While the focus is on the action of the fights, which are very well done, the show makes a point to develop the characters and give them distinct personalities as well as focus on the various bonds between them. As such, we not only like these characters, but care about what happens to them as well. Not only that, but the main cast is freaking awesome. The four main fighters that make up the main team all have their times to shine and it's a joy to watch. It's made even better because each shining moment is in tone with that character so it isn't like the script is shoving the idea of their awesomeness down our throat, they're just showing us and it works out perfectly.
There is a bit of comic relief as well. Some of the jokes miss or feel forced, but all in all, it helps keep the tone lighthearted and fun, even when the show does start to get darker in tone.
Another major perk is the soundtrack, which helps augment the major moments in the show. Whether it's showing us that an antagonist is intimidating, or showing us a moment of triumph on the heroes' part, the music adds to that and really pulls you into what's going on, making it that much more effective.
The show has developed quite a massive fandom over the years, and they are pretty devoted. The story itself is nothing to write home about, but they make it entertaining as hell.
The fourth season is a bit lackluster. It does flesh out the characters' back-stories a bit more, but it feels rushed and it pales in comparison to the weight of the Sensui arc in the third season.
The show also relies on tournaments a lot. There's one mini-saga in the first season where Yusuke and Kuwabara sign up for a tournament, the battle with the saint beasts is tournament like as each fighter takes on a beast as they move through the castle, there's the Dark tournament, and then a demon tournament in the final season. The first three work well, but the final tournament feels hollow compared to the others.
It does end on a high note however and when all is said and done, you'll find that the show holds up even after 20 years.
If you've never really watched anime before, this is a great starting point as it is very accessible and there isn't a mindscrew to be seen anywhere. It's one of the longer series, clocking in at 112 episodes, but with the show having moved to box sets as opposed to individual discs, getting caught up shouldn't be that much of a hassle.
This show's a blast to watch and I highly recommend it.
Episode 1: Surprised to be Dead
The episode opens by introducing us to a boy named Yusuke Urameshi. As the narrator points out, he's supposed to be the hero of the story, but unfortunately, he's dead. We see him run into the street to push a young boy out of the way of an oncoming car.
I found it odd how it took him so long to figure out what was going on. He was looking at his own body as medics took it away and he still couldn't figure it out.
A large portion of the episode takes place in flashback to establish the characters that surround Yusuke, there's Keiko, Yusuke's longtime friend and love interest for the series; Kuwabara; a fellow student who is bent on beating Yusuke in a fist fight after suffering several humiliating defeats; Yusuke's mom, an alcoholic layabout; and the teachers who look down on Yusuke and hold nothing but contempt for him.
With such an environment, Yusuke's not the most pleasant person at times, but you can see that he often means well. This is made evident when he dives into the path of the aforementioned oncoming car.
At this point he is greeted by Botan, a cheerful blue haired woman who informs him that she is the grim reaper. It turns out the after life didn't expect him to act nobly, and as such have no place for him at the moment. She tells Yusuke that he can go through an ordeal that will actually bring him back to life. He refuses at first, but Botan lets him think it over.
It is here where the show hits its highlight, the wake scene. Yusuke's belief that everyone would be better off without him is shattered as he sees his friends and family grieving over his loss. Keiko's sadness in particular hits a nerve, but Yusuke is surprised to see even Kuwabara's grief stricken, albeit in his own unusual way.
With only 15 minutes of character development, you wouldn't think this scene would work that well, but it actually does. It goes to show you how well the show was written when you feel the power of that scene even though you've only met these characters.
This was a solid pilot that established the characters as well as the world in general. While there are still a few episodes before the show finds its format footing, this episode does set the stage for what's to come and it does a good job acting as an introduction.
You'll notice that this show follows the anime staple of having a theme song that is tonally different from what the show is. The lyrics don't have anything to do with anything and they don't really tell you anything about the series. It's OK, but I've heard better theme songs.
