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Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'
The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System: Ren Zha Fanpai Zijiu Xitong (Novel) Vol. 3 by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu
6 reviews
dismal's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abortion, Blood, Abandonment, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Cursing, Violence, and Grief
Moderate: Pregnancy
nitzanschwarz's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Vo.3 Arcs: Begins right where vol.2 ends, with SQQ imprisoned by LBH to the end of the main story
SPOILERS AHEAD - NOT MARKED (entire review is very spoilery)
B 84%| Quite Good!
Many answers are given in this installment as the finale to the “main story”, but now I really need vol. 4 to come out ASAP because there was barely any fluff in this and that’s criminal.
A note: MXTX’s novels are always fun reads that suck you in. SVSSS is, especially, humorous, and I definitely recommend picking up this series. However, I have a lot of things I’m a bit iffy about with this volume and this review is going to be mostly me grumbling about those – so if you’re a die-hard fan that doesn’t care to hear any negative commentary (which is totally fair btw), please don’t read further.
<(_ _*)> 谢谢啦~
Plot Conclusion
The setup of Scum Villain has always promised us that Shen Qingqiu will need to fill in some of the plot holes from the original work, and in this finale (of the main plot) we finally get to tie up most of the loose ends. Was much of it predictable? Yes, very. I don’t think anyone can ever say MXTX is super subtle, especially since she loves giving characters meaningful names. However, that didn’t really detract from my enjoyment, and I was even surprised by the reveal of who the final boss was. Maybe I should’ve expected it to be Binghe, but for some reason, I didn’t
It was, though, a bit weird to realize many of those plot solutions were never really shared with anyone else. Shen Qingqiu was blamed for the sower incident, for killing his adoptive family, for killing the Huan Hua Palace’s disciples, and for being the student of some villainous person who’s never really discussed in depth. While we watched him find out the real culprits, no one else did, nor does it ever say that Shen Qingqiu or anyone else explained to anyone—it’s always “I’ll tell you later”. So how is he absolved from all these “crimes”?
Not to mention, there are some new plot holes to contend with. Most are rather dumb, but I’m a dumb woman who is easily amused by the fact a book grumbling about plot holes has plot holes ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Did Without a Cure get cured with Shen Qingqiu’s death? Because they hyped the “cure” (i.e. sex with Binghe) so much it seemed odd that upon Shen Qingqiu’s return to his original body it just poofed out of existence. But then, that seems to be a trend, because even the Ties That Bind thing (or however it was called) vanished despite Zhuzhi-lang missing a few healing sessions. And what about original Shen Qingqiu’s “master” who was apparently some kind of psycho but is never even explained?....
Original Shen Qingqiu’s Backstory
It was not bad enough. There! I said it! Was it surprising that he was abused in that “adoptive” household of his? Heck no. Does it excuses slaughtering all the men in the house, then later betraying all his sect brothers in the original timeline? Not really, especially when we see zero indication that anyone else was in on the abuse. In fact, it appears brother dearest specifically hid it behind closed doors and even pretended to favor him, to the point of betrothing him to his sister!
Side Characters Deserve Better
Honestly, there were a couple of really upsetting deaths in this series, not because they happened, but because of how they were treated. Gongyi died off-page, as a random afterthought, in the last volume, but it’s in this volume that we found out why he died and it’s… so anticlimactic? It’s barely a consideration, it’s so… pointless. Then there is Gongyi’s murderer, Zhuzhi-lang, who was well-meaning but misguided, loyal to the bone, and he just… died. Poof. I had to do a double take when one of the characters says “take his bones” because I was like WHAT. These characters deserved better than some off-page death with barely any consequence or mention.
Romance
Oh boy, how do I get into this one… I am not on board. Like, this relationship makes me capital letter Uncomfertable, even though I really wanted to love it. But… Binghe literally assaulted Shen Qingqiu. He wants Shen Qingqiu isolated from anyone else, to the point that internally smiling toward someone else—not even actually smiling, just Binghe perceiving Shizun to smile on the inside—is considered an offense. He physically hurts Shen Qingqiu. And at the end of the day, Shen Qingqiu is so guilt-ridden over the mental injuries he has given Binghe (separation anxiety and abandonment issues), that he decides to leave with him, leave the things he loves and the people he cares for… all to keep the psyche of Binghe sane.
