I pity some of the kids born into the omegaverse, not because of their secondary gender but because at some point in their life they had to come to the realization that they were only born because of their parent’s breeding kink and that’s kinda wild
This is my personal review and does not represent the entire audience
Summary:
During the ruling of Chenghua Emperor in the Ming Dynasty, political affairs were rife with conflicts and bitter rivalries between officials as multiple factions were fighting for their monarch’s favor. The Emperor himself was a fickle man of superfluous personality, putting little focus on matters related to governing the country. Furthermore, his widely known bias towards his favorite consort, Consort Wan, allowed her wishes and preferences to affect imperial decisions, which became a weapon used by many corrupt officials to turn the tides in their favor.
In the fourteenth year of Chenghua, Tang Fan, a young and bright scholar, transferred from the prestigious Hanlin Academy to become a sixth-rank Judge in Shuntian Prefecture. During the investigation of an alleged murder of a nobleman’s son, he noticed peculiarities in the seemingly simple case, yet his superior’s incompetence pushed for the case to be wrapped up early as it was, which ended up drawing the attention of various contending factions among the higher-ups. Eager to establish their merits in front of the Emperor, investigation was reopened with each side itching to be the one to resolve it.
It was during this time that Tang Fan unexpectedly came across Sui Zhou, an aloof, tight-lipped seventh-rank personnel of the notorious Brocade Guard who was also tasked to delve into the matter.
Two people as different as heaven and earth, they ultimately worked together to discover the truth, not knowing that they would share countless moments of life and death in the line of duties.
STORY: 8/10
If I have to summarize my impression on this novel in one sentence, I would say “It pissed me off”……but not in a bad way.
Evil monsters and cruel villains made for fascinating antagonists, but more often than not, we may not be able to relate to them enough to actually hate them, because their characteristics are simply too far from reality.
However, selfish husbands, unfair in-laws, corrupt officials, cowardly men who readily abandoned all loyalty when cornered were something that we could find and see with our own eyes to these days. These people might not have as many kill counts as monstrous fictional villains, but their mere existence in a story could be so extremely annoying because we could easily relate to facing people like this in our every day’s life.
And “The Fourteenth Year of Chenghua” is full of those people. In fact, all of the cases presented from start to finish are related to these very issues.
I haven’t come across too many mystery/detective-historical-political stories before, but “The Fourteenth Year of Chenghua” should be one of the best I’ve read so far.
(my most favorite book of this theme so far is actually “Wu Shuang”, which was also written by Meng Xishi, so… )
The cases in the story were interesting and engaging, with the right amount of suspense, action, and intense elements to keep me on edge throughout the way. Especially because it kept dragging the main character into it, one couldn’t help but want to root for him and see the resolution as soon as possible.
The story mixes political and social conflicts well into the plot and cases. While the main goal in the end was to clean up all the political conspiracies in the palace, many of the cases came from non-governmental people and/or ordinary family matters, but it doesn’t make the story looks inconsistent. In fact, it becomes a set of stairs that the main character, Tang Fan, needed to climb in order to reach the final stage.
In regards to this, I would like to give kudos for the story’s solid and detailed setting, both in the political and social aspects. It is evident that the author has done a lot of researches and is well-learnt about history. Even if us as the readers aren’t familiar with how life was during the Ming dynasty, as well as the history of ancient China in general, the illustrations provided in the narrative are more than sufficient to at least give an overall picture of the circumstances.
Furthermore, the plot, conflicts, and characters all fit perfectly into this historical setting, not excluding the real historical figures who were present in the plot. Nevertheless, the way these explanations were presented in the narrative were often too lengthy, jam-packed all at once in between scenes and dialogues that it ended up disrupting the story flow, not to mention that these explanations were sometimes repetitive.
While I understand (and very much appreciate) every bit of information regarding the historical aspects since I DO need it, I wished the way it was presented could be more well-distributed instead of having a bunch of information being dumped just like that in a single section. Sometimes, because the explanations were too long, by the time they returned to the plot, I almost already forgot what the characters were talking about beforehand.
CHARACTER: 7/10
I love Tang Fan and Sui Zhou’s dynamic. One is friendly, witty, and pleasant-looking while the other was stoic, strict, a man of very few words who wouldn’t easily socialize with just anyone. However, inside they could both be opposite of their outer appearance.
