story isnt bad, but it's not written well. i honestly don't understand why it's so popular. 0 perspective and origin/backstory on hua cheng (ml) even though his devotion is the center of the story. felt empty. i wrote a few paragraphs after i read it on its flaws (pasted below)... more>>

to preface i wont talk much about the side characters. (SPOILERS!!)

im going to start off by saying that i love the themes and troupe. humanity, godhood, obsession? love that go them

but i think mxtx was a bit overly ambitious when writing this novel. both xie lian and hua cheng's character is a bit inconsistent..? for lack of better words, but i'll use that for now.

to walk this through, xie lian was a noble character who has fallen and broken down. his final straw was when he attempted to steal something from a passerby and got caught and ridiculed by someone who "betrayed" him. but for someone who has broken down to this degree, to the point of insanity (almost becoming the white clothed calamity), why is his character still so.. nonchalant and carefree?

so okay, we saw his descent into despair and hopelessness. both were described in detail and basically took up a whole book with each arc. but where do we see him redeem himself and learn to trust again? where are we rebuilding his character? do we just assume what happened to him and that his experiences surely shaped him to be more wise? are we supposed to trust that 800 years is long enough for him to forgive and forget? we've seen him lose himself and he honestly does not seem okay. he hasnt let go of the past, either, so its just a bit odd... how do i put this in words. 

he also rarely stands up for himself and laughs a lot of things off despite how much hes gone through. like sure coping mechanism i get it but it gets to a point..

besides all that (it might just be that i missed some nuance), hes also a bit boring. his character is generic, after all. the typical hero that wants to do good but cant because life doesnt work that way.

his chemistry with hua cheng also feels a bit out of place since the romance isnt incorporated into the story. it feels like a side story at best.. its just so random. i dont know!! it just doesnt feel right.

now lets talk about hua cheng.

he's a faithful, devoted believer, yet rarely do we see this obsession expressed. for someone so expressed with xie lian, he sure doesnt show it much character wise. sure, hes made tons of sculptures and paintings of him. he stalked him for years and basically came back as a ghost just for him (even after he broke to the point of no return). but in current time, hes so.. mild? he can pretend to be composed to supress his desires but.. he just acts like someone who is just casually in love with xie lian. 

which dont get me wrong. he is. its just.. hes supposed to be MADLY in love, to the point of insanity. posessive to the point of no return. for someone who has chased after his idol, his only god, for 800 years, hes.. his desires are so tame.

we also never get things in his perspective. usually when this happens, its because theres some misunderstanding going on, to create immersion in the story. but there hasnt been any misunderstandings about hua cheng? this writing style backfires here. we will never understand why he is so obsessed, why he held so much for someone he only talked to thrice.

yeah i understand that xl saved him and all but what else is there to it?

hc also just seems too overpowered. his only flaws are his past and the fact that hes insecure about.. his appearance? but hes pretty so it barely matters. and xie lian.. other than his occasional breakdowns, what flaws does he have? the fact that he cant cook?

and immersion.

i couldnt really get into the story. it just felt so messy, and i couldnt really *feel* the build up to the climax.

xl and hc don't have much of a romantic plot. it's also a bit surprising how late they got together seeing how xl fell for him almost immediately.. and i still dont really get how xl fell for him in the first place. but romance is romance and you cant explain it sometimes.

there is little resolution to the true suffering depicted in the story overall and i'm just.. dissatisfied with the ending in general. i really dislike when novels end with the "oh lets all work together to defeat the great evil!" and tgcf just adds on to that with the "they only won because the villain was exhausted of everything and had accepted it all". 

the entire novel feels cliche. the side characters are memorable, but there are too many unnecessary side plots that just dont matter to the main story. i'll end it off here. it's not that i dislike it but it's really not the best. many people ignore the flaws just because it's a really popular piece. <<less

story itself is good but i had a weird feeling about it the entire time. its subtle, but certain sentences are out of character.... more>>

lu zhao (ml) feels used as a character (author hints that he has past trauma about pheromones or alphas in his home planet but its never fleshed out, entire story revolves around the mc even though it's a mixed perspective story).

