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flamebyrdSo what happened here was that my friend and I came across a promo Tweet for the upcoming manhua adaptation of this Chinese webnovel which had a very poorly translated summary, and in the course of finding a better summary I became intrigued enough to read the first couple of chapters of the translated novel and then I finished it within 48 hours.
It's omniscient POV, like most Chinese webnovels I've read, but you're mostly in the head of Xue Xian, who is a very arrogant, belligerent millennia-old black dragon. His narration is frequently hilarious. The love interest is an amnesiac monk - the strong, silent type.
I really loved all the characters in this and I found the ending very satisfying and romantic! It's very readable too, I didn't find it dragged too much and each chapter left me eager to read the next. Even though the content is quite serious the tone is very light.
Content notes:
- Gore and horror elements. I would classify it as less intense than Mo Dao Zu Shi/The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation.
- Xue Xian spends a large portion of the novel paralysed from the waist down, which is mostly treated as an inconvenience to endured until he can heal his body, but which is sometimes played for laughs. He is endearingly delighted once he gets a wheelchair and can move without needing the monk he claims to despise carry him around.
- Several chapters take place in a creepy cave full of carnivorous insects and spiders.
- Some unintentional non-consensual aphrodisiac use, which later becomes consensual aphrodisiac use.
- There are basically no significant female characters, which is disappointing.
- The first story arc has ableism and child abuse, which the translator warns for.
--
Vaguely spoilering musing:
Xue Xian is the perfect tsundere drama queen who would never admit to any poor decision making while also consistently making poor decisions. He felt just enough left-of-centre of human for me to buy that he actually was a divine being. Your classic high INT, low WIS characterisation.
Meanwhile, Xuanmin slowly going from restrained irritation to grudging tolerance to affection was very sweet (actually, I suppose both of them make this journey, but in different ways).
Highlights include: Every time Xue Xian is in tiny danger noodle form. Every time Xue Xian encounters an item the humans call "dragon". Every chapter after the climax.
It wasn't particularly ground-breaking but it was super fun and made me happy.
--
I read JQ's translation. Translator's introduction is here, then you can get to Chapter 1 here, and once you reach the end of the edited translation you can access Chapter 63 from here.
It's omniscient POV, like most Chinese webnovels I've read, but you're mostly in the head of Xue Xian, who is a very arrogant, belligerent millennia-old black dragon. His narration is frequently hilarious. The love interest is an amnesiac monk - the strong, silent type.
I really loved all the characters in this and I found the ending very satisfying and romantic! It's very readable too, I didn't find it dragged too much and each chapter left me eager to read the next. Even though the content is quite serious the tone is very light.
Content notes:
- Gore and horror elements. I would classify it as less intense than Mo Dao Zu Shi/The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation.
- Xue Xian spends a large portion of the novel paralysed from the waist down, which is mostly treated as an inconvenience to endured until he can heal his body, but which is sometimes played for laughs. He is endearingly delighted once he gets a wheelchair and can move without needing the monk he claims to despise carry him around.
- Several chapters take place in a creepy cave full of carnivorous insects and spiders.
- Some unintentional non-consensual aphrodisiac use, which later becomes consensual aphrodisiac use.
- There are basically no significant female characters, which is disappointing.
- The first story arc has ableism and child abuse, which the translator warns for.
--
Vaguely spoilering musing:
Xue Xian is the perfect tsundere drama queen who would never admit to any poor decision making while also consistently making poor decisions. He felt just enough left-of-centre of human for me to buy that he actually was a divine being. Your classic high INT, low WIS characterisation.
Meanwhile, Xuanmin slowly going from restrained irritation to grudging tolerance to affection was very sweet (actually, I suppose both of them make this journey, but in different ways).
Highlights include: Every time Xue Xian is in tiny danger noodle form. Every time Xue Xian encounters an item the humans call "dragon". Every chapter after the climax.
It wasn't particularly ground-breaking but it was super fun and made me happy.
--
I read JQ's translation. Translator's introduction is here, then you can get to Chapter 1 here, and once you reach the end of the edited translation you can access Chapter 63 from here.
no subject
Date: 2021-10-17 02:22 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-10-17 02:34 am (UTC)I hope you like it!
FYI I just remembered there’s some other ableist things (and child abuse) in the beginning that the translator warns for.
no subject
Date: 2021-10-17 10:54 am (UTC)Thank you for the warning! I'm enjoying it so far, and it's nice of the translator to both warn for and try and soften the ableism without totally erasing the meaning of the original text.