There are two

feature film A feature film or feature-length film is a narrative film (motion picture or "movie") with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole presentation in a commercial entertainment program. The term ''feature film'' originall ...

s based on the

manga Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...

and

anime is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...

series '' Yu Yu Hakusho'' by

Yoshihiro Togashi is a Japanese manga artist. He began drawing manga at an early age, before being recognized for his talent by publishing company Shueisha while attending college. Togashi has authored several manga series in different genres during the past thr ...

. The films were produced by

Studio Pierrot is a Japanese animation studio established in May 1979 by former employees of both Tatsunoko Production and Mushi Production. Its headquarters are located in Mitaka, Tokyo. Pierrot is renowned for several worldwide popular anime series, such as ...

and released in Japan theatrically, the first ''Yu Yu Hakusho: The Movie'' in 1993 and the second ''Yu Yu Hakusho the Movie: Poltergeist Report'' in 1994. Before Funimation Entertainment acquired the rights to the anime in 2001, the films were dubbed and released in North America by two other companies. The first by

Anime Works Media Blasters, sometimes abbreviated as MB, is an American entertainment corporation that was founded by John Sirabella in 1997 and is based in New York City. It is in the business of licensing, translating, and releasing to the North American ...

and the second by

US Manga Corps Central Park Media, often abbreviated as CPM, was an American multimedia entertainment company based in New York City, New York and was headquartered in the 250 West 57th Street building in Midtown Manhattan (on the corner of Central Park, hence ...

, both released in 1998. However, the first film and the

OVA , abbreviated as OVA and sometimes as OAV (original animation video), are Japanese animated films and series made specially for release in home video formats without prior showings on television or in theaters, though the first part of an OVA s ...

s (''Eizou Hakusho'' I and II) have since been acquired by Funimation and they produced a new English dub of the film using their original cast from the anime. These were released together as ''Yu Yu Hakusho: The Movie & Eizou Hakusho'' on December 13, 2011.

''Yu Yu Hakusho: The Movie''

''Yu Yu Hakusho: The Movie'', also known as ''The Golden Seal'', is a 30-minute film that was released theatrically in Japan on July 10, 1993 at the seasonal Toei Anime Fair. The movie was directed by Noriyuki Abe. The movie was

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

dubbed by

and

Animaze Animaze.. iNC was an American production company known for producing English language dubs for many high profile anime series, such as '' Cowboy Bebop'', ''Trigun'', ''Code Geass'', and ''Wolf's Rain'', and video games, such as '' Xenosaga Epis ...

and released on VHS on June 9, 1998 and on a single

DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kin ...

with '' Ninku: The Movie'' on January 30, 2001. Funimation Entertainment later released the film to DVD, along with the ''Eizou Hakusho'' OVAs, on December 13, 2011 as ''Yu Yu Hakusho: The Movie & Eizou Hakusho'', featuring a new English dub with their original voice cast from the anime. Like the television series, it features the songs "Smile Bomb" and "Sayonara Bye Bye" by

Matsuko Mawatari is a Japanese pop singer-songwriter. Life and works She is known for having written " Hohoemi no Bakudan" (Smile Bomb), which is the opening theme for the ''YuYu Hakusho is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yos ...

(Sarah White and

Stephanie Nadolny Stephanie Nadolny is an American voice actress, known for her English dubbing role as the child version of Son Goku, the protagonist of the ''Dragon Ball'' series and the child version of Goku's son, Son Gohan, in ''Dragon Ball Z''. She repri ...

in the FUNimation English version) for its opening and closing credits respectively.

Plot

While vacationing,

Koenma The ''YuYu Hakusho'' manga series features a diverse cast of fictional characters created by Yoshihiro Togashi. It follows fourteen-year-old junior high school delinquent Yusuke Urameshi, who dies and is resurrected in order to become the Underw ...

is kidnapped by a pair of demons known as Koashura and Garuga, who demand the possession of Lord Enma's coveted "Golden Seal". Botan finds Yusuke Urameshi and

Kazuma Kuwabara The ''YuYu Hakusho'' manga series features a diverse cast of fictional characters created by Yoshihiro Togashi. It follows fourteen-year-old junior high school delinquent Yusuke Urameshi, who dies and is resurrected in order to become the Underw ...

on their summer vacation as well, and asks for their assistance in Koenma's rescue.

