Fans of the original Yu Yu Hakusho manga will definitely want to check how this energetic live action version realizes its classic characters. But there’s plenty to enjoy for the rest of us, too, with Takumi Kitamura’s detached sense of cool as rookie spirit detective Yusuke, the series’ unpredictable sense of humor, its high-flying fight choreography, and sharp use of VFX.

YuYu Hakusho is more charming than an abridged version of any shonen manga has any right to be. Its commitment to engaging action and sincere melodrama, led by two talented performers as Yusuke and Kuwabara, are enough to outweigh how shallow the series can sometimes feel.

Yu Yu Hakusho never makes the mistake of setting up plot points to be resolved in future seasons. Even with its problems, it settles on telling a self-contained story that at least attempts to find coherence amid all the info-dumping that happens throughout its run.

This series is a brief five-episode romp that attempts to tie numerous plotlines together and arrive at the same emotional conclusions. Between its relatively unimpressive CGI and hurried storytelling, I can’t help but feel that this supernatural action series should have been allowed to rest in peace.