Togashi-sensei Direct Answer!
The secrets of "Yu☆Yu☆"!!
~In commemoration of the 3rd year of the serialization~
Source: Weekly Shounen JUMP N°3-4, 1994. Credits to @sinnasuk3 for the magazine photos.
Yusuke: "I’ve bumped into my creator, Togashi-sensei, and asked him the questions everyone wants to know about "Yu☆Yu☆". Here they are!!"
Q1. Is the hunter who chased Youko Kurama down from the Spirit World Special Defense Force - S.D.F?
A: That's right. It’s the "Special Defense Force" that came out in JUMP Nº2. There are nine members in the Special Defense Force, including Captain Otake, and one of them inflicted a serious wound on Youko Kurama fifteen years ago. That's...a secret...well, I wonder who he is?
T/N: Togashi was ironic at the end of his answer (I wonder who the guys is) and he probably didn’t want to give spoilers. In Chapter 149 ("Mano a Mano Again"), published in the previous issue of the magazine (WSJ N°2, 1994), Shunjun is bragging about how the S.D.F. can handle even A-class youkai. Then, Rinbai (dark-violet hair) brings up that he was tired of hearing Shunjun’s story about the day he pounced on Youko.
Q2. Who is the lady in black kimono who works under Koemma's command?
A: Her name is "Ayame" and she is Botan's junior (*kohai). Does she look a little older than Botan? For the time being, she’s still studying, so she’s active in the Spirit World working with focus on investigations.
Photo Caption: Researching about Toguro under Koenma’s orders. There’s a mature atmosphere, probably because of the black kimono.
T/N: In Japan, there’s the senpai-kohai (senior-junior) system. While senpai (先輩) means an upperclassman, senior employee or an older person, kohai (後輩) is the junior or lower person. Senpai-kohai is determined by age and rank. It’s funny, because I always thought Ayame was older than Botan. Even Togashi mentions she looks older.
Q3. Did Hiei really not know janken (rock-paper-scissors)?
A: Hmm...maybe he remembered the word "rock-paper-scissors" at the time of volume 7, but forgot it by volume 10...? Kuwabara also takes off his hat to Hiei, saying that “he's no ordinary guy”.
T/N:
- “He's no ordinary guy” are Kuwabara’s words to Hiei from volume 10. Kuwabara acknowledges Hiei’s abilities when he, who had never played janken before, realizes that Kuwabara was cheating at jaken.
- I explained the janken story here. In short, Hiei mentioned the janken game in volume 7, but had no idea what it was in volume 10. Togashi apologized for the mistake in a WSJ Table of Contents (the anime and some overseas editions of the manga fixed his line from volume 7).
Q4. Did Hagiri and Amanuma die!?
A: Please, take a closer look at "Yu Yu Hakusho" chapter in Jump Nº49, 1993 (Ch.144 "Unstoppable!!"). In fact, Amanuma is present in a certain scene. Fufufu, which scene is it?...Which means that Hagiri is... also?
T/N: Chapter 150 "An Unparalleled Battle!!" came out when this Q&A was published in JUMP N°3-4, 1994. Yusuke had just arrived in the Demon World to fight Sensui, so people still didn’t know what had happened with Amanuma and Kaname. That’s the reason of this question. But, if you take a closer look at chapter 144, you can spot Amanuma standing behind Botan and the others, almost hidden behind a balloon. However, we only learned that Koenma used the mafuukan to save him a few chapters later.
Source: Weekly Shounen Jump Nº49 (1993) or volume 16, p.115 (Chapter 144).
Q5. What was the other opponent on whom Koenma used the "mafuukan” in the past?
A: Let's have the person himself to answer this question.
Koenma: "Wooow, I forgot. It was certainly against a youkai, I think...Don't blame me. If you live for hundreds of years, this can happen!"
Q6. Please tell us more about the first Spirit World detective.
A: Her name is Kuroko Sanada. She is a descendant of onmyoji who performed spells. She worked as a Spirit World detective for six years, solving more than ten cases, but retired when she got married. She is now mother of two children. Occasionally, demons will bother her, but she says her two children will get rid of them...
Photo Caption: Sensui from the second generation was also excellent.
Q7. Is Kurama going to tell Kuwabara the name of Hiei's younger sister?
A: This is also a question to the person himself...
Kurama: "Such an funny thing...there’s no way I could tell him, right? It’s obvious. I’m going to delay it. Nihihi”.
That’s right.
This JUMP issue also announced the “Poltergeist Report Movie” to the Spring of 1994 and was one of the main sources to the “Yu Yu Hakusho Character Book Reikai Shinshiroku” (2005). I translated the other articles from this magazine in the past, together with additional info from the databook, here follows the links:
Botan's Assault Interview! The Secrets of the "Yu Yu" Four Warriors
Botan interviews the 4 guys (Official Character Book version)
Sensui’s 7 personalities
Togashi comments about Kido, Kaitou, Yanagisawa and Murota
Togashi comments about Itsuki, Dr. Kamiya, Mitarai, Hagiri, Amanuma and Makihara
Yusuke, Kurama, Hiei and Kuwabara choose their 3 Best Matches
Promotion of The “Poltergeist Report” Movie
Lastly, Togashi’s random comment for the Table of Contents:
“Right now, the temperature difference between the outside and in the room is over 20℃. I hated summer, but I also hated winter. Spring, come soon...” (Yoshihiro Togashi)
Weekly Shounen JUMP N°3-4, 1994