Superstar Aspirations

Description

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In his last life, he was a superstar that dominated the entertainment circle. In this life, he is a rebellious second generation wastrel.

Confronting the aunt and uncle who wants to seize the family property and getting rid of those slag friends who only know how to eat and drink…

Rong Xu: To not speak out means to perish in the silence!

From starting out as a third-rate celebrity, he had to rely on his own efforts to rise to the top of the entertainment circle, aspiring to once again sit on the throne!

Their first meeting —

Rong Xu: Hello, I’m Rong Xu. This would be our first time meeting, I would appreciate your guidance.

Qin Cheng: !!! (…Aahhh, He’s so cute! I really want to sleep with him!)

Associated Names
One entry per line
Cự tinh vấn đỉnh
ซูเปอร์สตาร์ชิงบัลลังก์
巨星问鼎[重生]
Related Series
Rebirth of a Supermodel (Same Franchise)
King of Classical Music (Same Franchise)
Recommendations
Rebirth of a Supermodel (11)
Quickly Wear the Face of the Devil (10)
True Star (5)
Kill the Lights (4)
Rebirth of a Movie Star (4)
Rebirth of a CV Star (4)
Recommendation Lists
  1. Diamond List
  2. Ongoing Translations Part 2b
  3. Fluffy BL (part 2)
  4. Favourite BL must read
  5. Entertainment Circle BL

Latest Release

Date Group Release
03/28/24 Neo Cloud Translations c100 part2
03/26/24 Neo Cloud Translations c100 part1
03/20/24 Neo Cloud Translations c99 part4
03/18/24 Neo Cloud Translations c99 part3
03/12/24 Neo Cloud Translations c99 part2
03/11/24 Neo Cloud Translations c99 part1
03/06/24 Neo Cloud Translations c98 part4
03/05/24 Neo Cloud Translations c98 part3
02/29/24 Neo Cloud Translations c98 part2
02/28/24 Neo Cloud Translations c98 part2
02/27/24 Neo Cloud Translations c98 part1
01/05/24 KorpTranslations c97
12/25/23 KorpTranslations c96 part4
05/10/23 novelghost c96 part3
05/10/23 novelghost c96 part2
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71 Reviews sorted by


Kakipii13
New Kakipii13 rated it
February 29, 2024
Status: c98
Strictly speaking, this novel is good but the average kind of good. The MC is a great actor from the start and encounters few barriers on his road to success. ML falls in love at first sight and their relationship has few conflicts. Every time a cannon fodder causes trouble they are taken care of quickly. However, it's written well and I'm enjoying it.

MC has realistic, normal intelligence. He doesn't lie to himself about his feelings for ML, realizes ML's tsundere tendencies on his own, and takes the initiative in... more>> their relationship. ML is the stoic "only warm to MC" type but also his online persona is a fangirl who uses cutesy language and refers to itself as Baby. Their characterizations are examples of how, while similar to most BL entertainment novels, the execution of the story and characters are done well. Also the shows and movies the MC acts in aren't terribly boring.

If you like acting/entertainment circle novels you'll probably like this. 4/5 because while not exemplary I'm enjoying myself a lot. <<less
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18Yuki
18Yuki rated it
January 27, 2018
Status: Completed
This is the second Mo Chen Huan novel I've read, the first being 'Rebirth of A Supermodel' and both completely exceeded my expectations!!! Comparing the two novels, Superstar Aspirations shares the theme of transmigration but the characters are distinct as is the how the story is developed.

... more>>
Spoiler

The MC of SA has a wider range of skills from acting to singing and cooking but the realistic level of skill the MC shows is characteristic of Mo Huan Chen. MC of SA is an actor worthy of being the best, his singing is considered to be on a professional level but not godly since his voice isn't special it was just that he'd been professionally trained and as such knows all the tricks and techniques, he can cook but it was at a homemade level and not that of a professional chef. (Personally he reminds me of Cha Tae Hyun, a Korean actor who is also part of the main cast in a Korean variety show, 1Night 2Days, both are acclaimed actors, both have released hit songs and it might just be me but their personalities are pretty similar? CTH is married with 3 kids though.)