Like, idk. To me, this is a highly unhealthy relationship. And this book didn’t really do a good job at convincing me this was mostly due to Xin Mo driving Binghe crazy. Hopefully, Vol.4 will give us an insight into what a “sane Luo Binghe” is as a partner that will offset these honestly highly problematic behaviors of his and prove that he is the right partner for Shizun, because right now I don’t see it. Right now, it feels abusive.
And it literally pains me to say this, because I am such an unabashedly huge fan of MXTX’s other two couples and I wanted to love it as much as I love WangXian or HuaLian.
Final judgment on this couple is reserved until Vol. 4.
SEX
It exists in this novel. It's graphic, but It’s not sexy, it’s not pleasant, it’s not exciting, so don’t expect any of that. Just a little warning, if you’ve chosen to read my spoilery review.
Where Are the Soft Bingqiu Illustrations??
There are soft moments in this book. Kisses and hugs and smiles exchanged between our main couple, and yes, they’re all tinged with a sense of desperation and obsession, but they’re there. But did we get illustrations of these? NO! Is it too much to ask for one or two sweet illustrations? (இ﹏இ`｡)
That being said, that specific illustration on page 37 may or may not have gotten me pregnant ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Not Enough Mobei-jun and Shan Qinghua
Honestly, a part of me thinks a much more pleasant novel to follow would’ve been about this weak ass bitch of an author tittering around in the demon world as Mobei-jun’s underlining who for some (inexplicable) reason gets really good treatment, and is just always next to the general…but the general says nothing about it aside for occasionally throwing him around and everyone is super confused but don’t dare say something about it…
Yeah, I want this novel. I hope there are some extras on these extras.
Story and Setting –18/20
Characters –18/20
Relationships –15/20
Translation – 15/20
Reading Experience –18/20
Final Score: 84
SPOILERS AHEAD - NOT MARKED (entire review is very spoilery)
B 84%| Quite Good!
Many answers are given in this installment as the finale to the “main story”, but now I really need vol. 4 to come out ASAP because there was barely any fluff in this and that’s criminal.
A note: MXTX’s novels are always fun reads that suck you in. SVSSS is, especially, humorous, and I definitely recommend picking up this series. However, I have a lot of things I’m a bit iffy about with this volume and this review is going to be mostly me grumbling about those – so if you’re a die-hard fan that doesn’t care to hear any negative commentary (which is totally fair btw), please don’t read further.
<(_ _*)> 谢谢啦~
Plot Conclusion
The setup of Scum Villain has always promised us that Shen Qingqiu will need to fill in some of the plot holes from the original work, and in this finale (of the main plot) we finally get to tie up most of the loose ends. Was much of it predictable? Yes, very. I don’t think anyone can ever say MXTX is super subtle, especially since she loves giving characters meaningful names. However, that didn’t really detract from my enjoyment, and I was even surprised by the reveal of who the final boss was. Maybe I should’ve expected it to be Binghe, but for some reason, I didn’t
It was, though, a bit weird to realize many of those plot solutions were never really shared with anyone else. Shen Qingqiu was blamed for the sower incident, for killing his adoptive family, for killing the Huan Hua Palace’s disciples, and for being the student of some villainous person who’s never really discussed in depth. While we watched him find out the real culprits, no one else did, nor does it ever say that Shen Qingqiu or anyone else explained to anyone—it’s always “I’ll tell you later”. So how is he absolved from all these “crimes”?
Not to mention, there are some new plot holes to contend with. Most are rather dumb, but I’m a dumb woman who is easily amused by the fact a book grumbling about plot holes has plot holes ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Did Without a Cure get cured with Shen Qingqiu’s death? Because they hyped the “cure” (i.e. sex with Binghe) so much it seemed odd that upon Shen Qingqiu’s return to his original body it just poofed out of existence. But then, that seems to be a trend, because even the Ties That Bind thing (or however it was called) vanished despite Zhuzhi-lang missing a few healing sessions. And what about original Shen Qingqiu’s “master” who was apparently some kind of psycho but is never even explained?....
Original Shen Qingqiu’s Backstory
It was not bad enough. There! I said it! Was it surprising that he was abused in that “adoptive” household of his? Heck no. Does it excuses slaughtering all the men in the house, then later betraying all his sect brothers in the original timeline? Not really, especially when we see zero indication that anyone else was in on the abuse. In fact, it appears brother dearest specifically hid it behind closed doors and even pretended to favor him, to the point of betrothing him to his sister!
