Episode 22

Lamenting Beauty
Kanji	悲しみの美少女·雪菜
Rōmaji	Kanashimi Bishōjo Yukina (A Sorrowful Young Beauty — Yukina)
Japan Air Date	March 13, 1993
English Air Date	April 2, 2003
Episode	22
Manga	Chapters 46-47 (first half)
Saga	Spirit Detective Saga
Opening Song	Smile Bomb
Ending Song	Homework Never Ends
Previous Episode	←Yusuke's Sacrifice
Next Episode	The Toguro Brothers Gang→

Lamenting Beauty is the twenty-second episode of season 1 of YuYu Hakusho. It aired on March 13, 1993 in Japan and April 2, 2003 in the United States.

Short Summary

Yukina, an ice apparition, who also happens to be Hiei's twin sister, was being held captive by the Black Black Club founder, Gonzo Tarukane.

Detailed Summary

Yusuke is back to his old school cutting class days. One early morning, he runs to school once again but suddenly he feels he is being tracked down by someone. Just then, he realizes Hiei is the one following him. Hiei gives him a video tape courtesy of Koenma, and it contains Yusuke's next mission as Hiei vanishes once again. Later at school, Yusuke asks Kuwabara if he can watch the tape at his place, and Kuwabara agrees on one condition - that he will never again be involved in any of Yusuke's missions. Keiko arrives and yells at Yusuke for bringing a tape at school. Yusuke was about to make another excuse but then he remembers the time when Keiko tells him not to hide anything from her again so he tells her the truth. The problem is, Keiko doesn't understand what he's saying.

Later, we get to see a cute altercation between Yusuke and Botan (about Keiko) as Kuwabara readies his VCR to play the tape about Yusuke's next mission. Koenma appears and he elaborates all about Yusuke's next mission, where they have to rescue a girl named Yukina who is being held captive by a greedy old businessman named Tarukane in a mansion in the middle of a forest. Yukina has the capability to create rare pearls from her tears and these pearls cost millions, which is why Tarukane is forcing her all this time to cry for his business to bloom. All this time they didn't know that Shizuru, Kuwabara's older sister, is watching from behind. Kuwabara seems to have a crush on Yukina and runs off to prepare himself despite his earlier declaration of non-involvement in Yusuke's missions and he misses the part of the tape where Koenma explains that Yukina is Hiei's sister. Hiei knows it but Yukina is not aware of this.

Meanwhile, at Tarukane's mansion, we see Yukina cherishing the birds flying in the forest. Then we see Tarukane arriving and presents a person that will surely make Yukina cry and we see for the first time the Toguro Brothers. The Toguro brothers arrive at Yukina's chamber and Toguro tries to hurt her to make her cry. But as Tarukane has experienced, it does not work. Just then, the birds Yukina was cherishing earlier passed by, and Toguro realizes her weakness. He grabs the birds and kills them, causing Yukina to shed tears and the tears turn to pearls, much to Tarukane's delight.

Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Botan start their journey to the forest to save Yukina, led by Kuwabara, who is still infatuated after seeing Yukina. Tarukane realizes someone is invading their territory, so he dispatches one of his men. On their way, Yusuke and the gang meet one of Tarukane's men, Hirue, and it turns out that this person is a monster as he turns into a tentacle-like creature. Kuwabara slices the creature with his Spirit Sword and Yusuke finishes him off with a dash of his Spirit Gun as the gang defeats him and they continue on towards the mansion, ready to face any challenges Tarukane might send against them.

Anime Notes

• First appearance of Yukina.
• First appearance of Tarukane.
• First appearance of Younger Toguro.
• First appearance of Elder Toguro.
• This is the first episode of the Yukina Rescue Arc.
• This marks the first appearance of Shizuru Kuwabara in the anime. In the manga, she was originally introduced much earlier in the story as the one who redesigned Keiko's hair following the fire in Yusuke's apartment.
• From this episode up to "Toguro Returns", Susan Huber is incorrectly credited as Yukina's voice when it is actually Jessica Dismuke. This error is retained on the Blu-ray credits as well.
• Botan does not travel with Yusuke and Kuwabara during their mission to Tarukane's mansion in the manga.
• Due to the removal of the Half Breed Demons and the battle that took place against them where Hiei gave Yusuke the tape from Koenma after the battle that took place in the manga, in the anime, Yusuke instead received the tape from Hiei on his way to school.
  • Therefore in the anime, Kuwabara did not know about the tape until Yusuke told him.
• The part where Kuwabara initially refused to join Yusuke on his new case prior to seeing Yukina on the tape is exclusive to the anime only.
• In the manga, Kurama was absent for this entire arc.

Trivia

• When Yusuke, Yukina and Kazuma are watching the tape on the TV, there is a Columbia Pictures/Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer parody logo collaboration, naming it "Koenma Pictures".