Shout Out / YuYu Hakusho

Here are the shout-outs present in YuYu Hakusho.

Media References

Anime & Manga

• One of the biggest is how Yusuke dies in the beginning. He saves a child who ran out into the street with a soccer ball, only to later be told that the soccer ball would have cushioned the child, saving the boy's life without leaving a scratch on him. This is a situation that would have, without Yusuke's unfortunate intervention, been exactly the same as what happened to Tsubasa in Captain Tsubasa.
• The sequence of Yusuke shooting Hiei with the Rei-Gan, Hiei dodging, and then having said Rei-Gan reflect through the mirror relic and back towards Hiei is reminiscent of Dragon Ball Z, when Krillin missed hurling the Genki Dama at Vegeta, only for Gohan to deflect the blast back towards the original target.
  • The Dark Tournament is highly possibly based on the many tournaments present in the Dragon Ball manga and its anime adaptations or sequels.
  • Yomi is possibly based on the demon Shula from Dragon Ball, as both have similar appearances. Ironically, Yomi's artificial clone "son" got the "Shula" or "Shura" name instead.
• In the Tagalog version of YuYu Hakusho (Ghost Fighter), after defeating the demon Rando, Yusuke mentions to Botan that since he completed his mission, he finally has free time to watch some Battle Ball^note (another anime dubbed by TeleSuccess Productions—the same dubbing company that did the YYH Filipino dub—at the time).
• Younger Toguro echoes Onimaru from Peacock King, another manga about young fighters battling demons. Like Onimaru, Toguro is a musclebound, foreign-looking man with perpetual sunglasses that is both a human and a demon at once and who has a Worthy Opponent relationship with the main character.
• There are three shout-outs to Sailor Moon.^note Yoshihiro Togashi is the husband of Sailor Moon creator Naoko Takeuchi.
  • In a manga-exclusive story, Kurama throws a rose in front of two rival gangs a la Tuxedo Mask. (He actually tells them "Just call me Tuxedo Mask," while throwing it in the Viz dub.)
  • Juri's transformation sequence when she recovers from the Idunn Box is based off of Sailor Moon's transformation sequence.
  • Koenma's disguise in the Demon World Tournament is him wearing the Tuxedo Mask garb.

Literature

• There is a momentary shout-out to The Stars My Destination during the Dark Tournament when an audience member is shown with the N♂MAD tattoo.
• Yomi's territory in the Demon World, "Gandhara", is a reference to the place where Tripitaka, the Monkey King, and their party were headed for in Journey to the West.^note In real-life, it's an ancient Indo-Aryan civilization centered in the present-day north-west Pakistan and north-east Afghanistan.
  • Yomi's six ears is possibly based off the Six-Eared Macaque from Journey to the West as well, whose six ears allowed him to listen to everything, which made him nigh-omniscient.

Movies & Television

• Toguro is also reminiscent of The Ahnold himself, Arnold Schwarzenegger. In particular, he looks like the Expy of The Terminator.
  • It certainly helps that Toguro's voice actor Tesshō Genda is the go-to Japanese dub voice for characters played by Arnold Schwarzenegger^note (and Arnie's best friend/rival Sylvester Stallone).
• The Ankoku Bujutsukai (Dark Tournament), an underground tournament occurring on a remote island, is possibly based on the tournament Bruce Lee enters in Enter the Dragon.
  • It's also possibly based on the Kumite tournament creatively invented by Frank Dux for the film Bloodsport.
• During the Dark Tournament, there was a shout-out to Super Sentai of all things (it's one of the teams ruthlessly offed by the Toguro team; they even use the Himitsu Sentai Gorenger codenames).
• In the Demon World Arc, Yomi's advisor is a short, old guy with pointy ears named Yoda.

Music

• In Episode 21, there's a glimpse of a poster of Oingo Boingo's "Good For Your Soul" album on the wall in Kuwabara's room. No name changes either, unlike with "Megallica", the album's cover is mimicked in full, complete with artist and name.
• Kuwabara goes to the "Megallica" concert in episode 75.

