Yoshihiro Togashi: An Unmatched Portfolio
You Yu Hakusho and Hunter x Hunter are two of the most prolific anime of all time. Both series, adapted from their Shonen Jump published manga form, are seminal works in the lexicon of animated series. Yu Yu Hakusho ran for 19 volumes and 112 episodes while Hunter x Hunter has 35 volumes and 240 episodes across multiple runs. Despite these show’s popularity, it’s not a commonly known fact that they are made by the same person: Yoshihiro Togashi
Yoshihiro Togashi is responsible for creating both of these major works. While he is known for his breaks and hiatuses for physical and mental health, Togashi’s contributions to animation shouldn’t be pushed under the rug. It’s understandable that people want to know what happens next in Hunter x Hunter, but it is more important that Togashi is enjoying the work he does and that he’s not sacrificing his own wellbeing for the entertainment of others.
Togashi began drawing at a very early age, but didn’t pursue art professionally by any means. Instead he enrolled in university to become a teacher while drawing and writing manga as a side hustle. During college he submitted his work to Weekly Shonen Jump and eventually was honored with the illustrious Tezuka Award. This accolade caused him to pursue manga as a career over becoming a teacher. Eventually he was contacted by a Shonen Jump editor who goaded him to move to Tokyo to go after this dream full time.
Togashi clearly wore 1980’s horror movie inspirations on his sleeve. When considering how many genre defining horror movies came out in the 1980’s it’s clear where a lot of the inspiration for Yu Yu Hakusho came from. Togashi was sure to have been driven to make a more paranormal, horror driven anime after seeing films like Evil Dead, Poltergeist, The Shining, Halloween, and Gremlins. He’s even been quoted as saying that his favorite film is Alien.
Yu Yu Hakusho debuted in Shonen Jump in 1990, starring Yusuke Urameshi, an undead “Spirit Detective” who protects the Living World from demons. The show deals with heavy topics for a manga like death, the afterlife, hell, and morality. This program was able to take these dark and complex topics and introduce them to readers through the more palatable Shonen style.
Furthermore, Yu Yu Hakusho brilliantly told the tale of Yusuke Urameshi through the classic Hero’s Journey that several major pieces of fantasy follow, like the Hobbit, Harry Potter, and Star Wars. He began as a normal kid who was involved in a freak car accident while saving an innocent child’s life. While ascending to heaven he was preserved by the apparitions Botan and Koenma who recognized his potential as a protector of the Living World, thus introducing him to the Spirit World and its magical properties.
Yusuke also gets a helper and mentor in Genkai as well as a lovable band of misfit friends in Kuwabara, Kurama, and Hiei. Throughout the hero’s journey, Yusuke uncovers more about the Demon World and is faced with numerous challenges that further develops him as a supreme protector of the Living World.
Yu Yu Hakusho was brought to motion in 1992 and ran for 112 episodes over two years. The series was eventually given an English dub and aired on Cartoon Network’s Toonami block beginning in 2003. This introduced a new generation to the show (myself included) and solidified it as an internationally recognized series for Togashi.
Developing the entirety of Yu Yu Hakusho was no walk in the park for Togashi, as he often sacrificed his own free time and sleep schedule to produce a quality story before Shonen Jump’s deadline. After taking on a heavy individual burden, the final couple volumes of Yu Yu Hakusho wore Togashi’s drive down to a nub. Finishing off the manga while contributing to the anime seemed to have burned Togashi out on the show overall. The prolific storyteller was looking to start something completely new with his next manga for Shonen Jump.
Hunter x Hunter began in 1998 and is still running in Shonen Jump to this day, despite several hiatuses. Togashi has claimed that he is taking some time for himself while addressing some mental and physical issues. The show has seen two separate runs from 1999–2000 by Nippon Animation and 2011–2014 by Madhouse Inc.
Hunter x Hunter follows Gon Freecs, who is on a search for his father who abandoned him as a baby on Whale Island. Throughout his journey, Gon uncovers information about his father while becoming a world class Hunter. Hunters in this universe are warriors, magic users, and each have their own unique set of powers that make them formidable called “nen.”
Hunter x Hunter also follows the Hero’s Journey skeleton that makes for an incredible saga that unfolds over its long run. Gon begins the story as a young independent boy who spends his time catching fish and running through the forest. He is introduced to the supernatural world of Hunters during his Hunter Exam and soon after learns how to use nen while competing in a fighting tournament. He has many mentors that help him develop his supernatural physical abilities, along with his ragtag group of friends Kurapika, Leorio, Killua, and more.
Both of these shows have the similarity of the Hero’s Journey build, but their ties go much deeper. Togashi’s storytelling abilities shine through by constantly keeping the storyline moving. Neither of these shows have long, drawn out battle sagas against one opponent like Dragonball Z. Instead Togashi prefers to have the main characters fight off entire arrays of evil characters before reaching a final boss, like in a video game.
The ensemble casts allow for deep character development, even for the secondary characters. Despite not being main characters, we feel like we really understand the motivations of characters like Kurapika or Kurama. Along the way, each of these shows introduces more protagoninsts and antagonists that all truly believe that they are in the right, creating a theme of power struggles within internal morality.
Gon and Yusuke are incredibly similar characters who have a lot in common. Appearance wise, they both have jet black hair and wear green outfits. They both start out by having normal physical abilities, but become one of the most powerful people on earth through the journey they experience. Both characters also can be very headstrong and goal oriented. Once they understand what they are fighting for, there is no stopping them. If a villain pushes them too far or messes with something they care about, their emotions lead them to their truly ultimate powers.
The main lesson from this: live with your emotions on your sleeve. Nobody should be an automaton. If you feel something, don’t be afraid to express it. You will be the ultimate version of yourself if you express your emotions fully and let your friends and family know you care about them.
Anime and manga are great teachers with a little critical thought and I can thank Yoshihiro Togashi for teaching me this lesson over hundreds of episodes.
-Dan
