The Yu Yu Hakusho 25th anniversary is here and with it comes a brand new anime OVA special. In the two story episode we get a look at Hiei & Kurama’s initial meeting while the second half of the special adapts the penultimate chapter into animation for the first time.

Yu Yu Hakusho is a 1992 shounen anime series, it is produced by Studio Pierrot and licensed by Funimation. It is currently available on DVD and Blu-Ray, the anniversary special is currently available via the 25th Anniversary Blu-Ray Box Sets.

Editor’s Note: Near complete to complete spoilers for the Yu Yu Hakusho Anniversary Special may be present in this review. An Amazon Affiliates link for this title will be present within this review.

The fox and dark dragon demons meet for the first time.

It’s been nearly 26 years since the anime adaptation of Yu Yu Hakusho first began airing in Japan. Since it’s debut the series has gained millions of fans over the past two decades plus. With tons of merchandise, video games, and box sets for collectors to show their love for the series it’s no wonder that it remains within a special place in the hearts of anime watchers of all ages with many frequently binge watching the series again and again, which has become much easier now with Hulu picking up the English dub. Now with an OVA special featuring two new stories the itch for more from the series by Hunter x Hunter mangaka Yoshihiro Togashi will only grow stronger.

A young Kurama and Hiei team up against a powerful demon.

THE GOOD: Two new stories have been animated for Yu Yu Hakusho, both of which are long overdue. The first of which details teen Hiei and Kurama meeting up for the very first time to handle a powerful demon and the second animates the second to last chapter of the manga which features a religious terrorist group threatening the destruction of the human world due to the allowed entry of demons from the Three Kings Tournament. Kurama has been masquerading as a high school student and demonic guardian over his home town. His heroics eventually lead him to Hiei who has been hired to eliminated him, however after catching wind of the powerful demon who’s been tormenting Kurama’s town may have eaten his sister Yukina, Hiei turns the tides and faces the demon in battle with Kurama after his love interest is captured. After killing the demon, Hiei and Kurama say their goodbyes as Kurama erases his love interest’s mind of her memories of him and moves on to another town.

Although the OVA two shot doesn’t last very long, it satisfies the decades long Yu Yu Hakusho cravings for a short time.

Back in the present, Yusuke has been summoned by the After Life to take down a group of religious terrorist who have threatened to destroy the demon world for allowing demons to live freely within it. The device they use to carry out their threats is a powerful canon which can cause mass destruction, and their first target on Earth is Yusuke and Kuwabawa’s home town due to Yusuke’s actions in the Three Kings Tournament. After defeating the terrorist thanks to help from Kurama and Hiei the four meet up with their friends and comrades one more time at the beach. Packed with action and it’s high quality OST, this special contains all of the elements that has made the anime and manga before it such an incredible watch.

Yusuke’s design in the anime special.

THE BAD: It leaves you wanting more Yu Yu Hakusho knowing full well that the original source ended decades ago.

A classic returns with a new coat of paint.

OVERALL THOUGHTS: If there was ever a more sound reason behind remaking the 90s classic Yu Yu Hakusho with modern animation, this OVA special is definitely one of them. It’s Studio Pierrot at it’s best and even with new animation being applied to Yu Yu Hakusho it still feels like the classic anime which proceeds it that very much so still holds up today. Otaku Dome gives the Yu Yu Hakusho Anniversary Special OVA a 95 out of 100.