Tang Fan appeared gentle on the surface, but he had a tough heart and strong principle, preferring to break rather than bend. As for Sui Zhou, though it was mostly reserved for those he cherished (Tang Fan being the most frequent receiver), he was actually quite soft-hearted and a very caring man. He could also be witty and smart in his teasing, something that he exclusively reserved for Tang Fan alone.
They were admirable when working together to chase after the truth, and at the same time they were adorable when the world finally gave them a time to rest for just the two of them.
In a sea of corrupt officials and selfish people who were only thinking for their own benefits, having main characters like Tang Fan and Sui Zhou were like a glimmer of hope that despite so many bad people ganging up together, dragging the country into ruin, there were still those who were genuinely determined to do good things and keep their conscience clear.
Even character like Wang Zhi, despite his original motive being wanting to achieve great things for himself, ended up learning that he could still obtain his goal without playing dirty like many others around him. Actually, his character development was one that I appreciated the most, especially after reading his struggles and background story in the extras.
That said, perhaps I’m being too skeptical, but I feel that characters like Tang Fan, Sui Zhou, and Wang Zhi are rather exaggerated and unrealistic in real life. Tang Fan, especially, is borderline flawless if not for the torrents of misfortunes befalling him due to being righteous. I honestly could not imagine any real person nowadays would insist as hard as they did in this story, let alone being extremely smart like Tang Fan who practically always had a solution for 90% of the current and future troubles.
But again, first of all this is fiction and secondly, if not for characters like them, who would stand against those selfish and corrupt villains in the story? Despite me saying that the characters being a bit unrealistic, I actually enjoyed seeing those three burning the bad guys whenever they could.
I do not know what the author’s motivation was when she decided to write this novel in the first place, yet I couldn’t help but feel that it might stem from frustration towards corrupt government and injustice in families. Thus born a story where those insolent people were punished.
But of course, this is nothing more than my personal conjecture.
If I have to point one downside about the characterization, then similar to the way-too-lengthy-explanation mentioned above, there are also too many description on the characters’ “character” that it left little room for readers to imagine, because the narrative already dictated that “this character is definitely this”, “that character would obviously do that”, etc.
Honestly, the placement and repetitions of these descriptions are actually one of the main reasons Tang Fan’s character felt unrealistic because instead of discovering it on my own, I’m being choked full of dictations that I must perceive this character as such, allowing no opportunity for analysis.
TECHNICAL ASPECT: 7/10
Description of environments were clear and detailed to the point that I can almost visualize the scene in my head, including people’s gestures and expressions.
The only complaint I have about it was probably the info-dump and repetitive explanation that I’ve already mentioned above.
OVERALL SCORE: 7.3/10
One of the greatest things about Meng Xishi’s works that I’ve realized so far is that she always managed to tie everything nicely in the end, leaving no loose ends. The good ones were rewarded, the bad ones received retributions.
It’s a long story and reading it would sometimes prove to be exhausting, but it is gratifying and deserve another re-read in the future (if I manage to find the time to do it).
I just wish there had been more sweet personal moments of Tang Fan and Sui Zhou because most of the time, they always ended up getting interrupted by other people and their works. xD
“Golden” Stage” is getting an official English version
I’m so happy that more danmei are getting translated. Hopefully more people will read them, there are so many good stories
If anyone’s interested and want to know the story, I wrote a review for this a while back. You can read it here. It’s not spoiler-free, but at least the summary should help. ^^
Finally touching Priest’s work again after a long time~
Note(s):
(Very) long post ahead
Contains spoiler
This is my personal review and does not represent the entire audience
Summary:
Born into a life of poverty, at ten years old Cheng Qian was sold by his parents to a shady cultivator for the price of a silver ingot. Following his new Master, he became the disciple of a sect—questionable and unheard of—the Fu Yao sect.
Here, his path on cultivation began alongside his laid-back Master, a narcissistic and overly pampered eldest shixiong, a troublemaking second shixiong, and a former beggar, good-for-nothing shidi.
Life was peaceful and ordinary for the teenagers, despite having difficulties to get along due to their contrasting personalities and background. However, following a rare trip down the mountain with their Master, their undisturbed days came to an abrupt end and their life was turned upside down.
