Anirban Bhattacharya
‘Yu Yu Hakusho’ is a popular shounen anime. The story follows Yuusuke Urameshi, a delinquent. But one day, he jumps in front of a car to save a young boy. His sacrifice is so great that the head of the spirit world doesn’t want him to pass on. He gives Yuusuke a chance to regain his life by performing a few tasks: he is to become a spirit detective and should fight off evil spirits that cause problems in the Earth realm. If you enjoyed watching this show and are looking for more titles that explore similar themes and concepts, then we’ve got you covered.
16. Reborn! (2006 – 2010)
Tsunayoshi Sawada is dubbed a failure by his peers and is hopelessly in love with a school idol who does not love him back. It appears that everything is going wrong in his life but things take an extraordinary turn when the mysterious Reborn is entrusted with the responsibility of training the young teenager so that he can eventually become the tenth boss of the infamous Vongola family. But can Sawada, who has failed at everything in his life shoulder such an incredible responsibility? Feel free to watch the anime here.
15. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (2019 -)
‘Yu Yu Hakuso’ fans who are looking for another show that revolves around fighting supernatural entities and features stunning animation should look no further than ‘Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba.’ Both anime also explore the complex motivational and emotional struggles of their unique characters. The dark fantasy anime follows Tanjirou, a kind and hardworking teenager whose life turns upside down after his family is slaughtered while his sister Nezuko is turned into a demon. In order to make sure that she becomes a human again and to erase the curse of demons from the face of the planet, Tanjirou sets out on a long journey to become a demon slayer and rise through the ranks so that he can eventually find and kill the man responsible for the deaths of countless innocent people. You can watch the series here.
14. JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure (2012 -)
‘JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure’ like ‘Yu Yu Hakuso’ explores family legacies in which powers and responsibilities are passed down between generations. Both shows feature intense fight scenes that are quite impressive to watch. ‘JoJo’s Bizzare Adventure’ revolves around the Joestar family, whose members are gifted with supernatural powers and are destined to use them in battle against dangerous foes. The anime does not focus on just one member of the family and recounts different anecdotes that center around a new character almost every other time. Feel free to watch the anime here.
13. D.Gray-man (2006 – 2008)
Millennium Earl exploits people’s desire to resurrect their loved ones in order to make his weapon, Akuma. But once souls are trapped by it, the only way to rescue them is to exorcise them. In order to stop Earl from causing more suffering and to make sure that his grand plan which puts humanity in an existential crisis does not come to fruition, Allen Walker and his companion in the Black Order take it upon themselves to lead a resistance. But will they succeed against someone so powerful? Feel free to watch the anime here.
12. My Hero Academia (2016 -)
Just like ‘Yu Yu Hakuso,’ ‘My Hero Academia’ leans towards a character that has to shoulder responsibilities that come with his powers. These shows beautifully capture the personal growth of the protagonist who faces quite a few setbacks. Interestingly, action-packed fight sequences are something that the two of them are actually popular for. ‘My Hero Academy’ revolves around the journey of a powerless teenager named Izuku Midoriya who is selected by his idol to become his successor. He not only gets one of the most powerful abilities but also becomes the epicenter of the battle between good and evil that leads to several unspeakable tragedies. As the odds are stacked against him, can Izuku a.k.a Deku shine through and prove his might? The anime is accessible for streaming here.
11. Soul Eater (2008 – 2009)
‘Soul Eater’ is inspired by Atsushi Ohkubo’s Japanese manga series of the same name. The anime centers around the prestigious Death Weapon Meister Academy which is dedicated to raising Death Scythes that are ultimately used to ward off evils of the fantastical world by the Shinigami. Interestingly, these Death Scythes are actually human hybrids that could potentially turn into Demon weapons. The show weapon meister and weapon pairs have the ability to transform into a humanoid. Like ‘Yu Yu Hakuso,’ ‘Soul Eater’ also focuses on the nurturing of supernatural abilities for a specific goal. The protagonists in both anime find themselves up against powerful adversaries and dark entities that are persistently trying to test them. You can watch the anime here.
10. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (2009 – 2010)
‘Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood’ and ‘Yu Yu Hakuso’ are both well-crafted storylines with depth that explore very dark themes. Interestingly, the characters go through a dramatic journey of transformation in both anime that changes their lives forever. ‘Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood’ follows the Elric brothers who lose their body parts after trying to perform the banned alchemical ritual in hopes of reviving their mother. After their miserable failure, they set out in search of the philosopher’s stone to get their body parts back not realizing that this will eventually lead to a discovery of a dangerous conspiracy that will change everything they know about their world. The anime is accessible for streaming here.
9. Chainsaw Man (2022 -)
‘Chainsaw Man’ is a dark fantasy anime that has no dearth of action-packed fight sequences which makes it a perfect addition to this list. The show revolves around a hopeless teenager named Denji who dreams of living a normal life after struggling to pay the debt owed by his late father. When he is killed by evil forces, he is miraculously revived by his chainsaw devil pet Pochita, who fuses with his body with the promise that Denji will fulfill his dreams. This grants Denji the life as well as the powers of the Chainsaw devil and he starts working with the Public Safety Devil Hunters to make the world a better place. Although his long-standing desires are finally fulfilled, Denji unknowingly gets sucked into a dangerous world of manipulation and deceit that does not have his best interests in it’s final plans. You can watch the anime here.
8. Beelzebub (2011)
‘Beelzebub’ is an entertaining anime. It has got action, comedy, supernatural stuff, and takes place in a school setting. The series is popular among Shounen fans. Yes, and that’s one of the many similarities that this show has with ‘Yu Yu Hakusho’. In both anime, we have the demon realm and the demon race. Then there’s a strong male lead who is sort of a delinquent and gets pushed into ‘demon stuff’ without having much say. Both anime have lots of action and the characters get stronger with each fight.
Delinquents are a common sight in Ishiyama High. They are everywhere on campus. But there’s one rule that even these rowdy beings follow: they just don’t mess with the king of delinquents, Tatsumi Oga. One day, he sees a man floating down the river. He saves him but something strange happens — the man splits down the middle and a baby comes out. This baby forms a connection with Oga, who later finds out that the baby is Beelzebub, the demon lord’s son. Now, he and Hildegard, the demon’s maid, have to raise the baby. It can be a tough task even for the toughest delinquent. You can watch the anime here.
7. Dragon Ball Z (1989)
‘Dragon Ball Z’ is obviously one of the most popular anime of all time. It has great action and lots of strong characters The vibe of ‘Dragon Ball Z’ is quite similar to that of ‘Yu Yu Hakusho’. Though they are on a completely different track when it comes to the plot and premise, the character design and lightning-fast actions are a trademark of both. Also, with each fight, the characters make more comrades and become stronger.
The story takes place four years after the world martial-arts tournament that Goku won. Now, he is happily married and has a son. But his peaceful and stable life is shaken by Radish who claims that he is Goku’s brother. He also tells him that Goku is a Saiyan, a powerful alien race, sent to Earth for the sole purpose of destroying the planet. But when he fails to sway our warrior, he warns him that more threat is on the way and it will put Earth in the midst of an intergalactic power struggle. Is Goku up for the task of saving the planet he grew up on? The anime is accessible for streaming here.
6. Rekka no Honoo (1997)
‘Rekka no Honoo’ is an entertaining shounen anime. The series has some great action sequences. Though ‘Rekka no Honoo’ does not have any spirit powers or anything important to do with the spirit world, there are lots of similarities between this one and ‘Yu Yu Hakusho’. Both have similar characters and are filled with action-packed fight sequences. The fighting styles of both these shows are also quite identical. Both anime have tournament-style fighting and the main characters are tasked to defend Earth from the bad guys.
‘Rekka no Honoo’ is about ninja clans. Rekka Hanabishi really hopes that ninjas exist today and are not just warriors from the past. He likes to think of himself as a modern ninja. This sounds all cool but because of his attitude, he gets into a lot of fights. However, after meeting Yanagi Sakoshita, a girl who has healing powers, he learns that he actually is a ninja. Not only this, he is also gifted with the ability to control fire. But it seems some sinister people are after him and Yanagi — does it have something to do with his heritage? Feel free to watch the anime here.
