As of chapter 70 there is not even one likable character, it is amazing how the author was able to do it I am very impressed 👍 The MC character is really inconsistent, what is worse he is entitled, not very sharp (but thinks himself pretty clever), takes the high moral ground (but he worked for the Libra and also in the underground- so also hypocritical) and is over all a self-righteous talentless prick with delusion of grandeur that doesn't work hard ... more>>

Spoiler

well he has a freaking cancer

[collapse]

, but he is even too tired to read! 98% of the "important" cast are women with such an dislikeable attitudes that I want to slap them to death. Communication between characters is lying under the bridge and crying, most of the cast has zero chemistry and all of them are failure as a human being. The novel overall gives a pretty stuffing/frustrating feeling and together with a slow pacing it gets irritating quickly. Well it is nicely written and translated. <<less

Up to date with the MTL and damm, I can alr see the train wreck that Gab Song is setting up but tbh, I sorta respect that he’s not starting to add all this drama at around 100s of chapters later like how he usually does.

when it comes to the MC himself, he’s not as chad as MC from Villain wants to live and infact he’s closer to the MC from novels extra. It’s sorta annoying because I was hoping Gab Song would stick with a “smarter” MC but oh... more>> well.

when it comes to his powers, he’s def more OP compared to Novels Extra and Villian wants to live but I actually like that more. Usually Gab Song says his MCs are “weak” but in fact they are usually always strong when the plot wants them which feels sorta cheap. I like what he’s doing rn because he’s OP and he’s taking advantage of his cheat to be OP, so his wins are nice because he uses his advantages to his max and it doesn’t feel like a force from the plot.

when it comes to the Heroines, you can tell the drama that Gab Song is tryna set up and he doesn’t even try to hide it, in fact there are hints to his Harem members right from the first chapter. Tbh the drama can be exhausting and annoying in his works but honestly main reason I read his works is cause of the train wreck drama and tbh I’m enjoying it and it has me coping that it might be good, but Gab Song has disappointed every time so I’m tryna have low expectations.

overall, at chapter 108, and not much has happened but I’m coping it’d be good in terms of the ending. <<less

I'm sorry, but every character in this novel is brain dead...

The main character - Remembers every single detail of his old life, can mimic skills 100%. Instead of winning the lottery a couple times, investing in something that'll become big later, OR mimicking a very desired money making skill. Our main character decides to go to live in a dump, s*ave away as a dishwasher, and go to school where all the rich kids hate him??? Hello??

Teachers - Sees a student who gets 100% on every test and can solve... more>> the most difficult magical formulas. "This guy is tr*sh because he's not from a rich family."

Rich Kids - "Why is this tr*sh here?" they say for the 5th time. As the 'tr*sh' passes the 5th round of tests and has one of the highest overall scores.

The author tried way too hard to make our MC an underdog that it actually stops making any sense. <<less

Very similar to this author's previous works, so if you want more of that you'll like this one too.

Many tropes in the author's previous works come back: angsty love/hate relationships filled with misunderstandings; MC using his skill to become a skilled artist/craftsman; confusing timey-wimey shenanigans with pocket dimensions; even the name of the maximum security prison in this world is re-used from a older webnovel.

Like with Toika's novels, this author's stuff is basically all the same but I gobble it up anyway.

I don't know what fantasy is waffling about in his review but it seems like we're reading different novels. The MC is far from overpowered, his ability has a huge drawback, the fact it has a small capacity of storage. The MC is also never described as handsome, he's a short (though he does get taller as his body develops), bald guy who's unkempt. So far there is no romance, and the story is focused on drama mostly. The interactions with the school "celebrities" seem organic in the way that... more>> their connections are out of necessity, not desire. The mc's past life is revealed in bits and pieces as the story continues to flesh itself out and as new characters are introduced. The interesting story paired with the quality translation and constant releases make for an easy novel to keep up with and read.

The biggest problem for me is the beginning portion, but when it gets to the college board it starts gaining momentum.

