"This wind coming in feels like home. It's comforting and it soothes me." A place for people who consider YYH home! Also home of the YYH Doujinshi Masterlist. Let's revive this fandom!
Oh manā¦ I was the same. Hurt/comfort were a huge draw for me for some reason, as were āfirst timeā fics, and though Iāve moved away from that for the most part now, I certainly wonāt deny I used to enjoy them a little more than I should.
Iām not sure what level of hurt/comfort youāre into, I certainly know of a few fics that gravitate toward 90% hurt and 10% crying about when the comfort will show upā¦ but for a more balanced look, if you donāt mind a threeway romance between Yusuke/Hiei/Kurama, there is a fic Iāve read a few times that I liked called Balm of Gilead, from the author Blossomwitch.
What amuses me is that even Blossomwitch claims Kurama angst is āgeneric.ā
It really gets me thinking what it is about fandom and people in general that we love picking one or two characters in media to torture mercilesslyā¦ sure, other characters get some pain thrown their way, but it seems most fandoms Iāve been in have one or two favorites (for example, Marvel and Bucky).
Of course, it isnāt the fansā doing only, as the characters chosen are often ones who already suffered a lot. The blood PiƱata Kurama becomes fuel for torture fetishists, as well as people who simply like comfort fics. Both sides of the spectrum agree though, Kurama is the best subject.
Is it because heās pretty and seeing pretty people crying is fun or satisfying in some way? Or is it some sick instinct within us, that, seeing someone in fiction suffer, if we ourselves suffer, we project ourselves onto them? We then hurt them, push them to their limits, and see what happens. Whether they recover or not, itās cathartic, I think. Either you get to see them come back and think āif they can return from that, I can return from my own pain.ā Or āat least I donāt suffer as much as this character does.ā
Either way, hurt/comfort, no matter which end of the spectrum you gravitate towards, is fascinating. And I think many of these characters being male and dealing with say, sexual assault (letās face it, half ā if not more ā of the hurt/comfort fics bout Kurama include it) while the fandom is mostly female also contributes to this phenomena; because there is a layer of separation there. People take out their anxieties on these characters, such as fears concerning sexual violence, and the girlier they appear without actually being female ā being like the reader/writerā , the better.
At least, thatās a thought that has occurred to me oftenā¦
Anyway if youāre a sicko like me and like the further ends of the hurt genreā¦ hit me up. Iāve got a few horrible fic recs that I am ashamed that Iāve readā¦ recentlyā¦. ehem.
– Mod Lola, who is apparently a psychopath sometimes
That regular civilians dont have access to and a liscence to kill without getting into trouble and all sorts of other shit. And they give that power to Hisoka who never tries to hide the fact he just likes killing people and randomly killed one of the examiners last time. And Illumi a assasin who freely admits that he wanted the liscence for a job. He says this to the people in charge of the exam. And he still gets his liscence what the fuck. Not to mention his family the secret pt2
oldeck family who the public doesnt know their faces have a house so famous that tour guide point it out while going through the city. Like it might have unbelievable security but why would you risk people knowing? Not that itās a bad show or I dont enjoy it. Iām not that far into the series. But things like that kinda take out of it. It kinda takes me out of it. Especially when this world isnt like this world of chaos its actually kinda like our world. Or supposed to be Pt.3
Yes, I have to confess the setting didnāt sit right with me, either. I typically enjoy fantasy (in fact itās my #1 favorite genre, and my preferred to write in, whether thatās high fantasy like LOTR or something like Fullmetal Alchemist, or even modern fantasies like stories about vampires, etc. All of my childhood favorites have fallen into this categoryā¦ aaaand still do haha)
But the setting always did feel strange to me. I never understood who or what was in control of this Hunter licence, and why they were giving them out to children, or what the pointĀ of them even was.
More under the cut. Long analysis of character, slightly more productive than what I wrote yesterday, and some more dissing of HxH (Iām sorry) and its poor management of plot, setting, and character.Ā Also, from now on, tagging all discussions and comparisons of HxH and YYH as HHD (for hunter hunter discussion) to keep it out of the hxh tag.Ā
Once again, this is all just my opinion, my personal feelings, and are not meant to grade the merit of the show or insult anyone who enjoyed it!
See, I typically also likeĀ āsecret clubs.ā But I like them being fleshed out. In Mass Effect, we know what a Specter is. They have almost unlimited power, but 1) they answer to a council which can strip them of this power, and 2) they have a clear goal ā serving the council and the interest of the council races.
