Rating summary
| Movie |  | 3.5 |
| Video | | 3.5 |
| Audio |  | 4.0 |
| Extras | | 4.0 |
| Overall | | 4.0 |
Yu Yu Hakusho: The Complete Second Season Blu-ray Movie Review
The second season of Yu Yu Hakusho arrives in a stunning steelbook presentation
Reviewed by Neil Lumbard April 3, 2020
A spectacular anime in every sense of the word, Yu Yu Hakusho is one of the best Shonen action series ever made. The story centers upon the troubled teenager Yusuke Urameshi. After seeing a young kid crossing the street unattended, Yusuke risks his life to push the child out out of way of the incoming traffic and dies a tragic death. Entering the Spirit World, Yusuke finds himself tossed into a spirit detective role alongside a group of heroes who fight the worst demons the world has ever seen. Featuring breathtaking animation, outstanding music, exceptional character designs, and remarkable characters, Yu Yu Hakusho is an essential 90's gem that has stood the test of time as a defining classic of the genre.
The Journey Continues
For more information on Yu Yu Hakusho please refer to the original Season 2 Blu-ray.com review by my colleague Jeffrey Kauffman.
Yu Yu Hakusho: The Complete Second Season Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality
The release includes the same picture-quality found on the original Blu-ray release reviewed by my colleague Jeffrey Kauffman. For more information on the picture-quality please refer to the Blu-ray.com review.
Yu Yu Hakusho: The Complete Second Season Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality
The release includes the same audio-quality found on the original Blu-ray release reviewed by my colleague Jeffrey Kauffman. For more information on the audio-quality please refer to the Blu-ray.com review.
Yu Yu Hakusho: The Complete Second Season Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras
The release includes the same selection of supplemental features included on the previous Season 2 Blu-ray release reviewed by my colleague Jeffrey Kauffman. For more information on these extras please refer to the Blu-ray.com review.
NEW to the special edition:
The release is packaged with gorgeous Steelbook packaging. The unique artwork for the release was illustrated by Yu Yu Hakusho animator Masaaki Kannan. The artwork features Hiei in a supernatural position that is sure to please die-hard fans. The steelbook release has outstanding texture and feels special in hand. The artwork truly "punches" and makes a statement. The set includes two art-cards.
The release includes a new bonus disc featuring never-before-seen content as detailed below:
Yu Yu Hakusho: Behind the Design (HD, 12:56) is an insightful discussion about the creation of the steelbook designs for the series re-release. The discussion includes Chris Han, brand manager at Funimation, who was involved on Yu Yu Hakusho, Ian Bailon, senior graphic designer for Yu Yu Hakusho, and associate brand manager Aaron Walsh. This might just be one of my favorite extras included as a bonus on a steelbook release to date.
The reason why? As a steelbook collector, it was enormous fun to see the men who were involved in bringing the steelbook designs to life. Each of these creatives was involved in the process behind the scenes for the development and final design of the Yu Yu Hakusho steelbooks. The group discuss the process of involving Yu Yu Hakusho illustrator Masaaki Kannan in the process for the illustrations on the designs (with finishing work completed by Yukiko Kakita and Yoshimi Shibata). The steelbook design concepts are newly commissioned from the Japanese studio just for these special re-releases. Funimation pitched the concept and the animators brought the concept to life.
As the trio discuss the Blu-ray steelbook releases of Yu Yu Hakusho, the group also delve into their love of anime and how exciting it was to watch the series on Toonami when it originally aired on television. Having grown up watching the series on Toonami myself, I appreciated the fond nostalgia for the great platform. The group also delve into how the steelbook designs were pitched with the idea of rock band cover-art (with each character image resembling a rock album cover-art style).
Yu Yu Hakusho: The Complete Second Season Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation
The second season of Yu Yu Hakusho is another entertaining blast of action-packed fun that fans can't miss. While the second season might be a notch behind the first season, there is still plenty of action and excitement to keep viewers entertained. The Blu-ray re-release features stellar steelbook packaging, art cards, and a new bonus feature about the creation of the steelbook releases. The set is a must-own for die-hard Yu Yu Hakusho fans who want the best package available. A must-own.
