Yu Yu Hakusho Forum

It’s a very specific pleasure (or maybe just “experience”) to finally get a proper introduction to a character some years after you first saw kids cosplaying as said character without understanding the reference. That was how things worked out when I first “met” Nicholas Wolfwood and, to my surprise, that’s what’s happening right now with Kurama.

Oh, I’ve been acquainted with this cat for several months, now, sure. However, I didn’t realize that all the dudes dressing in white with white, fox-eared wigs were “biting his face” all this time. On this account, the demon dude’s seems to be the unquestionable break-out star of this show, because I sure as hell didn't see any kids dressed as Yusuke or Hiei.

It fits that I’d be having this revelation at the same time I’m getting a few A’s to some Q’s that’ve been bugging me for a long time about this cat. I’m not going to go dig up the specific episode, but I do remember devoting at least a paragraph in one of my earliest write-ups to some basic confusions pertaining to Kurama San. Like, you know, if he’s supposed to be this immortal fox demon, how does he have a very human mother that he gets so precious about? I’m not sure I’ve got the firmest grasp on all the details of the origin that’s been revealed in this ditty, but I’ve got enough of the gist to move ahead in peace.

Actually, I might’ve cheated a little bit here, anyway. I saw pictures of “Kurama the White” ahead of time while looking for promo images. I also saw some pics of Koenma’s adult form posing in those same searches, so I’ll take this moment to throw out another educated guess and presume that the big baby’s will eventually put his pacifier down, clench his fist and join in all this never-ending brawlin’.

Heh… I don’t even need to look at cosplaying trends to make that assumption. Am I getting warm here, you lunatics?

Look up this episode, "Legendary Bandit: Yoko Kurama" and decide for yourself, then read my comments on the previous episode here.

Tom Pinchuk’s the writer of HYBRID BASTARDS! & UNIMAGINABLE. Order them on Amazon here & here. Follow him on Twitter: @tompinchuk

@FoxxFireArt said:

Kurama is more a Kitsune spirit. It's been a while since I watched YU YU HAKUSHO, but I believe Kurama was injured while being chased and took refuge inside a new born human baby while he healed. He found himself caring for the mother as she raised him. He's technically a combination of the psyche of Yoko Kurama and Shuichi, the human he possessed. Kurama took over as Shuichi aged. It's a story of a powerful demon that was tamed by the love of a mother. Ancient Japanese folklore has many stories of fox spirits either transforming into humans or processing them. One of the advantages of having experience with many anime series is that I can tell certain cosplay right away.

That's exactly right. Kurama was famous in the demon world before being betrayed. He was too weak to protect himself from those who would come after him, and went into hiding by implanting himself into an unborn fetus. Clearly, much of his power has returned, but he enjoyed his time as a human.

Also, the reason there were so many Yoko Kurama cosplayers, in my estimation, is because it's far easier for girls to cosplay her than for Yusuke or Hiei. I did dress up as Yusuke one Halloween though. Green pants, green long-sleeved shirt/jacket, and a glowing blue thing.