The typical manga hero is virtuous and upstanding, but Yaesaki, the protagonist of the golf manga Green Green Greens, cheerfully bucks that trend. Despite his flexible ethics, Yaesaki’s sly charm makes him an appealing underdog.
In chapter 4, translated by Christine Dashiell, Yaesaki faces a golf match against the powerful Chikara, with his club membership on the line if he loses.
Realizing Chikara vastly outmatches him, Yaesaki resorts to psychological tricks to level the playing field. He offers Chikara a glove gifted by Chikara’s secret crush, hoping Chikara will swing more gently to avoid damaging his love’s gift.
When called out for fighting dirty, Yaesaki freely admits his tactic was underhanded. But he is unapologetic about doing whatever it takes to continue playing the sport he adores.
Yaesaki’s roguish willingness to bend rules makes him a subversive yet refreshing alternative to the typical earnest manga protagonist. And it is this very flawed humanity that makes him such an endearing long shot worth cheering for.
Upcoming Green Green Greens’s Main Character Is Weaker Than Any Protagonist Of The Shonen Genre
Yaesaki’s willingness to bend the rules contrasts sharply with the lofty moral codes upheld by many shonen protagonists, especially in sports manga. Fair competition through dedication and hard work is typically championed.
But as a golfing novice, Yaesaki lacks the skills to win honorably. So he mirrors the cheating tactics often used by sports manga antagonists, resorting to trickery to eke out a victory.
This aligns Yaesaki more with Blue Lock’s cunning Yoichi than Haikyu’s earnest Hinata. However, unlike Yoichi, Yaesaki’s sly maneuvers are not glorified, rather they highlight his desperation.
He is an underdog lacking both athletic talent and moral fiber.
Yet while his ploys may be pathetic, they stem from a passionate love of golf. It is this flawed devotion that makes Yaesaki relatable even as he flouts expectations for typical Shonen heroes.
His scheming ways don’t inspire admiration like Blue Lock’s leads, but instead endeavoring earnestness like Hinata.
This subversive dynamic makes Yaesaki an appealing rogue – an underhanded but endearing rebel bucking tropes in a refreshing way.
A Relatable Underdog in the World of Shonen
Yaesaki’s unsportsmanlike conduct could have made him unlikable, yet instead, it makes him more relatable. While extraordinarily gifted or dedicated shonen heroes can be aspirational, they often feel disconnected from reality.
Yaesaki represents a more grounded perspective – acknowledging his athletic shortcomings and resorting to ethically dubious tactics to compensate.
This willingness to bend rules, rather than nobly persevering against unfavorable odds, makes Yaesaki stand out. He is not meant to inspire readers to righteous greatness like so many hot-blooded shonen protagonists.
Rather, his sly maneuvering represents a pragmatic, if morally questionable, approach to overcoming his own ordinariness.
And therein lies his appeal – Yaesaki feels familiar and real. His scheming stems not from malice, but a simple desire to keep enjoying his passion for golf despite lacking natural talent.
This motivation makes his ethical compromises more understandable, if not completely justifiable. He is a subversive yet refreshing kind of hero – an endearing underdog who succeeds through cunning rather than determination or skill.
Yaesaki’s craftiness may not be admirable, but it is certainly relatable.
Green Green Greens Protagonist Stands Out Among Shonen Leads
Yaesaki offers a refreshing change of pace from the oft-repeated tropes seen in many Shonen protagonists.
Rather than an aspirational paragon of dedication and talent, he is an endearingly flawed underdog. His willingness to use underhanded tricks makes him feel more genuinely human than the typical plucky hero who always prevails through determination alone.
If the rest of the Green Green Greens cast proves similarly innovative, this manga could pioneer a new style of sports series – one that portrays characters in all their messily relatable glory.
The pathetic yet charming Yaesaki hints at subversive potential. Hopefully, Shonen Jump gives this offbeat story time to fully spread its wings instead of cutting it short prematurely.
In a genre glutted with stale archetypes, Green Green Greens and its pathetic anti-hero Yaesaki bring a long overdue breath of fresh air.
This unconventional sports tale could truly invert established tropes and carve an entirely new niche. But will be it allowed time to bloom into its provocative promise instead of being dismissed as yet another eccentric misfit?
One can only hope a series and protagonist this eccentric get a chance to glow before being relegated to obscurity. Yaesaki the beguiling rogue could compel a new generation of manga readers if given the opportunity to work his peculiar magic.
