What a delightful experience! It reminds me of the structure of Golden Stage, but with a calmer tone and less emphasis on politics. The drama effortlessly draws you in, yet it avoids being overly dramatic to the point where you feel the urge to yell at the characters to communicate. I typically don't enjoy plots driven by misunderstandings, but they served a purpose here. I appreciated the unique touch of the protagonist being a history expert in their time period, which adds a fresh twist to the time-travel theme. While the political aspect might lack depth for some, personally, I found it refreshing since it doesn't overwhelm my understanding – for me, it's more of a strength than a weakness.
Although I read the story in machine-translated language, it was an intriguing read for me. Since my native language isn't English, I'll provide a review in English based on the MTL version.
The revenge plot against Sung Eun-Yul seemed overly dramatic. Though he was portrayed as a villain in the book, his main transgression was reportedly spraying pheromones (which affected Alpha Hyun Jeha negatively) – a relatively minor offense. Sung Eun-Yul, an orphan, managed to accumulate wealth, though the specifics aren't clear. The revenge story involved financial ruin, loan sharks, and ultimately, leading to Sung Eun-Yul's suicide. However, in this alternate timeline, the main character (ML) gave him a small amount of money as charity, which left Sung Eun-Yul struggling on the streets, pregnant and hungry, eventually finding a job at a restaurant.
What intrigued me was the MC's situation upon entering Sung Eun-Yul's body. Since the MC had already slept with the ML, it's unlikely that Sung Eun-Yul would have ended up pregnant and suicidal due to the same circumstances.
Sung Eun-Yul, who had access to the original novel and knew Kang Ha-Joon's background, might have been influenced by his knowledge of the ML. The MC feared the ML discovering the child, but he didn't harbor deep hatred for Kang Ha-Joon. The MC's misfortune had largely unfolded before his transformation, causing anxiety and guilt over Hyun Jeha's revenge, which was eventually forgiven after a misunderstanding.
Sung Haneul, the child, was a delightful character. Despite the challenges, Sung Eun-Yul provided a loving upbringing. The MC, prior to reincarnation, led a hard life, sharing Sung Eun-Yul's loneliness. As Sung Eun-Yul, the MC found companionship with his son and grandmother, which contributed to his quick affection for the ML.
When the ML confessed, he focused on moving forward, acknowledging that they couldn't change the past. He expressed remorse for his actions and vowed to improve, making the MC happy, hoping guilt would fade over time.
The narrative took a significant turn when the MC transformed into Seong Haneul. The story lacked a wedding between Kang Ha-Joon and Hyun Jeha, and the ML held his father accountable for his wrongdoings.
In summary, while the MTL version presented an engaging story, the character development and motivations were thought-provoking, particularly regarding the MC's experiences and the evolving relationship between the characters.
I must say, the concept isn't bad; I believe it has potential. However, throughout my reading, I couldn't shake off a certain feeling. Now, I think I understand why. Initially, I thought it might be due to the protagonist's seemingly perfect goodness, despite his dark circumstances. It's hard to reconcile such a character who does terrible things but maintains a positive inner core. But then again, it's not entirely implausible.
The issue, as it turns out, lies in the narrative approach. The story is told from the first-person perspective, allowing readers to intimately experience the protagonist's thoughts and actions. This works well in showing his internal struggles, but it also creates a disconnect. When he describes performing good deeds secretly, it feels contradictory. It's almost as if he's subtly boasting about his hidden acts of kindness, which undermines the genuine goodness he tries to portray. It's not overt boasting, more like sharing a small triumph, like cleaning up trash on the way to school – admirable, but not something you typically boast about.
Given the premise of the novel, where the main character wants to remain anonymous, this self-revealing tendency becomes ironic. While the dynamics are intriguing, they detract from my reading experience. In conclusion, the first-person point of view doesn't quite suit this character, especially when he genuinely aims to do good without recognition.
Though I once suggested an alternative Chinese (CN) version, 'Despite Being Pursued As a Villain, All The Heroines On My Side?', their narratives actually contrast each other in interesting ways. The CN novel lacks the heroic pretense and is told from a third-person perspective, which I find more fitting. Unfortunately, I can no longer recommend that specific title here, but it's worth exploring if you're interested in a different take on the same premise.
how many chapters are left? and approximately how much time till it's completion?
Chapter 3: pretty sure 3rd leg isn't just a Chinese thing
I found it a good read, it's true he's an OP MC but I find the story more develops him understanding the world and his relationships, he doesn't care about the world or the people in the beginning, he doesnt want to be involved or pick a side of conflict. But he develops and starts to care about those around him.
It does have the classic nobles vs commoners trope and I find his ruthlessness satisfying in which he knows his situation is a matter of convenience, he doesn't need the rules and most decisions he makes are his own interests
this is the last completed er gen novel as of now, and it was quite good. i really liked the sorta "sci-fi" (can you even call it that?) aspect, especially at the start. however, just saying to whoever tries to read it, around chap 900 ish, the translation will become MTL (machine translation), and its quality will drop harshly. If you don't mind it, go ahead, but I know it can definitely turn off a lot of people.
Looking forward to this apocalyptic like Novel ?
Ooh, is the story a returnee kind of people? I wonder if there is more in the situation?
Shameless author review here. I never thought I'd be doing this so soon but the review section seemed kinda empty so... anyway I'll just say a few things about the novel while I'm at it.
First off all.. the use of different realms in the novel. so I thought, I wanna make something different from the usual reincarnated into another world kind of style and all. so instead I let the earth remain while adding some other realms as well. at least with this, there's room for my imagination to run wild and I still get to retain some realistic properties there.
second, The pacing.
The pacing is a bit slow and trust me when I say, I wanna get to the fun scenes real soon but every good story needs a solid foundation so I just have to go along with it for now but rest assured, there will be more exciting scenes coming up so I need y'all to bear with me a lil bit.
lastly. the characters.
you'll get to see more characters very soon, but for now I'm stuck with using the main character Nox and his eccentric teacher Eren.
if you have any questions about the book feel free to ask, I'll answer as long as it's not going to be spoilers related.
New book alert, [img=recommend][img=recommend][img=recommend][img=recommend][img=recommend][img=recommend]
Love the book