Side Characters Deserve Better
Honestly, there were a couple of really upsetting deaths in this series, not because they happened, but because of how they were treated. Gongyi died off-page, as a random afterthought, in the last volume, but it’s in this volume that we found out why he died and it’s… so anticlimactic? It’s barely a consideration, it’s so… pointless. Then there is Gongyi’s murderer, Zhuzhi-lang, who was well-meaning but misguided, loyal to the bone, and he just… died. Poof. I had to do a double take when one of the characters says “take his bones” because I was like WHAT. These characters deserved better than some off-page death with barely any consequence or mention.
Romance
Oh boy, how do I get into this one… I am not on board. Like, this relationship makes me capital letter Uncomfertable, even though I really wanted to love it. But… Binghe literally assaulted Shen Qingqiu. He wants Shen Qingqiu isolated from anyone else, to the point that internally smiling toward someone else—not even actually smiling, just Binghe perceiving Shizun to smile on the inside—is considered an offense. He physically hurts Shen Qingqiu. And at the end of the day, Shen Qingqiu is so guilt-ridden over the mental injuries he has given Binghe (separation anxiety and abandonment issues), that he decides to leave with him, leave the things he loves and the people he cares for… all to keep the psyche of Binghe sane.
Like, idk. To me, this is a highly unhealthy relationship. And this book didn’t really do a good job at convincing me this was mostly due to Xin Mo driving Binghe crazy. Hopefully, Vol.4 will give us an insight into what a “sane Luo Binghe” is as a partner that will offset these honestly highly problematic behaviors of his and prove that he is the right partner for Shizun, because right now I don’t see it. Right now, it feels abusive.
And it literally pains me to say this, because I am such an unabashedly huge fan of MXTX’s other two couples and I wanted to love it as much as I love WangXian or HuaLian.
Final judgment on this couple is reserved until Vol. 4.
SEX
It exists in this novel. It's graphic, but It’s not sexy, it’s not pleasant, it’s not exciting, so don’t expect any of that. Just a little warning, if you’ve chosen to read my spoilery review.
Where Are the Soft Bingqiu Illustrations??
There are soft moments in this book. Kisses and hugs and smiles exchanged between our main couple, and yes, they’re all tinged with a sense of desperation and obsession, but they’re there. But did we get illustrations of these? NO! Is it too much to ask for one or two sweet illustrations? (இ﹏இ`｡)
That being said, that specific illustration on page 37 may or may not have gotten me pregnant ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Not Enough Mobei-jun and Shan Qinghua
Honestly, a part of me thinks a much more pleasant novel to follow would’ve been about this weak ass bitch of an author tittering around in the demon world as Mobei-jun’s underlining who for some (inexplicable) reason gets really good treatment, and is just always next to the general…but the general says nothing about it aside for occasionally throwing him around and everyone is super confused but don’t dare say something about it…
Yeah, I want this novel. I hope there are some extras on these extras.
Story and Setting –18/20
Characters –18/20
Relationships –15/20
Translation – 15/20
Reading Experience –18/20
Final Score: 84
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Sexual content
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Confinement, Toxic relationship, Self harm, and Mental illness
vigil's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Gore, Kidnapping, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Abandonment, Abortion, Blood, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Xenophobia
adhdru's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
tense
medium-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Misogyny, Murder, Abandonment, Ableism, Grief, Mental illness, Sexism, Death, Emotional abuse, Rape, Toxic relationship, Blood, Child abuse, Body horror, Bullying, Cursing, Gore, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Stalking, Torture, Violence, War, Outing, Physical abuse, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Abortion, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Slavery and Trafficking
levtolstoy's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Loved the ending! Cannot wait for vol. 4 with all the extra's!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Slavery, Child abuse, Abandonment, War, Physical abuse, Torture, Sexual content, Gore, Emotional abuse, Death, Body horror, Murder, and Blood
Minor: Suicide attempt
aardwyrm's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abortion, Body horror, Child abuse, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual content, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Trafficking, Violence, Gore, Grief, Ableism, Bullying, Abandonment, Blood, Death of parent, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, and Fire/Fire injury
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