Editing YuYu Hakusho (section)

==Production==
Author [[Yoshihiro Togashi]] stated that he began working on ''YuYu Hakusho'' around November 1990, though he forgot the exact time.<ref>{{cite book|chapter=Seisaku Hakusho ("The Production Report")|publisher=Viz Media|first=Yoshihiro|last=Togashi|author-link=Yoshihiro Togashi|page=94|title=YuYu Hakusho|volume=1|isbn=1-56931-904-9|date=May 2003}}</ref> He had recently completed the serialization of his romantic comedy ''[[Ten de Shōwaru Cupid]]'' in ''[[Weekly Shōnen Jump]]''. Having felt somewhat intimidated by some of his more popular fellow authors during this manga's run, Togashi realized he would need to create a fighting manga to both gain popularity and write something he enjoyed.<ref name="jumpexhibition">{{cite journal|author=Shueisha staff|date=November 2017|title=Special Interview: JUMP 90's Star Road of Glory!!|series=Weekly Shonen Jump 50th Anniversary Exhibition|volume=2|journal=[[Weekly Shonen Jump]]|publisher=[[Shueisha]]|pages=284–285|language=ja}}</ref> As a fan of the [[occult]] and [[horror film]]s, he desired to write and illustrate a new manga based on his interests.<ref name="interview">{{cite magazine|title=Interview: Yoshihiro Togashi|magazine=[[Shonen Jump (magazine)|Shonen Jump]]|date=May 2003|publisher=Viz Media|location=San Francisco, CA|volume=1|issue=5|issn=1545-7818}}</ref> Togashi had previously published an [[occult detective fiction]] manga titled ''Occult Tanteidan'', of which he referenced positive reception from readers as a reason for continuing to create manga.<ref>{{cite book|publisher=[[Shueisha]]|first=Yoshihiro|last=Togashi|page=37|title=狼なんて怖くない!! [I'm Not Afraid of the Wolf!!]|isbn=4-08-871336-2|date=October 1989|language=ja}}</ref> When first producing ''YuYu Hakusho'', he did not have a clear idea of what he wanted to call it. He used the tentative title "How to be a Ghost" while presenting rough drafts to his editors. Once given the go-ahead to begin publication, Togashi proposed "YuYu-Ki" (Poltergeist Chronicles) for the title, as there would be battles with demons and it would be a play on the title ''[[Journey to the West|SaiYu-Ki]]''. However, a series with a similar name (''Chin-Yu-Ki'') had already begun publication, so Togashi quickly created an alternative: "YuYu Hakusho" (Poltergeist Report).<ref>{{cite book|publisher=Viz Media|first=Yoshihiro|last=Togashi|page=5|title=YuYu Hakusho|volume=1|isbn=1-56931-904-9|date=May 2003}}</ref> He commented that he could have used "Den" (Legend) or "Monogatari" (Story), but "Hakusho" (Report) was the first thing that came to his mind.<ref>{{cite book|last=Togashi|first=Yoshihiro|title=[[Hunter × Hunter]]|volume=6|date=January 3, 2006|publisher=Viz Media|page=46|isbn=978-1-4215-0185-7}}</ref> He contiguously developed the names of the main characters by skimming through a dictionary and taking out [[kanji]] characters he found appealing. "Yusuke Urameshi" is a [[pun]], "Kazuma Kuwabara" is a combination of two [[Professional baseball in Japan|professional baseball]] players, and "Hiei" and "Kurama" are "just names that popped into [Togashi's] head."<ref name="interview"/> When he introduced the latter two characters in volume three, the author had early plans to make Kurama a main character but was not certain about Hiei.<ref name="jumpexhibition"/><ref name="interview"/>