The ML of SA is simply put, adorable. He too has a secondary account that he uses to support the MC like the ML of RS but it serves another purpose of being something akin to the ML's alter ego. The ML may seem cool and distant at the start but his secondary account shows what he really thinks, he fangirls the MC a lot, lol, and learns new terms from the wise netizens. It gets funnier when the MC starts to connect the dots between the second account and the ML. The ML of SA is less blackbellied but just as domineering, he isn't as ruthless to the people who offend the MC, most of the time he gets his agent to dig up and reveal the offender's black history, but he isn't really kind either. RS and SA's MLs play similar yet different roles, both act as supporters, guardians and partners, but RS's ML also acted as a rival where as AS's ML is more of a companion.

There isn't a lot of face slapping, unless you count the occasional anti-fans online there were less then a handful of rivals and canon fodders that were quickly shut down, the main focus of this story is the MC's movies and other accomplishments as well as his relationship with the ML. It's all pretty slow paced, in total it's placed in a time frame of about 4-6 years since the MC's debut at age 18 and spans for nearly 180 chapters including extras. The MC's popularity is measured by the number of his fans compared to the ML and the number of awards, whereas RS uses the Supermodel rankings to determine the rate of the MC's progress. The romance starts early for the ML's side but doesn't bloom until about halfway.

I have to mention that the movies and dramas are amazing. The description, on paper, are very interesting to the point I wished they were real! Especially the crime drama the MC started in, definitely would watch!! Kind of reminded me of the Chinese drama 'Love Me If You Dare' but with a twist.

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Highly recommended and if you like it I suggest reading RS too! The author is amazingggg, I can't wait for more of their work to be translated! 5/5! <<less
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idlehands
idlehands
July 15, 2020
Status: --
The way I see it, this novel is more a matter of personal taste than objective quality, there are minor true flaws but the rest depends on your likings. So, out of fairness, I won't rate it here – my personal rating would be 3 at most.

Writing style and story execution are quite solid, apart from some unnecessary repetitions of rather unimportant passages and the neglected "OOC" aspect – characters react flatly to MC's sudden changes and seem to forget about it after the initial shock.

What I personally don't like:

In... more>> superstar-transmigration typical style, MC keeps the talent and skills from his last life, so he's an acting genius born with unlimited potential. There are no struggles, he gets every role, always acts perfectly, makes no mistakes, and most characters instantly like him because of his outstanding skills and flawless personality.
While that's still a matter of taste, he's even top-notch when filming action scenes, which requires not only acting skills but physical training, no matter how good he was in his last life, his new body isn't used to it in any way, he does zero physical exercises, yet he's great at it.
The same goes for singing, of course he was a good singer in his last life, and automatically perfect in this one, even better than professional singers.
If you are very generous, then you can say he's naturally talented, combined with his knowledge about breathing techniques, it could make him better than most novices.
But, vocal cords have to be trained, lung capacity has to be trained, there is no such thing as instant god-like capabilities.
All of this is the biggest shortcoming of the novel, everything is immensely exaggerated instead of realistic, and not a single character shows appropriate disbelieve, they are just in awe.

The films are very detailed, with solid storylines, while some readers will see this as a plus, for me it has gone too far. I would have been fine with lengthy acting descriptions, but it's really just the film's whole story – it's tedious to read chapters about something that won't come up ever again and has no relevance to the actual story.
No matter how good it might be, I want to read about MC's life, actions, ect., not about a fictional story in a fictional story - the acting aspect is limited to a few short passages.
It's a general problem of this novel, everything down to the most unimportant points is extremely lengthy, while the focal ones are often neglected, or buried under meaningless ones.

Characterisation, while not inherently bad, isn't to my personal taste.

MC feels distant and removed, we learn little about his feelings and thoughts, he's so methodic and perfect that he's otherworldly instead of human and relatable, his only clear drive is to become a superstar, yet we don't even know why. He doesn't seem to be a money-grabber, doesn't seem to be attention-seeking, so why does he want to walk this path apart from having done it in his last life?
There's no answer, no clear motivation, he just does.

ML is the typical cold CEO-type with a soft core, I tend to like this kind of character, my problem is, he's not "soft on the inside" but "13-years-old-schoolgirl on the inside".
It gives me an unpleasant feeling to read about a man in his late 20s behaving like a young fangirl, even fighting with actual young girls on the internet, it's borderline creepy and prevents me from rooting for him. His immaturity reaches worrisome levels, he's not fit for a healthy relationship.

Most side characters are well-developed, but the "villains" are shockingly s*upid and one-dimensional, some, like his aunt and uncle, don't have any good reason to treat him like this, quite the opposite, it boils down to a lack of intelligence and logical thinking- that makes all conflicts very shallow and boring.
I wish the author would have flashed them out more, they do their job of being evil, just not in an interesting manner.