Video Games

• Gouki shares the name with a character from Street Fighter. The pronunciation and meaning are the same but the kanji are slightly different though.
  • They're both formidable foes, but in the case of YYH Gouki, he's a demon disguised as a human who eats human souls in the Human World.
  • With Street Fighter Gouki/Akuma, he's a martial artist who turned into a being as strong as a demon or ogre, just like the Toguro Brothers.
• Yusuke can fire his Rei-Gan/Spirit Gun multiple times using weaker shots or a huge fireball or beam if he charges it long enough, just like the Charge Shot from Mega Man.^note Before appearing as a function of the Mega Buster, a Special Weapon from Mega Man 2 in 1988, Atomic Fire, had the unique capacity to be charged up to release a stronger attack. This is possibly a progenitor of the Charge Shot. The Charge Shot made its debut in Mega Man 4 in 1991. For the first time, Mega Man could charge the New Mega Buster up to two additional levels for more powerful shots, at the cost of a lower firing rate.
  • The charging sound of Megaman's Charge Shot sounds the same as when Yusuke charges up his Rei-Gan.
• In Japanese, Genkai's fighting style is referred to as the "Reikou Hadouken". Thusly, the "Hadouken" part of her discipline's name is a shout-out to both Street Fighter II and Space Battleship Yamato^note (the origin of the name for the "Hadouken" technique comes from the Yamato's Wave-Motion Gun or the "Hadouho").
• When Yusuke and Kuwabara are arguing after their first arrival at Genkai's house, several Street Fighter characters can be seen, including Dhalsim, E. Honda, Zangief (with a scar on his chest instead of all the hair), and a middle-aged Ryu.
• Also during the Dark Tournament, the gang uses Nintendo-branded playing cards (which is actually how the company started its business).

Myth and Folklore References

Chinese Mythology

• Suzaku is the Crimson Vermillion Bird, Byakko is the White Tiger, Genbu is the Black Turtle, and Seiryu is the Blue Dragon. These are the "Four Saint Beasts"^note also known as "The Four Gods", "Four Heavenly Kings", "Four Devas of Destruction", "Four Warring Cardinal Gods", "Four Buddhist Gods", "Four Chinese Gods", or "Shitennou" of mythology.
  • The Vermillion Bird was a Phoenix in older times, and the White Tiger was originally a Qilin (just like the summon "Kirin" from Final Fantasy). The Black Turtle was originally called "The Black Warrior". No one knows why any of them were changed.
  • For some reason, Togashi decided to switch up the elements associated with each of the Four Saint Beasts.^note Instead of phoenix fire, Suzaku has lightning powers and instead of storms and lightning, Seiryu has ice powers. Ditto with Byakko having fire powers instead of earth powers and Genbu having earth powers instead of winter ice or water powers.

Japanese Folklore

• Most of Shishiwakamaru's team have names based on characters of Japanese folklore. Shishiwakamaru himself is based on Minamoto no Yoshitsune, whose childhood name is Ushiwakamaru (牛若丸).^note Shishiwakamaru's Cape of No Return is a reference to Yoshitsune disguising as a woman with a cape. Koto also indirectly refers to this shout-out.
• Ura Urashima or "Reverse Urashima" is named after Urashima Taro, a mythical fisherman that married the daughter of a Sea Kami. He uses a fishing pole as a weapon in reference to this.^note The first "Ura" ins his name uses the kanji for "flip side", meaning he's the exact opposite of the mythical fisherman. That is to say: weak, cowardly, and boisterous. His special item involves reversing time, like in the original Urashima story.
• Kuro Momotaro is "Black Peach Boy". The name "Momotaro" means "Peach Boy". The titular character of the myth (Momotaro) befriends various animals in his quest.^note Kuro Momotaro turns into those animals using his steaming spheres (not all of them though, he dies before he could). The spheres have black peaches on them (his name references this). Kuro can also symbolize evil because black equals death in Shintoism.
• Makintaro is the "Magic Golden Boy". Named after "Kintaro", Japan's Hercules or "Golden Boy". Kintaro was a very strong yet amoral figure that followed orders without question.^note He exemplified the samurai spirit of fearlessness, obedience, and strength. Kintaro ripped his lazy older brother into pieces for disobeying their father. When he was a baby, Kintaro's bib had the kanji for "Gold" written on it. Makintaro's bib has a fused kanji for "Gold" and "Magic" on it.
• Suzuka/Suzuki is just a common given name in Japan. It's Suzuki's disguise "Onji" that has meaning. The old man is likely named after Onmyouji.^note Onmyouji are humans that have the powers/souls of demons; they are the Japanese equivalent of sorcerers. They often summon demons and create magic items. This explains how Suzuki got his team together and equipped them. Kurama is technically an onmyouji too, due to being a demon soul in a human body. Yusuke is not one of these as he is youkai by blood.