Voice cast

Reception

According to Martin Ouelette of ''

Protoculture Addicts ''Protoculture Addicts'' was a Canadian-based anime and manga themed magazine published by Protoculture Inc., an Anime News Network company. The term "Protoculture Addicts" was also used by the Zentradi (an alien race that appeared in the ''Macro ...

'', the movie did little to satisfy fans of the ''YuYu Hakusho'' series during its original release due to its short running time. Reviewing the Funimation release, Carl Kimlinger of

Anime News Network Anime News Network (ANN) is a news website that reports on the status of anime, manga, video games, Japanese popular music and other related cultures within North America, Australia, Southeast Asia and Japan. The website offers reviews and oth ...

gave the subtitled version a "B+", the English dub a straight "B", and called the story disposable stating the film is more focused on "having fun with its theatrical budget".

''Yu Yu Hakusho the Movie: Poltergeist Report''

''Yu Yu Hakusho the Movie: Poltergeist Report'', known in Japan as , is the second of the films based on the series. The 95 minutes long film was released in theaters in Japan on April 9, 1994. The film was later dubbed into English by

Central Park Media Central Park Media, often abbreviated as CPM, was an American multimedia entertainment company based in New York City, New York and was headquartered in the 250 West 57th Street building in Midtown Manhattan (on the corner of Central Park, hence ...

and Skypilot Entertainment and was released on VHS on March 3, 1998 and DVD on October 8, 2002. A DVD reprint was later issued by Central Park Media on January 31, 2006. The film was later released on Blu-ray as a part of the ''Yu Yu Hakusho: 25th Anniversary Box'' collection on July 27, 2018. The film features the ending theme "

Sayonara wa Iwanai is a Japanese rock band formed in 1983 by lead vocalist Jill, guitarist Tsukasa Tanaka, bassist Mitsugu Watanabe, and drummer Tsutomu Fujita. In 1992, Tanaka left the band and was replaced by Takeshi Honda. Members Current members * (vocals, ...

" composed by JILL and sung by

Personz is a Japanese rock band formed in 1983 by lead vocalist Jill, guitarist Tsukasa Tanaka, bassist Mitsugu Watanabe, and drummer Tsutomu Fujita. In 1992, Tanaka left the band and was replaced by Takeshi Honda. Members Current members * (vocals, ...

Plot

The story begins in the Spirit World, where the

River Styx In Greek mythology, Styx (; grc, Στύξ ) is a river that forms the boundary between Earth (Gaia) and the Underworld. The rivers Acheron, Cocytus, Lethe, Phlegethon, and Styx all converge at the centre of the underworld on a great marsh, whic ...

is overflowing, due to a tsunami. As this is no ordinary storm, Koenma gives a mysterious item to Botan, and tells her to give it to Yusuke Urameshi, but Botan gets hurt badly and hides it instead. The storm was apparently caused by the forces of the Netherworld, which was banished into cold space ages ago by Lord Enma. To restore balance in the now flooded Spirit World and with Hinegashi's guidance, Yusuke and the others must track down five spots on Earth that contain a large amount of spiritual energy. However, their mission is thwarted when the ruler of the Netherworld, Yakumo and his three demon gods decide to use the same energy to restore their place on Earth. The race begins to save the Spirit World, and now the Human World as well.

Voice cast

Reception

Reviewing the 2002 DVD release, Allen Divers of Anime News Network gave the subtitled version a "B" and the dubbed version a "C". He noted that the film has all the action, drama and comedy that makes the TV series great, but with higher animation and artwork due to a theatrical budget. Divers stated that the dub was well-done and close to the original Japanese, but said it was disappointing that a different English voice cast from the TV series was used. The VHS version was the 31st-best selling video during its release week in North America. It fell to number 37 the following week and rose to number 34 the third week.

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Yuyu Hakusho Films

films A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

Yu Yu Hakusho: The Movie Yu Yu Hakusho: The Movie Anime films based on manga Funimation Medialink Yu Yu Hakusho the Movie: Poltergeist Report Pierrot (company)