Forced to grow up in the face of unprecedented and seemingly unending hardships, the young disciples of Fu Yao sect found themselves entangled in conflicts dating back to the days of their predecessors centuries ago.
Being lost and found, separated and reunited, they must thread on the arduous path to reestablish their tattered family and sect.
STORY: 7/10
A story packed full of adventure, familial bond, growth and struggles to protect what one holds dear.
Throughout the story, we are presented with chronicles of how their predecessors—the ones that still lived and the ones who had passed—attempted to achieve greatness, some even straight out defy the will of Heavens, and a journey of the young disciples of Fu Yao sect from being a bunch of naive kids to gaining immeasurable strength after being thrown into a sudden tribulation.
Some failed, some were successful. Some was able to find peace at the end of the road, while some others strayed into a twisted path and causing ruin to themselves.
One could say it is both a typical “shounen” and “Xianxia” story, but the plot is so condensed and detailed from start to finish with no holes and fillers, laying out the intense journey of the once innocent youths as they grew into a much more reliable version of themselves.
A few parts of the story, especially in the later half, might be lost or confusing to those unfamiliar with Xianxia genre in general, but overall I feel that the story is written and closed nicely.
The earlier part started out rather slowly, but it served as a good and detailed introduction of the characters, making their character development in the later part of the story more “visible” and ‘tangible".
It has a great plot twist towards the end. Albeit rather typical, the execution was very well-done and it certainly made for a good closing after all the conflicts spread from start to finish.
Regarding the true villain itself, perhaps I’m the one who missed a few plot points while reading. I feel that his motive for doing all the bad things he did has a rather awkward position. If he became the way he was because of the wish made by Fu Yao sect’s former leader, then it meant his motive was “created” by fate and was “forced” onto him. But if I’m not mistaken, that wish of Fu Yao sect’s former leader was in the end not granted at all, so not only the villain became the way he was on his own accord, Fu Yao sect’s former leader also ended up jeopardizing his entire sect, all over an unachievable wish.
And finally, although the story overall was great and not lacking in intensity, I feel that I personally am no longer capable of vibing with this type of story. Some people may rate “Liu Yao” with a 9/10, but I could only give it 7/10. It’s neither the story or the author’s fault; the fault seems to lie entirely with me. If I were about ten years younger, I might have been mindblown-ed reading this. Unfortunately, I seem to be too old to get excited over a story of youthful growth and adventure. :’))
CHARACTER: 8/10
Clear, detailed, and accurate portrayal of character growth from naive teenagers to adults tempered by hardships. It was truly refreshing to see them rise from children who could do nothing but swallow humiliations, to great figures that others didn’t dare mess with, all through their own efforts.
As youths who knew nothing of the world, they were suddenly separated from the only adult figure in their life and was forced to mature on their own. They went from being disconnected and not getting along to inseparable, then a tribulation caused some of them to be lost, until they were reunited again much, much later.
It’s like a classic RPG-kind of story and characters. Each of them have a unique personality, strength, and weaknesses, and together they complemented each other very well like a perfect house with all the fitting parts in the right place. Although they aren’t immediately likeable for me at the start, they have good dynamics and this was further enriched as the story progressed.
I also quite like the awkward, yet adorable development between Cheng Qian and Yan Zhengming. The way their feelings grew until it was reciprocated was true to their characters with not a single moment of being out of place.
TECHNICAL ASPECT: 8/10
Great pacing, not too fast and not too slow. It’s just perfectly right to serve this type of story from start to end, the ups and downs are presented very well.
Sometimes there could be too many descriptions or explanations in-between scenes and dialogues that disturbed the flow a little, but it isn’t too much of a flaw.
Also, good sense of humor as usually found in Priest’s narratives.
OVERALL SCORE: 7.6/10
A great story of familial bond, growth, love, struggles, all packed in an intense adventure. I already said this before, but it really is like looking back on the stories of some of the most classic RPGs out there, with all the epic battle spread throughout the plot.
Again, I feel that I am already a bit too old to be able to enjoy this youthful growth and adventure. Thus, if you see people giving a higher score for “Liu Yao” than this, don’t be surprised, this story actually deserved it).
