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Reviews tagging 'Homophobia'
The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System: Ren Zha Fanpai Zijiu Xitong (Novel) Vol. 1 by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu
7 reviews
dolly_rocker's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I have never binged a series so fast in my life. My love for this is like LBH’s love for SQQ — burning from the abyss and laden with the perpetual urge to slap the shit out of everyone.
I’d been putting off reading SVSSS because I heard it was MXTX’s worst and most problematic series. So I went into this expecting to hate it.
Boy, was I WRONG. Because yes, while this is not nearly as polished or romantic as the other two, this ended up being my favorite series of hers because it is funny, the characters are so damn likable, and —above all —it forces you to think about EVERYTHING.
This book is not what I would call MXTX’s most prolific or subtle writing. She hammers home, to a sometimes annoying degree, that nothing should be taken at face value. While the book certainly bears the trappings of a debut writer, everything she writes carries a deeper criticism, and she uses satire to do it, which I think is why I loved it so much even when I found the prose and the pacing lacking. (And it’s a translation, so I’m sure a lot of the nuance is lost.)
This series is full of characters that explore problematic BL and harem novel tropes, power dynamics, internalized misogyny and homophobia, and consent issues. And that’s the point. At its heart, this series is both a criticism of toxic masculine tropes AND terrible romance tropes. SQQ and LBH both embody and subvert the tsundere and yandere trope pretty well, and even as ostensible characters in an “uber-masculine” setting, they exchange gender roles and tropes frequently.
From the get go, MXTX lays the groundwork for a satire narrated by an extremely online internet troll who is, in reality, an unreliable and closeted gay guy. I have seen criticisms that Shen QingQiu is not in love with Luo BingHe, which are baffling to me, because his obsession (with the character, at least) is blatant early on, to the point where he is criticizing the other “love interests” for the way they interact with LBH and getting defensive about his own intrusive thoughts. And yes, their relationship starts off sketchy because it’s built on the idea that SQQ sees LBH as a book character without agency, not to mention a questionable teacher/student power dynamic.
I thought I would hate SQQ, but he is so damn lovable, even though his internalized homophobia is fucking annoying.
I’ll not spoil it more, but if you’re looking for an unproblematic comfort read or a heart-wrenching romantic drama, look elsewhere. But if you’re willing to sit with discomfort and analyze the text and have a fucking amazing time while doing it, this might be the series for you.
I’d been putting off reading SVSSS because I heard it was MXTX’s worst and most problematic series. So I went into this expecting to hate it.
Boy, was I WRONG. Because yes, while this is not nearly as polished or romantic as the other two, this ended up being my favorite series of hers because it is funny, the characters are so damn likable, and —above all —it forces you to think about EVERYTHING.
This book is not what I would call MXTX’s most prolific or subtle writing. She hammers home, to a sometimes annoying degree, that nothing should be taken at face value. While the book certainly bears the trappings of a debut writer, everything she writes carries a deeper criticism, and she uses satire to do it, which I think is why I loved it so much even when I found the prose and the pacing lacking. (And it’s a translation, so I’m sure a lot of the nuance is lost.)
This series is full of characters that explore problematic BL and harem novel tropes, power dynamics, internalized misogyny and homophobia, and consent issues. And that’s the point. At its heart, this series is both a criticism of toxic masculine tropes AND terrible romance tropes. SQQ and LBH both embody and subvert the tsundere and yandere trope pretty well, and even as ostensible characters in an “uber-masculine” setting, they exchange gender roles and tropes frequently.
From the get go, MXTX lays the groundwork for a satire narrated by an extremely online internet troll who is, in reality, an unreliable and closeted gay guy. I have seen criticisms that Shen QingQiu is not in love with Luo BingHe, which are baffling to me, because his obsession (with the character, at least) is blatant early on, to the point where he is criticizing the other “love interests” for the way they interact with LBH and getting defensive about his own intrusive thoughts. And yes, their relationship starts off sketchy because it’s built on the idea that SQQ sees LBH as a book character without agency, not to mention a questionable teacher/student power dynamic.
I thought I would hate SQQ, but he is so damn lovable, even though his internalized homophobia is fucking annoying.
I’ll not spoil it more, but if you’re looking for an unproblematic comfort read or a heart-wrenching romantic drama, look elsewhere. But if you’re willing to sit with discomfort and analyze the text and have a fucking amazing time while doing it, this might be the series for you.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Toxic relationship
Minor: Child abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Adult/minor relationship, Physical abuse, and Sexual content
graceskate's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, and Child abuse
Moderate: Death of parent, Chronic illness, Sexism, Misogyny, Racism, Xenophobia, and Homophobia
Minor: Sexual content, Sexual assault, Abandonment, Torture, and Adult/minor relationship
cait's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Child death, Gore, Violence, Confinement, Murder, Physical abuse, Toxic friendship, Blood, Child abuse, Death of parent, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Bullying, Homophobia, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Cursing, Death, Torture, Toxic relationship, War, Abandonment, Body horror, and Genocide
thanatoserini's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I think I found my favorite book series 😍
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Murder, and Homophobia
Moderate: Sexual violence, Torture, Slavery, Sexism, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, and Sexual content
Minor: Rape, Blood, and Child abuse
teagstime's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I read the entire novel when it was just an unofficial fan-translation, and words can't express how excited I am for an official one! This first volume sets up for the rest mostly by establishing relationships, giving the reader a feel for our main character's unreliable, hilarious narration, and by ending after a rather momentous (read: tragic) plot point !
Simply put: Scum Villain vol1 is a wonderfully fun read about a chronically online dude who dies & becomes the antagonist in his favorite book to hate-read. Shen Yuan/Qingqiu is a stupidly charming and charmingly stupid protag, and Luo Binghe is just perfect... He's never done anything wrong ever actually ( ꈍᴗꈍ) Don't be fooled by the lighthearted tone though-- next volume's gonna be SAD 💔
Simply put: Scum Villain vol1 is a wonderfully fun read about a chronically online dude who dies & becomes the antagonist in his favorite book to hate-read. Shen Yuan/Qingqiu is a stupidly charming and charmingly stupid protag, and Luo Binghe is just perfect... He's never done anything wrong ever actually ( ꈍᴗꈍ) Don't be fooled by the lighthearted tone though-- next volume's gonna be SAD 💔
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Violence
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, and Torture
Minor: Sexism, Death of parent, Homophobia, and Misogyny
The CA happened in the past, and is never inflicted on the child again in the course of the novel/nor was it ever inflicted by the protagonist. A few scenes of bullying also occur, as well as descriptions of past bullying. The homophobia's very light-- mostly a few thoughts/jokes by an incredibly repressed 'straight' man. The sexist/misogynistic comments aren't too bad either, many are simply jabs at harem/stallion novel tropes, and are often called out for being ridiculous.mizelse's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Child abuse
Minor: Homophobia, Adult/minor relationship, and Abandonment
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