Like I said in the beginning, it really is a matter of taste, the story isn't complicated, conflicts are quickly resolved, the cast is diverse in character, even the women are decent, which is rare in BL novels.
If you want little to no hardships, with the focus being on MC's road to fame, aren't bothered by silliness, don't need high realism for the acting/singing aspects, and have no problem with lengthy descriptions, then this novel will be to your liking.

It's an easy "feel-good" kind of story, perfect to take a breather after you had your drama-fill. <<less
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rhianirory
rhianirory rated it
February 5, 2018
Status: Completed
very good. very cute. I can't wait to read the translated version!!

my one problem... why does the MC almost always pick roles where he dies? if it were me, I'd stop going after a while because just seeing his name I would assume he dies and most of the time I hate crying in public (I'm an ugly crier, swollen eyes and snot everywhere and bright red face). I feel sorry for his fans who are smacked with their idols 'death' over and over again.
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redfeathersgirl
redfeathersgirl rated it
February 13, 2018
Status: c46
Oh my God. If you like Glass Mask and Skip Beat, this one is for you. 6 chapters in and I'm (sorry for using this word but it's perfect for my situation) shooketh!

MC's acting was off the charts, really loved the scenes and how his acting brought other people in (hypnotized you). I don't know how I'm going to survive if just 6 chapters and he's already this awesome.

Edit: I went crazy with the netizens when he acted in dramas. I cried when he acted in his first movie. I... more>> even went to read ahead (MTL style) and cried even though the translation was all over the place. IT'S THAT GOOD. <<less
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ayyshadow
ayyshadow rated it
January 9, 2018
Status: Completed
I love this story!

Both MC and ML are perfect (individually and together). It's a slow build story, and will takes time until they get together. But with each chapter you will find yourself falingl in love with them and their story.

Imo, this story has perfect balance between the romance aspect and the actual plot (of MC trying to climb up to the top of the entertainment circle). I'd recommend this to those who like cute, fluffy, and entertainment circle-themed story.
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turelight
turelight rated it
February 15, 2018
Status: Completed
The ML is sooooooo cuteeee. THIS WALKING STONE IS TOOO CUTEEEEE. Omg I want to die. I can't handle it.

OK, the plot seems to focus on entertainment circle. Rong Rong always cool calm and collected. Female characters also likable. ML is cute and cute and cute, what a cute creature.

Another reason that makes me really like this novel is SOCIAL MEDIA has a big role in the story.

... more>> Social wars between the fandom.

False news.

Secret disclosures.

Hilariously comments.

Even naughty Rottens and their imagination...

If you want to read something light and funny, this one worth a try. <<less
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auroraRMC
PiCrazy31415 rated it
July 29, 2018
Status: Completed
Alright, bear with me here. Since I read Rebirth before this, and these two novels are relatively similar, most of this will be based on a comparison between the two. Brief disclaimer that Rebirth is one of my absolute favorite novels now, so even though I do slightly prefer Rebirth over this, Aspirations is still an amazing amazing story.

The main reason why I prefer Rebirth is mostly just based on the MC and ML personalities. MYxXZ is more of a bickering couple, with two strong and hilarious personalities. They're stingy... more>> and totally in love, so they would never adopt. This also means that they revolve almost 100% around each other—in Rebirth, we never really meet XZ's family, and MY doesn't have a family, and they might have friends but I don't remember seeing any really close best friends. RYxQC is not the same. If I were to look at their relationship dynamic, I would say QC is on the losing side most of the time, as long as we're not talking about physical battles. Both XZ and QC are cold/scary MLs, but QC has that disgustingly meng side as his trumpet, while XZ's trumpet is still as domineering, though with a healthy dose of dog food. But no meng. I also feel like RY's personality is slightly softer than MY's, plus QC's quite close family and both of their really close friends in the Qin Crazy group, so while RYxQC are still really attached to each other, I don't get the sense that they are completely attached as with MYxXZ. You can kind of also tell the relationship dynamic from the fact that QC was the only one who fell in love first, while both MY and XZ felt a draw towards each other upon first sight. MYxXZ are not the type to say sweet things to each other like "I love you" or "I miss you" or stuff like that, preferring to communicate through their actions. But RYxQC are totally the opposite. I feel like confessing to each other is all they do sometimes.

