To be frank I can’t help but be shocked when someone says they hoped to see Yu stay the same. It’s just… strange. What’s the point of having a despicable main character that never develops into anything more, except in hugely specific settings? I think that was a somehow deluded view. A character almost always starts off as mediocre in order to learn, that’s quite commonplace (and not in a pejorative way) in coming of age works. I’d like to be enlightened on that though - why wasn’t it obvious to many? I’ve seen so much disappointment I really can’t understand regarding that & it bothers me, I feel it’s one of the unfair complains targeted at the show, because it has more to do with the viewers themselves than the show.
With that said, I’ll add my own point of view on Yu. I’ll try to keep it basic & not overly long…
In my humble opinion, there’s genuinely not much more to Yu than what’s on display at the start of the series.
He’s just that - a narcissistic piece of crap unworthy of anyone’s attention who just wants the easiest way to the top (and maybe his only way, knowing it’s well emphasized that he’s not smart).
What I find so great about his treatment is the way Maeda accompanies his development the way a mentor would. He’s actually quite harsh on him where it’s needed - see episode one for many examples, including those glasses. (That’s not a spoiler is it?) Yet he still looks over him warmly as he goes on, facing him with the hardships and giving him the help needed to reach his logical final state - once again, quite like a mentor would.
He doesn’t cover his flaws, but still makes him develop positively into a real hero (and in fact, I’d go as far as saying his possible sacrifice for the cause makes him the epitome of a romantic hero, especially if he does die, as unfortunately far fetched as that sounds), and to me that’s what created a sense of empathy towards his character. He has flaws and he’s called out for them, but he progressively becomes a person worthy of affection, without that last notion ever being shoved into my face, which makes me feel for him far more than I’d ever feel for a character who’s bestowed with that heroic beauty from the very start, or who explicitly becomes a sort of superhero without a seeming flaw to his character.
In fact I find that Maeda is balanced in his treatment of Yu, he doesn’t force you to take his side, because even after he’s developed you see some of his flaws completely on display - but that makes his growth all the more natural, and I just instinctively developed a sense of attachment toward him & his ever growing sincerity and strength. It just comes about naturally to me, and that made me love his character.
I think that’s maybe why some people don’t feel much sympathy for him though - we’re so used to those shows where the characters are presented as super beautiful & the story’s “good” people, it’s a bit weird when no one is there to tell you how to feel about the main character.
Now I’m simplifying things a whole lot, but I’ll keep it at that for now.