If you are an anime fan in Wichita, you can find this episode on either the first disc called "Yusuke Lost, Yusuke Found" or in the season one boxset. These are available at your local Best Buy. Target and Kmart doesn't seem to have an extensive anime library, but if you can't find the DVD there you can turn to Amazon as an alternate source for purchase.
Episode 2: Koenma Appears
This episode picks up where the last one left off, with Botan taking Yusuke to the spirit world so that he can begin his ordeal.
Dragon Ball Z fans will notice that the afterlife here bears a striking resemblance to the one you see in that show. River styx looks like snake way, the building they go to looks the same and King Yamma is basically King Yemma.
Instead, Yusuke is brought to Yamma's son Koenma. Despite being hundreds of years old, Koenma appears to be a toddler, much to Yusuke's amusement.
Yusuke is given his ordeal, a golden psychomagnotheric egg that responds to his emotions and actions. If his heart is pure, the egg will hatch and he will get his life back, but if he is malicious and selfish, a monstrous beast will emerge and consume him.
Yusuke agrees, but his ordeal is cut short when Botan informs him that he is about to be cremated and needs to let the others know to put the funeral on hold so that he has a body to return to.
He tries to talk to Keiko in her sleep, but it isn't effective enough, so he resorts to possession. He can't just leap into a body, however. It needs to be someone he knows and someone with an affinity for the supernatural. Conveniently enough, Kuwabara has a sixth sense when it comes to detecting spiritual turbulence, thus making him a perfect candidate.
This episode continues with the lighthearted humor that was present in the pilot. The possessed Kuwabara runs into several obstacles trying to reach Keiko and ultimately gets punished for what Yusuke does. You can't help but feel sorry for the guy.
You also can't help but share Yusuke's reaction when seeing Koenma. Even if you have already seen the series, as I have, looking down to see a baby deity is still pretty funny. Botan trying to get Yusuke to stop mocking him is also good for a laugh.
Speaking of which, Botan steps up the jokes as well. My particular favorite is her impression of Yusuke, "look at me, I'm burning!" Amusing stuff.
I really like the soundtrack to this show. There are times where the score tries too hard, but by and large it's very effective at augmenting the emotions of the characters and their situation.
This episode was a worthy follow up to the pilot. All of the characters get fleshed out to a greater degree and we get a fair amount of story progression as well, setting the stage for what's to come in the later episodes.
Episode 3: Kuwabara: A Promise Between Men
This episode gives Kuwabara a chance to shine and shows us the utter awesomeness that is the character. After getting into a fight with a group of students from another school, their teacher coerces them to avoid fights by threatening to get one of Kuwabara's friends fired from his part time job.
As that money is needed for his family, Kuwabara agrees not to fight for a whole week. It proves more difficult than planned as everyone seeks him out to get payback for previous encounters. Despite the bruises, Kuwabara sticks to his guns.
You have to wonder though, why he doesn't at least try to block the punches. He can avoid fighting, but still walk away unharmed.
Their teacher, sniveling weasel that he is, adds another condition to the agreement, saying that they have to pass their next test. Kuwabara's posse is confident as they all came close to meeting the score, but become fearful when Kuwabara says he scored a 7 on the last test. Yusuke gloats, admitting he scored a 12.
Kuwabara actually meets the requirement much to the teacher's frustration. Another teacher tells him to just alter Kuwabara's answer so that he doesn't meet the score.
This gives the principal his own little crowning moment of awesome as he finds out about the deception and coerces them to change the score back. I love how he even makes a point to say that Kuwabara would've been right in beating the teacher to a pulp. It's consistent with the "tough but fair" characterization that was hinted at in the first episode.
Kuwabara's reaction to discovering the foul play is perfectly natural and I imagine anyone would've done the same thing. It makes you wonder how these people even got jobs as teachers since they seem to actively go out of their way to ruin the students' lives. Heck, he even recruits the same punks from the first fight to pick another one with Kuwabara in hopes that he'll break the agreement.
