Shinobu Sensui Death Scene (Uncensored Version) - Shounen Jump x Comic Edition
Togashi has stated he’s a fan of H.R. Giger’s work and we can also see many phallic and yonic shapes in the Yu Yu Hakusho manga. The Dark Tournament Stadium is the most famous example. But it seems the original scene from Sensui’s death was “censored” in the comic edition and the colors of the trees in the background had to be darkened and screentone was used to hide some indecencies lol . If you look carefully at the uncensored version, you’ll be able to see some phallus, naked limbs such as butts and other weird stuff hanging from the trees.
Sources:
“WSJ - Yu Yu Secret File", reprint from Mig-21 Special doujinshi (photos by @M0NI0). Chapters originally published in Weekly Shounen Jump:
- WSJ #7, 1994: Chapter 152. “Sensui’s Last Wishes!!” (仙水の遺言！！)
In charge of the art: Hirotaka Marufuji, Chief Animation Director of the Yu Yu Hakusho OVAs, released in the 25th Anniversary Blu-ray BOX in 2018.
Thanks to great response from the fans, Studio Pierrot has just unveiled two more new 30th Anniversary art. Like they did with the first and second commemorative illustrations, they've continued the redraw, in anime style, of the kanzenban covers designed by Togashi in 2004-2005. I guess we can expect more merch in the near future.
Let's remember the 30th anniversary art released so far, and compare them with Togashi's original drawings:
Studio Pierrot has unveiled three more new illustrations in celebration of the 30th anniversary of Yu Yu Hakusho anime. Like they did with the first, second, and third commemorative illustrations, they've continued the redraw, in anime style, of the kanzenban covers designed by Togashi in 2004-2005.
This time, we have the girls: Yukina (with Hiei), Botan, and Genkai (past and present). In 2004, Togashi tried new colors and drew a blonde version of Botan. I'm glad the anime studio kept her original blue hair from the 90s.
The Studio Pierrot Store is also releasing new merch.
➤ Pre-order: July 21 to August 7, 2023. After this date, they will stop accepting reservations as soon as the maximum number of items is reached.
➤ Shipping: from mid-October 2023
➤ Goods:
Canvas Board (3 types)
Price: ¥3,300
Size: approx. 22cm x 27.5cm
Material: Synthetic fiber blend, wood
Genkai
Botan
Yukina/Hiei
Acrylic Stand (5 types)
Price: ¥1,650
Size: approx. 20cm x 9cm (before assembly)
Material: Acrylic
Yukina
You can combine her stand with Hiei's (sold separately)
Hiei
Young Genkai
You can combine her stand with older Genkai's (sold separately)
Older Genkai
Botan
Memorable Scene Collection [Box]
A collection of impressive scenes from the anime.
1 BOX contains 15 packs with 2 cards (not all types are available in one BOX)
Price: ¥6,600
Size: 9 x 6cm Specifications
Material: made of PP
Memorial Acrylic Frame A
Price: ¥5,940
Size: large block: approx. 4 x 2.9 x 1 cm; small block: approx. 2 x 1.45 x 1 cm; overall: approx. 9.1 x 6.1 x 3 cm
Material: Acrylic
Memorial Acrylic Frame B
Price: ¥5,940
Size: large block: approx. 4 x 2.9 x 1 cm; small block: approx. 2 x 1.45 x 1 cm; overall: approx. 9.1 x 6.1 x 3 cm
Excerpts from interviews in which the author, Yoshihiro Togashi, talks about Hiei and Kurama.
This is an attempt to bring forth official source, instead of non-reliable information like "Hiei and Kurama were initially going to be a couple" or "Togashi didn't intend them to be a couple, but could have easily done it". Hiei wasn't even supposed to become a main character. We can notice from the articles that Togashi-sensei is very reserved and doesn't give many details.
1. Togashi's initial plans for Hiei and Kurama
🡆 Interview from the "Yu Yu Hakusho Official Characters Book Reikai Shinshiroku" (2005)
This interview was also published in an American Shounen Jump. Read the full transcription here.
JUMP COMICS: When you first introduced Hiei and Kurama in Volume 3, did you plan for them to become major characters?
Togashi: "I intended Kurama to be a major character from the very beginning, but I wasn't sure about Hiei."
🡆 Weekly Shounen Jump 50th Anniversary Special Interview (November, 2017)
JUMP: The fact that the two characters, Hiei and Kurama, had as many fans as the main character, Yusuke, was also a major factor to the success of Yu Yu Hakusho.
Togashi: "I was conscious that Kurama would become popular when I was drawing him, but that was not the case with Hiei. With no particular aim in mind, he was purely about what I thought was cool...like the incarnation of "chuuni" (laughs), I think that's how he came out."
T/N: This interview is also translated to english, but they adapted the translation a little bit and didn't mention Hiei was inspired by the "chuuni disease".
Read the full scans on hxhsource.