To sum it up, for me, “Liu Yao” is a very well-written story that I will read only once (twice, at most), because finishing it was really that exhausting (yet fulfilling).
It has been officially licensed in English with two volumes. You can find both the physical print and e-book at the publisher’s website: Peach Flower House.
Note(s):
(Very) long post ahead
Contains spoiler
This is my personal review and does not represent the entire audience
Summary:
Xie Lanshan was an officer from a special drug enforcement team who was sent to infiltrate the Golden Triangle, a notorious armed drug syndicate led by a ruthless man named Mu Kun. Having spent six years on this undercover mission, even climbing his way to become the drug lord’s right-hand man, he successfully allowed his comrades to tear down the syndicate; the only flaw being that Mu Kun still managed to escape despite suffering severe injuries.
And yet upon his return to the force, Xie Lanshan found something different in himself. All his friends and comrades said he came back an entirely different person. He began to suffer from splitting headache and experience bloody nightmares where he saw himself murdering a stranger. Despite his massive contribution to cracking down the Golden Triangle, he received no considerable promotion and even got temporary suspension after an unintentional misconduct when handling a local case. Rumors were also spread among the police force that he was secretly a traitor who let the dangerous Mu Kun escaped at the last minute, costing the lives of many of his comrades.
When a murder case costing the lives of an entire household took place in the city, a mysterious man arrived to join their team—Shen Liufei, a forensic sketch artist who came from the States. For an unknown reason, Xie Lanshan found himself drawn towards this man, but at the same time the two shared a complicated relationship tilting between the balance of like-minded individuals and mortal enemies.
Then there was also a strange feeling frequently haunting Xie Lanshan, as if someone was secretly watching him somewhere in the dark.
STORY: 7/10
“In the Dark” is a captivating mystery-crime detective/police drama where a lot of points from the start are actually connected to one another, only being revealed gradually towards the end. The author is especially skilled at foreshadowing where a seemingly unimportant and forgettable scene or character that appeared in the beginning could turn out to be a significant point at a later part of the story.
To put it into words, reading this story from start to finish is like standing surrounded by black clouds, then having those dark clouds being parted little by little, only to reveal a storm hiding behind it. But after braving through the storm, we’ll find that the sky is bright and the world is full of light. Conflicts and conspiracies plagued every part of the plot. The further we go, the more complicated the problem becomes and the situation around the main character only become increasingly difficult. However, when we finally reach the end, the conclusion of the story was both relieving and satisfying, that all the hardships experienced by the main character from the start was all for this moment of peace that he so very deserved.
I feel that the author is also good at playing with emotions. Regardless of the story, character, and/or technical flaws that I’m about to mention below, it was hard not to feel emotionally disturbed by the treatment received by the main character. It was hard not to cheer for him and wish that he could find happiness as soon as possible.
All that aside, I feel that all the plot twists could’ve had a much bigger impact if only the delivery had been better written. The narratives often took an easy way out to introduce and describe the emerging issues, finishing it “right then and there” when the explanation could’ve been better spread out in dialogues and in latter chapters.
Description of characters reactions to certain issues were also sometimes unnatural, a bit too much, even borderline cringe, even if this gets better in the latter half of the story. Though, for this one I’m not sure if the original is really like this or if the translation wasn’t able to convey the original context. Nevertheless, while the overall story itself isn’t bombastic or mind-blowing, it was still a well-written crime/mystery-solving story that could keep us gripping the edge of our seat throughout the journey.
CHARACTER: 7/10
Every character has a solid portrayal that makes them memorable, including the minor/side characters. Personally. I don’t find it hard to recall if a character was mentioned again during a latter part of the story when they have only appeared in the earlier parts.
There was no character redundancy, meaning that there weren’t many use of mob characters. All characters that appeared in the story, no matter how minor, each have their own role to play.
I also like Xie Lanshan and Shen Liufei’s “Alpha x Alpha” vibe. The chemistry between them was strong from the start and remains so until the end, both in the passionate and emotional aspect.
Kind of spoiler-ish here, but I love how the whole story revolves around how Xie Lanshan, who was originally considered as a good and kind person by everyone, had that very goodness and kindness of his being questioned over and over again throughout the story, to the point that even he began to question himself. The novel was not only about an enemy lurking in the dark, but also how Xie Lanshan kept wandering further and further into the darkness since he returned from his undercover mission, until he finally got lost in it completely. And then in this darkness, Shen Liufei was the one single light that could pull him out of that darkness, giving him warmth and comfort.
