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veronikav 's review for:
Case File Compendium: Bing An Ben (Novel) Vol. 3
by Rou Bao Bu Chi Rou
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
"I really hate you, Xie Qingcheng," he said. "Now that you hate me too, tell me, wouldn't it be great if you'd never bothered to help me in the first place and just left me to die? If it weren't for this illness, if it weren't for meeting you, we'd both have one less enemy in our lives, and we wouldn't have suffered so much. You and I wouldn't loathe each other so deeply."
He Yu's world is broken. He's decided to destroy himself and destroy Xie Qingcheng alongside. After the events of the nightclub, He Yu starts struggling with acknowledging and rationalizing his attraction to Xie Qingcheng. He still thinks he's a straight man, he still believes he is homophobic (the hints of childhood trauma connected to this that we get are super interesting) but somehow not only does he still crave Xie Qingcheng's body, he realizes he also longs for his company, his acknowledgement. Generally this plotline that focuses on the sexuality (of mainly He Yu, but also Xie Qingcheng) invokes some age-old tropes without following the conventions: yes, He Yu and Xie Qingcheng identify as straight and insist on this even as (He Yu) feels attracted emotionally and sexually to Xie Qingcheng. He goes through the typical self-denial of 'you're the only exception' but it's interestingly countered through Xie Qingcheng, who blames He Yu for not being able to accept reality and his own sexuality (funnily it's not as if Xie Qingcheng here is blameless). Even as a supposedly homophobic man, Xie Qingcheng accuses He Yu of being a shame to the gay community for this closeted delusional behavior.
(While He Yu's homophobia has its roots in an inferiority complex and trauma of sexual harassment , Xie Qingcheng's is rather a result of the strongly patriarchal straight man persona he has adopted after being orphaned and having to raise his sister all by himself. He truly doesn't associate his aversion to heterosexual sex and disinterest in it with anything consequential.)
This volume is the toxic and spiraling pit of despair between the club incident andtheir near-death experience by the end - He Yu is slowly realizing everything he does makes Xie Qingcheng hate him even more even as he himself starts craving more approval from him. With every attempt at communication, He Yu's illness rears its head and pushes them even further into this twisted hatred and loathing. Only by the end is He Yu finally near figuring out that the 'lies' that had destroyed his entire sense of self-worth might not be entirely what they seem to be. Just as he's on the precipice of figuring out the truth about Xie Qingcheng, they get trapped in a situation that is most certain to end with both of their deaths.
A great volume, I cried my eyes out, loved the illustrations by Boki and Danke.
He Yu's world is broken. He's decided to destroy himself and destroy Xie Qingcheng alongside. After the events of the nightclub, He Yu starts struggling with acknowledging and rationalizing his attraction to Xie Qingcheng. He still thinks he's a straight man, he still believes he is homophobic (the hints of childhood trauma connected to this that we get are super interesting) but somehow not only does he still crave Xie Qingcheng's body, he realizes he also longs for his company, his acknowledgement. Generally this plotline that focuses on the sexuality (of mainly He Yu, but also Xie Qingcheng) invokes some age-old tropes without following the conventions: yes, He Yu and Xie Qingcheng identify as straight and insist on this even as (He Yu) feels attracted emotionally and sexually to Xie Qingcheng. He goes through the typical self-denial of 'you're the only exception' but it's interestingly countered through Xie Qingcheng, who blames He Yu for not being able to accept reality and his own sexuality (funnily it's not as if Xie Qingcheng here is blameless). Even as a supposedly homophobic man, Xie Qingcheng accuses He Yu of being a shame to the gay community for this closeted delusional behavior.
(While He Yu's homophobia has its roots in an inferiority complex and trauma of sexual harassment , Xie Qingcheng's is rather a result of the strongly patriarchal straight man persona he has adopted after being orphaned and having to raise his sister all by himself. He truly doesn't associate his aversion to heterosexual sex and disinterest in it with anything consequential.)
This volume is the toxic and spiraling pit of despair between the club incident and
A great volume, I cried my eyes out, loved the illustrations by Boki and Danke.