Plot: Yusuke’s quest to return to life is now underway, and Botan ferries him to the spirit world to get him started. While the spirit world seems vast and intimidating, Yusuke finds that the main section is a giant bureaucracy of ogres. Botan claims he’s going to meet King Yama to discuss his ordeal, but instead he meets the infantile-looking Koenma, son of King Yama.
Koenma explains to Yusuke that his ordeal is a test of his character. He presents Yusuke with a golden spirit egg and tells him that it will eventually hatch into a spirit beast after it has slowly consumed enough of Yusuke’s spirit energy.
If he is truly of poor character, the beast that emerges will be a horrific creature that will eat Yusuke’s soul, causing him to be lost forever. If he is truly a good person, the beast will reflect this and will protect him and guide him back to his body.
Yusuke accepts the task, but there’s a hitch. While Koenma has put a pulse back in Yusuke’s body, the funeral and cremation are soon. If Yusuke’s body is destroyed before his ordeal is over, he will never be able to return to life.
He has to find some way to communicate with his loved ones in order to stop the cremation, so Botan tells him that he can communicate with people in their dreams since people are more strongly connected to the spirit world when they’re sleeping.
Yusuke’s mother has been staying awake in a drunken stupor doing nothing but ranting to Yusuke’s body, so he decides to visit Keiko. While she fully believes he’s there and he conveys his message well enough, Keiko can’t bring herself to tell Yusuke’s mom about the dream due to her own odd dreams about him.
Botan offers another option – possession. He can take control of another person’s body for one hour and tell Keiko outright about what’s happening, but the hitch is that it needs to be someone he knew in life and someone who is particularly attuned to the spirit world. Yusuke claims he has no options, but Botan reveals that Kuwabara actually has a strange connection to the supernatural.
He agrees to the possession, but finds his time is quickly dwindling as he keeps bumping into people who have a bone to pick with Kuwabara.
He manages to find Keiko just before time runs out, and she instantly believes he is who he says he is. He manages to relay his message and embrace Keiko before leaving Kuwabara’s body. Keiko runs to Yusuke’s house and finds Atsuko in awe as she finds his body is regaining its color and warmth. With Keiko and Atsuko ensuring Yusuke’s body’s safety and the little spirit egg glowing in his hand, Yusuke has to wait to find out his true fate.
Breakdown: Another good episode, this one establishes a bunch of important things such as the spirit world, Koenma, Yusuke’s revival trials and Kuwabara’s spiritual powers. It’s also a touching episode for Yusuke and Keiko as you can really see how much they both care for each other. Keiko’s line about knowing Yusuke because she knows how he moves and speaks so well is especially beautiful.
I don’t have much else to say about it except maybe one note. I remember watching this series so many times on both regular Cartoon Network and Adult Swim. The Cartoon Network/Toonami version had a bunch of obvious censorship, but I always thought that the Adult Swim version was uncut for the most part.
In both versions, I only remember Yusuke walking up to Keiko saying ‘Nice uniform!’ while the shot held on Keiko’s expression. However, the scene goes on to show Kuwabarsuke grabbing Keiko’s boobs and saying ‘They’re so squishy!’ If I’m remembering incorrectly, please tell me. Otherwise, Adult Swim thought adults couldn’t handle watching a girl get her boobs touched.
Yes, handle all that violence, gore and swearing, but we’ll shield your eyes from five seconds of clothed groping. Unless you’re groping a butt, in which case it’s okay. Right, Miroku?
Next Episode, Kuwabara is cinnamon roll and he deserves the world.
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The Anime Madhouse 
[…] Episode 2 […]
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I was a huge fan of Yu Yu before I fell in love with Hunter X Hunter. Before Naruto came on the scene with very cool concepts, there was this, and it was a breath of fresh air after solely watching Dragon Ball Z with their Ki Blasts and very limited variety of… everything. This show really sparked my interest in anime because of how original it was (lol Bleach).
I found the first arc of Yu Yu pretty cool. I don’t remember any groping or anything either.
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If it weren’t for the groping, this episode would have been almost perfect. It would have been really sweet to see the connection between Yusuke and Keiko, and that dialogue would have been very touching.
But as it is, this is the SECOND TIME Yusuke has sexually assaulted Keiko. What does Keiko see in him? And how am I supposed to sympathize with Yusuke if he keeps doing this?
I’m still gonna watch, though, because I think the whole concept of this show is interesting. Plus, I’m really looking forward to Kurama appearing. He’s voiced by Megumi Ogata in the Japanese version!
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Like I said, his pervy behavior really doesn’t last long and he gets much better as a whole as the episodes go on. (I think I have to altar my previous statement of him only doing this to Keiko though, because I remembered there was one brief shot where he kinda pervs on Botan. She gives him a special spy glass that can see through a lot of things, even clothes, and he looks through it while looking it her for a second before she clocks him over the head with her oar. He might have done it on accident, though. He didn’t say anything pervy or make a weird face when he did it. That’s it in regards to other people, however.)
I think Yusuke’s attitude was also better as a child, albeit slightly, which may help Keiko see better things in Yusuke than he is currently. Childhood friends have deep connections that sometimes surpass initial logic. Keiko wants him to be better and believes he can be better which is why she’s constantly nagging him to get to class, wear the proper school uniform, etc.
I think episode 4 will be a turning point for your opinion on Yusuke in regards to Keiko. It’s a really sweet episode.
Kurama’s my favorite character! He’s so cool, badass and interesting. I think you’ll love him!
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That was a good episode and I do agree that besides the groping scene, it could’ve easily have been a 10/10 by itself. I’m glad that Yusuke grew out of that habit because this show would’ve been insufferable if he kept doing that to Keiko.
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