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A review by tough_cookie
The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System: Ren Zha Fanpai Zijiu Xitong (Novel) Vol. 3 by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The climax of the series sees Shen Qingqiu and Luo Binghe finally reconcile. But Shen Qingqiu's major deviation from the original novel's storyline gives rise to a new threat: Tianlang-jun, who now wants to merge the demonic and human realms, which would wreak havoc on earth. To stop him, Shen Qingqiu and Luo Binghe will have to team up with the major sects, but there's more to this plot than meets the eye.
Although there are four volumes in this series, this third one brings the main story to a close; the fourth is just a collection is 11 side stories that follow after the events of this book. Perhaps that's why the climax felt so rushed in this novel. There's plenty of action (and fan service), but not a lot of substance. Shen Qingqiu and Luo Binghe continue their relationship dance of "two steps forward, one step back," but even when they finally meet in the middle, I personally didn't believe that was it; not once in this series did I feel that Shen Qingqiu was *in love* with Luo Binghe. He certainly cared for him, but to call it romantic love is definitely a stretch, and Luo Binghe's "love" was straight-up obsession, so their intimate moments felt forced to me. Also suffering from poor development was Shen Qingqiu's relationship with literally everyone else. For instance, I would've especially loved to how he progressed with Liu Qingge throughout the series, but instead, the two only received surface-level treatment that failed to prove the "depth" of their brotherhood.
As I said for the previous two novels, you can't take this series too seriously if you want to enjoy it, and this third installment is no exception, but even suspending all reason isn't enough to overlook so many glaring holes. While I enjoyed it overall, ultimately, I was relieved close this utterly insane series.
Although there are four volumes in this series, this third one brings the main story to a close; the fourth is just a collection is 11 side stories that follow after the events of this book. Perhaps that's why the climax felt so rushed in this novel. There's plenty of action (and fan service), but not a lot of substance. Shen Qingqiu and Luo Binghe continue their relationship dance of "two steps forward, one step back," but even when they finally meet in the middle, I personally didn't believe that was it; not once in this series did I feel that Shen Qingqiu was *in love* with Luo Binghe. He certainly cared for him, but to call it romantic love is definitely a stretch, and Luo Binghe's "love" was straight-up obsession, so their intimate moments felt forced to me. Also suffering from poor development was Shen Qingqiu's relationship with literally everyone else. For instance, I would've especially loved to how he progressed with Liu Qingge throughout the series, but instead, the two only received surface-level treatment that failed to prove the "depth" of their brotherhood.
As I said for the previous two novels, you can't take this series too seriously if you want to enjoy it, and this third installment is no exception, but even suspending all reason isn't enough to overlook so many glaring holes. While I enjoyed it overall, ultimately, I was relieved close this utterly insane series.