Yesterday Man: The Perfect Overdog

What's up guys, WiDESHOTAKU217 here, today I want to talk about my least favorite character in all of anime (let alone WiDESHOT). Few people, if any, share the same vitriol for this character as I do. So much has been said about this character over the years that it almost feels like he requires no introduction; so much has been said that I spent days trying to write this script, asking myself: "What can I add that hasn't already been said?" Well, after looking through old chapters of WiDESHOT and reading old forum posts, I think I've finally found something worth stating: I never liked Yesterday Man.

From the second this character was introduced, he never did anything for me. From his character design, to his Zeal Signature, to his tragic backstory, and his goals, nothing about this character resonated with me. Now, you're probably wondering, "WiDESHOTAKU, if you don't like Yesterday Man, what's up with the title, then?" To that, all I can ask is that you be patient — I'm getting there. After rereading old chapters of WiDESHOT (especially the Moment's Semblance), I've come to the only logical conclusion: you're not supposed to like Yesterday Man.

Of course, there's no way to talk about Yesterday Man (or even WiDESHOT) without discussing R's most radical decision: making Yesterday Man the protagonist. This type of change was unprecedented for a Shonen manga: who the hell asked for this? Why do I even bother asking this question; I already know the answer. Now, I have a bit of a theory here. Every month, after a full four chapters of WiDESHOT had been released, Shonen Jump would have a poll asking people who their favorite character in the series was. For the longest time, FUCSHIA was the reigning champ, followed by Triple A, then Yesterday Man — with Sergio falling somewhere in the double digits (much to Shonen Jump's dismay and Yesterday Man's delight).

The continued popularity of the supporting cast really kept the series going with Sergio Swift as the "moral center" of the series — essentially a glorified "reader insert character" if you're familiar with the term. FUCHSIA could never have taken the role as the series' protagonist because he was already set up as a clone of the MC, Triple A was already a main character, leaving only one option: Yesterday Man.

What makes Yesterday Man the perfect overdog? WiDESHOT — the original at least — is really a battle of two men's conviction to assert that their own ideology is right. What makes Yesterday Man more compelling then? The answer to that is simple: his conviction was stronger. Not only that, he had the power and intellect to make His Tomorrow come true.

Let us return to the earlier point, then, of why I, among others, dislike this character: Yesterday Man represents a stark reality wherein powerful people with twisted ideologies get their way and end up winning in the end — as illustrated by the end of the original WiDESHOT at least. This is disheartening for us as the readers who tend to gravitate towards underdogs as we love to watch the timeless themes of struggle and triumph. Now, I don't want to jump the gun here as the last chapter of MEGA hasn't even been released, but another reason I dislike Yesterday Man is because we all know how the story will play out: he will get His Tomorrow and win in the end. Where, then, is the threat of danger and by extension, the reason to continue reading the series? I guess we'll have to wait til next week to see what happens with the final chapter...

Signing off!