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Welcome to Astral Animations, where we'll examine the imports of Japanese animation currently available in the United States.
This review does not represent the opinions of the general public. It reflects my personal thoughts and opinions on the movie.
That said, on to the review!
When Lord Koenma, son of Emperor Enma of the Spirit World, is kidnapped by a demon, it's up to Yusuke and his friends to rescue him. However, Yusuke has been enjoying his summer vacation and is extremely reluctant to give it up to go on a rescue mission. What's worse, the demon who kidnapped Lord Koenma has demanded something as ransom for the prince, something whose power in the wrong hands could mean the end of the Spirit World!
As much as he hates it, Yusuke has no choice but to bear the Seal of Emperor Enma to Magma Valley, and he has to get there by sundown. But it won't be easy. Somehow the demons along the way have learned that he has the Golden Seal with him, and since possession of the seal means dominion over the Spirit World, naturally they're very determined to have it. But Yusuke is very determined, too: determined to get through and ransom the prince no matter what. And perhaps he will make it through, with the assistance of his friends, Kuwahara, Kurama, Hiei, and Botan. But even if he does make it to Magma Valley, he has to deal with the mastermind of the kidnapping plot, who isn't little Koashura, no matter how much he might boast about it! Can Yusuke rescue Lord Koenma from a rogue demon who can turn his own attacks back against him?
Yu Yu Hakusho: The Movie is a 30-minute anime feature. I have no idea why it's called "The Movie" but it is. To my mind, 30-minutes is rather short for a "movie," but I'll admit that this OVA has a nice, self-contained plot that, unlike some American animated movies, doesn't really need the viewer to be wholly aware of the original series. It would be helpful, of course, but overall unnecessary here in this case.
Unlike in Poltergeist Report, Yusuke and his friends--in the English dub, at least, which is all I have so far--come across as mostly carefree and comical. Yeah, I know all you YYH fans are probably booing me right now, but it's true. The only laughter I remember in Poltergeist Report occured between Yukina and Kuwahara somewhere in the beginning. After that only their enemies laughed, and that was always the evil laugh you'd expect from the villain. At the end the heroes do laugh, and it's a cheerful, happy sound, but otherwise, that's it. Now in this movie, there is only laughter at the very end, but there are so many moments interspersed across the 30-minute span that involve what is basically slapstick comedy.
On the other hand, some of the characters seem much nobler in this OVA than the other. Hiei and Kurama play really minor supporting roles in this OVA, so I can't really discuss them. Kuwahara, however, seems to be more of a team player here than there, not really trying to always prove he's superior to the others. Well, he does indirectly boast about himself twice, but he doesn't seem to compete with Yusuke quite so much as he does in Poltergeist Report. Yusuke, for his part, continues to demonstrate his strange ability to survive nearly every punishment dished out to him.
It's really hard to discuss something that's only 30-minutes long, so I won't try. But I'll say this: the story is good, the characters are excellent, and basically, everything's great.
Media Blasters has released this anime in America and, presumably, Canada under its "AnimeWorks" label, which means that there is, theoretically, nothing morally questionable in its content. Although the fighting scenes between the heroes and the demons might be considered violent, they aren't quite so violent as you might find on television.
You can likely purchase Yu Yu Hakusho: The Movie on videotape at any video store that sells Japanese anime. You can also order it through the Media-Blasters website.
Interested in buying this video? You can! Just follow the link to order the English subtitled VHS version or the English dubbed VHS version. You can also visit the Stellar Video Store for other titles.
This page posted December 1, 1999.
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