For YYH, we have the same thing. Yusuke has more power than the average human, having the authority to kill and having access to knowledge most humans do not have. But he 1) answers to Koenma, 2) has a clear goal of protecting the innocent from evil demons and other psychic phenomena.Ā
And that stuff is outlined the MOMENT our protagonists enter the secret club, in clear words, and it doesnāt take, you know, foreverā¦ But HxH, I have no idea what the whole Hunter organization even is? I looked it up and turns out I saw the whole 1st season, 31 episodesā¦ and I have no idea what this hunter thing is.
So yes, I totally agree. For comparison, in YYH, we go through a rather good introduction to Spirit World all before episode 5, an intro to what Spirit Detectives are without learning all the details, but enough to understand, by what, episode 8ish? We learn how Spirit World can bend rules with Kurama and Hiei within the first few episodes, too. We learn Spirit World is a bureaucracy, that it has rulers and managers (Enma and Koenma), that it is occupied by mostly two species (ogres and Spirit World citizens, who are like spirits, neither alive nor dead), that they have prisons, that they take interest in human lives and society, that they have the power to revive the dead but that there are clear rules and procedures. We learn Spirit World citizens can inhabit human bodies made specifically for them. We learn Spirit World can unlock humanās innate spiritual awareness. We learn the Spirit Detective job is sorta a new and untested thing (sending a kid to fight 3 demonsā¦ Koenma seriously didnāt think the job through yet). We learn Spirit World houses powerful treasures like the 3 artifacts. We learn they have a freakinā treasure room to start with. We learn you can break into Spirit WorldĀ and its vaults. We learn that living creatures, even demons, can enter it. We learn spirits and living creatures can interact with each other as if both were on the same plane, tangible and all, while in Spirit World. We learn Spirit World watches and records events of interest in the Human World, sometimes flat out spying on humans like when they watch Keiko being chased or when the little girl (the investigator) stalks Keiko along with Yusuke and Botan. We learn ghosts arenāt allowed to stay forever in the human world. We learn that the spirit and the body have separate energies that converge together. We learn Spirit World uses actual technology, not just magic, like VHS types and pocket watches. We learn Spirit World citizens can live incredibly long lives and look like babies while being a couple hundred years old or more.
^^ See all that? Thatās what I know about Spirit World from watching the first EIGHT episodes. Episode 9 Yusuke enters Genkaiās tournamentā¦ How insanely concise is that? Episode 8, and we know so much about just one aspect of this world.
Whereas HxH? episode 31ā¦ and I still have zero clue what hunters are, what their purpose is, what they can do, who they work for if anyone, what the qualifications for them are (just being able to fight?) We know nothing. 31 episodes!!Ā
For another comparison, by episode 31, Yusuke is in the Dark Tournament, fighting Chuu. By this point, we had all four main characters go through the first cycle of their character arcs, we were introduced to most of the supporting cast, we had relationships established, we got backstory on some characters, we learned how spirit energy and psychics work more, we saw Yusuke begin his second cycle, we saw the introduction of a major villainā¦ we had a lot. Whereas with HxH, all I remember is the damn big boat in the storm thing.
Speaking of character arcsā¦ I wrote this in a response to something else, but I think it also makes my point here. I am incredibly fascinated with character arcs and character in general, even more than plot or setting or anything else. To me, character is all. So hereās my breakdown of some character growth within the first 8 episodes.
YYH never really feels like it drags, maybe only in those moments I mentioned before. But it had an incredibly strong opening. Excluding Hiei, within the first 7-8 episodes, we have two characters (kurama and Yusuke) go through full character arcs that affect them all the way down the line of the show. The other two join after episode 25, though we also get to see glimpses of character background and some development even earlier (Kuwabaraās sensitive side is shown with the kitty, his devotion to friends, his honor code ā all before episode 8 as well, but thatās not really an arc. He doesnāt have one till about the Yukina Rescue arc concludes. Though his is a bit weak, mostly because Kuwabara wasā¦ pretty alright to start with? Itās hard to develop when there isnāt many places you can go. And out of all the 4 boys, Kuwabara had the least amount of baggage.)
For Yusuke, we have the theme of ācaring/not caring.ā Yusuke stars off believing no one loves him and that heās better off not being in anyoneās life. The wake proves him wrong enough that he makes an effort to come back. Then when he thinks heās missed his chance by throwing the egg, and sees his friends and family happily talking about him returning, he mourns because he knows heās not coming back. 180 from āmeh, ima stay a ghost itās better Iām not in their lives.ā So, he goes through a complete cycle just in that moment, from I donāt care, to I do care and Iām happy, to I do care and I am sad. Not just a simple arc, from point A to point B, but A to B to C. Itās a very well constructed growth of a character. Full arch, full growth, and thatās why it tugs at the heartstrings. Because the moment he started to careā¦ he thought lost his chance.