Japanese Mythology

• The name "Gōki" or "Gouki" means "Strong Ogre". Yes, like that Gouki. Like Japanese ogres, Gouki used a tree in his fight with Yusuke. He's also one of the few to have ever beaten the young Urameshi fair and square.
• Kurama is a reference to another mountain that stands alongside Mt, Hiei, and is (hilariously) barely more than half as tall.
  • Mt. Kurama is also the birthplace of Reiki medicine, the real-world equivalent of Spirit Energy. It is the Japanese equivalent to Vitalism, and has many followers.
  • Kurama is also closely connected to the myth of the kitsune or Asian Fox Spirit. They're particularly known in taking in newborns as their avatars.
• "Hiei" is also the name of a mountain that is the home of demons (the same Mt. Hiei where Shishio's stronghold is located). Traditionally, women were not allowed on this mountain for fear that demons might abduct them (pretty much sums up Hiei's first meeting with Keiko).
• "Yukina" means "Snow Child/Girl". A reference to the Yuki Onna (Snow Women) or Koorime (Ice Maidens), Yukina's species. These youkai appeared in blizzards to seduce the stupid off the beaten path, hence why Kuwabara has a crush on her.
• Raizen, a Mazoku, has a name that means "Lightning Meditation" or "Lightning Buddhism", and thusly has powers related to lightning like Suzaku of the Four Saint Beasts.
• Yomi's name literally translates to "Underworld". It's appropriate, since it refers to him being one of Three Kings of the Underworld.
• Mukuro is Chinese for "Body", a reference to her scarred body.
  • Her name is also a pun on the Mokumokuren, a youkai that takes the form of eyes peering through holes in a rundown house.
  • The reason for this is her connection to Hiei, another eye-based demon. Like Hiei, the number of eyes Mukuro has is an odd number.

Name Origins

• Yusuke Urameshi:
  • The first name "Yusuke" possibly means "Ghastly Assistant", which is a reference to his helpful actions while dead. His last name, "Urameshi", is something chanted by the dead (phonetically speaking, anyway).
  • When you combine the first character for "Yusuke" ("Yu" meaning "Faint" or "Ghost-like") with the first character for "Rei-Gan" ("Rei" meaning "Soul" or "Spirit"), you get the word "Yurei", the closest thing Shintoism has to the western idea of normal ghosts or spirits who can't move on. He was one of these for a short time at the beginning of the story.
• Kazuma Kuwabara:
  • By Word of God, Kazuma Kuwabara's full name was simply taken from two of Togashi's favorite Japanese baseball players—Kazuhiro Kiyohara (清原和博) and Masumi Kuwata (桑田真澄).
  • The name "Kuwabara" is actually a prayer/spell that wards away lightning (as seen in Metal Gear Solid 3).^note The whole thing with the mulberry trees is because the angry spirit that threw lighting at people was a man, whose land was (probably) full of these trees. By chanting "Kuwabara", one tricked the spirit into thinking they were his people, whom he wouldn't attack. As time went on, it was expanded to also ward away ghosts, demons, and bad luck. This is name is hilarious because of three things:
    • Kuwabara has horrible luck.
    • Kuwabara can feel the presence of ghosts.
    • Seaman fights Kuwabara during a storm and Kuwabara wins.
• In Japanese, the Spirit Gun is named the "Rei-Gan". It roughly means the same thing (Spiritual Energy Bullet), but it's also a Punny Name referring to the English term "Ray Gun". Appropriately enough, Yusuke's "rei(ki)" is shot out like an energy ball or beam of light of your typical Kamehame Hadoken when using his "Spiritual Ray Gun".
• Rando's name means "Child of Confusion", a reference to his disguise. His disguise is a boy or monk named "Shorin" which is the Japanese word for Shaolin. Shorin is also dressed as a practitioner of Shorin-Ryu, which is the Japanese school of Shaolin Kung Fu.
• Kurama's mother once overheard Yusuke calling Kurama his demon name. She said it meant something along the lines of "Demon Thief". It's probably a pun.
• Hiei's name means "Swift Shadow", which pretty much describes the character. The character "Hi" is also phonetically similar to "Ho" which means fire. So if you didn't know the first kanji, you might think it means "Burning Shadow", which is another pun.
• "Chu" either means either "Sake" or "Strong Wine", depending on whether you are using Japanese or Chinese.

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