Furthermore, if they hate kids so much, why even take a job as teachers? I suppose it's moot. They are supposed to be reprehensible and they pull it off. Yusuke's attitude towards authority figures is pretty much justified just by their own loathsome behavior.
There were a lot of highlights in this episode, Kuwabara coming to Keiko's aid as an apology for the events of the previous episode were one, Yusuke possessing the fellow school girl to pummel some street punks was another.
As said before, this episode really showcases Kuwabara and his devotion to keeping his word. Later episodes would refer to it as his honor code. Call it what you want, it's admirable and one of the reasons that he is one of the best characters in the show.
Episode 4: Requirements for Lovers
This episode is pretty much about shipping Yusuke and Keiko.
Yusuke's body still needs to be protected so that he can come back to life. Keiko stops by and notices the giant mess that his mother has left the house in. She starts to tidy up, but flees when she starts to get a little too comfortable around Yusuke's body.
It's a good thing that they established that his heart is beating and that he's essentially in a coma, because otherwise that scene would've been far more disturbing.
Someone sets their house on fire. Why? I don't know. The person never gets seen or mentioned again and he uses the weirdest molotov cocktail I've ever seen. Aren't you supposed to use beer and wine bottles? He uses a can, and it doesn't even look like a beer can, maybe a can of soda or even fruit juice. That doesn't make a whole lot of sense.
The episode has a real sense of urgency as Yusuke rushes to find a way to save himself. It's up to Keiko and Kuwabara to work their way through the fire and retrieve his body. Well, Keiko is the one bent on saving the body; Kuwabara rushes to the house after Botan tips him off, but he's more concerned with rescuing Keiko and is weirded out by the fact that Keiko even had his body in the first place.
In a desperate move to save Keiko's life, Yusuke chucks his spirit egg into the fire. It's apparently a good thing too as the spirit beast was feeding on his negative energy.
This is an odd revelation. I mean, yes, Yusuke did complain a lot, but the whole time he's been a ghost, he's been trying to help those around him. Does that count for nothing?
Anyway, Koenma announces that since Yusuke didn't hesitate to protect Keiko, he can still get another chance at life and the episode ends on a high note.
This was the weakest episode on the disc, but that's only because the other ones were so good. It's enjoyable and for viewers who love to ship characters, this gives you plenty of material. It was amusing to see Botan, as well as the newly introduced investigative spirit, constantly poking fun at Yusuke's "we're just friends" attitude.
This marks the end of the first disc and with the next one the introductory series of episodes will come to an end and we'll see a new chapter unfold in the life of Yusuke Urameshi, as well as a shift in tone for the series overall.
Episode 5: Yusuke's Back
Yusuke's on the verge or resurrection. As is often the case, it's not simple and time is of the essence. His body is primed, but due to a low energy, Yusuke will need an energy transfer from someone he cares about. The transfer will occur via a kiss. Koenma cites mouth to mouth resuscitation as an example, but I think they were going more for a fairy tale vibe.
So, who's going to kiss Yusuke? They tease the idea of Kuwabara doing it, even showing a dream scene where they kiss to satisfy the yaoi fandom. We all know it's going to be Keiko, unfortunately, her mother falls ill and she refuses to leave her mom's side during this time of crisis.
It comes down to the wire, but Yusuke is brought back to life. He is happy to be back and is ready to live a care free life, but he is approached by a mysterious psychic who clearly isn't Botan in disguise. She tells him that he has a mission, but Yusuke brushes her off.
He comes across Kuwabara, who is actually being coerced by another kid to break his honor code. We first see him after returning from a comic book store where he was supposed to steal some. Kuwabara's ruse fails when the boy finds the receipt. That's why you put the receipt in your pocket or throw it away.
It turns out that the boy is holding Kuwabara's kitten hostage. As Kuwabara has an affinity for the little animals, he is helpless and unable to fight back.
