🐱 ‘They Didn’t Learn From Cowboy Bebop’: Netflix Confirms Yu Yu Hakusho Getting Live-Action Adaption

https://www.animatedtimes.com/they-didnt-learn-from-cowboy-bebop-netflix-confirms-yu-yu-hakusho-getting-live-action-adaption-fans-convinced-it-will-be-butchered/

The Netflix live-action adaptation of the Japanese anime series Yu Yu Hakusho was announced last year and has been in the works for quite some time now. It was no secret either, as set pictures were making the rounds on Instagram.

However, the latest announcement of Yu Yu Hakusho officially returning along with the first live-action poster on Twitter does amount to something and it has the internet abuzz. So far, one casting choice has been announced and it is for the main character, Yusuke Urameshi, who will be played by Tokyo Revengers‘ Takumi Kitamura, as revealed by IGN.

A surprise from the underworld.
The legendary manga is returning as a live action series. The main roles for Yu Yu Hakusho will be revealed soon… pic.twitter.com/bUp2Q6FV2l
— IGN (@IGN) July 16, 2022

The legacy of Yu Yu Hakusho​

Yu Yu Hakusho is an anime classic; its manga first came in 1990 and was an instant hit worldwide. The plot entailed a high school student losing his life while saving a young child from a traffic accident but being given a chance to get resurrected. He rises from the grave to become a spirit detective. The Anime adaptation was a masterpiece as well, with over a hundred episodes and what is often believed to be one of the best Shonen arcs of all time. The manga and series have a hefty and huge legacy. A live-action adaptation, and that too by Netflix is a big blank question mark.

Netflix has a taste for sloppy live-actions​

Netflix’s disaster diary (may we call it a “Cancel NOTE”…) had another recent utterly failed attempt – the Cowboy Bebop live-action adaptation. The show, much like Yu Yu Hakusho, holds a great legacy but the live-action was a bland and over-ambitious project. The anime series had archetype characters that the creator tried to evolve into fully-rounded beings– haphazardly recasting two characters as queer and black, respectively; a deliberate and forced attempt at LGBTQ+ and POC representation. The creator is entitled to their own revised representation and no absolute fidelity is owed to the original work, but it is the unsatisfactory product that has nothing redeeming to it. The humor is dry and the writing is sloppy. In conclusion, a big flop and nothing else, the fans are testaments to the fact.

The announcement of One Piece’s live-action Netflix adaptation too has garnered mixed reactions so far. Still in the making, we have time before we can say anything concrete about it.

Not content with ruining Cowboy Bebop, netflix announces live action Yu Yu Hakusho
— Quentin Tarantado (@cautiontvpe) July 16, 2022

What Netflix actually has, is the AUDACITY​

What is the most surprising fact is the perseverance and audacity with which Netflix is AT IT. We mean the pretty unhealthy obsession with creating live-action remakes, especially considering how extremely terrible they’ve been turning out so far. Mistakes make people grow but Netflix refuses to take note and learn from their previous mistakes. Or maybe, (a big “what if?!”) Netflix is actually banking on hate-watchers now? Because the fans have had anything but a positive reaction since the live-action was announced.

I’ve watched half of Yu Yu Hakusho to actually believe it’s doable to make it a life adaptation without the need of horrendous CGI to accommodate for super unrealistic effects
Still, all the live actions that have happened thus far are disappointing so my expectations are low
— Devon Izzo (@ShinobiFPS) July 16, 2022

Yu Yu Hakusho is getting a live action remake! Wake me up from this nightmare. I don’t need to see my favorite anime get remade into live action. pic.twitter.com/rLbT2xT1VK
— Robbay (@Robbay100) July 16, 2022

Netflix is really out here creating incredible shows that people love only to cancel them after one season to save money to make
*checks notes*
live action Yu Yu Hakusho

— TheGinachu (@TheGinachu) July 16, 2022

For some fans, it’s not so much the fact that the anime is getting adapted into a live-action project but it is Netflix holding the reigns that’s the deal-breaker for them.

"Yu Yu Hakusho is coming back!" oh shit oh fuck u real!
"….assssssss a netflix live action!" FUCK
— 2% Baja Bilk (@BajamothBlast) July 16, 2022

Yu Yu Hakusho live-action is one thing, but a Netflix adaptation? Darn it! Anything they touch is bound to be ruined… at least, that was the case with the series I love.
I guess my prejudice against whatever that company produces is never going away.
— non (@icedd_latte) July 16, 2022

For some, the adaptation is the deliberate desecration of something holy. Our sincere condolences.

Netflix making a live action Yu Yu Hakusho now. Why? Is nothing sacred? Have any of the live action anime remakes been good or well-received?
— Fatemaker Felix (@LetsGo_Felix) July 16, 2022

Even the people who haven’t watched the anime are dead sure of live-action being a shit show.

I haven’t seen Yu Yu Hakusho. And I can still tell you that just making a live action Netflix Adaptation is a terrible idea. https://t.co/x56twvCeMC
— Snelldor (@Snelldor) July 16, 2022

With no hopes in our hearts and expectations lower than the sea level during a low tide, let’s see in what ways Netflix massacres our boy.

 

[bebopsingh]

From the pics of the cast it could turn to be decent atleast.

Of course there'll be articles saying on how the cast is too Japanese and in turn too white and needed the darkest of dark actors and trans biracial who is a lesbian and non gender binary.

 

[Wooper]

No one mentioned it but I can see them making Botan black. Who joins the team and is actually stronger than anyone else in the group. "I'm a witch bitch!" She shouts as she blasts a demon about to kill Yusuke. All of these new shows like to actually make the show about some character who is not the main character because the writers would rather make a show about teenagers sexuality or transition.