Something I'm slightly disappointed by is that RY never told QC about his rebirth. XZ already knew about MY's, plus MY further explained it to him, so it feels like RY is just hiding it from QC. IT's not a big deal, but as with RY threatening QC so that he can hide the Qin Crazy group from him, I was just a little disappointed that RY told QC that he would tell him everything but still hides certain things from him. I feel pretty bad for QC most of the time lolol, something XZ would never suffer from. Also, why couldn't they make more of a connection to Rebirth? Sad! The only connection was RY appearing on Muse. Given the year is around 2040s, and Rebirth was around 2020s, I guess MYxXZ would be in their 40s to 50s? The supermodeling career is shorter than the acting career, I suppose. Also. Also. Why was the ending extras couple so sad? I thought it would be some nice and sweet side couple, but they made me start crying T^T. I demand dog food! Instead I almost got glass residue with a knife! I have no idea if I'm using this Chinese slang correctly but after you've read it so many times in the Weibo comments, I've come to start using them. Recommend.

Edit: Almost forgot to mention the most important part. This author MCH writes some of the best yaoi s*x scenes ever, man. Read at ck101 to not miss any of this juicy goodness. I would have to say, even though I do prefer Rebirth, the s*x scenes in Aspirations are more... adventurous. ;) <<less
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maru_chan
maru_chan rated it
July 1, 2020
Status: c66 part1
Keep in mind that I've only read up to the current translated chapters (ch 66) so my opinion is subjective to change as I advance through the story, but I feel that 60 chapters is long enough to serve as an overview for people who are interested in reading this novel, so I'll relay my current impression of it so far.

First off, the writing style and the translation are both top tier; as expected for anyone who's familiar with many of this author's works, they're someone who does a decent... more>> amount of research on the topic or at least creates the impression of a world well constructed and a believable string of events, which draws your attention and suceeds in making the plot engaging. As someone who loves to feel enshrouded in the world within a story beyond just the MC's interactions, I feel like the social media aspect is also a pretty nice touch, this story does a great job in portraying the stories within a story in a way that's attractive and interesting, which feels ironic to me, because sometimes it's to the point where I relate and invest more of my emotions in the movies and dramas the actors play in than the actual main story; which brings me to my main issue with the whole novel, that is: the main character.

Rong xu is likeable enough so far, at first, he came off as too Mary Sue-ish for my tastes (the long, and repetitive descriptions of his beauty doesn't help his case), but later he grew on me a bit, but that's it, just a bit, and the problem lies on how unrelatable and distant his whole character seems. Unlike ML, who I quickly came to like thanks to his clumsiness, cute mentality and inner air-headedness, MC is basically perfect and has no obvious faults or interests aside from acting. Essentially, to this guy, there's acting and then there's only more acting, although it's briefly mentioned that in his previous life he used to have friends, trough the course of the story he has yet to make any deep bonds, only connections, and even his attitude towards ML is only lukewarm at best. In other words, it constantly gives me the impression that even when he's not actively acting he's still portraying a role, like everything from how he smiles to how he acts towards people he does it in order to appear likeable and ingratiate people to him for the sake of his career. Unlike ML, whose motivations are transparent, it's like we never know what MC is REALLY thinking in a deeper, more core-level, it's almost like nothing ever touches him... I don't know, maybe it's just me, but that's how he comes off to me, like he's more of a medium towards a story and the embodiment of the perfect actor than an actual, human character.

Anyways, for now I'll continue to follow this novel because I'm interested in seeing the story through, but my greatest hope goes to Rong Xu eventually growing into a fleshed out character and the CP actually, properly falling in love with each other in a believable way and not just forced into a one-sided relationship for the plot's sake. <<less
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hy-d-ra
hy-d-ra rated it
November 16, 2019
Status: c47
At first I thought - wow, why this reminds me so much of Rebirth of a Supermodel, but then seeing that the author is the same I was given my answer. And they are indeed similar in terms of some scenes or twists etc., yet SA is way better for some miracleous reason. And by way better I mean that to me it's like heaven and earth compared.

SA's plot is way smoother and less unreasonable than Supermodel. Although it follows the same pattern of a guy being reborn, suddenly becoming... more>> ooc and changing his life for the better, but SA provides more depth to the past with unstable family relations and the reason behind original host's behavior. Though it's an entertainment circle as well, but the more in-depth of the movie plots get you involved into the story and the progress.

Characters are standard package of OP MC and ML, though implied that MC does not only ride his experience of past life, but works hard. So far both are likeable though. Unlike supermodel ML is not a maniacal death threat to anyone who just looks at MC longer than 3 secs, he's an iceberg that is warm inside, believably awkward with his affection. Side-characters are also likeable.