That arc he goes through all before episode 5 cycles throughout the show, and makes us care because such a strong arc, such an emotional one, too, grabs the viewerās heart by the balls and refuses to let go.Ā
It cycles in the Suzaku fight ā he experiences horrible pain to save people, but in order to really motive himself, he must see Keiko in danger. Heās getting there, to the point of caring about humanity, but not quite. Then in the Dark Tournament, the lives of multiple people hang on his victory. But theyāre still mostly people he cares about, though now that has extended beyond Keiko into Shizuru, Kuwabara, Kurama, Hiei, Yukina, etc., all of those people. Heās getting there, increasing the circle of people he cares for.
It keeps going up, challenging Yusuke to care more. The hospital had Keiko and shizuru in it. But also the new psychics. Then Sensui threatening all of humanity. Then the 3 kings arc threatening all of the realms. Yusuke progressively gives more of a shit about more people with time and new challenges and as he earns more friends.
And all of that is outlined in he first Fucking 4 episodes!! We know what hsi arc is, we know where he is going, we know what sort of character he is, and we get to see him become truly fleshed out in just 4 episodes.
Thatās just Yusuke, too. Kurama also has a complete arc within the span of like two or three episodes, and those themes cycle throughout the show. (guilt, suicide and redemption ā think Ura Urishima fight, when Kurama projects his want to sacrifice himself for Shiori to make up for his deception, where he tells the guy that suicide has no honor or redemption in it, even though the guy didnāt care for that, his lie was about getting out of having to hurt people without causing harm to his grandmother, not about redeeming himself ā family, lies, the better of two evils ā to lie to shiori and stay with her so she has a son, or stop lying to her and punish self for stealing her āreal sonā away) <ā all that, for Kurama, is also outlined within just 1-2 episodes, and most of the screen time in those episodes isnāt even on him. The only person who isnāt well developed is Hiei, but the show does make up for it later, and Hiei is more reserved, so it makes sense we donāt see as much of him. He still has a good arc later on with the 4 saint beasts though, that also ends up outlining his themes (loyalty, betrayal, teams/family units breaking and rejoining, found family, Hieiās themes all have to do with family and loyalty. Kurama is all guilt and deceit. Yusuke is the fight against Apathy and the will to live and care in a world and life that had nothing in it before. Kuwabara is about keeping his humanity and honor code even when confronted with horrors like watching a girl be tortured, with possible death if he doesnāt strike first, with watching Humans who were hurt themselves turn to hurting others with Seaman).
Itās consistent, mostly concise, cyclical, and oh so fucking satisfying to my literature loving sensesā¦.
And then hxhā¦ where apparently nothing of substance happens in the first Twenty Freakin Episodes. I legit cannot tell you about any character growth in that time. Or plot? They take a test. For who knows how long. Uhā¦ kurapika starts to like leorio when before he didnāt? So he gets friendlier?? Maybe?? Killua begins a friendship with gon instead of getting himself that therapistā¦ they play a ball game together. That gets them to like each other so much Gon goes chasing after Killua when he goes missing at the end of the season. Uhā¦. they are faced with the horror of fighting people they had to cooperate with before I guess. *shrugs*Ā
If you put a gun against my head, the only character growth or arc I could maybe try to name for the first 30 episodes is that Kurapika started to like Leorio and starts to address him with a bit more respect, cause they worked together, so uhā¦ nope, nope, thatās not an arc in the slightest. Kurapika can simply be a person who doesnāt like others until he gets to know themā¦ So yes, Iād get a bullet in the head.
And the fact that you need to skip the whole beginning of the show to even enjoy it, as @perpetuallyfrowning suggested ā¦ I canāt do that. I cannot enjoy any change in Gon if I donāt know where he was before. But I hate where he was before, and weāre stuck with that for so longā¦ Even if you didnāt like Yusukeās personality at first, you only have to deal with it for a bit because he changes so much so quickly.
So there it is, my rather lazy analysis of the beginning of YYH and HxH, looking at setting and character.
Wish I could help you there, but I only saw I think two seasons? Maybe one season. *shrugs* I could never get into Hunter x Hunter. I have a few theories for why, I think, but itās all super subjective. One of my friends is the exact opposite, obsessed with HxH and unable to enjoy Yu Yu Hakusho.
If you are a fan of HxH, I stronglyĀ advise you donāt read this. These are my personal opinions on why I cannot stand the show, not a detailed analysis of the show itself or objective view of its merit. Will be under cut.