And while it could be annoying to read, the other characters who doubted, and even trapped Xie Lanshan to make him fall, played their role so well. Everything they did to him serve to emphasize the significant bond between Xie Lanshan and Shen Liufei.
I also mentioned this earlier in the “Story” section, but characters reactions sometimes feel unnatural, even if I couldn’t be sure if it was originally like this or if it’s because a translation issue. The thing I find most irking is that some characters’ reactions contradict their initial character introduction and impression. For example, said character was introduced to the readers as someone tough, but then they would act emotional when faced with unexpected things, which feels inconsistent with how they were portrayed in the beginning.
TECHNICAL ASPECT: 7/10
Visualization of setting and scenes are great. It was easy to imagine how a scene was taking place and unfolding, what expression the characters are wearing. Action scenes are captivating to follow and while some emotional scenes might feel a bit over the top due to the issue with character reactions I mentioned above, overall the narrative could capture the emotions well. It was even quite heart-wrenching to follow Xie Lanshan’s story near the end, which was why the resolution really allowed us to let out a sigh of relief.
The pacing was enjoyable to follow. Scene transition was also pretty smooth and didn’t leave us confused as to what scene was taking place at the moment. There were some issues I found with the translations, mainly typos and punctuation errors. I wish it could’ve received better proof-reading prior to the publication. There was even one section of a plot in Vol. 1 that got repeated twice, as if someone accidentally copy-paste the text twice.
Also, I’m not sure where to put this particular comment, but I just find it unnatural to have like 80% of the casts to be described as extremely handsome/beautiful. It wasn’t exactly a flaw per se, but it’s hard to believe that there will be a situation where the majority of the people involved are all distinguishably good-looking.
OVERALL SCORE: 7/10
I wouldn’t say it’s the best danmei I’ve read so far, but it’s a great crime-mystery police/detective drama. If you’re fond of this genre, I believe you will enjoy reading “In the Dark”. ^^
I’m gonna preface this by saying that this is an absolute award-winning masterpiece from Priest and that everyone should read it.
Note(s):
(Very) long post ahead
Contains spoiler
This is my personal review and does not represent the entire audience
Summary:
Long past the Age of Exploration, humans have conquered the space, embracing the Interstellar Union spanning across eight galaxies bonded by the Pledge of Freedom. “Eden”, a supercomputer built by men for men, oversaw and managed the civilization from one’s birth to death. The all-encompassing artificial entity existed to ensure that every individual would live in bliss and have both their physiological and psychological needs fulfilled, leading a worry-free life in a harmonious society.
Yet this seemingly perfect utopia stood upon layers and layers of complications piling beneath its pretty face. Social gap was apparent the further one leaves the prosperous first galaxy; the remote Eight Galaxy eventually became a lawless den of space pirates with the citizens living in poverty for generations. And in a world where one’s life was supposed to be handled by supercomputers, there was a “defect” running through the genes of some people, causing their brain to have low compatibility when connected to AIs, much less the a state-of-the-art technology like Eden. These so-called “defectives” of human beings were looked down upon and eventually were pushed away to the faraway Eight Galaxy.
And this was only the tip of the deep conspiracy buried under the utopia that is the Interstellar Union.
Growing up in the midst of tangled ploys and deceptions, Lin Jingheng made his way to the top after the death of his adoptive father, who was once regarded as a hero but later branded a traitor under suspicious circumstances. Now the leader of the Union’s invincible guardian, the Silver Fortress, Commander Lin relentlessly chased after the faint traces left by his adoptive parents, deceiving the all-seeing eyes of Eden to bid his time in the shadows while plotting to uproot the hidden evil.
But when he found that secret trail of the past, within the bottomless darkness there was a spark of light holding his hand to walk out of the abyss.
Thus begin their journey that would open a new chapter in the history of humanity whose fate ultimately lied in the hands of those deemed to be imperfect and defective.
STORY: 9/10
Can Ci Pin steadily build the plot from the beginning to the end, little by little exposing the core of the problem while unrevealing all the mystery and questions that were hinted at the start. From the big picture first mentioned in the earlier chapters, we could see it slowly taking shape all the way to the final showdown in the last chapters.
