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Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'
The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System: Ren Zha Fanpai Zijiu Xitong (Novel) Vol. 1 by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu
20 reviews
minamouse's review
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This is not the first MXTX story I've read, but so far it is definitely my favorite. I really enjoyed how cucumber bro breaks the fourth wall while still indulging in some of the more well-known tropes in wuxia lit. I found myself laughing out loud more than once, so I'm excited to see how the second novel holds up. A well-deserved 4.25 ⭐ out of 5.
Not exactly a spoiler, but something to consider:There is no 🌶 in volume one of SVSSS and I know a lot of people gravitate towards these novels because they're spicy. But nothing really "happens" until volume two.
Not exactly a spoiler, but something to consider:
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence and Toxic relationship
Minor: Blood, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse
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
_persephone's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Bullying, and Cursing
Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Pedophilia
lackadaisicat's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I have very mixed feelings on this series! It's mainly a comedy that includes more romance and drama as the series goes on. It falls somewhere between self-aware satire and tropey sincerity, a mix which is pretty entertaining to read. The POV character, Shen Yuan, is a hilarious narrator. Snarky, genre-aware, and oblivious to everyone's emotional state, including his own. In his own mind, he's playing 4d chess, in my mind he is playing tic-tac-toe against himself and losing. Yes he has internalized homophobia and weird opinions on women. It works for the story. This is the first volume of three in the main story, plus one of post-canon extras and other goodies. This volume is lighthearted and fun in general, but ehhhhh I wouldn't recommend the series to every person off the street. I have no problem rating it well for the events that happen in volume one i.e. shenanigans and no real romance. Yes this is LGBT, but uh-oh, it's a student-teacher romance. To me that is a hard NOPE but it would be unfair of me to rate it badly for that alone. There's no grooming involved, the teacher is totally oblivious to the student's feeling until everyone is an adult, and because of timeline shenanigans the age gap is probably only about five years by the time the main couple gets together. (Personally, I wonder why the teacher can't just get with another teacher, but okay.) What I CAN and WILL criticize is the way passion and violence are so intermingled in this pairing. Why do I caution people reading this, and why won't I ever finish this series? I do not think "forced kissing" is romantic. I do not think painful sex is humorous. I don't think kidnapping, imprisonment, or torture have any place in a relationship, romantic or otherwise. I think every on-screen sex scene between the main canon pairing is a rape scene. It's coerced, it's painful, and in my opinion that isn't safe, sane, or consensual sex. Again, student-teacher romances are simply NOT my cup of tea. But beyond that, the student/love interest is obsessive, violent, and manipulative. The main romantic relationship is not healthy and in my opinion, exhibits several hallmarks of an abusive relationship. I was surprised by the direction this book took, since I initially assumed it would fall into a father/son found family dynamic. Whoops! My bad!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Body horror, Physical abuse, Rape, Slavery, Torture, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Your mileage may vary, but to my eye almost every scene of romantic or sexual intimacy is coerced, painful, or in some way non-consensual. These content warnings are for the series as a whole, not for the first volume specifically, which doesn't feature such scenes. The first volume is more concerned with childhood bullying and a fixation on death and dismemberment.shelbybelby's review
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Body horror, Bullying, Violence, Death, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Death of parent and Confinement
dismal's review
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Bullying, Cursing, Murder, Violence, Gaslighting, Blood, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse
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
tamo's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Bullying, Gore, Grief, Murder, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Vomit, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Torture, and Abandonment
Moderate: Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Kidnapping, Medical content, Medical trauma, Toxic relationship, and War
Minor: Sexism and Death of parent
thebackcatalogue's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Scum Villian’s Self Saving System (SVSSS) is an entertaining danmei1 that provides a meta-commentary on the Stallion2 genre. However, the readability of the English translation is brought down by simple translation mistakes and wording and sentence choices that are better suited to a direct Chinese translation than a smooth and comprehendible English translation.
Read the full review @ thebackcatalogue.substack.com
Read the full review @ thebackcatalogue.substack.com
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Death
Minor: Torture, Death of parent, and Physical abuse
Content Warnings: Depicted: Violence, Bullying, Child Abuse, Death, Emotional Abuse Mentioned: Torture, Death of a Parent, Physical Abuse