doesn't mean that we have to stop loving these fictional characters and their stories after we turn 19.

If you as a minor 14-17 or someone aged 18 - 25 thay feels comfortable shipping these characters, viewing art of them, and reading fic about them ESPECIALLY NSFW art/fic; but your skin crawls that people older than you are creating that content, then you need to sit down with yourself and ask yourself if fandoms that are literally older than your existence are places that you are ready to be socializing in.

Fandoms that are older than your existence will have fans that are MUCH older than you and they are making content and having interactive conversations.

Yu Yu Hakusho is not an Adult Only fandom but it is a fandom that is Mostly Adults.

I fell in love with this show when I was a pre teen. I'm in my mid 30s. The show's target audience is teenagers. But here is the thing: it's target audience was teenagers back in the 90s and 2000s and that's still most of its audience today because Togashi told a fun and resonant story that tends to stick with its audience.

If you can't handle shipping content or adult conversations (conversations about mature topics and themes not necessarily 18+/NSFW but these are definitely present also) about Yu Yu Hakusho then you should try to avoid adult spaces when searching for discussion or content and stick to spaces specifically for minors.

A space specifically for minors would have a ban against all 18+/NSFW content that is strictly enforced. It would not have an 18+/NSFW section at all.

Tumblr and most of the discord servers for YYH that I've seen are adult spaces. Because there is an expectation that while minors are allowed on the websites they must be over a certain age with parental permission because adult conversations happen here where minors could see them.

All of this to say: Unplug from the adult spaces if you feel uncomfortable with adult themes and content or 18+/NSFW content.

Talk to friends irl about Yu Yu Hakusho or find a minor focused space online to talk about it. Come back to the adult spaces in a few years.

This applies to the 18 - 25 crowd also. If you can't handle seeing someone ship these characters or if someone ships them in a way that you don't agree with and it's so upsetting to you that it's causing you a great deal of anger or distress then you need to consider if you really want to be in the Greater Online Yu Yu Hakusho Fandom at this particular point in your life. Or if maybe you want to filter tags on tumblr and drop sites that you can't filter to make your fandom experience more smooth.

If Yu Yu Hakusho has lasted 30 years then it'll last another 3 or 5 years while you get adjusted and engage with Yu Yu Hakusho in minor focused or safely filtered fandom spaces. Trust me. Yu Yu Hakusho will be somewhere on the greater internet when you're older and you've gotten better at self regulating your intake of content online and your response to seeing content online that you don't like.

Yusuke, Kazuma, Kurama, Hiei, Keiko, Botan, Shizuru, Yukina, Genkai and the rest will be here when you get back. That's the great thing about resonant media. It sticks around because people connect to it.

You can love them as long as you want to. They'll always be there. They're not going anywhere."

This mod would just like to add

No one shipping Yusuke x Keiko is sexualizing or exploiting minors; yes, even if the person shipping is 35 years old. These are cartoons, fictional, 2d drawings. If you want to play cute with "but they're 14!" No. Yusuke was created in 1992. He is 31.

If any of the above makes you, a minor, uncomfortable, then get out of adult spaces. Back in myyy day (que groans), any show I liked and looked at online had adult content, like Inuyasha or Naruto, even Teen Titans. I'd be 12 and see suddenly complete porn of Raven, and as a teen, I'd just exit out of it. Now, kids see things online, things they shouldn't see because the internet is NOT safe for kids without parental oversight, and their response is to... yell at the people making the content... for other adults.

If you wouldn't walk into Spencers and yell at the employees there for the vibrators, don't yell at adults drawing porn of Yukina and Hiei fucking. Exit out, or ask your mommy and daddy to put restrictions on what sites you can access. The internet is NOT your babysitter.

[sinningtree]

How do you feel about Kuwabara/Urameshi? Also hello new mutual!!

Hello! Honestly, my feelings lately have been that it's not as easy to find in the wild as it used to be! I think I've unintentionally jammed myself too far into the Kurama corner of fandom these days.

I queue things forever and still have over 800 drafts to sift through and tag, but...

Please enjoy a few posts that might illustrate my thoughts. Unfortunately, not every Kuwameshi post I've done, but some examples, at least.

ultimately, my answer to any ship question is going to be the same, no matter what:

[mugiwara-lucy]

I think my favorite aspect of the Dark Tournament is the High Stakes behind it!

Like Chapter Black is my favorite arc of YYH BUT I can't deny how amazing of an arc the Dark Tournament Arc is, especially with its place in anime history.

But getting back to what I said before; I really like how high in tension this arc is for all the good guys involved, ESPECIALLY compared to other anime.

