'Ghost Fighter (Yu Yu Hakusho)' actor says the live action gives 'respect' to the original manga

"Yu Yu Hakusho" fans, worry not — the upcoming live action series still carries the essence of the original manga, the cast said.

In a featurette by Netflix, Takumi Kitamura, who plays Yusuke Urameshi (Eugene), talked about what it was like working on the show.

"The acting part was a very fresh experience for me and the script really follows and gives much respect to the original manga," he said.

"It was all very ‘Yu Yu Hakusho,’" he added.

Kitamura admitted that it was "quite tough" for him to get into character in the time he was given.

"A delinquent character like that could be a bit outdated, but I need to play it in the modern era," he said. "To a certain extent, I had to put some modern twists into my character and acting."

That wasn't the only adjustment made to the characters.

Action director Takahito Ouchi said that the "cast have their own personalities as well."

"We mashed those together, changing the cast’s action according to those personalities," he said.

"Yu Yu Hakusho" is an adaptation of the classic manga by Yoshihiro Togashi. The anime was aired as "Ghost Fighter" in the Philippines in the '90s.

The story follows teenage delinquent Yusuke, who is killed after getting hit by a car while saving a child. After his death, he is revived and named the Underworld Detective, wherein he must investigate supernatural cases in the human world.

Netflix announced the live action adaptation in 2020. Production took five years to complete.

Joining the cast are Shuhei Uesugi as Kazuma Kuwabara, Jun Shison as Kurama, and Kanata Hong as Hiei.

“Yu Yu Hakusho” premieres on Netflix on December 14. —JCB, GMA Integrated News