Picture Credit: Netflix
When Tokyo Sports first reported in August that Netflix had renewed Yu Yu Hakusho, the claim was light on detail, and Netflix didn’t respond to our (numerous) requests to verify it. Now we can confirm the production is very much real: our sources say season 2 begins filming on October 24th around Hiratsuka Station, with Kadokawa Daiei as the studio. Netflix, however, has yet to officially confirm the show’s return.
Back in August, we reported that the Japanese outlet Tokyo Sports said Yu Yu Hakusho had been renewed. The same report covered fellow Japanese hits Sanctuary and Tokyo Swindlers, and said all three would go in front of cameras in Fall 2026. We can now put a date on the first of them.
When and where is Yu Yu Hakusho season 2 filming?
We’re told filming on Yu Yu Hakusho season 2 should start later this month, with a potential start date as soon as October 24th, 2026. The opening shoot will take place around Hiratsuka Station in Kanagawa Prefecture.
It’s a big start for the production. Filming will run overnight and use around 300 extras a day. That suggests a large-scale street sequence. Given the series’ track record, it’s a safe bet that some demon-fighting is involved.
We’re also told Kadokawa Daiei is the studio behind season 2. That marks a change from season 1, which ROBOT produced, with filming at Toho Studios.
Important note: Netflix has yet to officially confirm that Yu Yu Hakusho is returning for a second season. As noted, we have repeatedly contacted Netflix for comment on season 2 but haven’t received a response. We’ll update this article if that changes.
Picture Credit: Netflix
Why has Yu Yu Hakusho season 2 taken so long?
It’s been almost three years since Yu Yu Hakusho debuted in December 2023, and the show was a big hit right out of the gate. It opened at #1 on Netflix’s non-English TV list with 7.7 million views, which Netflix said was the biggest debut for any Japanese series on the service. It held the top spot for a second week and went on to pull in 17 million views across the second half of 2023.
Despite those numbers, a renewal never came, and plenty of outlets argued it never would. Season 1 combined story arcs and killed off major characters such as Younger Toguro and Sakyo far earlier than the manga did, which left many fans wondering how the story could continue at all.
Speaking to NME around launch, director Sho Tsukikawa revealed that the series was originally discussed as a three-season show but was cut down due to budget and production timelines. Considering the scale of season 1, that’s no surprise. The five episodes took around five years to make: two years of development and pre-production, roughly ten months of shooting, and another two years in post-production, with Hollywood VFX house Scanline handling the effects.
If season 2 follows a similar path, don’t expect it on Netflix any time soon. We’d be surprised to see it before 2028.
The first season sped through the source material, going from the start of the Spirit Detective arc all the way into the Dark Tournament. Season 2 is reportedly set to adapt the rest of the story, up to and including the Demon World Unification Tournament. That would mean covering the manga’s two remaining arcs: Chapter Black and The Three Kings saga.
Eagle-eyed viewers will remember that season 1 already laid some groundwork. In the very first episode, Koenma makes reference to a previous Spirit Detective, a nod to Sensui that went over the heads of anyone who hadn’t read the manga. The fate of the shape-shifting Elder Toguro was also left unresolved.
Given how much season 1 changed, expect the series to take liberties with the source material once again. Squeezing two of the manga’s biggest arcs into one season won’t be easy.
Are you excited for Yu Yu Hakusho season 2? Let us know in the comments below!