Like unlike other Tournament Arcs, the other characters' lives weren't at stake if they didn't compete. For example; in Naruto, if he didn't compete in the Chunin Exams, Naruto wouldn't die if he didn't compete. In Dragon Ball, Goku's life wasn't in stake if he didn't compete in the World Martial Arts Tournament. In One Piece, if Luffy didn't compete in the Dressrosa Tournament, he wouldn't lose his life BUT in Yu Yu Hakusho; Yusuke and Co. were pretty much forced into fighting in the Dark Tournament and if they didn't, not only would THEY die but any and everyone they KNOW. NOT everyone they care about but everyone they KNOW. For Yusuke, he'd lose his Mom, Keiko, Mr. Takenaka and etc. For Kuwabara, he'd lose his sister and parents. For Hiei, he'd lose Yukina and Kurama would lose his human family.

What I'm trying to say is the Dark Tournament is a DAMN GREAT ARC!!

[drublol]

requesting yukiran hcs please! i love them dearly!

RAN MITAKE X YUKINA MINATO HEADCANONS

apologies for never posting !! ive been very busy, im trying my best to get these done each day at a time !! tysm for your patience ! i hope u enjoy this anon !!

Rivals to lovers... One of my favorite troupes! Despite the two's constant battle for the top, they both can't help but respect eachother's efforts.

Surprisingly enough, Yukina and Ran can understand eachother quite well. They can just stand in silence and they can immediately tell what's on the other's mind.

As time goes on, Ran finds herself growing more attached towards Roseila's vocalist. Little does she know that the feelings she has are mutual.

She keeps quiet about her feelings, hiding them deep down inside her-- In love? With Yukina Minato? No. Never! She hates it when the other members of Afterglow (especially moca) tease her about her crush.

It took her a bit to finally confess her feelings to Yukina, much to her surprise-- She was met with a quick kiss on the lips from the vocalist!

The two decided to keep their relationship a secret, unfortunately for them however-- Both Moca and Lisa found out pretty easily, so they each ended up telling their closest friend about the affair.

The two would frequently rent a room at CiRCLE, the reason why was because they wanted to do singing battles against eachother. It actually ends up being a great way to practice! The 'battles' end up lasting for a good while.

im so sorry if this was short !!! maybe in the near future ill end up remaking this, tbh... i was just feeling lazy-- i just hope it was enough to please you anon !! have a great day !

[smokeymochi]

Day 7: Sayonara/Final Farewell

For the last day, thought to do something angsty with this song. I thought of this playing in the background in the scene of @mystikoorime "The Dating Game Fic" when Hiei leaves for the Demon World. I added the excerpt from that scene.

Hiei stepped further into the temple's front yard where he was afforded the view of Botan saying her tearful goodbyes to the fox and the detective, wiping her watery eyes on the sleeves of her kimono as she sniffled.

He thought he would be able to cut her off easily, but when faced with her again, his resolve cracked and threatened to crumble entirely. With the ever-present threat of danger and death looming above them, it was easy for Hiei to justify his return to the ferry-girl and the rest of the group. He was doing it for the whole team and he was doing it for this world, because the threat was bigger than all of them and it needed his attention. But with Sensui gone and the world in peace again, he had no justification for his weakness. He had nothing and no one to blame his hesitation on but himself. He was still holding on, but he needed to let go if he ever expected to achieve the greatness that was due to him. Both he and Botan were holding on to the remnants of a relationship that should never have happened and it was time to let go.

He finally advanced towards her when she was away from the others, standing near enough for the portal to cast a blue glow over her features.

"Hiei…" she regarded him softly.

The sound of the airways rushing around within the portal reminded him that he was on a time limit. It would only remain open for a short while and there was no time for pleasantries or sugarcoated words. He could not prolong the inevitable any longer and he swallowed thickly before hardening his gaze and lifting it towards the ferry-girl.

"I want you to forget everything that happened between the two of us," he advised. "Unlike the fox and the detective, I don't plan on returning."

She stared back at him confusedly, brows drawn together as she frowned.

"But what about Yukina?"

"Yukina is safe," he said quietly, taking a moment to look over in her direction. She was talking with Kuwabara and smiling gently at something he had just said. "She's happy here and that's all that matters."

"But she still needs her brother, Hiei," Botan reasoned quietly. "You and I both know that she won't give up on her search for you."

Hiei's attention returned to the ferry-girl and he shook his head.

"I don't want to talk about that right now."

Botan bit her lip, contemplating her next words as her eyes drifted towards the grass below.

"You really won't come back?"

"I don't intend to."

"Oh," she said sullenly.

The wind rustling the trees and crickets chirping filled the silence between them. It was a calm night, one that they had earned after the near destruction of this world. Hiei's gaze wandered to the others as they said their goodbyes for a moment. There was a hint of sorrow and longing in the air. The gloomy atmosphere hardly suited their ragtag group.