Yusuke jumps into the fray and the kitten is saved. The leader of the gang runs off, but Yusuke pursues him. After donkey punching him, Yusuke sees a strange creature emerge from the unconscious boy's mouth. He nabs the creature and is again approached by the psychic from earlier. In a surprise twist, the psychic reveals herself as Botan. She tells Yusuke that he has just captured his first demon.
Koenma appears to tell Yusuke that he is to become a spirit detective, capturing rogue spirits. Yusuke is reluctant at first, but as he doesn't have a choice, he agrees to it. On the plus side, he will get cool super powers.
This marks the beginning of the shift in tone for the series. Some people I've talked to weren't fond of these episodes and said that it took a while for the show to get going. Yes, they're not what people who started watching the later episodes might be used to, but they were genuinely funny, developed the characters and set the stage for the show's premise.
I'm glad that they didn't try to cram everything into one episode, choosing instead to let events happen naturally. All things considered 5 episodes isn't so bad. Were the show only 20 episodes long like other animes, maybe, but as the total number is in the hundreds, it's a small price to pay for the later action we'll get in future sagas.
Anime fans in Wichita can purchase the second DVD, Artifacts of Darkness at their local Best Buy. They can also buy the first season box set that includes the first 28 episodes.
Episode 6: Three Monsters
The King's vault gets raided and three powerful artifacts are stolen by three demons. With King Yamma returning in a week, there is very little time to retrieve them as Yamma's wrath is, as Koenma puts it, "very fire and brimstone".
Yusuke is recruited even though both Botan and Koenma know that he is over his head on this one. Showing his own sense of honor, Yusuke takes the case, saying that since Koenma brought him back, the least he can do is earn his keep.
We also see Yusuke returning to school. The rest of the students are rightfully scared, but the faculty seems surprisingly OK with the idea of a dead student coming back to life. Mr. Iwomoto even resorts to his old ways, attempting to frame Yusuke for stealing a bunch of items.
The faculty at this school never fails to surprise and perplex me. During questioning, Iwomoto openly punches Yusuke in the face. Granted, my knowledge of Japanese law is minimal, to say the least, but I"m pretty sure you can't do that.
Takanaka steps in and we finally see Iwomoto get some come uppance when Yusuke learns to use his spirit gun. Koenma explains how it works and that, until he can "beef up", he can only fire it once a day.
Koenma gives Yusuke the background of the artifacts that were stolen: the forlorn hope, the shadow sword, and the orb of Baast. These were stolen by three demons named Kurama, Hiei, and Gouki. When Yusuke confronts the three, Kurama walks off saying he has other things to do, Hiei angrily pursues and Yusuke is left to confront Gouki. Gouki takes a liking to the orb as it allows him to steal human souls to feed upon.
It seems simple enough, and Yusuke knocks him down in a couple of hits, but he hulks out and transforms into a giant monster called Kyukonki. Yusuke doesn't fare as well against the monster and gets knocked around. He tries to use his spirit gun, but remembers that he already used it on his teacher.
The episode ends on a cliffhanger as Yusuke notes that he's going to die...again.
The episode is a nice blend of action and comedy. The show hasn't abandoned it's sense of humor, but you can see that it's starting to transition to a different format. It's still just as well written as ever and there is a legitimate threat to face as each artifact is capable of wreaking a lot of havoc in the living world.
Episode 7: Gouki and Kurama
The Kyukonki continues to whale on Yusuke and taunts him about how he's going to inflict just enough pain to keep him alive and keep his soul intact so that he can eat it later.
Luckily, Botan arrives and, through deception, forces Gouki to flee. Yusuke's beaten, but not defeated. After recuperating for a few days, he insists on going back out to fight. As bad as harming children is, Yusuke finds what Gouki's doing particularly maddening since they can't even die and properly pass on.
Botan gives him two more items, a demon compass that can help him track down spirits, and a concentration ring that will give his spirit gun a little extra punch.
It's odd that these episodes make such a point of these. The narrator lists off each item as number X of 7, yet I don't think he gets all 7 and the ones he does receive are never used again. It was an interesting idea though, and giving him an array of gadgets did fit in with the whole "detective" thing they were going for early on.
