I’m Struggling To Articulate It But I’ve Been Rewatching Yu Yu Hakusho And That Scene Where Yusuke

I’m struggling to articulate it but I’ve been rewatching Yu Yu Hakusho and that scene where Yusuke is on the brink of death in the cave and Pu starts trying to bring him water just hits so hard now after having battled feelings of worthlessness and self hatred since I last saw the show.

The idea that he’s about to give up and die before this goofy little animal representing his soul starts trying to take care of him. Despite the fact that it’s suffering just as much as he is, it can’t bear to see him in pain. And the fact that what finally forces Yusuke to power through the trial is his unwillingness to let Pu die because of him. In the end what gives Yusuke the resolve to live isn’t the usual trope of the power of friendship, but instead it’s his body and his soul both doing their best to be kind and take care of each other.

It’s a bit on the nose, sure, but it really did feel like a profound statement about the importance self-love, especially knowing now that Yoshihiro Togashi has had to battle his own feelings of inadequacy due to his health.