Modern anime has changed a lot. It has not been very noticeable, but at some point, viewers started to prefer the trope of ‘being beaten to an inch away from death and then powering up to destroy the enemy.’ This is indeed a fun trope, but if combat is all about endless powerups and plot armor, then the action sequences do not seem fun anymore.

Hiei with his third eye in Yu Yu Hakusho | Credits: Studio Pierrot

Not just the viewers, even the creators have become obsessed with flashy fights, loud power-ups, and last-minute transformations that are not rooted in logic.

This is not an isolated incident; it can be seen from Luffy’s Gear 5 hype to Naruto’s Baryon Mode. Shonen battles are definitely ones that make your blood pump faster while giving you that thrill. But when it is overdone, everything feels generic and expected.

Why Yu Yu...