So far, not bad. This author shouldn't write about supermodels, they should stick to super actors. <<less
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Passerby Soysauce-sama
Passerby Soysauce-sama rated it
May 18, 2019
Status: Completed
The fluffiest BL I've read after so many tries. I really thought this would bore me out of my mind.

While world hopping and system plots are my cup of tea which saves me from getting tired of a stagnant story, this doesn't bore me at all.

I mean, Qin Cheng ? Is just the cutest ML in all verses I couldn't express. He isn't unreasonably domineering. And a total idiot-in-love. Just the perfect marshmallow to crawl its way to our beloved shou's shrouded heart (Please read all about him and fall... more>> in love the way I did when I read chapter 118)

While Rong Xu ? Is also the most adorable. Many may feel that he is lacking in expressing his love compared to the idiot-in-love above. He is the epitome of gentleness but he can offer nothing beyond that given his backstory. But that's just the beginning though. After the cutest boyfriend trespassed his heart, he will offer the greatest love Qin Cheng deserves. (See the last chapter, I cried)

I stopped reading due to the slowing momentum at the chapter 50-60's but I pulled my heart to finish it all the way. Aaa~nd here I am, not regretting buy celebrating since the next chapters after will drown you in how awesome the characters interact and how wholesome plots of the films are. I mean, reading the plot of the films within this novel is one of the greatest merits. They're super rad. (Though I'm not sure if they were inspired by real-life movies)

All in all, a novel worthy of 5 stars. I've never been so happy since I finished FOD. <<less
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mereumsama
mereumsama rated it
January 9, 2018
Status: Completed
Its a very nice novel. Both the MC and ML have great personaliies and are just soo meng together !! And ML is just soo awkwardly cute!! Though its a bit long but I would definetly reccomend this novel for thosw who likeBL and lots of fluff btw ML and MC.
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rocca.linne
rocca.linne rated it
June 18, 2021
Status: c55
1/3 of the novel and honestly I'm tired of ML.

His interest towards MC came out of nowhere and the intensity for someone who "fell in love on the first sight" was too intense borderline creepy. Not to mention MC pyshical age was still a minor at this point of the story and ML kept having untowards thoughts on him.

Like- who tf just met a person for the 1st time and already planning on living together with them? Met the 2nd time and already planning to stop them from moving out... more>> of their house?

Screening all his schedules, checking everyone around them, following them around, and even taking chances to sleep in the same bed with MC who was still minor.

ML was a creepy stalker. There's nothing romantic in my opinion about his affection for MC.

He didn't even understand MC personality, he kept misunderstanding that MC was a poor helpless lamb, and you called that "love"? Isn't ML basically just love MC for his appearance?

Gonna skip all ML related passage cause I'm just over him. <<less
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namio
namio rated it
August 26, 2019
Status: c112
I don't think anyone writes stories and fannish-excitement quite like Mo Chen Huan.

You know the general gist: a calm and competent transmigrator shou, a cool but actually weird gong, yes. Actors, too-- very famous and good ones. But Mo Chen Huan's strength lies in injecting wonder into things-- as we read Rong Xu's second journey to being an Emperor of the Silver Screen, we also get well fleshed out, compelling stories that he acted out along the way. I'm here sitting literally going ah shit, now I'm invested in a movie in a novel. Repeat that several times, and I think that summarizes one half of the Superstar Aspirations experience.

Superstar Aspirations is a showbiz novel, and it's not one with too much ups and downs or even drama. Our MC... more>> Rong Xu and ML Qin Cheng have a smooth emotional journey, compared to most other novels; Rong Xu is very mature even for a 26 years old, and Qin Cheng is... Qin Cheng. He's head over heels since day one, to the point of perhaps losing some of his ability to think. It's all fun shenanigans, though, and they're really sweet. Their slow and silly start and their adorable domestic relationship later on is the other half of the experience, and it's just... nice.

