A review by mpfan
The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu

adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

Contains: teacher/student, age difference, dubcon (last chapter)
 
This novel kind of reminds me of The Cruel Prince (Holly Black). The main relationship starts out with a bit of an antagonistic relationship, which... shifts into something else. Then, there's a scene where the "more powerful" character gets betrayed, but it somehow doesn't damage the relationship by too much. I didn't like The Cruel Prince too much, which might explain why I didn't like this novel a lot either. This story definitely doesn't pass the Bechdel test; the female characters are generally shallow, and their existence revolved around men.

However, the narrator was pretty funny, which made the story more enjoyable to read. I also like the idea of falling in love through the little things. There isn't a "moment" where things fall into place for SQQ/LBH, things grow over time. I'm also a sucker for the "dead man comes back to life to find the person who hated him didn't actually hate him" trope (I'm looking at you MDZS). This story reads as more of a parody/comedy, than something serious, so I wouldn't mind reading this book again, though probably not in English.

I read an English translation off of a slightly sketchy website. I did not read the extras.
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