Netflix’s Upcoming Fantasy Anime Adaptation Will Show Avatar: The Last Airbender How It’s Done

Despite their beloved source material, not all of Netflix’s live-action anime adaptations have been a resounding success, particularly Avatar: The Last Airbender. Avatar: The Last Airbender was meant to have the same kind of critical reception as Netflix's flagship fantasy series, One Piece, but it fell short of expectations.

Thankfully, Netflix has the perfect series to not only replace Avatar: The Last Airbender, but one that has the potential to even be better: Yu Yu Hakusho. At the center of the live-action anime adaptation is Yusuke Urameshi, a rebellious teenager who dies unexpectedly and is given a second chance at life as a Spirit Detective, tasked with investigating supernatural threats and protecting the human world.

With the Yu Yu Hakusho manga debuting in 1990, and the anime following two years later, the engrossing story of Yusuke and his friends was obviously a good one to bring to live-action. Though the future of the adaptation, which premiered on Netflix in 2023, was murky, we now have a clearer picture — and it's great news for anime fans.

Netflix Renewed Yu Yu Hakusho For A Second Season

Since there was no news about Yu Yu Hakusho returning for a second season following its premiere, despite a considerable amount of source material remaining to adapt, many assumed that it was a standalone series. But according to a report by Tokyo Sports, Netflix has apparently had a change of heart and will be continuing Yusuke’s story with Yu Yu Hakusho season 2. It is worth noting that the streaming giant is yet to confirm the series' renewal.

That said, there is plenty of reason to believe the story could continue. The first season of Yu Yu Hakusho takes considerable liberties with Yoshihiro Togashi's manga, compressing several storylines and effectively incorporating material from the Dark Tournament into its five-episode run. As a result, the adaptation has already moved through a substantial portion of the original story. If the series does continue, the remaining material could take the series into the Chapter Black and Three Kings sagas, two of the most important arcs in the original Yu Yu Hakusho story.

Yu Yu Hakusho Season 1 Had Better Reception Than Avatar: The Last Airbender

From the get-go, Netflix's live-action Avatar series had an enormous challenge. The original animated show is beloved for its characters, humor, and colorful world. While those elements of the original Avatar make it seem like they would easily translate to the small screen, that has been far from the case. The biggest criticism about Avatar is that it's too dark compared to the animation. Granted, Avatar is a mature series, but it's not as dark as it is portrayed in the live-action TV show.

Unsurprisingly, audiences and critics were not happy with the alterations made to Aang’s story, resulting in a middling overall Rotten Tomatoes score of 65%. Yu Yu Hakusho, meanwhile, took a different approach. Its first season condensed a huge amount of Togashi's manga, but that aggressive pacing also gave the show a focused and action-heavy story that was easier to consume.

The live-action adaptation of Yu Yu Hakusho embraced the darker side of Togashi's story and delivered supernatural horror and a gritty atmosphere, which critics and audiences appreciated, as seen by its 83% and 82% RT scores, respectively. Avatar, by comparison, had to balance fantasy adventure and comedy all while trying to maintain the elements that made it appealing to a younger audience. So while Netflix’s Yu Yu Hakusho isn’t by any means perfect, it is a superior live-action adaptation.