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A review by xuehuax
残次品 [Can Ci Pin | Imperfections] by priest
5.0
Getting an adaptation in 2021!
You know when they say that a single book can change your life, well that saying definitely applies to Imperfections.
I have never encountered an author who is as versatile as Priest, she can write anything - sci fi, LGBTQ stories, historical, crime/mystery, fantasy, slice-of-life etc. Seriously, just think about your favourite genre and she has probably written a story about it. The sheer scale of Imperfections has me in awe, it’s combined all of my favourite tropes into one very gay space opera.
Also, every Priest novel has an amazing title and synopsis, both with no incessant spoilers, just subtle hints and poetic wording that reflect the story and I want to see that replicated in Western media.
Where do I start with this review? How can I try to explain the perfection that is Imperfections?
Well let’s start with the characters. All of them (and I mean ALL) are complex, actually morally gray, intelligent, have reasons for their actions and lastly, their development and arc conclusions were incredibly satisfying to read.
Lin Jingheng and Lu Bixing, though their relationship started of extremely questionable it eventually developed into a very realistic relationship with so many angst-filled and funny moments. There was one specific fight between them that had me sobbing at 12 am, it was that well-written. I could rave about the realistic development all day but I’ll bless your eyes with this official artwork instead:
I especially want to talk about Lu Bixing’s development. We start of by having a naive, fun, cheerful professor with bigger dreams than most. By the end we have a broken person, forced to mature at an incredible speed, betrayed, full of anxieties but still hopeful. He easily has one of the best character developments that I’ve ever read about as it’s simply perfect.
Lin Jingheng, goodness do I identify with him so much. He is such a sarcastic, stubborn asshole who had suffered through so much (yay for suffering) and without anyone by his side. It was so satisfying to see him grow from only liking Lu Bixing for his family to his eventually, undying loyalty towards his adorable husband.
Every side character had a distinguished voice and arc with tragic backstories and morals that made them into what they were today. The found family (especially of Starry Sea Academy) made my heart soften multiple times. I especially loved the presence of strong, smart woman here considering that in many danmei novels the women tend to be there simply for one moment and vanish suspiciously.
The plot here was spectacular - every element was there for a reason and they all intertwined with each other in the most surprising ways. You could describe Imperfections’ plot as simply being a consistent ouroboros because every action in this book had a dire consequence that often ended in mind-blowing plot twists or came to bite back our character’s faces. The naming of the book was perfect too, so many things were in imperfect (also the literal translation of Can Ci Pin is The Defectives).
Priest’s writing is just *chef’s kiss*. How are the translations of equal quality to published English novels? Reading her works are always a joy and some of the lines I read gave me chills because of their parallels to our world today. Overall I’d give the translation a B and only because some parts are quite confusing to follow.
One more thing I’d like to mention are the themes present here. It was a very interesting take on the Orwellian/Huxley world but in it’s aftermath. What happens when you rely too much on comfort via AI and bliss like in Huxley? What happens when fear controls the potential of new ideas? It was very interesting to see that Priest’s knowledge of these classics transferred to the core ideas of ‘freedom’, heroism and perseverance.
Just read it, I cannot do justice to this book as it’s too complex for my mortal brain to summarise. It was so much so that I was extremely confused in may parts and had to take extended breaks but even so, I’m only here to worship Priest in everything she writes. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
You know when they say that a single book can change your life, well that saying definitely applies to Imperfections.
I have never encountered an author who is as versatile as Priest, she can write anything - sci fi, LGBTQ stories, historical, crime/mystery, fantasy, slice-of-life etc. Seriously, just think about your favourite genre and she has probably written a story about it. The sheer scale of Imperfections has me in awe, it’s combined all of my favourite tropes into one very gay space opera.
Also, every Priest novel has an amazing title and synopsis, both with no incessant spoilers, just subtle hints and poetic wording that reflect the story and I want to see that replicated in Western media.
Where do I start with this review? How can I try to explain the perfection that is Imperfections?
Well let’s start with the characters. All of them (and I mean ALL) are complex, actually morally gray, intelligent, have reasons for their actions and lastly, their development and arc conclusions were incredibly satisfying to read.
Lin Jingheng and Lu Bixing, though their relationship started of extremely questionable it eventually developed into a very realistic relationship with so many angst-filled and funny moments. There was one specific fight between them that had me sobbing at 12 am, it was that well-written. I could rave about the realistic development all day but I’ll bless your eyes with this official artwork instead:
I especially want to talk about Lu Bixing’s development. We start of by having a naive, fun, cheerful professor with bigger dreams than most. By the end we have a broken person, forced to mature at an incredible speed, betrayed, full of anxieties but still hopeful. He easily has one of the best character developments that I’ve ever read about as it’s simply perfect.
Spoiler
Okay, but that separation of sixteen years?!? Bloody hell. Priest, I only have one very small heart but that was an amazing plot twist-Lin Jingheng, goodness do I identify with him so much. He is such a sarcastic, stubborn asshole who had suffered through so much (yay for suffering) and without anyone by his side. It was so satisfying to see him grow from only liking Lu Bixing for his family to his eventually, undying loyalty towards his adorable husband.
Every side character had a distinguished voice and arc with tragic backstories and morals that made them into what they were today. The found family (especially of Starry Sea Academy) made my heart soften multiple times. I especially loved the presence of strong, smart woman here considering that in many danmei novels the women tend to be there simply for one moment and vanish suspiciously.
The plot here was spectacular - every element was there for a reason and they all intertwined with each other in the most surprising ways. You could describe Imperfections’ plot as simply being a consistent ouroboros because every action in this book had a dire consequence that often ended in mind-blowing plot twists or came to bite back our character’s faces. The naming of the book was perfect too, so many things were in imperfect (also the literal translation of Can Ci Pin is The Defectives).
Priest’s writing is just *chef’s kiss*. How are the translations of equal quality to published English novels? Reading her works are always a joy and some of the lines I read gave me chills because of their parallels to our world today. Overall I’d give the translation a B and only because some parts are quite confusing to follow.
One more thing I’d like to mention are the themes present here. It was a very interesting take on the Orwellian/Huxley world but in it’s aftermath. What happens when you rely too much on comfort via AI and bliss like in Huxley? What happens when fear controls the potential of new ideas? It was very interesting to see that Priest’s knowledge of these classics transferred to the core ideas of ‘freedom’, heroism and perseverance.
Just read it, I cannot do justice to this book as it’s too complex for my mortal brain to summarise. It was so much so that I was extremely confused in may parts and had to take extended breaks but even so, I’m only here to worship Priest in everything she writes. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