Introduction...
Yu Yu Hakusho was one of if not my very favorite anime growing up. It had dark twists, demons, more mysticism to it and its fighting always struck me as more intricate than Dragon Ball Z. A little anecdote I will share with anyone reading: as a member of a branched out family, I can recall Saturday evenings grouped around my grandparents' huge (or as I thought it was at the time) television with a half-dozen or more of my first cousins to watch the Saturday night cartoons like Dragon Ball Z, Cowboy Beebop and whatever else was on Toonami. Of all the shows, the one I was always the most excited for was Yu Yu Hakusho, and its appeal was often lost on my cousins in favor of Dragon Ball Z. Even now I can look back and recall them somewhat ostracizing my preference, but it never deterred me from the show.
Now, most likely no one reading this will care about my excerpt there, but I wanted to set the tone of nostalgia and admiration for the roleplay. I have went back and watched the show and I know a lot of its glamour appealed to me as a youth and becoming adolescent, but even still I feel like it was one of the better anime of the generation. I know that to create an Advanced Roleplay that might actually live out the plotline, I will have to make some editions to the original plotline and introduce some new elements. This won't be the same Yu Yu Hakusho I loved. I will make it darker, more updated and less focused on a single protagonist. Anyone interested in this roleplay should understand that as well. Although this roleplay will be entirely inspired by Yu Yu Hakusho and will share many elements, it will not be the same and I can only effectively parallel so many nods to the anime as I can. With that said, thank you for taking the time to read the introduction.
We all know the plotline of Yu Yu Hakusho, right? "The series tells the story of Yusuke Urameshi, a teenage delinquent who is struck by a car while trying to save a child's life. While in the afterlife, he is named the Spirit Detective by Koenma & Botan, and must investigate cases concerning demons and apparitions. Yusuke travels with his friends Kuwabara, Kurama & Hiei, the other protagonists of the story. As the series progresses, the series strays away from a detective story to a more fighting-oriented story." is a quote right from the Yu Yu Hakusho wiki. When I first recall watching Yu Yu Hakusho, I found the plotline a little more hard-hitting than some of the other anime on Toonami at the time (except for Cowboy Beebop, which honestly went over my head at the time.) Maybe it was because I could easily retate to a coming-of-age delinquent or maybe it was aimed to be a little darker. Either way, I will make an attempt to make this roleplay parallel the original plotpoints of the show, as I saw them. However, before I get to outlining the general plot setup, I want to explain the character setup I have in mind.
First and foremost, canon characters such as Koenma and Botan will exist and will be played by me. However, one big difference is that there will be new Spirit items and a total of three Spirit Detectives. Each Spirit Detective should essentially have to prove themselves just as Yusuke did, however I will leave such open to interpretation to all of the creative minds interested in this roleplay. What I will say is that unless one is a tad more creative than expected, your characters will have to die. Also, the original anime took place in Sarayashiki Junior High - a Japanese junior high school. I will allow those interested in the roleplay to choose if we make a more Americanized high school (or junior high school) for the characters, or if we stick to the original script on this one. I want everyone involved to be knowledgeable and comfortable with the setting in the beginning. These are just some general things I have thought out. Of course, the group wasn't just Yusuke; Kuwabara, Hiei and Kurama were also integral characters, and I will allow such for anyone whom wishes to create characters to join the team as a non-Spirit Detective or if a Spirit Detective spot is not available.
If we look at the anime as a Saga, the first is the Spirit Detective Saga. Here, Yusuke is introduced as well as most of the original secondary characters such as Kuwabara and Keiko. This will be the same for the three characters destined to be Spirit Detectives. As discussed previously, circumstances may be different for each character and may ultimately be a complete contradiction of Yusuke Urameshi, and that is fine. The point is that for whatever reason, they most be Spiritually Aware and given the opportunity to become Spirit Detectives just like Yusuke. In this sense, the plot will be more of an emotional thriller and be more based around creative writing. Character development, introducing the stronger elements of each individual and since every one of these characters should exist in the same place, they may even have overlapping origins. "While in the anime Yusuke only accomplishes two good deeds, he does a lot more in the manga due to the timeline of events being more stretched out in the manga. This includes helping a boy named Shouta get over his dog's death, helping a girl who had died get over her obsession with a boy (who didn't really care for her) so she can move on, and also being temporarily revived to keep his body fresh so it won't die out. The last deed inolves not allowing Keiko to know about this..." is a prime example of what I will be looking for in this Saga, at least until the spirit Beast hatches from the egg that will be given by Koenma. Lastly, in the anime, the only way to be resurrected is to be kissed by someone very close to them. This will remain true for the roleplay.
That's just about it. I'm looking for 3-6 characters initially. 3 Spirit Detectives and at least one additional character to assist each Spirit Detective and ultimately become integral plot characters themselves. So, essentially, I'm looking for 3 Yusuke Archetypes and 3 Kuwabara/Keiko archetypes. These do not have to be best friends or romances. They just need to be spiritually aware and somehow assist the 3 Spirit Detectives in returning to their bodies. If I can't get more players, chances are I will set up a system so that one Spirit Detective finishes first with assistance, then goes on to help the others and acts as senior Spirit Detective. If I can't even get enough for 3 Spirit Detectives, I will slim down to 2, but I do not want just one.
I have all intents on taking the roleplay through each saga and ending it in the Makai Saga. This roleplay will be to tell a story; a story that I have and I hope others have wished they could be part of since it first came out. That is the type of player I am looking for. Someone who will step into the roleplay knowing it will have an end and doing their absolute best to give it the greatest ending it can have.
