Customer Reviews

Yu Yu Hakusho - The Saga of the Three Kings

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'll be the first to admit my bias in this review: I am a die hard Yu Yu Hakusho fan, with fanfiction to prove it. When this final box set arrived at my front door I was hyperventalating with excitement. But enough about me, on to the product. I have found that YYH, as a TV show, becomes better as it goes, and I thought it was great from the start. With this particular series, it is the characters and the writing that make it so extraordinary. This is true in the Three Kings saga more than any other; all the characters (especially the fan favorites, Hiei and Kurama) are put into greater detail. Even Kuwabara, who unfortunately (yes, UNFORTUNATELY) does not appear much in this story arch has his own development. In brief, these episodes are chock full of heart-wrenching, knee-slapping, and misty-eyed moments. The worst part is to see it finish, but as Yusuke states, "like days off of school, TV shows, and all good things", this story must come to an end. (It's ironic how this is my last day of Spring break and I'm reviewing the final episodes of YYH...)

This is a must buy for any YYH fan, and if you are not a YYH fan, become one.

Where to begin with this. Well first I don't actually own the box set but i do own the uncut dvds. Also as expected if you haven't watched the last hundred forty episodes that are prior to this box set you'll be completely lost so don't even try it. This series is not for kids, there are demons, grotesc death, people being beat to death that kind of thing, so keep this out of the hand of the kiddes.

Now then where to begin. Yu yu hakusho is one of those rare series that run over a hundred episodes and still hasn't run out of steam by the end of the series. As the last season of one of the greatest anime ever it finally reveals that past of two of the main chacters. All though one of the main characters is mia for most of the season, it actually works better that way. it gives a full explaination for everyone's action and their future leaving really no question unanswered, though leaves some things open for a sequal, someday maybe.

Now then onto the actual review. The animation is some of the best you can find for the time peroid but it is nearly ten years old so don't be expecting yourself to be dazzeled. The music is flawless as are the sound effects. The voice acting really couldn't get better each fit their characters perfecty, as to be expected by this time. The story is one of the most interesting and intricate i've ever seen. The action is on par with pre-Majinboo DBZ,in other words some of the best you will find any where in any genre. Character design is well done and it's pretty easy to conect on a personal level with each character. The series is more or less perfect and the three kings saga is the best out of the entire series as a final season should be.

In all if you have the money, like action shows and have seen the rest of the series then buy this one youy won't regret it. If you don't own the rest of the series go b8uy it, yes there five or six box sets for $60 each but its well worth the money.

As a die-hard YYH fan, I can say that this saga delivers an incredible, yet, bittersweet end to this great anime. Great story, great animation, and particularly tremendous action -- a must for YYH fans.

Yusuke Urameshi has kicked the butts of the most powerful demons and humans in the world, and now he's got some more personal issues to deal with. "Yu Yu Hakusho - The Saga of the Three Kings" is not quite as fascinating as the arcs that came before it, but it's a suitable, pleasant ending for the series.

After the events of the Chapter Black Saga, Yusuke seeks out the first Spirit Detective for advice on what to do next -- only to be contacted by three men who represent Raizen, one of the great demon kings of Makai. Raizen also happens to be Yusuke's ancestor -- and he's dying, and he wants Yusuke to be his successor.

In the meantime, Kurama and Hiei are contacted by the two other overlords of Makai, Yomi and Mukuro. Yomi turns out to be a figure from Kurama's bloody past, who blackmails his old partner into assisting him; meanwhile, Mukuro pits Hiei against the man who gave him his Jagan eye, to see if he's worthy of being her lieutenant.

Unfortunately when Raizen finally expires, a power vacuum opens in Makai and a war seems imminent -- until Yusuke comes up with a novel way of determining who will rule Makai. You guessed it: another tournament! With the most powerful demons of Makai coming to fight, Yusuke, Kurama and Hiei are up for some nasty battles -- and those battles will determine how they live their lives.

"Yu Yu Hakusho's" final arc is a solid one -- although after the seamless, harrowing finale of the whole Black Chapter arc, it's a bit of a letdown when the focus shifts to political strife and exploring the clashing pasts/presents/futures of the three demonic lead characters.

It revs up about halfway through the arc, with some impressive one-on-one fights between both old characters and new. And there are some moments of tragedy (Hiei's infancy) as well as hilarious comedy (some girls mistaking Kurama for a woman... a tall, broad-shouldered, flat-chested woman). And it ends on a mellow note, winding down the various character arcs and revealing how the characters are doing, wherever they are. A few of these are actually a bit surprising, but it all fits nicely.

In many ways, the characters finally grow up in this arc. Yusuke becomes more mature and more powerful here -- and aware of how threatening his newfound power is. What's more, despite still being a hotheaded punk who loves fighting, he's learned to avoid conflict when it could actually harm somebody.Kuwabara is absent for much of the arc, but we get to see how close he and Yusuke have become.

But Kurama and Hiei get the most attention: Kurama faces his past as a ruthless bandit and his split personality, and has to choose the life he'll embrace. And Hiei has to face his cruel past, and almost dies fighting the man who gave him the Jagan. And our favorite three-eyed demon becomes close to a woman with a past even more ghastly than his -- which is saying something. Remember when he wouldn't have ANY friends, let alone a love interest?

"Yu Yu Hakusho - The Saga of the Three Kings" is an all-around solid ending to a much-beloved series, with loads of brutal action and surprising revelations.

Okay, this is a good ending to a good series. Why did I only give it 3 stars well:

Pros: great info into the characters pasts, good animation for the day(1992-1995), good back story, a good ending to a good series, more grey than simply good and evil.

Cons: Horrible chiches and annoying concepts (i.e. flying, energy blasts, speed lines, etc.), some lazy/spotty animation, tournament concept feels very overplayed after dark tounement, series kind of hard to get into at this point.

Though, regularly I'd give it 4 or 5 stars, the cons defatly outwheigh the pros and to be honest I really wouldn't recomend it to anyone who doesn't already like the series.