Modern anime has changed a lot. It has not been very noticeable, but at some point, viewers started to prefer the trope of ‘being beaten to an inch away from death and then powering up to destroy the enemy.’ This is indeed a fun trope, but if combat is all about endless powerups and plot armor, then the action sequences do not seem fun anymore.
Not just the viewers, even the creators have become obsessed with flashy fights, loud power-ups, and last-minute transformations that are not rooted in logic.
This is not an isolated incident; it can be seen from Luffy’s Gear 5 hype to Naruto’s Baryon Mode. Shonen battles are definitely ones that make your blood pump faster while giving you that thrill. But when it is overdone, everything feels generic and expected.
Why Yu Yu Hakusho’s combat stands out
In a genre that is now hell-bent on relying on spectacle and visual impact rather than strategy or meaningful logic, the old generation of Shonen works stands as a stellar example of how it is supposed to be done.
While it might not be everyone’s cup of tea to watch anime with animation quality from three decades ago, anime veterans know that the classics stand far above contemporary modern works.
Yu Yu Hakusho, a work of the master Yoshihiro Togashi, has always been different from these works. Is it flashy? Yes. Does it have fascinating powers and visual impact? Yes. But they are well-paced and only shown when the narrative deems it necessary.
Most of the combat that is shown has a lot of contemplation from both sides, be it the protagonists or the opponents, they are all playing an invisible chess game. They are constantly calculating what moves the opponent can make and how to counter them.
A protagonist who actually thinks
Even if the protagonist, Yusuke Urameshi, is a delinquent, he has talent when it comes to fighting and combat. Be it the test of Granny Genkai in the Dark Forest or the Tournament Arc, it is full of spectacular action sequences. But they are all rooted in knowledge, practice, and logic.
This is the kind of standard that should be followed by the modern anime. If the intricate details of the plot are overwhelmed by the need to impact the viewers by powering up for the nth time, then the series proves that it has very little reliability.
Yu Yu Hakusho might be a great example, but it is a classic that not many would watch (even though it is the work of the author who gave us Hunter X Hunter). But with a remake, the series has a chance to rewind time and show everyone what true action storytelling looks like and how it should be done.
This impact is necessary to correct both parties, the creators and the viewers. To include fights where intelligence, tactics, and stratagems are employed instead of unlocking a seal or a hidden bloodline in the name of ‘pressure’ (it is really just plot armor).
Yu Yu Hakusho is available to read on Viz Media, and the anime is available to stream on Hulu.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