The concept of “flawed utopia” itself isn’t something new, and so do the problems and conspiracy stemming from abuse of technology and humans’ greed for power. If we look closely, we can even notice some patterns and tropes here frequently found in Priest’s other works.
However, great delivery is what makes this story appealing and intriguing to follow. Although some twists turned out as how we expected, it still didn’t reduce the excitement in following how it would end up.
Scene placements and transitions are nothing less than perfect. I personally think there was not a single out-of-place scene from Book 1 to Book 7. Instead, everything was in the proper place that the whole story flows seamlessly; the suspense, intense combat, heart-wrenching scenes, plot twists, and conclusions coming nicely one after another.
I personally like that they didn’t drag out the huge issues and make itself into an unnecessarily long drama.
This is especially true for the plot where the Eight Galaxy troops fell trap to the enemy’s plot.
First, Saturday was tricked into revealing their position, which ultimately resulted in a large number of their comrades falling in the battlefield. A lot of stories and games I read/watched/played in the past usually went with character like Saturday leaving his comrades to join the enemy’s side, or became a spy among his friends. But here in Can Ci Pin, the story did not go down this long-winding path because Saturday immediately realized his foolishness and sacrificed his life to make up for it.
Secondly, following that ambush, Lin Jingheng was severely wounded and ended up getting separated from Lu Bixing for 16 years, in which the latter thought that his beloved was killed in action. This was perhaps the most painful part of the whole story, especially when we saw how Lu Bixing fell into despair multiple times in those long years. But the length of this part of the plot was just enough, not too long and not too short. It allows us to “fully experience the pain” to its maximum effect, and pulled us out of it with their reunion before we got bored of it.
The overall story itself also reflects the title perfectly.
The ones who turned the tides against Lin Jingshu in the end was the bunch of vaccuocerebral labeled as “defective human beings” since the start of the story. The universe’s most prosperous place collapsed while the humble Eight Galaxy soared with breakthroughs after breakthroughs in technology, becoming the pillar of strength in the last fight for humanity’s survival.
I’m also quite satisfied with how Zhanlu ended up somewhat “nerfed” in the end, because then their victory truly resulted from the humans’ hands with their own strength, wits, and cooperation instead of relying on supercomputers and machines. It was shown in that last battle that while AIs are superior in every aspect compared to humans, it still cannot win against unprecedented happenstance. Meanwhile, the humans’ instinct and gut feelings became the one that saved them in the last second.
Lastly, I believe Can Ci Pin is the kind of story where you need to pay attention to what is being explained and described since the beginning, because many of the things mentioned earlier would show up again as crucial clues in the latter part of the story.
CHARACTER: 10/10
In an ugly world, there is still love and loyalty to believe in.
Can Ci Pin has a lot of unique and appealing characters, from major to supporting roles. Every character has their place and part in the story, there is no one who received too much or too few spotlight. From the most dependable to the inexperienced and the joker, each of them has their own lovable and unlovable trait. The complex relationships and interactions between all these variety of characters makes for a rich reading experience.
Lin Jingheng and Lu Bixing as the main leads perfectly complement each other. Lin Jingheng is the immovable Commander of the almighty Silver Fortress who have cheated death multiple times, with boundless combat experience and sharp instinct, practically a god-of-war incarnate. He is a badass guy through and through, and one could be certain he would be the most dependable person in difficult situations.
However, the circumstances of his life had frozen his heart so much that he often appear borderline inhuman. His lone-wolf style of fighting makes him prone to setback as he is taking too much burden on his shoulders. And this is where Lu Bixing comes as the balancing factor.
Unlike Lin Jingheng who isn’t good at socializing, Lu Bixing makes friends easily. He is a humanitarian who will strive to find a solution where there would be minimum casualties, regardless of how difficult it is to achieve. He remains optimistic even in the most dire situation, often resulting in him coming up with an idea to bring them out of danger.
But at the same times, this makes him somewhat indecisive. Because he tends to avoid conflict, it becomes inevitable instead to realize that he could never please everyone.