Also I am sleep deprived and potentially tipsy so this will likely not be coherent. *finger guns*
Anyway, for me, HxH always feltā¦ too on the nose? Too Naruto-like, in a way? Here, meet Gon, heās a super nice and friendly dude, but oh no, he has a tragic past because his dad is missingā¦ And now he wants to be just like his dad, who is missing, so why is he emulating a dude he doesnāt know? And here, meet Killua, heās a psychopath and heās like 10. Instead of getting this kid a therapist the older characters around him are going to encourage him to go kill people. Oh yes, these children are also murderers. Meet Kurapika, the Kurama of the group, who is also a bishie, is low-key scary, intelligent, caring, and also has a tragic past!Ā Yayā¦ And Leorioā¦ I confess I donāt know shit about him. But he probably has a tragic past.
Okay, I am probably being too harsh on this show. I know itās beloved by many people. But the constant pushing ofĀ ātragic!! So sad!!ā andĀ āchild murder! Yay!ā Is just not my cup of tea.Ā
YYH did this way better, in my opinion. The tragedy is there, but itās layered on slowly. Hiei, who arguably has one of the most tragic childhoods a shonen character ever experienced, doesnāt actually tell us what happened to him until the show is almost over. We get to learn who he is, what makes him tick, we get to love him, ponder about his past, get invested. Then we are given the sad. But HxH is like Naruto in the fact that it just shoves it into our face, as if to say,Ā āhey, this character had a bad childhood, you should feel sorry for them and love them.ā I just hate that.Ā
And Gonā¦ that friendly optimism is justā¦ weird? He feels 2-d to me, not like a real child. Whereas the imperfect Yusuke acts exactly as youād expect a child in his position to act. He has daddy issues because he never had a father. He has issues with authority because his mother was awful and he never felt safe or comforted by the adults around him. He gravitates towards male role models and at the same time rejects them. He respects only one authority, Genkai, because she is the first adult whoĀ taught him what heĀ found useful. His kindness, his empathy, all that is earned. When Yusuke tells Genkai he cares about her, when he cries over her death, we believe it and we feel it, because we saw what he was like when he didnāt care, when he didnāt have an adult to turn to. Itās like a child that had been neglected all his life who was suddenly thrust into a foster home or an orphanage where one cranky lady is done with life, so sheās honest and raw and doesnāt throw platitudes into his face, and he respectsĀ that. He gravitates to it the same way 9th grade students do to the teacher who uses swear words in class and isnāt afraid to show the Romeo and Juliet movie that has the *gasp* boobie in it. His relationship with Genkai is realistic and earned, and genuine like crazy, and when he mourns her, the first and only adult he respected, loved, and felt safe with, we all mourn with himā¦
But Gon? I donāt know. He just put me off from the start. He doesnāt seem to have a reason for being so damn friendly. He doesnāt seem to act like a normal human being at all. Heās just this weird 2-d cartoon that tries to kill with kindness and be just like his missing dad instead of, ya know, doing the realisticĀ thing and having a complicated relationship with him. Like, Yusuke doesnāt hate Atsuko. But he sure does blame her for lots of things. I can interject my own childhood here, because my feelings toward family are also complicated. I know the āmissing parentā thing really well because my parents lived in a different county for half of my childhood, and I can tell you, while I understood why they did it, and loved them, and appreciated with all my heart the sacrifices they madeā¦ I still did, and still do, blame them for robbing me of a normal childhood. Of robbing me of a relationship with them. Of robbing me of that mother-daughter best friend dynamic, of being able to tell them all my secrets and feel like theyāre part of my life and not just distant parental figures I respect and love the way the religious love and respect their gods. And Yusuke is the same. His relationships with all the adults in his life, even some of the other kids, are complicated and layered and realistic. He knows his mother had a raw dealing having him at what, 15? But he also blames her for not doing moreā¦ Hiei, how does he feel, knowing that his mother died, instead of leaving the Glacier Village during her pregnancy or right after birth to go look for him? How does he feel knowing she stayed there, and died there? It wasnāt her fault. She was heartbroken, she was exhausted from giving birth, and she was weak and scared and aloneā¦ itās even implied she committed suicide. And if she did, donāt you think Hiei might stillĀ feel complicated about it? Donāt you think he might feel like she should have been stronger, for him, for this small child that didnāt deserve his fate? She should have lived and left the village and searched for him! She should have looked even if she knew he was dead, if nothing else then to bury him! Thatās the sort of thoughts I bet once ran through his mindā¦
But Gon? Nothing. Justā¦ love for mom and idealizing dad. Itās boring, unrealistic, and I hate it.
Killua, my friendās favorite shonen character (if not favorite anime character) of all time is literally one of my least favorite, and the only character I mightĀ have liked, Kurapika, was clearly ripping off of Kurama, whip and all included. So I just could never finish the show.