bai li (mc) is also a transmigrator who is seemingly someone who vies for equal rights in abo (since well. he came from a world without it) but he also indulges in the biases of abo. he really respects and genuinely likes the ml for his strength, his character, but sometimes he throws in sentences like "surprised he can do [physically demanding task] because he's an omega" and it throws me off.also, insane lack of actual female characters!!  <<less

paused at c210. the arcs are starting to waver, and i just dont feel the chemistry between the mc and ml (to the point where i think it'd be better if there werent any romance).... more>>

to elaborate more on the arcs, the start was good but the elements that made the novel intriguing start to show up less and less. the appeal of the mc's character was obviously how he could fully immerse himself in his role and flawlessly "become" the npc. and then he stops? or well he does, but it becomes less and less important/vital to the arc. tldr, losing interest, relationship is also not that interesting (feels one sided).

also about the ml. they introduced him as this mysterious smart hunk of a guy but when you actually get to know him more he just feels.. like a h**ny puppy dog type character? 

anyways ill update when i get back to this since my opinion will most likely change a bit <<less

its just so boring.. i dont compare novels a lot but this is a bit like little mushroom but with a less charming mc and... more>> ml pair. could barely get through half of the novel <<less

dropped in the 4th arc. i didn't like the mc and ml's personalities as it felt too passive and "good". for a novel called "what... more>> can i do, i'm not human" they certainly act exactly as humans. too moral, too savior-like for the situation theyre in.  <<less

i see people trying to bait people in the reviews saying its technically not a harem since the ml is the same person. while thats... more>> true, ITS LITERALLY SEVEN DIFFERENT PERSONALITIES. thats no different from seven people???? they dont combine in the end btw they stay seperate personalities. yeah its harem. don't read it you don't like harem LOL <<less

(LONG REVIEW LMAO) there is definitely an imbalance in the relationship. which can be done right, but it just feels soo off here. hexion (guide) basically holds all control in this relationship and 09 (esper) is basically like a dog. they dont deny that either, hexion really does treat espers like dogs and everyone less than human. on the other hand, 09 is inherently passive. he knows hes being strung along and is fine with being treated so, as it's hexion. they push and pull in the novel and test each other (though its mostly hexion doing the testing) so i mean its fine, but.. it just feels so much like hexion is forcing an... more>> image on 09. before anyone says that it's just the tone of the novel and that hexion is not supposed to be a good person, i understand that. i tend to like novels like these but this one just feels wrong.

(minor spoiler)

throughout the novel they do brush on the idea of if 09 wouldve been attached to someone else if it wasnt hexion that "awakened" him and honestly, i cant confidently say no. which should be a problem, since now it feels a lot like one sided dependency.

you can argue that hexion is the same, that he also depends on 09, but from the beginning to the end it seems he's only attracted to the one that is the disaster. not 09, but the disaster itself. the novel also brings this up as a problem but i dont recall it actually addressing the issue. thats minor though, i dont really mind that. 

what really gets at me is the fact that 09 just seems to be in constant stress and pushed through emotional rollercoasters all due to hexion. he's just getting played at the hands of his guide and he honestly only seized control once throughout the entire novel (by sacrificing himself and betting on his own life). hexion.. never goes through that at all? and it feels suffocating. it's really like seeing a pet being played by its owner who finds the situation amusing. i kept on reading thinking there would be a moment were hexion is the one being tested instead but it doesnt.. really happen. he has full control from beginning to the end.

(heavier plot spoilers)

on top of that, the climax of the novel also fell a bit short. there was all this buildup on war, laboratory, inhumane experimentation, and some other stuff but right before it got anywhere in depth it just seemed to.. end. just like 09 "blowing up". hexion showing up like some prince after quite literally orchestrating this entire thing and putting MORE unnecessary stress on 09.. just cause.. felt so abrupt. when i saw "end of main story" i was genuinely taken aback because youre telling me THAT was the end? hello??? did i miss something??