In the rematch, Yusuke manages to outsmart the Kyukonki and defeat him, freeing all the devoured souls.
Kurama is next on the to capture list. Strangely, Kurama isn't interested in fighting and only asks that Yusuke meet him in three days. Botan is skeptical, but Yusuke says that he gets a different vibe from Kurama than he does from the others.
Kurama has Yusuke meet him at the hospital. Kurama explains his origin story, about how he was a demon thief who got injured during an operation. He took refuge in the body of a human baby and was raised as Suichi for fifteen years. It was only supposed to be a temporary measure, but Suichi's mother fell ill and Kurama felt bad, thus stuck by her side. He intends to use the Forlorn Hope to heal her at the cost of his own life.
I've praised the soundtrack to this show before, but it needs to be said again. Sure, they use the same tracks repeatedly, but they're used wisely and placed in moments where they will pack the most punch.
The leitmotif you hear when Yusuke jumps in to sacrifice his own life is the same one that you heard when Kuwabara was screaming at Yusuke's coffin and it is potent in both instances.
I was amused at the fact that Yusuke caught the hole in his logic after the fact. It's something that occurred to me as I was watching and it was nice that the writers themselves caught it and threw in a reference to the fact.
The episode ends on a high note, but Koenma points out that Hiei is the most dangerous of the three and has the most powerful of the artifacts; thus their work is far from over.
Episode 8: The Three Eyes of Hiei
Yusuke only has to track down Hiei to obtain the final artifact. Unfortunately, he is the most challenging as he is cunning, ruthless, and has a wider array of abilities at his command. He really does make a great villain. It's odd how he chided Gouki for overconfidence and yet he indulges in it a little himself. Despite Hiei not being one for small talk, he does enjoy monologuing a good deal. He even takes a cue from Ra's al Ghul and refers to Yusuke as 'detective". That was awesome.
His third eye grants him a variety of psychic powers, telepathy, telekinesis, and the ability to see things that are happening far away. He can even enslave people, though Hiei admits that he did that more for show than anything else.
He attacks Keiko, striking her with the Shadow Sword, which causes Keiko to grow a third eye of her own. If it opens completely, she'll be turned into a demon.
Suffice it to say, Yusuke isn't too happy about it. Hiei's taunts prove ineffective as it only allows Yusuke to get the drop on him. Unfortunately, Hiei transforms into his demon form (something we'll never see him do again for the rest of the series). In his true form, he's far more powerful and more than a match for Yusuke. The fight against Gouki really was small potatoes as Hiei dishes out an even more severe beating. It isn't helped by the fact that his incredible speed makes him a difficult target to hit.
Meanwhile, Botan uses her healing powers to keep the transformation at bay, but she can only hold out for so long.
Kurama comes to their aid, saying that he was in their debt. Like Kuwabara, Kurama is one of the characters that just plain rules. He takes a killing blow meant for Yusuke, wounding him, but he assists Botan in helping Keiko in the meantime.
Through some ingenuity, Yusuke is able to beat Hiei and obtain the final artifact and save Keiko. While it seems like Yusuke employed strategy to win the day, he admits he wasn't sure it would work and it was more of a last ditch gamble.
As great as the showdown was, Keiko's jealousy was one of the highlights of the episode. When Yusuke asked Keiko to do his homework because he and Botan had something to do, I facepalmed. He catches himself and tries to explain, but she refuses to listen.
While they manage to stop the threat, King Yamma still discovers what happens. Fortunately, he doesn't take it out on a city, but he does punish Koenma the way some parents discipline theirs. Yusuke finds the image hilarious.
Episode 9: The Search Begins
Botan gives Yusuke his next assignment. An old psychic named Genkai is looking for an apprentice so that she can pass on her great skill to another. Koenma wants Yusuke to be the one who trains under her because A: it will help him get stronger and B: because he doesn't want the power falling into the wrong hands.
