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Togashi Yoshihiro: Yû Yû Hakusho gengashû
You can't tell from any scan, but the drawing on the cover is printed in silver on paper with Yusuke's mazoku tatoo subtly embossed. That means this is a book you have to hold in your hands to appreciate, like any artbook ought to be. It's quite a lovely design, and I hadn't expected it at all. I took to it immediately.
Not that I needed any special persuation to adore this book. This is an artbook published well over ten years after the end of the series, appearing out of the blue after I had given up any hope. Well, maybe not entirely out of the blue. The publication of the complete edition of Yu Yu Hakusho had given me a faint hope again. There's no doubt that Shûeisha's current greedy obsession with digging out popular 90s titles and cashing in on them again is the root of this publication, but I'll be damned if I care. I wanted this for so long, and here it is! Wah! Excuse me while I squee like the fangirl I am.
That aside, I shall now try to look at this book objectively. It contains 42 new pictures, drawn for the recent complete edition reissue and exclusively for this artbook, and 42 full-page old pictures from the series' run in Jump (along with a smattering of small pics for the tankobon and promotion). Additionally, there are a few pages' worth of liner-notes on each picture. And ... that's it. It's a fairly thin book, not even 100 pages. Also, some of the pics from Jump are two-color printing (meaning black and red). There are also a few pics which are supposed to be full-color, but ... aren't.
All in all, this book is a scream from Togashi saying, "I HATE COLORING STUFF SO GO THE FUCK AWAY."
Yeah.
I'm still amazed he agreed to doing new color pics for the complete edition.
As for the quality of the colors, it's low. I say that as someone who adores Togashi's art, especially around the end of Yu Yu Hakusho, so I can only imagine what this book looks like to a non-fan. There are a few orthodox color illustrations among the old Jump covers, and the copic-colored new pics may appeal to more of a general audience, but ... this isn't CLAMP, and it sure isn't Kouga Yun.
Conclusion? This is a book for fans. This is a book for Togashi and/or YYH completists. And yes, I fall into that category. I personally adore the black and white cover pic. The rough Indian-ink drawing of the four guys makes my knees weak (especially Kuwa-chan's expression. Oh. My. God). Although he was very, very tired of coloring things when he drew it (and it shows), I'm just happy I own that Sensui & Itsuki color pic; the way Sensui is standing is just ... hot. As is Yomi, although the color choices in that pic is all over the place. Oh, the Shuichi & Yôko Kurama pic is actually hot and objectively pleasing. I think. Maybe. I'm biased.
Only buy it if you can forgive Togashi everything, and have already forgiven yourself for being such a sucker for the man. Like me, haha.
Category: Artbooks | Posted by Alicia at February 10, 2006 12:26 AM