🡆 V-JUMP Interview (12.30.1992): Bringing back Hiei and Kurama to Suzaku's Arc
Full interview: "Togashi-sensei talks about Yu Yu" (V-JUMP, 1992-93)
Togashi: "I decided on the four Saint Beasts first. I created four enemies on impulse, but there were only Yusuke and Kuwabara on the human side. They still weren't strong enough to take on two youkai at a time, so Hiei and Kurama appeared on the scene. They are the current protagonists (guffawing). Joking aside, this series made me fully realize the difficulty in making a battle manga."
🡆 Interview from JUMP GIGA (2016): the reason why Hiei became a main character
It was thanks to a request from Togashi's first editor, the late Mr. Toshimasa Takahashi, that Hiei became one of the main characters. He saw potential in him. This was during the Four Holy Beasts Arc, when Togashi was having Kurama to join the team. He had already planned that Kurama was going to be a main character from the very beginning, but Hiei was not even planned to be part of the group. Togashi also said that if he had known Hiei was going to be an ally from the beginning, he wouldn't have drawn the eyeballs.
Full interview: Togashi x Kishimoto Discuss Inspiration
This explanation was also brought to the Yoshihiro Togashi Exhibition - PUZZLE.
"Hiei topped the character popularity polls conducted twice during the series. Initially, Kurama was drawn with a conscious effort to create a popular character, and Hiei was only put in the group after an editor pointed out that he should be, but he eventually grew to become a beloved character with top-ranking popularity."
(photo from the Tokyo Venue, 2022)
2. Kurama and Hiei's models
We've all heard rumors like: Hiei was modeled after Vegeta (DBZ) or Kurama was going to be a woman. Let's learn the true from sensei himself.
🡆 "Yoshirin de Pon!" (1994): Togashi reveals that Hiei's model is Skunky, from the series "Patalliro!" by Mineo Maya.
You can check the full "Yoshirin de Pon!" doujinshi on @brickme. It would also be interesting to check @MAYA_MUSUME Twitter. She's the daughter of Mineo Maya and posted some Yu Yu Hakusho's illustrations made by the mangaka.
🡆 V-JUMP #8 (1993) & Weekly Shounen Jump #35 (1991): Kurama's model is a real person!
Q: I heard from a friend that Kurama has a model, but what kind of person is he? (Mari Ishikawa, Ibaraki Prefecture)
A: This was written in the postscript of the Weekly Shonen Jump Table of Contents. The model for Kurama is a friend of Togashi-sensei. It seems that he's a quite peculiar person, such as claiming being a French aristocrat even though he's Japanese.
T/N: Togashi's original comment was made in the Table of Contents of the Weekly Shounen Jump issue 35, 1991:
"Kurama's model is my friend. He is Japanese, but insists he's a French aristocrat." <Yoshihiro>
3. Kurama and Hiei's names & calling Hiei a child
Most people think their names come from the mountains in Kyoto, Mount Hiei and Mount Kurama, but some even claim that Togashi said that in an interview (??). Well, he said quite the opposite, denying this information.
Hiei's age is also unknown. There are many theories that he is under 100 years old, because Yukina doesn't have any child yet. According to the ice women (koorime) explanation in the manga, they conceive a child every 100 years on their own. The baby is always a girl and sort of a clone of the mother. I've also seen some people claiming that Hiei is probably 50 years old or so, but Togashi only called him a "child" in the official databook. I believe he's about the same age as Yusuke and the others. Contrary to Kurama, who is more than 1,000 years old, Hiei wasn't really aware of the 3 kings and their stalemate in the Demon World.
🡆 "Yu Yu Hakusho Official Characters Book Reikai Shinshiroku - Main Characters Comment Section from Yoshihiro Togashi" (2005)
Q: About Hiei (飛影)
Togashi: "Some people think that I named him after the mountain, but I applied the kanji (飛影) to the sound (Hiei) I chose based on my intuition. A foul-mouthed child, who can't be upfront about his feelings. His battles are as concise as possible, and wins with a single blow."
Q: About Kurama (蔵馬)
Togashi: "Some people think that I named him after the mountain, but I applied the kanji (蔵馬) to the sound (Kurama) I chose based on my intuition. He is the typical "desu ne" (ですね) character who is usually polite, but scary when he gets angry. The surname, Minamino, comes from "Youko Minamino" (singer). But there were other surname candidates such as Minamida, Ishino and Gushiken." (other Japanese celebrities whose first names are Youko)
T/N: The "desu ne" (ですね) placed at the end of a sentence is part of the "polite speech style" in Japanese. The particle "ne" also adds a friendly connotation to the speech, and it's used when the speaker wants to imply that the listener agrees with what they're saying, or give the impression that they're both on the same page. So, Kurama is basically this polite and friendly person, unless you mess with him.
🡆 V-JUMP #8 (1993): about Hiei's name
Q: How did you come up with the name "Hiei" (飛影)?
