Episode 42

A Matter of Love and Death
Kanji	決死の桑原! 愛の突撃
Rōmaji	Kesshi no Kuwabara! Ai no Totsugeki (A Desperate Kuwabara! The Charge Of Love)
Japan Air Date	August 7, 1993
English Air Date	April 30, 2003
Episode	42
Manga	Chapters 74-75 (first half)
Saga	Dark Tournament Saga
Opening Song	Smile Bomb
Ending Song	Sayonara Bye Bye
Previous Episode	←Reverse Decisions
Next Episode	The Masked Fighter Revealed→

A Matter of Love and Death is the seventeenth episode of season 2 of YuYu Hakusho. It aired on August 7, 1993 in Japan and April 30, 2003 in the United States.

Short Summary

The fight between Team Urameshi and Team Masho is almost over. Only one fight remains, Risho versus Kuwabara. The fight has already started, and Kuwabara is being beat up pretty bad. Risho continues to hammer Kuwabara, and then starts to use his Shinobi mastery of earth. He creates advanced armor, and reigns more furious meteor attacks on the weakened Kuwabara. With all his spirit energy exhausted, Kuwabara decides to use a desperate measure, but someone is in the audience calling to him. Who is it? Will they give Kuwabara the strength to continue?

Detailed Summary

This episode begins with the fight between Risho and Kuwabara underway. Risho is beating Kuwabara badly, who can not even use his spirit sword, because of his previous injuries.

Outside the arena, Shizuru, Keiko, Botan and Yukina are trying to get back inside. The demon security guard won't let all four back in, so Shizuru beats him up. They get chased by more security guards, until they see Younger Toguro. Yukina has a flashback to her kidnapping, of when the Toguro brothers killed the two birds. Toguro, however, lets the four go by. He wants Team Urameshi to win, because he wants a rematch with Yusuke, as Sakyo promised.

Kuwabara starts acting cocky, and this angers Risho. He decides to show his Shinobi strength. Risho reveals that he is the Master of Earth. He holds up his fingers and the ground starts to shake. Risho uses his Armor of Clay technique to cover his body with earthen armor. He jumps up in the air and crashes into the ring like a giant meteor. Kuwabara continues to keep fighting, and refuses to give up. Butajiri watches with joy as Kuwabara is pounded but then Sakyo and Toguro walk into his room. Butajiri believes that with Team Urameshi out of the way, he will be filthy rich, but Sakyo reprimands him for his cheating (in the English dub, he adds that Yusuke did not kill Tarukane). Toguro taps the Black Black Club elder's forehead with his finger, and a split second later, his upper head explodes.

Soon enough, Kuwabara realizes he can't win. He decides to use his life energy, in the same way Yusuke did against the final Saint Beast, Suzaku. He says goodbye to Hiei, Kurama, the Masked Fighter and Yusuke. Risho prepares to use his meteor attack one last time. Kuwabara catches Risho before he hits the ground. Suddenly, he thinks of Yukina. Kuwabara wonders why he is thinking about her. Then, all of a sudden, he hears someone call his first name. He sees Yukina in the audience. Kuwabara's energy suddenly starts rising, and with his newfound strength, Kuwabara throws Risho into the stadium walls. Kuwabara rushes over to the stands, and starts talking with Yukina. Kuwabara feels his spirit energy coming back to normal. He whips out his Spirit Sword as Risho comes back for more. Kuwabara hits Risho, demolishing his Armor of Clay. He hits Risho again, and the force throws him into the stands, defeating Risho. With Risho beaten, the third round of the Dark Tournament ends, and Team Urameshi has moved on to the semifinals.

Then Yusuke and Keiko have a small conversation that doesn't really go that well. While Botan watches them, they start to argue. Then out of nowhere, Yusuke then just decides to take a look at Keiko's butt and decides to poke it four times, commenting on how nice it has become. After that, Keiko then slaps Yusuke and walks away saying, "You know Yusuke, I was impressed with that moved you pulled. Bang".

Anime Notes

• This episode marks the final time in the English version that "Homework Never Ends" is used as the closing theme, with "Sayonara Bye Bye" taking its place from the next episode onwards. In the Japanese version, the latter theme was used starting from "Dragon of the Darkness Flame"; the Blu-ray dub has since put "Sayonara Bye Bye" back where it originally began.

Gallery

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