5. Shaman King (2001)
‘Shaman King’ is an entertaining shounen anime that has lots of action and adventure. With a cast of strong characters, the anime keeps viewers hooked from start to end. The show shares many similarities with ‘Yu Yu Hakusho’. For instance, there are lots of spirits and ghosts in this anime as well. Rather than being too serious, both these shows have lots of funny moments in them. ‘Shaman King’ revolves around the Shaman Fight. It is a tournament where Shamans, people who have the ability to contact and command spirits, face each other in order to gain the title of Shaman King. The Shaman King is the most powerful of the Shamans and is the only one who can control the Great Spirit, thus allowing him to enforce his will on others. The tournament is held every 500 years. The anime follows Manta Oyamada and You Asakura. At first, Manta had no idea about spirits but he later learns about them through You and finds out that You is planning to participate in the Shaman Fight to become the Shaman King. You can stream all the episodes here.
4. Saiyuki (2000)
‘Saiyuki’ is an action, adventure shounen anime. It isn’t as popular as the other entries on this list but it is still quite entertaining. If demons and supernatural themes entertain you, then you should definitely check ‘Saiyuki’ out. The show has a lot of similarities with ‘Yu Yu Hakusho’: both anime are heavily influenced by Asian culture and mythology; both deal with demons, spirits, and supernatural stuff; both the shows have four main characters on a mission to take out the bad guys.
Years ago, humans and demons coexisted peacefully. But something makes the demons go awry and they start killing and hurting humans. They also plan to resurrect the Ox-demon-king Gyumao who has been imprisoned for 1000 years. His resurrection will bring forth massive destruction. So, Goddess Kanzeon decides to choose the rogue priest Genjo Sanzo to assemble a team and stop the demons from resurrecting Gyumao and restoring the balance between humans and demons. Genjo teams up with three demons Sha Gojyo, Son Gokuu, and Cho Hakkai. Together they must take on this dangerous journey to save humanity and prevent the coming of the demon king. You can watch the anime here.
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3. Nurarihyon no Mago (2010)
Up next is another supernatural shounen anime, ‘Nurarihyon no Mago’. The series is fun and entertaining and has some similarities with ‘Yu Yu Hakusho’. First of all, both anime deal with spirits and their powers. Also, both shows have supernatural elements and lots of action. ‘Nurarihyon no Mago’ follows the life of Rikuo Nura. He is the grandson of Nurarihyon, the head of the Nura Clan. Rikuo is not interested in the youkai and doesn’t want anything to do with them but his lineage isn’t helping him much. He is a quarter youkai after all, who has the ability to turn into a youkai at night for a period of six hours. He tries to hide his life from his human friends at school. His grandfather wants him to become the next head of the clan. As if this wasn’t enough pressure for him, turns out there are evil youkai who are out to hurt his clan and his human friends. It seems he will have to depend on his youkai side if he wants to protect those close to him. Feel free to watch the anime here.
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2. Bleach (2004)
‘Bleach’ is one of the most popular shounen anime out there. The series is highly entertaining and has lots of action and adventure. It shares lots of similarities with ‘Yu Yu Hakusho’: both anime have something to do with the spirit world and spiritual powers. Not only this but the male character suddenly ends up in this world where he has powers and missions to fulfill. Also, the characters keep getting stronger through rigorous training. ‘Bleach’ follows Ichigo Kurosaki who has the ability to see spirits. One day he encounters a shinigami trying to fight a monstrous creature, Hollow, in the vicinity of his house. She gets injured and now to save his family, Ichigo has to accept her powers to become a shinigami himself. He does so and manages to save his family. He then goes on to become a Shinigami and is tasked to protect his city from various evil spiritual beings. The anime is accessible for streaming here.
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1. Hunter x Hunter (2011)
‘Hunter x Hunter’ is the most obvious choice. But why? I hear you ask. It is because both anime come from the same mangaka Yoshihiro Togashi. The character design and art style are quite similar. The premise of the shows isn’t similar, but there is a similarity between the characters and some crucial moments. The story revolves around the prestigious profession, Hunter. Hunters are respected worldwide because they possess various skills that let them perform difficult and specific tasks for various people. Gon Freecs has wanted to become a Hunter ever since he learned that his father is one. But to do so he has to pass the Hunter exam which isn’t going to be easy. During this time, he meets Killua, a former assassin, and they develop a strong bond. Together they continue going on various adventures, which at times take a very dangerous turn. You can find all the episodes here.
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