Yu Yu Hakusho
It’s only fair that this addition to the list begins with a caveat — after the Dark Tournament arc, Yu Yu Hakusho does start to dial back on many of the elements that made this anime such an iconic series in the first place. Even with that being said, however, Yu Yu Hakusho still manages to be one of the greatest anime of all time and easily one of the most impressive shounen anime of its era. Yuske follows the template of our usual shounen protagonist. He is a young boy who will unexpectedly embark on a major coming of age story where he will unlock his true power and engage in countless epic battles as a result. But in a supernatural world filled with demons and magic, Yu Yu Hakusho has a surprisingly humane appeal. Of course many of these emotional appeals are made through Yuske and Kuwabara, the two main humans in the cast, but these elements are also present in demons like Hiei and Kurama. Even when dealing with two beings from another world, Yu Yu Hakusho underscores their humanity and allows them to be easy characters to relate to. From complicated relationships with family to an undying desire to feel loved, these two demons are easy for viewers to relate to.
In addition to having a strong emotional appeal, Yu Yu Hakusho also delivers quality content in terms of action. This anime has some of the most creative battles and finds a way to actually balance out the power of its protagonist. Even if viewers understand that Yuske ultimately has to emerge successful in the end, Yu Yu Hakusho makes it clear that this main hero is not an all power being incapable of seeing defeat. This allows every new encounter to feel intense and also gives many of the show’s support characters an opportunity to become more involved during pivotal plot points.