As for the Karasu question, technically, he came first, so those other characters are based on him. But from what I did actually see of Hisokaā¦ heās like an evil pedo (right?? I heard something like that??) clown. Thatās what he is. How is he threatening? This isnāt even a rhetorical question. Creepy, maybe. But Iād just feel slightly uneased by him and then call the police if he came near me. If Karasu had his eyes on me like he did on Kurama, Iād probably shit my pants, letās be real.Ā
Karasu was a sadist. He was thrilled by theĀ āintimacy between murderer and victim.ā And the scariest shit of all? You can sorta understand him. When you murder someone, you are the onlyĀ person in the world to see what happens to them. You have complete control over that person. You are their god, deciding if they are worthy of life or death. Itās an urge you can theorize about, can talk about, can even understand to a degree. But Hisoka? He uh, wears clown clothes and chases Gon? Or something? He makes scary faces? Karasu doesnāt have to even show his face to be terrifying. He just has to talk about his hobbies and his beliefs. Hell, the moment she shows up you feel something is up. I saw Hisoka like, at least 10 times and I still donāt know shit bout him. Karasu had like, 3-4 speaking scenes and they all made him fucking scarier with each one. I felt like each scene with Hisoka added absolutely zero to the show. Not to mention how fucking slow it wasā¦
I feel like having a character target your young protagonist and make creepy faces at them is just lazy. Dude is, and I knowĀ Naruto came after, but thatās the show I saw first and actually know a thing or two about (till whenever shippuden started). So dude is just like Orochimaru. Now I was never scaredĀ of that guy, I just thought he was a total creeper. To me, there were way scarier moments. Hell, even Gaaraās brother, when he like, trapped a guy inside a puppet and then blood dripped out? Was that him? Anyway, that moment was way freakier than anything Orochimaru did. Karasuās like 3 scenes were way more psychologically scary than all of Orochimaruās scenes put together. And I got the same vibe from Hisoka as Orochimaru. The, heās creepy and these kids should definitely find an adult asap, and notĀ āholy fuck thatās a mass kidnapper/rapist/torturer/murderer and holy hell I am fascinated and also terrified and holy shit Kurama run run run!āĀ
*shrugs* Karasu is honestly probably the scariest villain in YYH, too. Only because he enjoys torture and murder, and he explains why. And the explanation makes fucking sense and its so terrifying that I canāt
and he also doesnāt look like a clown. Thatās a major plus. Iām not and never will be scared of clowns. Likeā¦ its a clown. Its colorful and does weird shit. How is that scary? No, demonic looking motherfuckers with long ass ink black hair and eyes that glow purple with glee at the thought of ripping blood curling screams out of someone in front of a giant ass audience, and lamenting that they wish they could fucking keepĀ him and I dont know fucking fuck his corpse is that what he meant cause holy fuck!??!Ā
Anyway, Karasu gives me nightmares and I love him and I donāt care for HxH and I need sleep and love you all very much please donāt hate me for disliking this show I really did give it like, three separate chances. *shrugs*
Ok, I typically do not like shipping Botan with anyone. Donāt know why, I just canāt imagine it.
But if I were to ship her with someone, YES to Shizuru. I can def dig that. I donāt know, theyāre both just soā¦ chill? But yes, I vote yes on that ship.
– Mod Lola, who just got a bit too excited by a ship she never even thought about beforeā¦ hmm
So, story-wise, Kurama doesnāt fightĀ āpunch to see who punches strongerā types of fights. Heās always using tricks, special abilities, and long range attacks. Yusuke almost always wins with Spirit Gun or Punch/Kick. Hiei, Dragon/Sword/Punch, Kuwabara, Punch/Sword. Kurama, on the other hand, has multiple win scenarios. While theyāre all plant based, so you could say, Kurama Plant/Plantā¦more Plant, he actually has a craploads of ways to win. He can cut you up like Hiei and Kuwabara with his whip, he can trap you by making you immobile with a plant, he can poison you, he can sew a plant in you that will kill you after a certain amount of time, he can force you to hallucinate, making you unable to fight, he can pull weapons literally out of his goddamn ass, he can bypass having his freakin energy sealed inside him by planting inside his own blood veins ā the list goes on.Ā
If youāre a team of fighters, and youāve got a bunch ofĀ āpunch till it stops movingā fighters like Chuu, Jin, Rinku, etc., who all use abilities or weapons, but still effectivelyĀ āPunchā (do physical hits to the body till the opponent hurts too much to move), then youāre going to lose to Kurama quickly. Because he knows how to keep his distance, he can strategize, and a simple opponent with not a lot of tricks is easy for him to beat using tricks of his own.
