And, in the awkward middle of these two extremes, there are series like MamaYuyu. Series which might have shown promise when they began, but so thoroughly lose their way that one starts to think that getting axed might have been a mercy, like putting down a dying dog rather than prolonging its painful demise.
It’s undoubtable that, regardless of its eventual issues, the premise and first chapter of the series did show at least some potential for a truly great series. The core of Corleo’s journey, finding what it means to be a hero in a world which seems to be leaving the concept behind, is immediately laid out & made engaging, and his character is elevated even further by his endearingly human relationship with his adoptive mother Mamama, which is set up at the start as the seeming emotional core of the entire story. And complimenting that core cast is the fascinating setting of a modernized, peaceful version of your traditional DnD fantasy which seems ripe for exploration and development.
But despite having a solid foundation for a story in all of that, the author felt that even more was needed to really hook in the reader, and so we get the point where the story really starts to show its issues: the central plot regarding alternate universe Heroes and Demon Kings. Now is this necessarily a bad addition? No, not really, giving Corleo counterparts to contrast with and refine his own idea of heroism is, at least on paper, an interesting way of developing the story’s themes. But the fact is that in practice, it adds so much more in terms of ideas and themes that adequately exploring the concept while balancing it with the rest of the story’s core ideas requires a level of time, care, and skill which not many storytellers have. And unfortunately, Yoshihiko Hayashi simply isn’t a good enough storyteller to manage that kind of balance.
And so, what ensues is a whirlwind of frustrating writing in which Mamama, her relationship with Corleo, and the entire setting which had been initially set up are largely pushed to the wayside in favor of introducing a dozen underdeveloped characters at breakneck speed and then proceeding to throw them into boring generic fights where the only thing of interest is the obligatory Shonen Power System. Even the characters with better ideas behind them don’t really have the time or depth to really shine.
When the story does occasionally commit to character writing, whether it be emphasizing Corleo’s development or letting one of its side characters be something of worth, you can see a spark of brilliance shine through the slop, like a page from a much better version of this series was accidentally printed in this series. But ultimately, these flashes of greatness are too fleeting and overrun by the series’ inability to commit to anything to be anything more than a frustrating reminder of how sloppy everything surrounding it is. By the time the series drags itself over the finish line, one can’t help but wonder what the point of this all even was.
Now while I’ve been a downer for most of this review, it’d be a disservice to finish this review without mentioning the series’ art, AKA the only part of it where there’s very little to complain about. Hayashi is an insanely talented artist, and the series is filled to bursting with unique character designs, wonderfully complex drawings, and effortlessly creative paneling. If there’s one reason to read the series, it’s for the visuals.
If you’re looking for anything other than pretty drawings, though? Best to stay away from this one.