The matter is complicated by a demon warrior named Rando who wants to acquire the power for himself. It's up to Yusuke to find Rando and stop him so that he doesn't use Genkai's powers to kill a lot of people.
It was good to see Yusuke use his demon compass. Unfortunately, the power level is over 9,000 and it breaks (which might be a good reason why he doesn't use it again.)
The spotlight is on Kuwabara and Yusuke this time around. Botan has a nice bit in the beginning where she essentially bribes Yusuke to going, since he didn't want to give up his three day weekend, but beyond that she doesn't appear.
Kuwabara explains that he only wants Genkai to turn his psychic awareness down since it's getting in the way, but he gets roped into the contest anyway.
The first elimination round is a simple drawing. Many of the contestants are perplexed, but Genkai's inner monologue explains that their own spirit energy was the real determining factor.
After that, it's video games. There's karaoke, a punching bag that records your strength, and a paper/rock/scissors game that appears to operate more like whack a mole.
The final round is a race through a sentient forest. The idea is to use your spirit awareness, but Yusuke uses real world science and just runs a straight line through the forest. It is here that he comes across a Man-bat style creature. It's funny, my brain only dubbed it that because of the Batman character, but Genkai even refers to him as such at the end of the episode.
Speaking of comics, I did not appreciate Yusuke's jab at comic book convention attendees being freaks. Not cool.
Anyway, Yusuke battles the creature, but takes too long and doesn't meet the time limit. I was surprised to see Kuwabara's reaction. One would think that he would gloat, but he insists that another person should've been standing with them, knowing full well how good Yusuke was.
Genkai's surprise at his besting the manbat gets him in, despite her "no exceptions" rule. You have to wonder why Yusuke name dropped Hiei. No one else would know what he was talking about. He could've just said "I've fought faster enemies" and we could've put two and two together. Oh well, it's just a nitpick.
This was a solid episode and a good introduction to the new arc. Be sure to appreciate this tournament format while it lasts because we'll neeeever see these characters fighting in tournaments beyond this story arc.
Episode 10: Kuwabara's Spirit Sword
The final 8 contestants move onto the tournament round. Each fighter will be paired off and they will fight in pitch black until the other one is defeated. Killing is permitted and Genkai says that she will train whoever wins regardless of moral fiber. If her ability is really that strong, you'd think she'd want to be more responsible than that, but it makes for good drama.
It's up to the fighters to use their spirit awareness to locate their opponent during the fight. We don't really see the first two fights, instead observing it from the main characters point of view. We learn that the guy with the swastika on his head has a technique similar to Yusuke's spirit gun and the meek Shorin wins his round.
Kuwabara is up next and while he can sense his opponent's spirit energy. His opponent can mask it. This results in Kuwabara getting pretty severely beaten. He keeps getting up and catches a break when his opponent's weapon breaks in half. Kuwabara uses the shard to channel his own spirit energy to form a sword.
Maybe it was just me, but the noise the spirit sword made when it first formed, sounded a lot like a lightsaber. They should've gone all out with it, but I can see why they didn't. Kuwabara wins and Yusuke's up next.
He, too, gets pummeled. Yusuke doesn't have the spirit awareness that the other fighters have and is relying on his senses. The episode ends on a cliffhanger with Yusuke outmatched and disoriented.
Kuwabara is let in on Yusuke's situation and he meets Botan for the first time, quickly proposing marriage because, as Kuwabara put it, she's hot. He also stands up for Keiko and gets mad at Yusuke when he thinks that he and Botan could be a potential item.
Rando is still lurking in the shadows. Kuwabara said that he could sense the demon's presence, but it was too vague, due to a great ability to mask spirit energy. It was one of the reasons that Yusuke let him in on it to begin with.
This episode is more action oriented, though it has its fair share of humor as well. It's surprising that Genkai was OK with letting Botan in, then again, she figured out that Yusuke was "Koenma's boy" just by Botan's presence so maybe she didn't want to say anything.
