Title: Chapter
Black Saga
Series:
Yu
Yu Hakusho Season 3
Episodes: 67-94
My
Thoughts:
In the previous arc (The Dark
Tournament) one of the badguys was trying to bore a hole through
dimensions from the the demon world to our world. Yusuke put paid to
that idea when he won the dark tournament. Unfortunately, someone
else has taken that idea and run with it. And worse, it is the former
spirit detective that Yusuke has replaced. Nothing worse than an
ex-employee with a grudge!
This was another great entry. I
think I binged all 28 episodes in a week? What made it different from
the slam-bang fights of the Dark Tournament was that the main bad
guy, Sensui, has gathered seven psychics and their powers are quite
different from just brute strength attacks. Of course Yusuke, his
frenemy Kurabara, the demon Hiei, the half-demon Kurama and Yusuke’s
psychic mentor Genkai overcome all the odds, but it is not a repeat
of the fights of the Tournaments.
The different psychics kept each
battle fresh and I never felt like “been there, done that”.
Sensui wsn’t much of a bad guy though, just a whiner who saw some
really bad things and let them break him. His revelations that the
main badguy (Toguro) from the Tournament was just a B Level demon was
eye opening though. Of course, that was just a side revelation
compared to the revelations about Yusuke’s own ancestors, aye yi
yi. Yusuke with long spiky demon hair was hilarious looking though.
With the enemies being people
with psychic abilities and not just brute strength, the power up
sequences of each of the protagonists wasn’t a rinse and repeat.
Yes, their core abilities went up, but HOW it went up was the big
difference and I enjoyed that.
While Yusuke and Co are
successful in stopping Sensui from destroying the human world with a
demon invasion, their victory borders on the pyrrhic as Yusuke now
has activated dormant super-powerful demon genes and has made an
enemy out of the King of Spirit World due to that fact. Yusuke now
borders on the S-Class power level (S stands for Super, which is
above A) and has demon genes, not exactly a good place to be.
Overall, I was very happy with
this story arc and it held up to my rewatch. I wasn’t bored, I
wasn’t rolling my eyes at cliches and I didn’t feel talked down
to or that I had to dumb my brain down to enjoy the story. I guess
this was a good anime. Just have to hope it stays that way for the
final story arc.
Episodes
& Summaries
The
Dark Tournament has come down to a final grudge match, and Yusuke
unleashes his full wrath in a fight to the end. Worn out but
victorious, he finds there’s no time for rest or recovery, when a
new enemy threatens the boundary between worlds. A tunnel is being
carved and once it’s completed, it will lay waste to the World of
the Living. Up against former Spirit Realm Detective Shinobu Sensui,
and the scourge of the Demon World, Yusuke must awaken a new, demonic
power.
Episode Guide - Season Three
|
Episode Number
|
English Title
|
Summary
|
Original Air Date
|
|
67
|
Return
to Living World
|
After he returns to his hometown from the Dark Tournament in
Hanging Neck Island, Yusuke Urameshi runs afoul of three high
school boys, Asato Kido, Mitsunari Yanagisawa and Yu Kaitou. Using
his psychic abilities, Kito paralyzes Yusuke by stepping on his
shadow, and they kidnap him in the process. Kido, Yanagisawa, and
Kaito leave a message for Kazuma Kuwabara and Botan, who decide to
rescue Yusuke.
|
February 5, 1994
|
|
68
|
Setting
the Trap
|
Kuwabara and Botan gather Kurama and Hiei to aid them in rescuing
Yusuke. Although Hiei is reluctant to do so, Kuwabara convinces
him to come with them. The four head to the mansion where Yusuke
is held, and find Yu Kaito in the first room.