The dynamic between these two opposing characters makes for a perfect dynamic. When Lin Jingheng starts becoming too hard on himself and others, there is Lu Bixing to provide an alternative path. When Lu Bixing becomes too muddled and confused, there is Lin Jingheng to make the decision for him. The growth of their relationship was slow, but wholesome. It’s the kind of relationship where you want them to always be together, at peace, and never get separated because we all know how devastating it would be for one to lose the other.
Lin Jingheng was raised without love, and by the time he did receive love, it was soon taken away from him mercilessly. He becomes someone who would withdraw all his feelings and emotions inside, never letting them out for others to see. But even then, we know that despite his notoriously ruthless public image, he has a soft heart from the way the treats Lu Bixing even before they became lovers, from the way he continuously thinks of his sister even after they become estranged. He is simply someone who never has the opportunity to learn how it is to express affection for others. For someone like him, Lu Bixing is like the warm light of the sun that gently pulls him out of his cold shell.
On the other hand, Lu Bixing grew up in so much pain that even the love he received could barely ease his sufferings. His pleasant personality comes after surviving through immense agony. He is curious by nature and wants to explore the world after having spent all his life locked up in one place. It can be seen from his behavior that he is someone whose mind often wanders all over the place. For him, Lin Jingheng was like the anchor that steadily keeps him in place.
Ironically, they both have a similar way of coping with despair, which was to either to find logic in their actions to justify the outcome or to busy themselves with other things to avoid the shock. But what’s adorable is that they end up becoming a place for each other to come home to. From their meeting, interaction, separation, reunion, and conclusion, the two of them were simply endearing as they could finally heal together and build a family they never get the chance to have before.
Truth be told, Can Ci Pin is not the first danmei I’ve read so far where one of the main characters found out that his lover was “dead”. What makes it a bit different this time was that Lu Bixing didn’t actually witness Lin Jingheng’s death, and neither did the others because at the end of the day, they drew the conclusion of “Lin Jingheng is death” based on circumstantial evidences alone.
Nevertheless, the way Lu Bixing broke down and coped with his loss was perhaps the most powerful and vivid I’ve ever seen. It ultimately forced his character to grow and change through immense pain, and even after they were reunited he didn’t immediately return to how he was before.
In fact, one of the most appealing aspect of their relationship was that they didn’t instantly return to normal even after meeting each other again. It shows that healing a trauma takes a lot of time and patience, but the process of healing itself was what makes Lin Jingheng and Lu Bixing’s relationship wholesome.
Can Ci Pin also shows that sometimes, a villain isn’t born because of they themselves are harboring bad intentions, or because they are born with defective personality. It is a story where the utopia itself was what gives birth to the villains, because if only the ones in power had done a better job, at least two of the major villains in this story would not become the way they were now.
A special mention for the character Zhanlu. I believe this is my favorite character from Can Ci Pin, he is the most adorable AI I’ve ever seen but at the same time the most perfect portrayal of AI I’ve ever encountered. Although all of his speech and action are based on data and previous experience, he managed to turn what was supposed to be a rigid machine into both a dependable ally and an adorable dork who can’t read the atmosphere. The whole story simply won’t be as interesting without him.
TECHNICAL ASPECT: 10/10
Superb world-building, clear introduction and vivid visualization of the setting and universe as if we’re watching a movie instead of reading a book. Combined with perfect pacing, this makes for both an enjoyable and a fascinating story to follow.
The space battle is fantastic. It might be a bit tiring to follow the last battle in Book 7 because very literally the entire book was about resolving that one last obstacle, but that’s where the intensity comes from and the relief that came afterwards was simply worth it.
Explanation and descriptions are evenly spread throughout the story through narrative and dialogues without becoming an info-dump.
Comedy and humors were often slipped into seemingly straightforward narrative in such a comical way that they came unexpectedly, something commonly found in most of Priest’s works.
OVERALL SCORE: 9.6/10
As expected of an award-winning book, this is perhaps the best science fiction work I’ve ever encountered in my life.
Since it’s a very long story spanning across seven books, at first I thought it would be tiring to follow, but I ended up finding myself unable to put it down even for just a second because I was so absorbed in the plot.
I truly hope the donghua would be continued until the end, or perhaps someone will pick it up and make a whole full trilogy of it.
In conclusion, yet another masterpiece from Priest. Well done.