We draw closer to the final confrontation with Rando as well as the resolution of the tournament to see who studies under the old lady.
Episode 11: Hard Fights for Yusuke
Yusuke continues getting beaten around. Despite multiple offers to surrender, Yusuke refuses to go down. We see his cunning side emerge when he uses a cigarette that Genkai threw at him in the previous episode as a way to mark his opponent's position. From there, a simple spirit gun blast wins him the fight.
Alas, Yusuke is up for yet another fight against Kazamaru. While the tournament is relocated to a graveyard with strong spirit energy and good illumination, Yusuke is too tired and beaten to put up a decent fight. Things are made worse when Kazamaru unleashes a set of throwing stars. Unlike normal ones that just pass by, these lock onto a person like a missile and can go for days. As if he wasn't exhasted enough, now Yusuke has to constantly evade the weapons.
There are some blocking issues with this fight. For one thing, due to use of stock footage, we see four of Kazamaru's guided throwing stars even though three of them exploded in a previous scene. Also, during Yusuke's desperate charge, he runs past the spectators who are off on the sidelines, and yet he still ends up running straight at his opponent. What? Did he circle back around?
Beyond that, it's dumb luck that gets Yusuke through. He slips and falls, allowing the throwing stars to lock onto Kazamaru's stronger spirit energy. It's odd as we see him disappear where, if he really did slip, you'd think that we would've seen that.
The episode ends with Rando's identity being revealed. Yusuke gets a break and Kuwabara is announced as the first to fight the demon.
Episode 12: Rando Rises, Kuwabara Falls
Kuwabara is the first to fight Shorin. While it's pretty clear that Shorin is Rando, Kuwabara actually manages to gain the upper hand. Shorin can't even land a blow on Kuwabara and he gets knocked down with ease. Even when he tries firing fireballs, Kuwabara just bats them back at Shorin with his spirit sword.
Things take a turn for the worse, however, when Shorin recites an incantation that shrinks Kuwabara down to the size of a bug. There's some nice play with perspective here. We see Shorin from Kuwabara's perspective, as he seemingly gets bigger. We then cut to Shorin looking down on Kuwabara before we finally see what really happened. OK, the fact that Shorin yells out "reduction!" makes it pretty clear, but it was a nice idea.
While the show is filled with characters getting pummeled, blasted, and tossed around like rag dolls, what ensues here is one of the most gruesome things on the show. There's no gore or anything like that, but the idea of someone snapping the bones in your arm with his fingertips is just cringe inducing. There are audible pops and snaps as it happens too, which just makes it all the more painful to watch.
Shorin seems to enjoy it too, which makes it all the creepier. He even goes on to try and crush Kuwabara's rib cage in his fist. Genkai finally calls the fight and Yusuke steps in to avenge his friend.
With the triumphant music accompanying it, it was a joy to see Yusuke just whale on him for a few minutes. While not as gruesome as what happened to Kuwabara, Shorin unleashes a cyclone attack on Yusuke that sounds plenty painful. Creating a vacuum around someone to cause air to rip out through a person's skin is still pretty sadistic. I'm kind of surprised he didn't just go the suffocation angle, but this is quite effective.
Yusuke manages to plow through the agony and knock Shorin out, but the fight isn't done yet. Rando reveals his true form and the episode ends on a cliffhanger before the final showdown.
The episode was filled with creepy moments, from Shorin's enjoyment of Kuwabara's agony to his incantations, which were accompanied by an appropriately disturbing musical sting. The only thing I don't get is why Botan didn't try to use her healing powers on Kuwabara after Shorin restored him to normal size. I imagine lying there with all of those broken bones is quite painful. She says the wounds would never heal, but you could at least help him out a little.
Beyond that, this was a great episode, filled with riveting fight scenes and some disturbing imagery. Even if you've seen the show before, it can still hook you in, which is a sign of the strong writing that goes into this show.
