Good post!
My answer to your poll is yes and no.. i will explain!
As a character, i like, no scratch that i love Kumu. She is that type of villain that you have to admire. Being from a literature background, i have come across many villains(Iago, Richard, Satan in PL) who are so notoriously villainous and ingenious that you cannot help love them...I believe Kumu is at par with them...
The reason why, we at the forum, tend to have a special corner for kumu and not pvr ( apart from the fact that she got the couple married and he opposed it) is that PVR is all actions, he does what he wants.
But kumu is manipulative, she has a way with words and i dont think i need to give examples for this... but there is another reason, she makes us sympathise with her by repeating everytime about how they were dragged and thrown out of the village. Its almost like she justifies herself for her actions and to some point i'll have to admit, she has me in her trap!!
These makes her a brilliant villain...a type of villain that i haven't come across in a TV show for long!
As a person, its a big NO, NO and i think your post explained everything brilliantly!😆