|
February 12, 1994
|
|
69
|
The
Power of Taboo
|
Kaito reveals that they are in his territory, a separate dimension
in which he can alter reality. Hiei attempts to attack Kaito, but
Kaito simply creates an impenetrable barrier. Kaito explains that
in his territory, he who says "hot" will lose their soul
unless Kaito loses. Hiei, Kuwabara and Botan unexpectedly fall
victim to using the word "hot". As time passes, Kurama
realizes that neither of them will slip and challenges Kaito to a
game of taboo in which words starting with different letters
become taboo over the course of the game; if a contestant says a
taboo word, they will be killed. Kurama hides while Kaito is in
the restroom, emerging when only 2 letters are left and yelling
"BAA!" to scare him. Kaito who manages not to cry out,
but falls down laughing as Kurama makes faces at him, the laugh
noises breaking the taboo and causeing him to lose his own soul
while reversing the effects on the victims.
|
February 19, 1994
|
|
70
|
Genkai's
Ruse
|
One of the kidnappers, Mitsunari Yanagisawa, disguises himself as
one of Yusuke's friends, forcing Yusuke to determine who is the
impostor. Unable to determine who actually is the imposter, Yusuke
manages to use his intuition to successfully determine that
"Kuwabara" is the imposter.
|
February 26, 1994
|
|
71
|
The
Tunnel
|
Genkai and Koenma explain the new threat: someone wants to open
the tunnel to Makai. They explain that humans have been
spontaneously been acquiring powers as a result of the tunnel
opening, causing chaos in the Living World.
|
March 5, 1994
|
|
72
|
The
Reader
|
Murota, another psychic human with the ability to tap into peoples
minds appears, and Yusuke attempts to recruit him. Yusuke defeats
Murota, who agrees to find the person who wants to open the Makai
tunnel.
|
March 12, 1994
|
|
73
|
The
Doctor's Disease
|
While Kuwabara, Kurama, Kaito, and Botan survey the cave, Yusuke's
group goes to the hospital after Murota was injured by Sniper and
runs afoul of Doctor, who creates a mysterious poison that
incapacitates both Yana and Murota.
|
March 19, 1994
|
|
74
|
Sleep,
Doctor, Sleep
|
Yusuke battles Doctor, and is forced to come to a decision whether
to kill him to save the people in the hospital. Ultimately, Yusuke
blasts Doctor outside of his territory, rendering him unconscious
and resolving the situation.
|
March 26, 1994
|
|
75
|
Caught
in the Rain
|
After Kuwabara and friends attend a concert, they run afoul of Sea
Man. While Seaman traps Kuwabara's friends inside his aquatic
creature, Kuwabara's inability to use his powers force him into a
critical situation. Meanwhile, Kurama goes to see Koenma, as he
suspects that Koenma may already know the identity of who is
behind the plot to destroy the barrier.
|
April 2, 1994
|
|
76
|
Kuwabara:
Awakening
|
Kuwabara and Sea Man continue their fight as Kuwabara's dormant
powers awaken, and Sea Man realizes that Kuwabara is that can
shatter barriers between different dimensions. Using his new
spirit sword, Kuwabara frees his friends and defeats Sea Man.
|
April 9, 1994
|
|
77
|
Sensui's
Fall
|
Shinobu Sensui, the former Spirit Detective, is revealed to be the
mastermind behind the plot to remove the barrier to Makai. Koemna
discusses his fall into insanity with Yusuke's group.
|
April 16, 1994
|
|
78
|
Divide
and Conquer
|
Sensui makes his appearance, and battles Yusuke, Kuwabara, and
Kurama. Sensui's abilities enable him to battle all three on equal
footing. During the battle, Sensui manages to kidnap Kuwabara.
|
April 23, 1994
|
|
79
|
The
Human Race
|
Sensui travels away while Yusuke is forced to contend with Sniper.
