Summary
MamaYuyu’s main villain, Grisha, breaks the mold of typical Shonen Jump villains with surprising and unique character moments like resurrecting a child, only to have them fall again. down into mud. Unlike most final enemies in Shonen series, Grisha confronts the main character directly and humanizes himself with his reaction to a kiss, making him more attractive and unpredictable. Grisha’s immaturity and unpredictability, combined with his immense strength, sets him apart and makes him a potential candidate for one of the best new villains. by Shonen Jump.
Warning! Contains spoilers for MamaYuyu Chapter #17!
Jump Shonen has some of the best villains in manga, and a new series shows that its villain deserves to be considered part of that group with a surprising scene. That manga, Yoshihiko Hayashi’s MamaYuyu, made a name for itself through its strong innovation with the classic representations of Heroes and Demon Lords. Its latest chapter shows that it can also be creative with the idea of the main villain.
In chapter #17, translated by David Evelyn with letters by Finn K., the series’ main antagonist Grisha appears before protagonist Corleo and his ally Elysia after they neutralize Kuptula’s enemy. me. Grisha recruited Kuptula to his cause by promising to revive her child and he fulfilled this promise to her here, bringing back her dead son. However, the revival process is unstable and the child collapses, surprising Grisha and soiling his coat.
Grisha then agrees to call off his attack in exchange for recruiting Minerva to his side, but not before that idol demon gives Corleo a kiss, which makes the series’ villain right next to the confused Elysia.
MamaYuyu’s villain is unique compared to other Shonen Jump villains
The surprising moments in this chapter set Grisha apart from other main villains in Shonen Jump. Most of the time, the ultimate villain of a Shonen series is considered a serious and aloof character, more dignified than the more mundane villains below them. They also rarely directly fight the main character until the final parts of the series. Grisha goes against both of these tropes in this chapter by confronting Corleo directly and humanizing himself with his reaction to the kiss. Instead of making him less threatening, this actually makes him much more unique and engaging than a more standard enemy.
Grisha at this point in the series feels more like a petulant kid with too much power than an evil schemer like My Hero Academia’s All For One. So he can freely toy with people’s lives and emotions just as he can with Kuptula’s son, only caring that his suit gets stained instead of stains. damage it could cause her. He can also be much goofier without losing his menace, such as when he reacts to Corleo’s kiss. This immaturity and unpredictability makes him fascinating to watch and if MamaYuyu avoids the Under 19 Club long enough to develop him further, he could become one of the villains Best new Shonen Jump.
Although powerful, his inability to fully revive Kuptula’s son shows that Grisha is also still relatively weak.
Hopefully MamaYuyu will influence future Shonen Jump villains
Grisha fits in well with the new generation of villains that challenge genre expectations, like the disturbing Takauji in Shonen Jump’s The Elusive Samurai. The villain he may be closest to is Kaiju No. 9 from Kaiju No. 8, who also had to grow up throughout that series. Hope there are more new things Jump Shonen series will likely follow MamaYuyuof and create compelling and unpredictable villains like Grisha.
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