The manga's shift from occult detective fiction to the [[martial arts (genre)|martial arts genre]] after Yusuke's death and revival in the early chapters was planned by Togashi from the beginning.<ref name="interview"/> He took this idea from the series ''[[Kinnikuman]]'', which began largely as a comedy before concentrating more on action.<ref name="jumpexhibition"/> Togashi intended to establish the main characters and familiarize the reader with them before placing them in tense, physical conflicts. His editor at the time was nervous about him beginning the manga this way and recommended he transition to a battle-focused plot after about 30 chapters.<ref name="jumpexhibition"/> ''YuYu Hakusho'' borrows many elements from Asian folklore, particularly [[Buddhism|Buddhist]] beliefs in the afterlife.<ref name="animericafeature2"/><ref name="protoc"/> Togashi came up with the concept of the ''Ningenkai'' (Human World), ''Reikai'' (Underworld), and ''Makai'' (Demon Plane) as being [[Parallel universe (fiction)|parallel planes of existence]] in the manga's universe. He thought of them as places that one could not easily travel between using modern technology, but rather as a spirit lacking a material body.<ref name="interview"/> However, the idea for the "territory" powers from the Sensui [[story arc]] was parodied from a separate, unnamed work by [[Yasutaka Tsutsui]].<ref name="yoshirininterview">{{cite book|title=Assault Interview: Ask the Author!|series=ヨシりんでポン！[Yoshirin de Pon!]|first=Yoshihiro|last=Togashi|pages=10–11|year=1994|language=ja}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Kishimoto|first=Masashi|author-link=Masashi Kishimoto|title=NARUTO—ナルト—[秘伝·皆の書]オフィシャルプレミアムファンBOOK|date=December 4, 2009|publisher=Shueisha|location=Japan|language=ja|isbn=978-4-08-874834-4|pages=74–81}}</ref> For his drawing materials, Togashi used [[Fountain pen|drafting ink]] and ''Kabura'' pens throughout the creation of the series. While his style of artwork began with [[screentone]], he gradually developed into [[minimalism]]. As the series progressed, he would draw figures and faces very detailed or "cartoony, sketchy and jumping with action" whenever he desired such effects.<ref name="interview"/>

During the years he worked on ''YuYu Hakusho'', Togashi would calculate the personal time he had based on a formula of four hours per page without scripting and five hours of sleep per night.<ref>{{cite book|first=Jason|last=Thompson|author-link=Jason Thompson (writer)|title=[[Manga: The Complete Guide]]|publisher=[[Ballantine Books]] & [[Del Rey Books]]|location=New York|year=2007|isbn=978-0-345-48590-8|page=xii}}</ref> He wrote in his own [[dōjinshi]] ''Yoshirin de Pon!'' that he stopped the production on ''YuYu Hakusho'' out of selfishness.<ref name="yoshirinessay">{{cite book|title=Yoshihiro Togashi Speaks|series=ヨシりんでポン！[Yoshirin de Pon!]|first=Yoshihiro|last=Togashi|pages=13–14|year=1994|language=ja}}</ref> The author had originally wanted to end the manga in December 1993, at the climax of the Sensui arc.<ref name="yoshirininterview"/><ref name="yoshirinessay"/> Although there was not a great demand from the editorial staff, Togashi was under a great deal of personal [[Workplace stress|stress]] at certain points of the series' run, particularly during its final six months of publication. He claimed that beginning with the Dark Tournament arc, inconsistent sleep resulting from overwork was causing him health problems.<ref name="yoshirinessay"/> He noted he was very ill while working on the color pages for Yusuke's match with [[List of YuYu Hakusho characters#Chu|Chu]].<ref name="yoshirininterview"/> There were many instances where he would create nearly entire [[manuscript]]s by himself, such as Yusuke's meeting with Raizen and the battle between Kurama and [[List of YuYu Hakusho characters#Karasu|Karasu]].<ref name="yoshirinessay"/> The publication's editors tried to make Togashi reconsider canceling ''Yu Yu Hakusho'', though he justified his decision by stating that it would simply be replaced by another popular series.<ref name="jumpexhibition"/> Togashi was relieved at the conclusion of the manga.<ref name="yoshirininterview"/> The author claimed he was not involved in the production of the ''YuYu Hakusho'' anime adaptation due to his work schedule. He stated that he was greatly impressed by [[Shigeru Chiba]]'s voice depiction of Kuwabara, admitting that the actor understood the character better than Togashi himself.<ref>{{cite book|author=Fujimaki Tadatoshi|author-link=Tadatoshi Fujimaki|date=July 4, 2012|title=Kuroko no Basuke Characters Bible|publisher=[[Shueisha]]|page=174|isbn=978-4-08-870574-3}}</ref>