tldr nothing really felt wrapped up well. the plot, some side characters.. and their relationship itself. 09 only being able to "take more control" in bed also puts me off ngl cause like.. ok then. and totally unrelated but the name change at the end was so.. man i literally could not read on. i was already skimming through most of the extras at the time but i just had to stop there. JEREMY?? i think it was jeremy at least. YOURE TELLING ME 09.. JEREMY?? i almost cried man. <<less

dropped (paused?) at c24. the writing style seems very.. immature? it feels like a chunni's dream world. the mc's past is what got me, it... more>> felt so unbelievable when i was reading it i lost all immersion. like an oc stockpiled with so much crazy stuff it feels a overboard, that feeling.all the reviews are positive though so maybe i just havent given it the chance it deserves? will pick back up at a later date <<less

don't quite remember much about this one (since i naturally forget things i don't care much about) but i remember reading this as my last... more>> novel of 2024 and being really upset about it being the one that ended my year. it was to the point where i was insanely picky about the next novel i read because i HAD to have something good to cleanse my brain again. mustve been pretty bad. <<less

dropped ch 76, just not interesting. ml is also weird

okay i might not have the qualms to say stuff about this novel since i dropped it at c10 but the writing is just so flowery. its definitely very tell instead of show. it overexplains--- which is fine to a certain extent but i literally just felt like i was being mansplained the entire time TT... more>>

the author seems to want me to think the mc/ml is very smart and seem to pick up at the other's quips well but if anything i just felt that the antagonists were s*upidly dumb (though i know they were minor antags, it still hurts). the humor in the characters also dont really resonate with me either. <<less

just got bored. wasn't a fulfilling read

oh this one is just straight up bad. hate this one with a passion. ignore the reviews praising the mc, theyre wrong.... more>>

the mc is self absorbed and blames his problems on the world around him despite causing a fair amount with his own actions. real ml (there are three "mls") is a victim. wrote a long review a while back if youre interested in reading it (on my profile). <<less

felt very... empty. i dont know how to explain it, this novel just felt lackluster. i never felt actually immersed in the story. it talks... more>> about their predicaments as if its supposed to stir something in me but i just dont feel it. set up for so much angst but the only moment that struck with me was a fleeting moment between the mc and his master. felt nothing for the mc and ml really. <<less

dropped this one. the timeline isnt exactly thought out, and there are plot holes (might be patched later but i still didin't like it). also don't really like the mc much as a character. i got to the climax and thought it was about to be wrapped up in another arc or two just to realize i was not even halfway through the story.... more>>

felt like a chore to finish. so i didnt <<less

before i say anything, this is worth a read!! low rating is due to review bombing!!... more>>

anyways, i do really like this novel. i just feel a strong disconnect with the ending. individually, each arc was well done and served to develop the main character further (as long as you get past the 3p first arc) (im not a purity reader but i dislike poly/harem). i read some reviews on jjwxc and everyone has a different favorite, its really up to personal taste! although all of them end in BE, i think it was a good choice to do so (im also such a s*ave for bad endings so this is said with sliiight bias)

the ending, however, kind of severed the tension between the mc and ml if that makes sense. although the world backstory.. made sense (cant say for sure since i read a mtl and all the terms and names were messed up, but i read it three times over and could piece most of it together), (spoiler?) the male lead felt like a different person. there was no more tension or.. passion, for lack of better words. he just felt like a calm being that accepted how things were. and went along with it.

tldr, main story and ending were both good in their own way but did not connect. the arcs themselves also did not link towards/build up the ending so it just felt like a bombshell. arcs were good though id say its worth the read! <<less

there was a severe lack of urgency and sense of true crisis. i felt like i was simply being told a story instead of experiencing one with them (which blocks immersion!). i like the idea and story itself but its just.. not executed well. lots of unanswered questions too! mc's previous life? reason for his intellect? why he has this overpowered skill? hes an extremely respected and reputable player but.. what about his experiences then? why do we get little to no detail about that?... more>>

instances itself also fall flat (or just dont particularly shine) in the later arcs. the mc's intelligence and op-ness is not convincing enough to the reader. i also just have to repeat- there was zero sense of urgency. instances felt like a choice, and nothing seriously threatened his life or death. <<less

not even bad but i got so bored. it's basically slice of life, its so mundane.

ending was really unfulfilling. thought there would be extras to make up for it, thought wrong

ignoring the grammar mistake in the title already, the entire novel is just... bland. boring.

rated 4.3 when i read it! some people just aren't meant to be together, and this is one of those situations. misunderstandings so bad they... more>> seem deliberate. dont even give this novel a chance, pissed me off <<less

so bad its laughable. it was rated 4.2 when i read it LMAO. author put in an unreal amount of effort to make them suffer... more>> just to. redeem them in the end?? with some enigma bullshit???? might as well be a comedy <<less