Togashi: "I feel like I decided it so quickly that I can't even remember about it now (laugh). I had a mental image of black, so I wanted to add the chinese character "shadow" (影) into his name."
Q: Kurama turns roses into whips, but what happens if he uses other plants as weapons? (YーFox, Osaka Prefecture)
A: This question was answered by Togashi-sensei on Kurama's behalf!!
Togashi: "He seems to like chopping, and often uses long leaves like swords and petals like razors. It looks like that plants from the Human World are not very suitable for weapons, but he says sunflowers can be used like shotguns and cacti like bombs. Between ourselves, but I heard that "if he feels like it, cedar pollen can be used to kill almost everyone in Japan in a day". All we can do is pray that he won't be moody. Well, this guy is scary! Perhaps, Kurama might be the strongest…"
Kurama: "I will not do that."
🡆 V-JUMP #8 (1993): Kurama can use anything as weapon
Q: Kurama fought (against Gama) using his hair as a weapon, but when he is in his youkai form, can he use his tail as a weapon? (Yuuko, Toyama Prefecture)
A: We asked Togashi-sensei about his question...
According to him: "I'm sure he will use anything as a weapon to fight."
Certainly, Kurama has this image of a skillful person who can do anything.
5. How Togashi came up with Kurama = Youko + Shuuchi Minamino
🡆 Commentary from the "Yu Yu Hakusho Official Characters Book Reikai Shinshiroku" (2005)
Q: "Kurama" has two forms, "Shuichi Minamino" and "Youko". Why did you create such a setting?
Togashi: Because I thought: "even though he's a youkai, this guy is going to school, right? I wonder how."
6. Togashi comments on Hiei's belts
🡆 V-Jump #7 (1993) Q&A: Hiei has 18 belts
Q. What kind of youkai was Hiei before he implanted the "evil eye"? Moreover, he wears like two or four belts, does he care about being fashionable? (Kaoru Adachi, Fukushima Prefecture)
A. This question was answered directly by Togashi-sensei.
Read on!
"Before Hiei implanted the evil eye…it is a secret for the time being. But, it will be revealed in the series currently being serialized in the Weekly Jump magazine.
And, Hiei has about 18 belts. He only has that amount of clothes though (laughs). This also means he's fashionable, right?"
We can't wait to see Hiei's true identity (?). Even so, we never would've thought he would only have 18 belts…
7. Hiei and Kurama Birthdays
Japanese fans celebrate Kurama's unofficial birthday on March 3rd, and western fans also have unofficial dates to celebrate Hiei and Kurama, but Togashi has never stated the four main characters birth dates. When he was asked about that, he only apologized and replied he wouldn't reveal their birthdays unless they came to his mind in an absent-minded stated.
🡆 V-JUMP Interview (02.21.1993): profile and birth dates of the main characters
Full interview: "Togashi-sensei talks about Yu Yu" (V-JUMP, 1992-93)
"I would like to answer some of the most frequently asked questions from recent letters."
Q1: What about the characters profiles other than Keiko and Botan's?
Togashi: "It's hard to say. To be more specific, in my case, rather than thinking about the story, I feel like I am idly watching the events happening somewhere else, in an absent-minded state. I can't reveal the birth dates etc. of the main characters, unless they come to my mind when I'm in such a state. Sorry."
8. Other sources
We can also find minor but funny information about Hiei and Kurama in the Weekly Shounen Jump #3-4, 1994. This issue brings a commemorative article of the 3rd year of the serialization, including:
Togashi-sensei Direct Answer! The secrets of "Yu☆Yu☆"!!
Botan's Assault Interview! The Secrets of the "Yu Yu" Four Warriors
Yusuke, Kurama, Hiei and Kuwabara choose their TOP 3 Matches
Botan's interview with the guys is interesting. Hiei reveals he was sleeping on the tree during his stay in the Human World, and Kurama says that the life force of Shuuichi Minamino is fairly reduced every time he goes back to his Youko form. Kurama also mentions he is in the Biology Club of Meioh High School, because it is the least busy club, and not because he is a youkai who manipulates plants.
Other information about the color scheme of the school uniforms used in the anime, Kurama being voiced by a woman etc. can be found in interviews done with the animation staff:
Special ☆ Extra ☆ Talk with Ken Hagino (Producer) x Noriyuki Abe (Director) x Mari Kitayama (Character Design)
[Yu Yu Hakusho Reikai Communication] Special Talk with Noriyuki Abe (Director) x Mari Kitayama (Character Designer)
Kurama's hair and uniform color in the anime have nothing to do with the red fox like some Wikis say.
There's also much speculation about Mukuro and Hiei. According to Togashi's comments to the "Official Characters Book" (2005), Mukuro was designed as someone Hiei would date. No further information was given by the author:
Mukuro - About the Character
Lastly, about Hiei's green transformation, there's a "Special Note" in the "Official Characters Book" (2005), and Togashi's comments from the Jump GIGA (2016) interview with Kishimoto:
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