Sniper sends hundreds of projectiles at Yusuke with pinpoint
accuracy, and eventually marks Yusuke, enabling his projectiles to
be sent without him even having to aim.
|
April 30, 1994
|
|
80
|
Moving
Target
|
Sniper continues his battle against Yusuke and is nearly
victorious until Hiei arrives. In a swing of his sword, Hiei
incapacitates him.
|
May 7, 1994
|
|
81
|
Let
the Games Begin
|
Yusuke, Kurama, Hiei, Genkai, Sea Man, Yana, and Kaito face Game
Master, a young boy and a stellar gamer whose territory lets him
bring any video game to life.
|
May 14, 1994
|
|
82
|
If
You Could Play Forever
|
When Yusuke's group shows their skill at the games, Game Master
plays himself, handily defeating Kaito. Kurama steps forward for
the group to challenge him.
|
May 21, 1994
|
|
83
|
Game
Over
|
Kurama and Game Master play a puzzle game. Kurama's emotional
control and intimidation result in Game Master losing the game,
and his life in the process.
|
May 28, 1994
|
|
84
|
Kurama's
Anger, Gourmet's Guest
|
Kurama, still torn over the outcome of the game, attacks Gourmet,
who is revealed to been taken over by the Elder Toguro. Kurama
traps the Elder Toguro within the Sinning Tree, which forces him
to hallucinate his worst fear for all eternity.
|
June 4, 1994
|
|
85
|
Spirit
Detective Showdown
|
Yusuke's group finally reach Sensui. While Sea Man, Kuwabara,
Kurama, and Hiei are placed into another dimension by Gatekeeper,
Yusuke must face Sensui alone. Sensui's experience and
long-trained abilities as a Spirit Detective put Yusuke at a
disadvantage.
|
June 11, 1994
|
|
86
|
The
Difference Maker
|
As Yusuke manages to gain the advantage through sheer
determination, Sensui switches personalities to Kazuya, a
merciless killer. As Yusuke is about to lose his life, Koenma
appears.
|
June 18, 1994
|
|
87
|
Power
Between the Teeth
|
Koenma threatens Sensui with his Mafūkan, a defensive spell that
can trap even S-class demons. Yusuke stops Koenma and handily
defeats Kazuya; Shinobu, the primary personality, takes control of
Sensui's body.
|
June 25, 1994
|
|
88
|
The
True Face of Sensui
|
Sensui reveals his Sacred Energy, which places him on par with
S-class demons. To stop him, Koenma releases the Mafūkan, but
Sensui's power enables him to break the Mafūkan, making the
situation seem hopeless.
|
July 2, 1994
|
|
89
|
Death
of a Spirit Detective
|
Yusuke fares poorly against Sensui's Sacred Energy, while his
allies desperately attempt to break through Gatekeeper's
dimension. As Kuwabara manages to do so, Yusuke is struck down by
Sensui.
|
July 9, 1994
|
|
90
|
Attempting
Revenge
|
Incensed by the death of Yusuke, Kuwabara, Kurama, and Hiei
increase their power and pursue Sensui through the tunnel. Kurama
transforms into Yoko Kurama, as Hiei releases the Dragon of the
Darkness Flame. Finally, Kuwabara slices through the barrier
between worlds to pursue Sensui into Makai.
|
July 16, 1994
|
|
91
|
Waking
the Lost
|
King Yama dispatches the Spirit Defense Force to destroy Yusuke's
body and seal the tunnel. Yusuke, however, discovers his
half-demon nature and awakens.
|
July 23, 1994
|
|
92
|
The
Proof
|
A newly-revived Yusuke resumes his battle with Sensui. However,
Yusuke's body is taken over by a mysterious force, fully awakening
his demon side.
|
July 30, 1994
|
|
93
|
Sensui's
End
|
Yusuke's enhanced powers easily enable him to overcome Sensui, and
he discovers Sensui's reasons for opening the gate to Makai.
|
August 6, 1994
|
|
94
|
Topside
|
While Kido, Kaito, Yanagisawa, and Sensui's former companions
resume normal lives, Yusuke feels unsatisfied that his match with
Sensui was interrupted, and is conflicted over his half-demon
nature.
|
August 13, 1994
|
|
