YuYu Hakusho, Vol. 17: Their Respective Decisions!!

Getting to the end.

This volume, though more packed with action then the rest, isn't as fulfilling as you would think. Why? Because of how the "bad guys" are portrayed.

As evil and twisted as some of them are, it was different with Sensui. Being so black and white, with no room for gray, made him snap. He saw the darkest of gray, and simply couldn't take it. So he immersed himself in the darkness and obsessed over how evil and vile humans can be. Let’s face it; we don't have the greats of histories. Just reading anything on our wars or what use to be "punishment", will give anyone chills and that feeling of disgust.

But like most of us, we see the gray, as well as the black and white.

When Sensui died, I was sad for him, for what he show more couldn't fix. Even though I don't condone what he did, no matter what the reason. There is still sadness at his passing.

To me, that is something powerful, to write such a story with so many variables and emotions so that by the end, you feel for the antagonist, and wish there something more that could have been done, is fascinating. Yusuke felt this, as he watched Sensui die. For someone who started out as a thug, while only thinking of himself, in that moment it showed how big his heart was, so many shades of gold.

As I've said countless of times, this is a story that has every kind of feeling, every kind of hope, that pulls you in, and gets you feeling for every character, no matter what side they fall on.

Happy Reading

-Emily

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I had to read YuYu Hakusho volume 17 without having read volumes 15 and 16, because none of my county's libraries have those volumes. I never saw the anime episodes based on the Sensui Seven / Chapter Black storyline, so I checked the character section of the 'YuYu Hakusho Wiki' as well as the character list for LibraryThing's entry for volume 14.

If that storyline began in volume 14, it ends in volume 17. Yes, Yusuke Urameshi was killed, but he gets better. Kazuma Kuwabara, Hiei, and Kurama don't have much of a role in this final section because they're pretty wiped out by their battle with Sensui. In fact, Hiei spends much of this volume asleep. Kurama is in his fox demon form, but he'll been seen again in his human form later.

Yusuke show more and Koenma come roaring in riding the much and scarier-looking form of Pu, Yusuke's spirit beast. Yusuke squares off against Sensui, Meanwhile, the Special Defense Force is busy trying to close the portal to the demon plane. They're shocked by how much more powerful Yusuke's aura is than before.

During the battle, Yusuke undergoes a transformation that spooks Kuwabara. Something happens that makes Yusuke very angry. No, it's not the Special Defense Force wanting to punish Koenma -- Yusuke is merely ticked off over that.

When the battle is over, we're treated to what will become of the surviving members of the Sensui Seven.
Our leads return to their normal lives. Kuwabara is studying to get into Bone Engineering High School. Keiko is studying to get into her high school choice. Yusuke goes to visit his mentor, Genkai. She refers him to Kuroko Sanada, who was the first human to be chosen to be an underworld detective. Yusuke is spending a nice time with Kuroko, her husband, and their two enthusiastic children. when two class A and a class S demon come to see Yusuke. (Turns out there's a way for those more powerful demons to briefly enter the human world after all.)

Three kings are equal rulers of a third of the demon plane, but they're about to fight. The three followers have come to fetch Yusuke on behalf of King Raizen, the demon who has given up eating humans. King Yomi invites Kurama to join his side. King Mukuro gives a similar invitation to Hiei.

Yusuke has a special request for Keiko Yukimura before he goes. Does she grant it? (The scene is witnessed by her parents. Her father makes an interesting comment about Yusuke.

Loved the meeting between Yusuke and King Raizen. show less