My one complaint about the reading experience is just Good God are the adjectives used repeated so much I lost the ability to process the words "handsome" and "beautiful", but that's honestly not a problem when reading casually. The overall experience is still exciting, and most of the time you'd be swept up in the enthusiasm of the moment anyway. <<less
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Shem
Shem rated it
January 9, 2018
Status: c1
The story is fluffy and funny (I mtl-ed it) its a must read. I really like the ML. Too meng ??
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AmNut Obcess
AmNut Obcess rated it
January 1, 2019
Status: Completed
A really good story. The plot somehow reminds me of the author's other novel, Rebirth of a Supermodel. Sometimes when I read, the characters' personality overlaps but their is still some difference. The ML is cold or as how he is seen on the outside. Both MLs of the novel often like to bully their friends or is somehow indifferent to anyone aside from his beloved ML. The only great contrast I could say is that the ML of this story is often selling meng haha. As what the author... more>> described when facing his teenager, the ML is cold outside (as seen by others) but is very passionate inside haha. You might see him very seriously looking and typing on his mobile phone but is in fact having an online war with the black fans and showering his love for the MC online. As for the MC, unlike our little mashroom, he doesn't much interaction with his fans due to tight schedule, and not the king of games. Tho unlike little mashroom, our MC's second line which is singing is really good from the start (well due to previous life accumulation unlike small mashroom's acting...). Our MC also has a wide circle of friends he often interacts and plays and travel around with.
By the way, Muse was mentioned where the MC was made their magazine cover but that was it. There was no interaction between the two novels' protagonists.

The plot is good. The story is really full of fluff and dog food. Too much dog food infact hahaha.

As for the extra that was stated on the NU, read at your own risk. Dammit really. Until now, my heart still hurts. Makes me want to cry. I really didn't expect, Lin Bao a good friend of MC the group's optimistic clown and the arrogant Hollywood director would have such a past. Really surprising. At first made me want to smack him, but at the end this s*upid director's arrogance is understandable (?). After all, if you grew up like that and with such background, it will really affect your judgement (?). Dammit still want to smack him (with all the questions marks, yeah). Honestly, the extra is the reason I made this review. Made me forget all the fluffiness but made me ate bittersweet dog food. Now gotta read something to replace this bitterness. I'm not saying that the extra has bad ending, it's actually good. Just it's the very very end part. So yeah, I ate mouthful of blades and finally saw the light at the end if the tunnel. Sigh. I don't know what I'm writing anymore. Is this considered as a review? More like a rant lol.

Anyways, I recommend the story. If you want a fluffy and full sweetness one then by all means read this. Just be careful of the extra. When I was reading, it didn't say it was an extra but just continuation of the chapters. Dammit. Should have noticed it when the characters focused changed.

PS: I really like the ML's mom. She's the reason for their first meeting lol. And her personality hahaha. Love you Auntie. Also the father of the s*upid American Hollywood director, thank you for producing the movie starring our MC and ML as a pair. Tho you should have tighten more your son's discipline. That arrogant ass tsk. Made me almost cry. <<less
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sleepingjay
sleepingjay rated it
April 4, 2018
Status: c98
I can't say much because there's not much out yet. So far MC is cool, calm and collected. From what we can see of his past life, his personality is actually similar to the cliche aloof ML with incomparable power and status. In this new life however he is a newcomer actor. But he's not arrogant in either actions or thoughts, although he's still quite aloof (in thoughts. On the surface he's a warm-hearted friendly person, which is smart for a newbie). He's polite and considerate towards others (except his... more>> enemies i.e. Terrible relatives), very rational and hardworking in his job and climbing up to stardom.

ML is surprisingly cute. He's an aloof ML (what else is new) but he falls for MC pretty early (although he himself doesn't seem to realise it) and his actions in trying to get MC's attentions are very silly and clumsy, which is very funny to readers. There are times he tries to be high-handed. Try being the keyword, because MC is a whirlwind that very much goes at everything on his own pace.

What I really love about this novel is the stories within the story. The author actually puts a lot of thought when writing the movie/drama the MC act in. I actually look forward a lot to when MC acts because I want to see the story as well lol

Also, like the author's other supermodel novel this one also has plenty of social media. It's very cute and resembles real-world fandom, so I always enjoy it.

Edited (MTL up to ~ch98) :

I have to rectify my previous assessment of the characters. The translated chapters currently out (ch16) haven't yet fully portrayed the MC and ML. While MC has a very professional attitude (which led me to believe he is aloof) he's quite down-to-earth. He's that chill, laidback guy that calmly goes at his own pace. He's not extroverted but he's friendly and a great person to talk to -- that's the kind of vibe he gives. MC is kind of a workaholic, from his past life to now, but when he loosens up i.e. To ML!!!, he can be very mischievous and likes teasing him. It's adorable.

Speaking of which, ML is hands down one of the best MLs of danmei novels. He's head-over-heels for MC, but is so awkward in front of him that he ends up pulling some very, very ridiculous shenanigans just to be a little bit closer to him. Like making a fan account to support MC (ft. Getting into really, really dumb fights against antis; engaging in ship wars to support his own ship with MC, etc..) among other things. He's very ridiculous and lovable.