"I hoped that we might be able to at least talk things through," she professed. "Even if it was all just a game to you, it still meant something to me."

"You're confusing our time together for something that it wasn't," he stated.

Her expression fell almost pitifully.

"What?"

He pressed his mouth into a thin line as he contemplated his next words. The lengths he had to go to let go of a mere ferry-girl were disturbing. He had to end it now and he knew exactly how to do so. He had never been one for lying and hiding the truth, but this would be his last lie.

"We aren't friends; we were barely acquaintances and forced allies. What I did to you was deceitful, but I do not regret the reasons behind my actions," Hiei began. "I'm not suited for this world or the life that it entails and when I found the chance for freedom, I took it. You were just an unfortunate casualty caught in the crossfire, nothing more."

"If I meant so little to you, then why are you still standing here, Hiei?" she asked. Her tone was angry, but he knew that her anger had only stemmed from a deep-seated pain caused by his callous words. He could see the hurt etched firmly in her features and reflected in her eyes but he resolved to ignore it as it beat within his own chest. "Why bother telling me any of this in the first place?"

"Consider it an apology or an explanation; take it as whatever you need it to be," Hiei directed. "It's time that we moved on from all of this."

Botan's expression eased into one of contemplation. There was a far off look in her amethyst eyes, as though she were remembering something important. He caught the sound of her voice drifting in the air between them and if he hadn't had such sensitive hearing, he surely would have missed it.

"Closure," she mumbled quietly to herself. "I guess this really is the end."

Something painful twisted inside of his chest upon processing her declaration. It was one thing for him to decide and accept their ending, but it was another feeling entirety when Botan was inclined to agree with him. He pushed aside his wavering thoughts as she looked back at him determinedly.

"I appreciate your honesty and I wish you well. Goodbye Hiei."

He should have opened his mouth to respond with the clichéd final goodbye, but the words caught in his throat. Instead he responded with a curt nod of his head before turning to face the swirling portal ahead. Each step felt heavier than the last and he determined that this hesitation would be his final weakness. Mustering up the last vestiges of his resolve, he entered the portal and passed through into the familiar atmosphere of the demon world.

If you want the EDM version here it is

[koalatysleep]

That time Togashi straight out told us the real story in YYH is in the subtext, through - what else - subtext 🤣

This was in the manga chapter immediately after Kuwabara seemingly defeated Toguro in the Yukina rescue mission, after he seemingly falls in love with her at first sight without even knowing her name or who she is. 🤣

In case you're wondering what this seemingly throwaway reminiscence from Togashi is referring to, here's the "translation" of his subtextual meaning: 🤣

Togashi in above notes: "I wasn't the type to blatantly and directly defy school regulations... I'm the type who live to defy the law in indirect and clever ways that eludes the notice of the teachers so I can play right under their noses without getting caught or having my fun (manga, games) taken away from me."

=

What Togashi means: "I'm not the type to blatantly defy the authorities like the censors or the powers that be at Shonen Jump by blatantly writing the real story in the main text, I'm the type who defies the authorities by cleverly hiding the real story in the subtext, which eludes the notice of the authorities so I can have fun right under their noses without losing publication or being forced to stop."

As though to make sure we understand that Yukina is a proxy character for Yusuke where Kuwabara's feelings are concerned, the official Chinese manga even has fourth wall dialogue to tell us through Hiei that Yukina was captured by slavers because she broke the rules to play with animals in the mountains and was easily discovered while playing.

Yup, Togashi told us through this fourth wall dialogue that he'd lose his freedom to play (i.e. tell the real story he wants to tell), just like Yukina lost her freedom, if he makes the Kuwameshi love story too easily detectable, coz that's against the rules. 😭

Also, the fact that Toguro was the one to inflict emotional torture on Yukina by killing her bird friends foreshadows how he's the one to torture Yusuke emotionally by killing Kuwabara in the dark tournament. Yup, the narrative itself uses Yukina as a proxy for Yusuke, just like Kuwabara expresses his feelings for Yusuke through the proxy of Yukina. And oh yeah, birds are a symbol of Kuwameshi romantic love in YYH anime. The depth of subtext is always mind blowing 🤯😜

As for what the real story is - well, Togashi & Anime Studio Pierrot told us this countless times throughout canon, through subtext that shows us what the real story is about, while telling us the narrative misdirection (i.e. the cover lie) of what the story seems to be about, fourth wall dialogue that straight out tells us things they want to make sure we don't miss 🤣, sequence of events which reveal cause-&-effect and thus True Character Motivations, mirror & proxy characters, body language cues, even lighting & background music of scenes, choice of clothing & colors for characters, etc.