 

[Honka Honka Burning Love]

Guys guys

Genki will be black, and played by Queen Latifa.

YO HO HO HO HO

*runs out of thread*

 

[Atatata]

Isn't this a Japanese adaption? I dont think it really matters, then. Japanese live action stuff tends to just be fun low budget stuff on the side, from what I can tell.
Mob Psycho, Attack on Titan, Jojo, Full Metal Alchemist, and as the article mentions, Tokyo Revengers, all got live action adaptions that were various stages of "oh, that exists".
Might as well be shocked at the various musical live action adaptions too.
Only be worried when Americans are involved with the production.

 

[Nate Higgers]

No one mentioned it but I can see them making Botan black. Who joins the team and is actually stronger than anyone else in the group. "I'm a witch bitch!" She shouts as she blasts a demon about to kill Yusuke. All of these new shows like to actually make the show about some character who is not the main character because the writers would rather make a show about teenagers sexuality or transition.

Guys guys

Genki will be black, and played by Queen Latifa.

YO HO HO HO HO

*runs out of thread*

Probably the most likely. Botan will be some “hAAAAAAAAAAAAyyyyyy wuzzup y’all! So, um, imma be real wit’chu bruh: you dead. Like, dead-dead” goofy “funny” character probably played by Tiffany Haddish

And then Genki will be the wise sassy black old lady played by Lunell

 

[augment]

The bright side, is that this might spark interest among zoomers to read the manga or watch the anime.

 

[Muttnik]

All this bullshit and we still never got to see Del Toro adapt Monster.

 

[Jonah Hill poster]

One things for certain, they will not show you this in the live action version of YYH:

 

[God of Nothing]

The bright side, is that this might spark interest among zoomers to read the manga or watch the anime.

They grew up in an era where manga and anime are mainstream; they already know.
fucking hell, the ignorance of how zoomies actually are on this site

 

[Dysnomia]

Place your bets on who's gonna be blackwashed. I bet it will be Kuwabara.
Also, one woman from the supporting cast will hog the spotlight to herself, because girlboss. Either Botan or Yusuke's on-and-off girlfriend.

I can sadly see him being blackwashed. I haven't seen the anime. But I enjoyed the PAD colab and will probably check it out soon.

Is there anyone they can troon out? Because they're gonna want a troon or at least LGBT it up in some way.

 

[PS1gamenwatch]

It will be based on the Philippine dub which has Western names

It will be Eugene, Alfred, Vincent and Dennis/Denice.

 

[Daddy's Little Kitten]

Is there anyone they can troon out? Because they're gonna want a troon or at least LGBT it up in some way.

Kurama. He'll be a tranny nigger.

 

[Screw Danlon]

They Didn’t Learn From Cowboy Bebop​

Unfortunately for them, the audiences did. I give it 3 episodes before cancellation

I don’t personally think YYH is as good as Bebop. That said, I think a competant Western director who cares could make a good Cowboy Bebop movie or show- the series has a Japanese weirdness, but it’s strongly rooted in Western pop culture. Watanabe-san is clearly a Westaboo.

YYH is so profoundly Japanese that as an anime neophyte it almost didn’t make sense to me - there are so many symbolisms and allusions that are rooted in the culture. I don’t think a Western director could even make a stab at it.

 

[God's drunkest driver]

They'll make Genkai black and Kurama a troon or a gay. The Toguros and Sensui will probably be straight white bigot trump supporters.

 

[Dysnomia]

Unfortunately for them, the audiences did. I give it 3 episodes before cancellation

I don’t personally think YYH is as good as Bebop. That said, I think a competant Western director who cares could make a good Cowboy Bebop movie or show- the series has a Japanese weirdness, but it’s strongly rooted in Western pop culture. Watanabe-san is clearly a Westaboo.

YYH is so profoundly Japanese that as an anime neophyte it almost didn’t make sense to me - there are so many symbolisms and allusions that are rooted in the culture. I don’t think a Western director could even make a stab at it.

Can't wait for the "It's not supposed to be good" cope.

They'll have to tone that down for normies. So it will lose appeal with anyone into those cultural references.

 

[A Happy Cheerful]

I am surprised they consider Yuyu Hakusho a worthwhile series to invest in, even within shonen it's middle of the pack at best and mostly forgotten in favor of HxH by now. Can't wait to see netflix waste their time adapting shows literally no one knows about like Zenki or Birdie the Mighty because after a while that's the only kind of licenses they will be able to get

 

[Drag-on Knight 91873]

There's no way they don't fuck this up even harder than Cowboy Bebop. The more divorced from real life a property is, the more difficult it is for Hollywood to wrap its brain around it. Cowboy Bebop is considered among the more grounded anime out there, now they're going for wacky high concept spirit world shit. They took a shadowy, mystery villain character and made him a Saturday morning cartoon misogynist.

Rudy Ray Moore would have made a better Cowboy Bebop series. Spirits and ghosts and shit is way too East Asian for White people to understand.

 

[Titos]

This does not make me smile, this does not make my heart explode. They're gonna make Kuwabara a nigger, you know it. Botan will be a tranny.

 

[HOMO FOR LIFE]

Next you are gonna tell me they are gonna do Evangelion live action ...


..........fuck.

 

[Tasty Tatty]

Heh, I'm glad never watched this one and I have zero emotional attachment to this franchise.

But I agree, Netflix wont' ever learn their lessons. I'm gonna wait for when they decide to adapt some mecha, any mecha, and the actual robot is played by that black troon in a wheelchair.