Spoiler

In fact, he's so "dumb cute" that his fangirl persona has her own fans that worry about "her" being taken advantage of when "she" starts posting about her love life.

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MC and ML fall in love slowly (confession at ~ch80), and I really appreciate that. While ML kind of fell in love at first sight, they first grew to become friends and grow out of their awkwardness with each other. There are some plot devices that are repeatedly brought up that really emphasize how their relationship has grown.

Spoiler

ML at first keeps using his mom as an excuse to check up/take care of MC. At first MC just accepted it because they didn't know each other well, but eventually he actually teased ML about this excuse, and ML finally admitted that he's doing things out of his own volition.

[collapse]

Besides that, the world-building is brilliant. I like that the story touches on how the entertainment business works (PR, etc.) without going into "gritty" stuff, keeping it mostly lighthearted but realistic. As a kpop fan, I just kept going "yep, that's how things go". It's cool to read.

Also, major props to the author for paying proper attention to MC's movies/dramas. Author basically writes several short stories in this one story. And while they are short, the scenes that are fleshed out properly are very well-written. In fact, I just spent 2-3 minutes crying at MC playing a death scene and shouting "HE DIDN"T DESERVE THIS" at my laptop screen. Hence, why I'm writing this review now. The way the author writes these movies/dramas make me wish she had actually written them so I could read them. Story-wise, it's also nice to be able to truly understand MC's career growth the way the in-story audience sees him. It feels a bit like actually following a celebrity in RL, but with added insight into his private life. <<less
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Kassandra
Kassandra rated it
August 21, 2022
Status: Completed
I actually read this a long time ago, and I just decided to make a review now that I recently reread it.

I really, really, really like the author's works, words can't describe how much I love the author and their works. I especially love TEIO and the other two entertainment related novel. I would recommend you to try reading the author's other works, The Earth is Online, Rebirth of a Supermodel, and King of Classical Music.

Back to the review, the novel is actually okayish and the idea/plot wasn't really something... more>> new, but I quite like it, maybe its the author's writing that made me like it.

Rong Xu (the protagonist), the famous superstar, transmigrated into the body of Young Master Rong in another parallel universe.

Since he was given another chance in life, he decided to climb to the peak of stars.

Qin Cheng (the male lead), is your typical cold and abstinent actor. He's a famous actor that won many awards when he's still young.

That's the frame of the novel, I briefed some info about the two main characters.

The Chen Rong couple is okay and nice, they lived happily ever after in the entertainment industry.

Moving on to the second couple, they're actually the one I want to talk about the most.

Lin Xuan, best friend of Rong Xu, is a famous singer in the entertainment industry.

Spoiler

Due to him being fat when he's still not a singer, he's very insecure.

[collapse]

Klimans Holt is director who decided to follow his father's footsteps. Due to his environment, he's very arrogant since young.

Spoiler

They had s*x when they're filming.

At that time, Ah'Xuan who still known as Lin Shen was fat. He became the translator of Klimans, a foreigner who's surrounded by Chinese staffs and actors.

Klimans at that time wasn't still a famous director. He's just an assistant around the set, following Lao Liu, the director, to learn.

I actually wouldn't say they had s*x when I can say it's r*pe.

Ah'Xuan was bleeding heavily, there's no after care. When Klimans woke up and saw he had s*x with Ah'Xuan he just panicked.


He didn't care at all about Ah'Xuan, he just cared about his face. He can't bear to see what would happen when this matter was revealed. He's thinking how he'll face the mocking face of his friends when they got to know he had s*x with someone like Ah'Xuan.

Klimans even described Ah'Xuan as a pig and a walking ball of flesh.

He wrapped up the matter by giving Ah'Xuan a second male lead role, which Ah'Xuan didn't even take.

[collapse]

I mean– tf. I'm already boiling inside while reading.
Spoiler

And when he got to know that Lin Shen, the 'pig' and Lin Xuan, the beautiful oriental boy was the same person, he started to regret???

He then proceeds to say that he likes Lin Shen???

[collapse]

I've never seen someone talking so much drivel. I wish they just never met after that incident. He's still the famous director, Klimans and Ah'Xuan is still the famous singer. (Though, there's no clear info in the novel that something change in their reputation because their part is just extras.)

Their paths never crossed again after that intersection. Anyway, the author really didn't release a chapter where they're clearly together. I'll just brainwash myself that they're not together.

