The success of Netflix’s One Piece (2023) brought a lot of anticipation for the other manga and anime that are next to get live action series adaptations—including Yu Yu Hakusho, which debuted on December 14, 2023. A lot of fans are pleased with this adaptation, even if there are some deviations.
Fans were quick to note that Yusuke was violently crushed to death by a truck, compared to the original anime, where he was run over by a smaller car instead. It looks like Netflix made the judgment call to make Yusuke look as heroic as possible.
There is also an English dub for the live-action version, in case English-speaking fans just want to kick back and watch the series without having to read the subtitles.
Although the cast for the English dub of the Netflix series isn’t the same as Yu Yu Hakusho’s initial anime cast, there’s no doubt that the English voice actors of the latest version gave their all for their roles, and the cast is packed with familiar voices from anime series, video games, and movies. Khoi Dao, the renowned voice actor of Albedo from Genshin Impact, voiced the main character, Yusuke Urameshi. Ryan Colt Levy, who voiced Denji from Chainsaw Man, took on the role of Kazuma Kuwabara—Yusuke’s friendly rival.
Yoko Kurama, on the other hand, is voiced by Johnny Yong Bosch, known for his roles as Ichigo Kurasaki from Bleach and Lelouch Vi Britannica from Code Geass. Hiei, one of Yusuke’s rivals, is voiced by Toru Uchikado, who is known for his stint as Taka in the Castlevania series. Yukina, the twin of Hiei, is voiced by Xanthe Huynh, who worked on Aggretsuko, Sword Art Online, and Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day.
Okubo, Yusuke’s comedic sidekick, was voiced by Joe Hernandez, known best for his role as Yunobo in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Sawamura, the faithful friend of Kuwabara, is voiced by Alan Lee, who voiced several characters in Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Swordsmith Village Arc, and Crisis Core – Final Fantasy VII Reunion.
Stephen Fu, who played Naofumi in Rising of the Shield Hero, was given the role of Koenma. Botan, the Spirit Guide of Yusuke, was voiced by Courtney Lin, who was known for voicing various roles in the anime series Heavenly Delusion.
Keiko Yukimura, Yusuke’s childhood friend, was voiced by Jennie Kwan, who also voiced Chun-Li in Street Fighter VI. Yusuke’s mother, Atsuko Urameshi, was voiced by Noji Minae, known for her roles in Bojack Horseman, Tales of Berseria, and Lupin the 3rd: Part VI. Meanwhile, Shiori Minamino is voiced by Jenny Yokobori, best known for her role as Yoimiya in Genshin Impact.
Sakyo, the mysterious villain with a scar, was voiced by actor Vic Chao. Tarukane Gonzo, Sakyo’s affiliate, was Frank Todaro, who is known for his roles in the Transformers series and JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure.
Kaiji Tang, the voice actor of Gojo Satoru from Jujutsu Kaisen, dubbed multiple roles for the series. He voiced Kirishima, Goki, and the younger version of Toguro. The voice actor for the older Toguro is none other than Keith Silverstein, who voiced Hisoka from HunterXHunter and Zhongli from Genshin Impact.
Needless to say, those who want to zone out and watch Yu Yu Hakusho (2023) won’t be disappointed with these voice actors.
(featured image: Netflix)
