Yu Yu Hakusho's Hiei comes to life once again in a spectacular new sculpture from Kotobukiya. The updated statue is being released worldwide—great news for fans of the series created by Yoshihiro Togashi.
According to retailers like BigBadToyStore, popular toy and action figure developer Kotobukiya has officially released the new “Yu Yu Hakusho ArtFX J Hiei 1/8 (Version 2) Scale Figure.” The statue stands 9.65 inches tall and is the latest addition to Kotobukiya’s popular Art J line of non-articulated anime figures. The sculpture features Hiei from Yu Yu Hakusho’s “Dark Tournament Saga” and shows the diminutive demon using his powerful Dragon of the Darkness Flame technique in battle.
Created by Yoshihiro Togashi (also known for Hunter x Hunter) and published by Shueisha, the original Yu Yu Hakusho manga debuted in the pages of Weekly Shonen Jump in December 1990 and quickly garnered a loyal fan base. The series follows teenage protagonist Yusuke Urameshi after he loses his life while saving a stranger and then travels through the Underworld. There, Yusuke must undergo a series of tests to determine whether he is worthy of being resurrected, after which he becomes a full-fledged supernatural investigator of his own. The series consists of four main arcs, starting with the “Spirit Detective Saga,” followed by the fan-favorite “Dark Tournament Saga,” and concluding with the “Chapter Black” and “Three Kings” sagas.
The character Hiei, voiced by Nobuyuki Hiyama in the original anime and Chuck Huber in the English dub, was introduced as one of the main antagonists in the opening storyline of Yu Yu Hakusho before later teaming up with Yusuke and finding a place for himself in the main cast of the series. A powerful demon, Hiei is portrayed as an aloof, often cold character, only to conceal the tornado that exists just beneath his calm, cool demeanor.
Yu Yu Hakusho author Yoshihiro Togashi continues to share new manga works
In January, Togashi shared a beautiful tribute to one of the series' earliest illustrations with fans via his official social media accounts. The image recreates the cover of the manga's Volume 1 cover from 1991, featuring Yusuke's best friend and future love interest Keiko Yukimura standing in the center of the frame in her classic look. The photo of Keiko is set against a larger image of Yusuke looking back at her over his shoulder. Togashi shared the photo with the caption: “I fell asleep. I had a really good dream.”
Kotobukiya's “Yu Yu Hakusho ArtFX J Hiei 1/8 (Version 2) Scale Figure” is now available for pre-order. The Yu Yu Hakusho anime can be streamed on Crunchyroll, while the live-action adaptation is currently available on Netflix. The original manga is licensed in English by Viz Media.
Source: BigBadToyStore