The novel is nice for a theme with entertainment industry. The pacing and author's wring is good.

Recommended when you want to read about showbiz, actors, singing, fans, and etc. <<less
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erialolita
erialolita rated it
November 12, 2021
Status: c94
It's an easy read to pass the time but I skipped a lot.

Pros:

The ML was a nice change from domineering, cold hearted CEO type. I like his duality, outside he is cold but inside a fair maiden. I liked his inner fan girl.

... more>> The MC isn't a shy shou who cowers at every turn and not tsundere which was a nice change from the past few novels I've read and I like that he doesn't have too much family drama, as in the whole book isn't focused on it.

Cons:

The ML falls deeply in love too quickly I think. It is fine if he is attracted to him at first glance and through their interactions he falls deeply, but it was 0 to 100 in like half a chapter.

The MC is kind of bland at times and wish he would have realized the ML's love more over time. It was cute when he was kind of testing the ML's reactions, but then all of a sudden he loves the ML. Took only a few chapters

The biggest con for me is not much happens in the story. I swear 90 % of the story is giving a detailed analysis of the movies he is in. For the first movie I understood it, the MC character needed to be set up with how he films, interacts with others etc. But every single movie he is in gets detailed. Got to the point I was skipping whole chapters. Super boring and repeatative.

Both sites that translated did well but I noticed the 2nd site was always late in posting, asking for money and hasn't posted since mid October. I'm all for supporting translators as MTL makes my brain turn mushy, but I really dislike the begging for money. Probably being too harsh but their notes at the begining of the chapters sometimes bugged me. <<less
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sleepismypower rated it
November 14, 2020
Status: c78
First rating: 4 stars

Last rating: 3 stars

I've read most, if not all, of the author's works and I have to admit that this is the best one. It's entertaining to read about a handsome famous superstar MC who dies only to be brought back as someone who is mostly hated and/or ignored by the world because of how the original host acts and looks like.

And these are the things that I noticed and made me stop reading this story:

  • Beauty, which is the first thing that is focused on in this story. I get that beauty is important to artists but it makes me feel tired to see a lot of showbiz novels focusing on the looks first, and skills after. The MC is talented yet it's sad that it's his looks that is the one that is most noticeable about him. Even the ML was attracted in just a few minutes of meeting him. Had he met the MC before the MC changed the host's attire and appearance, will he still be attracted to him? I don't know. I'm not too sure, to be honest.
  • MC. He's smart, handsome, talented and kind. It's established early on that he was a superstar before he died. But because of this, he's boring. Sure, I find him cool at times but when I got to c78, I got bored because there's little to no drama. He or either his fans and the ML can knock down anyone who stands on his way with little effort. He became popular without breaking a sweat.
  • ML. He's the typical gong wherein he's handsome, talented, famous, and cold. He has his "cute" moments as the MC's "fan" but I just find it disturbing and a little cringey. In my opinion, I don't find it cute. He's a bit obsessed with the MC from the very beginning for no good reason. Or you know, because the MC is handsome. He's the typical gong that appears in the author's works.
I originally love the novel but when I got to c78, I just felt tired and disappointed. Again, this is just my opinion and you are welcome to read it and like it.
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Psychoutre
Psychoutre rated it
August 2, 2022
Status: c14
It's alright, the writing is really nice but I just can't stomach how every single paragraph has hailed the MC as this gorgeous, porcelain, beautiful being that walked on earth. The more he gets praised for his outward appearance, the more I lose interest in our MC. Wish I got to see more of him actually showing his character, or him reacting aside from just giving a smile here and there like a wallflower.. That bit where he threatened his aunt was good, but that was it.

I'm also not that... more>> interested in the movie plots but it gets shoved at you with a whole lot of detail. It's a shame that I just gloss over them to just get back to the main story. I would have preferred either the movie plots were integrated, e.g. MC studies up on how to act it out, or were summarised so I just get the main gist. I can tell that the author has a lot of ideas but it bombarded me. Couldn't focus on the novel as much as I wanted to.

The ML is also someone I don't get. He gets introduced to the MC for the first time and he's suddenly acting like an obsessed admirer.. Which is weird because there's all this rumours about him being unobtainable, etc. And he falls for the MC just like that. Let's also not forget the fact that MC is described as underaged, can't even drink alcohol, and ML crushes hard and would resort to shameless tactics. Just weird vibes.

I saw so many good reviews for this novel but I guess I just have different standards. <<less
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