Mild spoilers ahead for Netflix’s Yu Yu Hakusho (2023).

It’s no secret that Netflix’s roster of live-action anime adaptations have varied wildly in quality. Despite starring big names like LaKeith Stanfield (Sorry to Bother You) and Willem Dafoe (Poor Things), the streamer’s 2017 adaptation of Death Note, a beloved supernatural crime thriller, received backlash for its rushed and watered-down story. More recently, the 2021 live-action adaptation of the classic anime Cowboy Bebop received mixed reviews, nailing some of the original show’s charm while failing to soar to its great narrative heights. In 2023, Netflix’s live-action One Piece completely upended the streamer’s disappointing anime track record.

Universally acclaimed, Netflix’s One Piece pulled off the impossible: It largely appealed to longtime fans of the anime and manga, all while drawing in new audiences too. The live-action anime adaptation of One Piece set multiple Netflix viewership records. Impressively, the Netflix original appeared in the top 10 most-viewed shows in a whopping 93 countries, and garnered an impressive 140 million hours watched by 18.5 million viewers within the first week of its release. However, with all the One Piece fanfare, Netflix seems to have forgotten about its other hugely successful live-action anime adaptation from 2023.

Yu Yu Hakusho Live-Action Was Among Netflix’s Biggest Non-English Shows Of 2023

The Biggest Japanese Show On Netflix In 2023 Was Yu Yu Hakusho

In the wake of One Piece‘s success, another major anime adaptation hit the streaming platform. Based on writer-illustrator Yoshihiro Togashi’s hugely popular manga-turned-anime of the same name, Yu Yu Hakusho centers on teenage delinquent Yusuke Urameshi. After he’s struck and killed by a car while saving a child’s life, Yusuke is confronted by Koenma, the son of the ruler of the afterlife, who presents the late teen with a series of tests. Revived and made a Spirit Detective, Yusuke is tasked with investigating cases that involve demons and other supernatural phenomena in the human world.

From Yu Yu Hakusho‘s memorable cast of characters to Yusuke’s iconic Spirit Gun technique, the series has an enduring and timeless appeal that made it perfect for live-action translation in the eyes of Netflix execs. Yu Yu Hakusho‘s impressive tonal blend and exhilarating action sequences landed it with a whopping 17 million viewers, making it the biggest Japanese show to hit Netflix in 2023 (via Netflix). Although Yu Yu Hakusho didn’t see the staggering success of other non-English shows like Dear Child, it was the fifth most popular non-English Netflix show of the year.

Why Yu Yu Hakusho Season 2 Isn’t Happening

A Self-Contained First Outing Left Little Room For Future Yu Yu Hakusho Seasons

Even though the premiere of Yu Yu Hakusho marked the first time in Netflix’s history that a Japanese production topped the non-English rankings (via Animation Business Journal), the streamer hasn’t green-lit a sophomore outing of the show. One of the best live-action Japanese shows on Netflix, Yu Yu Hakusho avoided setting up a sequel hook or cliffhanger ending, opting to tell an incredibly self-contained story instead. While not needing a follow-up outing hasn’t dissuaded streamers and networks from forging ahead in the past, Netflix has not renewed Yu Yu Hakusho for season 2.

Yu Yu Hakusho Was Good (But It Made Season 2 Impossible)

Netflix’s Live-Action Yu Yu Hakusho Condensed The Anime Like A Movie Would

Despite its slight five-episode order, Netflix’s Yu Yu Hakusho covered a lot of anime ground. While it covers the Spirit Detective and Dark Tournament sagas, it skips other key arcs. The Tournament arc, for example, plays out in one episode, resulting in major character deaths and a pretty wrapped-up narrative. By merging different storylines and changing the chronology of the series, Netflix’s Yu Yu Hakusho spoils major moments that could have been used in a second season. Much like a movie, Yu Yu Hakusho condenses the four-season anime, making a compelling season 2 nearly impossible.