Episode 13: Yusuke vs Rando: 99 Attacks
Episode 14: The Beasts of Maze Castle
Episode 15: Genbu, the Stone Beast
Episode 16: Byakko, the White Tiger
Episode 17: Byakko's Lair
Episode 18: Seiryu, the Blue Dragon
Episode 19: Suzaku, Leader of the Beasts
Episode 20: Seven Ways to Die
Episode 21: Yusuke's Sacrifice
Episode 22: Lamenting Beauty
Episode 23: The Toguro Brothers Gang
Episode 24: The Deadly Triad
Episode 25: Kuwabara's Fight of Love
Episode 26: Toguro Returns
Episode 27: The Dark Tournament Begins
Episode 28: First Fight
Episode 29: Flowers of Blood
Episode 30: Dragon of the Darkness Flame
Episode 31: Stumbling Warrior
Episode 32: Knife Edge Death Match
Episode 33: A Day in Waiting
Episode 34: Percentage of Victory
Episode 35: Glimpse Beneath the Mask
Episode 36: Ambition Destroyed: A Trial by Light
Episode 37: Master of Disguise
Episode 38: Kurama's Stand
Episode 39: Crushing Revenge
Episode 40: Jin, the Wind Master
Episode 41: Reverse Decisions
Episode 42: A Matter of Love and Death
Episode 43: The Masked Fighter Revealed
Episode 44: Yusuke's Final Test
Episode 45: Hiei Battles On
Episode 46: Many Faces, Many Forms
Episode 47: Legendary Bandit, Yoko Kurama
Episode 48: The Cape of No Return
Episode 49: Genkai's Strength
Episode 50: Suzuka's Challenge
Episode 51: Arch Rivals
Episode 52: The Death of Genkai
Episode 53: Overcoming Grief
Episode 54: The Beginning of the End
Episode 55: The Beast Within
Episode 56: Yoko's Magic
Episode 57: Beneath Bui's Armor
Episode 58: Wielder of the Dragon
Episode 59: The Shadow of Elder Toguro
Episode 60: Sakyo's Proposal
Episode 61: Yusuke vs. Toguro
Episode 62: Toguro's Full Power
Episode 63: Yusuke's Despair
Episode 64: Torguro's Desire
Episode 65: Out with a Bang
Episode 66: Toguro's Wish
Episode 67: Return to Living World
Episode 68: Setting the Trap
Episode 69: The Power of Taboo
Episode 70: Genkai's Ruse
Episode 71: The Tunnel
Episode 72: The Reader
Episode 73: The Doctor's Disease
Episode 74: Sleep, Doctor, Sleep
Episode 75: Caught in the Rain
Episode 76: Kuwabara: Awakening
Episode 77: Sensui's Fall
Episode 78: Divide and Conquer
Episode 79: The Human Race
Episode 80: Moving Target
Episode 81: Let the Games Begin
Episode 82: If You Could Play Forever
Episode 83: Game Over
Episode 84: Kurama's Anger, Gourmet's Guest
Episode 85: Spirit Detective Showdown
Episode 86: The Difference Maker
Episode 87: Power Between the Teeth
Episode 88: The True Face of Sensui
Episode 89: Death of a Spirit Detective
Episode 90: Attempting Revenge
Episode 91: Waking the Lost
Episode 92: The Proof
Episode 93: Sensui's End
Episode 94: Topside
Episode 95: Yusuke's Destiny
Episode 96: Three Strangers, Three Kings
Episode 97: Departing Living World
Episode 98: Return to Demon World
Episode 99: Haunted by the Past
Episode 100: The Secret of the Jagan
Episode 101: Reunion of the Bandits
Episode 102: Torn Between Identities
Episode 103: Inheritance
Episode 104: Every Demon for Himself
Episode 105: The Preliminaries
Episode 106: The Battle of Father and Son
Episode 107: The Demon World Tournament Begins
Episode 108: Farewell, Kurama
Episode 109: Love and War
Episode 110: A Reason to Fight
Episode 111: Closure
Episode 112: To the Future
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