Don't get me wrong it lead to a lot of great confrontations but I remember the first couple of times watching the show when I was younger and disliking the change bc it was such a shift from the classic Shonen style.

And I really appreciate it from a storytelling perspective as it was a great way to keep the overpowered heroes on their toes without falling into the Dragon Ball trap of just constantly making new enemies more powerful and makes intelligence more important than strength. Especially whenever Kurama is involved, how he wins is always so impressive.

But when I see people say how the Chapter Black arc is the best bc of all that I can't help but disagree since I do wish Togashi had more time to work in the specifics as I think it feels a bit forced in a few ways (I know he basically does this in HxH with NiN but that isn't what I'm discussing atm). For a few reasons:

1) It came out of nowhere. I know why this happened as a weekly manga doesn't always have the liberty to plan things out and you see this in a lot of long running Shonen. But you'd think Genkai would not only have an ability like this but would know how to counteract it instead of reacting. She seems as powerless by it as anyone. But all she focused on was power and that's all she taught Yusuke. Yet arguably being the greatest human psychic of all time, she's kind of powerless against it.

Like help one of the heroes develop a territory power, trap Teguro in it, and then trick him into losing his soul or whatever. Imagine Kurama's territory, it be so complex I can't see Teguro being able to outwit him in whatever rules he decides.

Guess the closest thing I can think to the show having this concept prior to Chapter Black was Rando. Arguably he used territories and the way to beat him was by using the rules against him and Yusuke unintentionally blocking his ears.

2) They are too powerful imo, or to better state it they're so powerful yet never once even considered by previous antagonists or heroes. The DT arc basically lead Yusuke to become the most powerful human of all time, receiving Genkai's spirit wave which is basically the culmination of human psychic potential. And then suddenly he's made completely helpless by this technique. But somehow this ability can change all rules of nature.

Yet in no other way are characters able to have such omnipotent power. Even Sensei's Devine energy and the S class demons have limits that can be overcome. But the territory is basically god like, but for a show that did try to explain things as much as it can it's just accepted people can break the rules of nature so easily. I mean, wouldn't King Yama have some huge territory that could allow him to do anything? Or even Koenma?

What gives these territories so much power, what force is enabling this? And do any demons have territory powers?

3) It just feels a bit of an ass pull at times that the characters are helpless. Even accepting that this never before mentioned power exists there were many ways for Yusuke to get out of it. He could have powered up suddenly and the force would knock the shadow guy off balance, even without moving his body. And he's so quick (he can keep up with Hiei even) he could have laid Sniper's ass out on the highway before he could even fire a projectile at him, but he runs away instead. Only the doctor fight and game master did I feel he was stuck.

The doctor was a moral quandary, Yusuke had all the ability to win but was struggling with what he needed to do. And Yusuke willingly went into game master's territory and chose to follow the rules. Otherwise it seems like it was made up as it went along with Territories being whatever was needed to rattle the gang.

4) Togashi just kind of dropped it. I think that's the biggest proof it was made as an idea first but not completely thought out as he couldn't sustain the concept too long or it wouldn't make sense in the show. Post Game Master it's just not a thing. Maybe with the demons they just didn't really know about it.

But especially with Sensui, wouldn't he have the ultimate territory. These things seem to be the most powerful forces in the yyh universe, yet the calculated Sensui doesn't use it himself, and goes for brute strength. Wouldn't it have made sense to make the cave a Territory and the rules something only he could do seeing as he had a lot of abilities only he could pull off. Be an easy way to pummel Yusuke and the rest without breaking much of a sweat.

5) If you think about it me a bit that you could have basically not had the territories at all and the plot would have been the same for Chapter Black as the main threat and the big bad are based on the previous spirit energy power and have nothing to do with Territories. It almost felt like a side story until the main conflict arose. Like some really good filler, but filler nonetheless

6) I almost get the feeling that another reason Togashi drops it is if he continued then Kurama would have to become the main protagonist as opposed to Yusuke, as he's way better built to deal with these kinds of confrontations 😂

Not saying it's bad, as the willingness to flip the formula on its head is something that made YYH so great, and it's much better than basically having the Dark Tournament 2. But I also feel a bit irked whenever I rewatch as I think it could have been implemented much better (while I don't really like HxH it is an example of this kind of idea more fleshed out and consistent).

I know I'm complaining about a 20 year old show and especially about ideas that the Mangaka has expanded on in later works, but YYH is my favorite anime of all time and I can be a bit pedantic in it's faults. YYH is amazing and a better story and characters than I can ever hope to create

I know people will disagree, just my thoughts

EDIT: I think I may have given the wrong idea that I do not understand territories or how the demon tunnel/weakening Makai barrier is what gave these psychics their powers, or that they don't always manifest in territories.

My issue is how it feels like a whole new set of rules and powers were injected into an established universe and that none of the existing characters knew anything about it until Chapter Black.

It all seems extremely retconned and doesn't completely gel with YYH. And the main evidence is how Togashi drops such powerful techniques from the fight with Sensui on, because likely it wasn't in form with the main type of battles the show is based on. And how HxH takes this idea but weaves it into the foundation of the show.

TBH I had a similar issue with Stardust Crusaders introducing Stands after the first 2 Joestars never even mentioned it. But at least the manga goes all in and became about that consistently onward so you just kind of forget it wasn't a planned idea at the beginning.

Like I said it isn't a huge issue but it does make the Chapter Black arc a bit less polished to me than the previous ones.