Remember, Kurama himself is a manipulative dick.Ā He roped Touya into talking with him until he could move again. Sure, he might have cared by the end, probably because he was going delirious with nearly dying, but he certainly was playing up interest to get Touya to not attack for a bit and chat.
Speaking of Touya, heās not the most straight forward fighter, either, even if heās not a dick. He can do range and he can do close quarters. He can create weapons out of virtually nothing, like Kurama. Gama also had tricks up his sleeve.
Thatās what it boils down to, being tricky. If youāve got someone who is adaptive and can fight using many different ways, you want to match that. So Kurama kept getting tricky opponents, because he is tricky, and heād easily pick apart anyone who wouldnāt be able to see his tricks coming.
Now, for reason number 2. This is speculationā¦ butā¦
Narrative wise, we have our pretty little bishonen boy getting all beat up, all bloody and dirtyā¦ that pretty red hair and face covered in blood. All his male friends freaking out and scared at the brutality he is being shownā¦ speaking of brutality, how often in western comics do we see violence against women sexualized or glorified in some way? Bishonen, women, same difference.Ā
And oh, then we have such wonderful scenes as the attractive male friends having an excuse to carry the pretty girly looking bishie in their arms all princess style, and oh, how pissed they all are he got hurt, ands heās all vulnerable nowā¦ what a shame if SOMETHIG happened, he must be protected!! protected by the big manly male friends, and man, if the fangirls see the expression that one friend is makingā¦ oh man, wouldnāt that just.. be horribleā¦ just,.. terrible, so many ficsā¦ so much interestā¦,,m so many wwierd. fetishes? that will keep weirdoes coming back and lvijngr it and HAVE YOU SEEN FANFICTION FROM THIS FANDOM!? Kurama, for craps skae, fkurama, riun, jsut run you poor fuickign thing just serarch noncon dubcon violence blood and GOD jsut fucking run and go to a nonfighting anime you poor fuicker
Anyway, thatās my take on it. Feel free to chime in, guys!Ā
But yes, that fight definitely. Before, we always saw some sort of reaction from him, whether pain, fear, anger, anything. This time he was justā¦ lethal. And we didnāt get to see any of his planning, like with the Dark Tournament where we got close ups of him throwing seeds at/into his opponent, or heard his plans, or at least had some insight into his thinking/emotional state.Ā
That fightā¦ we had nothing. I think the fact that he was also not harmed at all was a bit freaky, as he typically is a freakin blood pinata. That time, the only blood was coming from an imaginary version of him who smiled through the whole thing.Ā
So @yyh-revival has triggered my old yu yu hakusho obsession and my old hiei x kurama obsession.
So I decided to go back and watch a bunch of random eps that I remember. And it ended up just being more shipping fuel for me because I am trash who thinks too much about fictional relationships. Watch as I chronicle my descent back into my first fandom via my first otp.
I started off with the Genbu fight since this post reminded me of it
And goddamn Hiei is fanboy
Like ya this is a exposition dump but like Hiei has seen this so many times. But heās still here smirking when ever Kurama does something remotely badass
Ep 55 Kurama turns into his Youko form
Koenma and Yusuke here kinda intimidated
And Hiei here like aw hell ya kick his ass Kurama. Once again that smirk any time Kurama is badass.
But it goes both ways
Kurama gets the pretty much tortured by Karasu, almost dies, I have no idea why heās not with a healer. He should be resting but Hiel starts his fight and –
Really Kurama you had to see this fight that bad?
Kurama over here like I may bleed out but I will not stop watching this fight at a incredibly unsafe distance. Seriously his calf exploded I have no idea how he is standing.
And while once again this is a bit of a exposition dump Kurama is the only one who seems to know this shit about Hiei.
And this
Some of it might be due to him just being more curious and informed. But it does also show how close they are and how much they share with each other.
This was just cute
I forget how cute Hiei is sometimes
Ahh! Those last two panels are adorable!Ā
And yes, Hiei is ALWAYS smirking when the spotlight is on Kurama, like the proud boyfriend he is. ( real talk that 3rd image, Hiei looks like heās thinkingĀ āiām so ganna tap that laterā lol ignore me)
Thanks for writing this out, hope you can never escape the hell that is Kurama x Hiei š
Well, my all time favorite ship is Hiei and Kurama. Then thereās the tragic and beautiful love story of Genkai and Toguro. Finally, Keiko and Yusuke. More in depth answers under the cut!
You have brought up my shipping feels for my original otp.
I shipped Kurama x Hiei hard core and I liked Kurama x Yusuke too but not as much.