Ya know, basically all the same techniques that are used in storytelling outside of anime in good live action films & series for adults, which makes YYH a Truly Great Work of Art that bears repeated viewings, because the subtext is so rich & deep, I guarantee it will blow your mind ;P

If you take nothing else from this post & ain't the type to read meta or subtext, just "trust me bro" on this 🤣- YYH is about Life and what makes life worth living, Death and what's worth dying for, all the ways in which we can destroy ourselves and each other, all the ways in which we can save ourselves and each other, the complex nuances and grey areas that people exist in outside of the simple duality of "Good" vs "Bad", Kindness, Mercy, living by your own Moral Code and standing up for it, Friendship, Family both biological and found, Humor, Tragedy, Marginalized & Misunderstood people and how at the end of the day we're more alike than we think, all the bittersweet ways Life can break your heart while filling it to the brim... but most of all, Yu Yu Hakusho is about LOVE.

Tagging @sadique-angel coz you enjoy YYH subtext and the way Togashi did it here with his seemingly throwaway reminiscence is brilliant 🤣❤️👌

[yyh4ever]

Hello, Does yu yu hakusho also have Drama CDs?

Yu Yu Hakusho DRAMA CDS

There are two "Yu Yu Hakusho Shueisha Drama CD" released in 2004 and 2005. The voice actors are all the same as the anime version.

CD 01: December 2004

TRACKS

Spirit Detective Saga: the encounter between Yusuke, Kurama, and Hiei

01. Sanbiki no Youkai (Three Youkai)

02. Kizuna (Bonds)

03. Jagan no Otoko (The man with the evil eye)

TWO Shots Gaiden

04. Sesshoku (Contact)

05. Kyoutou (Joint Struggle)

CAST

Yusuke Urameshi: Nozomi Sasaki

Kazuma Kuwabara: Shigeru Chiba

Kurama: Megumi Ogata

Hiei: Nobuyuki Hiyama

Keiko Yukimura: Yuri Amano

Botan: Sanae Miyuki

Gouki: Norio Wakamoto

Shiori Minamino: Kumiko Takizawa

Mirror of Darkness: Tomonichi Nishimura

Maya Kitajima: Yuki Matsuoka

Yatsude: Osamu Kato

Hedoki: Ikuo Nishikawa

CD 2: March 2005

Inter-dimensional Cannon Arc (events from the epilogue of the manga)

Yusuke is spending his peaceful days running a ramen stand when he receives news that Genkai has collapsed. Furthermore, the Gate of Judgment in the Spirit World is occupied by those who seek the elimination of youkai from the Human World and the re-establishment of the barrier between the Demon World and Human World. If their demands are not accepted, they say they will fire the inter-dimensional cannon into the Human World. Yusuke and his friends gather together again and head to the Spirit World, but...

TRACKS

01. day by day

02. Reikai e (To the Spirit World)

03. Gekitotsu (Clash)

04. Noru ka Soru ka (All or Nothing)

05. Sore kara (And then...)

06. Messages from the VA: Nozomu Sasaki, Shigeru Chiba, Megumi Ogata and Nobuyuki Hiyama

CAST

Yusuke Urameshi: Nozomi Sasaki

Kazuma Kuwabara: Shigeru Chiba

Kurama: Megumi Ogata

Hiei: Nobuyuki Hiyama

Genkai: Hisako Kyouda

Botan: Sanae Miyuki

Keiko Yukimura: Yuri Amano

Atsuko Urameshi: Yoko Soumi

Shizuru Kuwabara: Ai Orikasa

Yukina: Yuri Shiratori

Otake: Hidetoshi Nakamura

It's great that after more than 10 years, "Two Shots" and "All or nothing" were finally made into OVAs in 2018.

There's also an original mini drama story written and directed by Shigeru Chiba (Kazuma Kuwabara VA). Part 1 was released in the Music Battle Edition 2 (1994), and Part 2 in the Yu Yu Hakusho Memorial CD BOX (1995). The cast is Yusuke, Kuwabara, Hiei, Kurama and Botan.

"Yu Yu Hakusho Special Mini Drama ~ The Hungry Warriors" (Part 1 & 2)

This is a drama that makes fun of the lack of eating scenes in anime, where Yusuke and his friends argue over what to eat. Among them, Hiei wants to eat monjayaki. In the manga, when Hiei melted Bui's axe, Kuwabara says "It melted like chocolate''. In the anime, his line was changed to "It melted like monjayaki''. So, it was probably an in-joke between the voice actors, using the mini drama as reference.

I don't know if there's any translations. I remember someone told me they were translating the mini drama, but I haven't heard anything since then. Does anyone know if there's any translations?