Gamefreak1000 posted... Three Kings arc is definitely a disappointment, but I've come to terms with it over the years. Togashi was hard burning out by that point, and the manga off-screen's even more of the arc. The anime team did a pretty solid job considering what little they had to work with.
The biggest reason I think YYH holds up to this day is the characters, and while the plot of the three kings arc was shafted, I think it does a great job resolving the characters inner conflicts (which is ACTUALLY what that arc is about). This is also why I'm ok with Kuwabara being side lined. At the beginning of the arc, Yusuke, Hiei, and Kurama were struggling with what to do with themselves, but Kuwabara didn't need to go on this journey of self discovery because he already knows EXACTLY what he wants. While the other three are fighting, Kuwabara matures and realizes faster than any of them that there's more to life than combat. It's definitely a bit unorthodox for a shonen fighting series, but I respect it. I think it highlights how sometimes when you're growing up that your closet friends can take a different path from you, but that doesn't mean it has to be the end of the friendship.
If you want more, consider reading the final volume of the manga. The three kings arc ends 2 chapters in, and the last 6 chapters + ending are notably different than the anime.
I agree about Kuwabara. He was sidelined from the fighting, but it made sense. He had no business jumping into demon world politics and wars, and had learned life was more than constant fighting.
I was disappointed during my first watch, but Im glad they actually let him grow as a person and get stronger in a way that didnt involve fighting