Iād forgotten how much I loved them. Itās been a while since Iāve seen yyh but I remembered the Kurama vs Bakken and Yusuke vs Bakken fight as like this moment that I started low key shipping Kurama x Yusuke and Kurama Hiei became my favorite couple ever. So I decided to to rewatch the fight to see if I was remembering this right or if fanfics had altered my memories of the scene.
And nope I remember this accurately.
So this fight is during the demon tournament. There is alot of corrupt hijinks so Hiei and Genkai are trapped behind this shield by this other demon so they canāt fight. And Hiei seems pretty chill even though the situation is bull.
Kuwabara is still injured so he canāt either. So Yusuke and Kurama gotta beat like 5 guys. Kurama beats like 2 of them but he canāt fight anymore.But Bakken goes in and insists on fighting him and its allowed. Because this tournament is rigged.
And because Kurama canāt fight Bakken just ends up beating the shit out of him.
And Hiei goes from mildly annoyed
to pissed
Kurama is finally down but no Bakken still has to be a dick and picks him up to continue the fight. And this is allowed to continue because Fuck team Urameshi is the mentality of pretty much everyone else there.
And then you get this
And this
They were both about to fight that whole stadium for him. Kuwabara is a great guy and Iām sure he would have fought too. But these two were the the ones ready to attack. And I watched those two episodes and became fangirl trash.
That, my friend, is why ot3s exist š thanks for the addition!
This is definitely one of the top scenes for sure. For both ships. Bonus points for Yusuke carrying Kurama afterward, and the next day, Hiei complaining to Kurama that his injuries werenāt so bad, and he made everyone worry for nothing (followed with kuramas quip about Hieiās injuries lol)
Well, my all time favorite ship is Hiei and Kurama. Then thereās the tragic and beautiful love story of Genkai and Toguro. Finally, Keiko and Yusuke. More in depth answers under the cut!
Working backwards, I love the way Keiko interacts with Yusuke. Most shonen girlfriends are either all nagging or all damsel in distress. Keiko is neither.
My favorite moments, I have four:Ā
1, when she tells Yusuke she might have a boyfriend when he comes back, and he does that dumb crab walk. He knows heās risking losing her, but he must go. And she knows it, too. Sheās showing her agency, and her understanding, in this scene. She wonāt make him stay, but she doesnāt promise to wait.Ā
2, During the fire, when Yusukeās comatose body is in danger of being burnt, in the English dub she criesĀ āAgh! You cowards!ā as grown men try to hold her back from going inside. Sheās a 14 year old girl, who douses herself in water, then rushes in to save her friendās life. She damn near carries the boy out. She uses her hands to put out the fire that spreading on him. She is one of the bravest characters, and her bravery often comes out when Yusuke needs her the most.
3, During Chuu and Yusukeās fight, Keiko said that she understands Yusuke has to fight, that this is where he belongs, that he looks happy and right where he was. It shows great understanding and bravery from a very young girl who was suddenly thrust into all this without warning.
4, when everyone else was asking who the rocker with the long hair was, Keiko knew him immediately and jumped forward to hug him.
Point is, she groundsĀ Yusuke. Yusuke feels left out of society, feels neglected, and like he doesnāt belong. She makes him belong. And she might feel left behind, abandoned, but Yusuke never abandons her for long. Even after all thatās happened, he doesnāt find himself some cool demon chick ā he comes back to Keiko, the girl who was his friend and stuck by him no matter what.
I just think theyāre the best shonen couple.
____
Next, Toguro and Genkai. We donāt get to see them interact too much, but the few interactions they do have are wonderfully written. My favorite part of their relationship, is that there areĀ āex becomes evilā tropes all over fiction. But rarely do these relationships get so bad, and yet still come back. I donāt mean they get back together ā that might be too cheesy, if not done correctly. I mean that they forgive each other.Ā
Which is why, my all time favorite scene for those two is this: (and yes, I cry every goddamn time)
Every piece of this conversation is gold. Genkai beautifully summarizes not just the story of how Toguro became a demon, but without having spoken a normal word to him for all those decades, she just knowsĀ the pain he was in.Ā āYou trapped yourself in a body you hateā/Ā āHavenāt you punished yourself enough?ā And when Toguro tries to say he enjoyed doing all that he did, she screams;Ā āLIAR!ā
I think understanding is the biggest factor in a good relationship. Every human being wishes to be understood. Genkai understands Toguro, understands his pain and how he attempts to hide it, without him having to say a word. Once he sees that she is not buying his bullshit, he drops the act. He becomes honest with her. And we get some beautiful quotesā¦
Toguro not only acknowledges his mistakes to Genkai, not only apologizes for what he did, but he acknowledges that it is time for Genkai to move on from this story, and set her eyes on Yusuke. He knows that boy is the most important thing to her now.Ā
Genkai realizes what heās doing here; heās giving her advice, shutting this chapter for good, letting her move on.Ā He is letting her go, and telling her she should let him go, too. As far as saying goodbye, this is the most beautiful way of doing itā¦
And of course, the idea that both of them wish they had a different life. They can see Yusuke as their son, and honestly, I think if they did have one, heād be just like Yusuke, too.Ā
Then finally, Genkaiās parting wordsā¦Ā āDonāt ever feel regret for the things between us.ā Itās such a beautiful, simple way of sayingĀ āI forgive you.ā Everything that happened, all the pain and suffering; donāt forget it, but donāt linger on it. Genkai has always been very practical, and this piece of sentimentality might seem out of place, but itās not. Sheās the kind of person who accepts undeniable truths. She knows the past wonāt change. And she knows that, without Toguro, sheād never meet Yusuke. Itās justā¦ I cry, every goddamn time.Ā
And now for the biggest goddamn tear-jerker to ever goddamn exist.
That shock in her eyes; the realization that the man she loved is still thereā¦ and she lets him go. I wouldnāt be able to do that.Ā
ā¦ And a classic Genkai closer, calling someone an idiotā¦ while showing just how much she loves them.
ā
And last, my only technically non-canon ship, lol
Kurama and Hiei
Since theyāre not canon, itās a bit harder to analyze their relationship; itās all speculation and interpretation.
First thing I could say about them is that theyāre always together, shot together, arranged fighting together, etc. Like
geez guys
We get it
Ā youāre besties.
But Iām not here to prove validity of my ship, but to say why I love it.
So, some favorite scenes that make me love these two as a couple.
First one is pretty light:
Itās during this scene when theyāre arguing, and Hiei mentions that he just might escape and let them all die. KuramaāsĀ āHiei, donāt you even consider itā cracks me up each and every time. The fact that, so early on, Kuramaās relationship with this little murder hobo is so strong that not only can he make demands of him, but also looks a littleā¦ hurt? betrayed? by the idea that Hiei might leave him. I donāt know, this scene is literally what first made me ship them when I watched the show for the first time.
See, unlike the first two couples, the things that make me love these two are the small moments. Keiko and Yusuke are young teens, not really dating yet. Genkai and Toguro have this crazy, long ass drama going on.Ā
But Kurama and Hiei? Theyāre just so comfortable together. Like a couple thatās been together for a long time, they exist next to each other, know when the other needs help, get excited for each other, and can do things that other people simply canāt.Ā
Case in point:
This scene gets me every time. HIei is such a jerk, doesnāt want anyone to touch him, doesnāt even want to be there. And Kurama, instead of trying to appease him or argue, is just so doneĀ with his bullshit. He doesnāt even say a word, just plops the damn thing on him like whatever. Who can touch Hiei so casually? No one, No ONe! The way they speak to each other just screams that theyāve been at the very least, very good friends for a long time. In every interaction they have, theyāre so intimate, teasing, analyzing each other. Ugh, I just love it.Ā
And following what I said earlier, understanding being the key to a good relationship, these two just freakinā screamĀ understanding. When Hiei fights one of the Saint Beasts, itās Kurama who freakin gives us a whole character analysis of Hiei. When Kurama first fights, Hiei flat out goddamn praises him as if he was his biggest fan, explaining how he fights and how he thinks. They just know each other so well. They donāt even need to use words to communicate half the goddamn time.
And lastly, one of my favorite scenes is actually one that doesnāt even have them interacting at all.
Itās this goddamn moment:
Hieiās all huffy, like,Ā āIāll fight anyoneā and Mukuro freakinā looks at Kurama, and asksĀ āanyone?ā and she has this smirk on her face, and also, why are they so close to each other?? Like, itās a big stadium. Kurama either found the one empty seat where these two hang out, or Hiei decided to go where Kurama was sitting. Also, Mukuro is justā¦ sheās just staring at Kurama even in this screenshot. SHe KNOWS she KNOWS! When Hiei says heāll fight anyone, youād think she would ask if heād fight her, or maybe sheād look at Yusuke, or maybe a shot of a bunch of Hieiās friends. BU T NO SHE JUIST FINDS KURAMA SITTIN SI CLOSE BY AND STARES AT HIM SMIRKING
SHE KNOWS SOMETHING SHE DOES
ā
Ok Iām done thanks for askin and thanks for reading hope you enjoyed this devolving from character analysis to goddamn rabid fangirling.
YYH-Revival 