I would recommend <<less

The story is fun and entertaining, like the other works of the author. It has a flaw for which I don't think it receives 5/5. This is that the MC is such a pushover. Like he gets scorned all the time, which is obv not his fault but nevertheless a bit frustrating. This is not the problem however. The problem is that the MC saves the ones that scorn him. He even puts his life on the line for it. Call me petty, but if someone is constantly looking down... more>> on me, insulting me and incites bullying, I would not try to save them.

"That girl, who hates me so hard she will probably try to kill me the moment we graduate, she is the reason for my mother's death, the girl that I hate to the core, the one who never shows and ounce of gratitude, let's save her from this crazy prisoner."

Nahh fam that won't do. <<less

Started this series because I'm interested to the ability of the MC, stayed for the drama and character development.

I am a sucker for hateable characters getting character development. Especially when the character go from hating to liking.

I heard that the author is infamous for writing good stories but fumbling it with awful endings. Hopefully he has learned enough from his previous works and make a more decent ending. I'm gonna be very disappointed if he fumbles it especially when I'm very emotionally invested

I usually just reads novels for overpowered MCs... more>> beating up enemies and the like so this is one of the few times I enjoy for the story despite it's flaws so I'm still gonna give it 5 stars. 4.8 if possible. <<less

Damn, I caught up to the latest chaps.
Thank you Serene Translations for doing this, appreciate it.

Compared to Gab-Song's other works; it's pretty much what one would expect. If you aren't for drama, don't read this. If you are, good for you.

Admittedly, the ubiquitous issues of Gab-Song are to be present in this novel too. Also, I don't know where, but I can feel like there are some problems that Nit-pickers might not enjoy. Yet the plot and events feels smother nonetheless than the previous works of his.

To warn anyone, there is a clear pattern on what kind of characters the author likes. So you will probably see them here. For events, it's also applicable here as there is a specific event that happens in TNE and VWTL too which are similar.

Right, as every novel of this author, the characters are fleshed out and side characters seem lively. I love some of the villains, hate some of the "good people." No one is "black and white." (cliche ahh quote)

If the quality of this story flows as it currently does, it might become a gem. Nonetheless, I hope all of you will give this a try and enjoy yourselves, or hate it.

Also, tremendous props to the author for churning out chapters like a machine, without losing quality. Thank the heavens.

Edit: There are some people on here that argue his powers is completely bull*hit and whatnot. For example @Snooty, @bozakir and @Myxir, I'm talkin bout you mates.

First off, none of that "This guy is tr*sh because he's not from a rich family" hasnt ever happened in the novel from teachers, it's the classmates that are in denial and elitists. Aside from that, the elitists start to acknowledge his skills, but they won't suddenly praise him to be the second coming of Jesus or something.

Secondly, the world and powerbuilding here is really interesting, one can view it as that every character has protagonist-ic abilities. Example, magnetism (attraction/repulsion), Avatar (powers based off on having another identity.) They all function like beyonder abilities from LotM, many being conceptual in nature.

The main functions of [Notepad] is "Recording/Writing", "Viewing" and "Copying/Editing." Imagine it more like a computer's notepad. These were upgraded due to Perion in chp1, thus making the [Notepad] not some random diary anymore.

A concept, function, diary, spell or memories can be "recorded." (Spectrums, or essentially anything unique is currently impossible) Therefore, "Everything" (not rlly, as there are limits like subconscious stuff) recorded AND experienced by [Notepad] is remembered.

Though that only applies to his own memories, everything he himself has experienced or already knows is essentially memorized forever.

The recorded concepts, functions, and memories can be edited or viewed, allowing Shion (MC) to compare spells, data, or memories quickly. However, the editing/copying over isn't omnipotent— it requires a mana source to maintain the edited form, and he can't edit something he hasn't recorded, nor can he co. Think of it like a PC drive needing energy to function and hold onto documents.

Example:

The [Notepad] operates on mana too, so copying something from the future (his memories pre-regression, for exmple) or beyond his own abilities requires mana to use and mantain.

The MC incorporates stuff like skills (woodcutting) and techniques into muscle memory to reduce relying on [Notepad] due to storage and mana issues.

It works because [Notead] recorded everything from muscle, breathing and more from memories or observation, he can incorporate it slowly into his own body.

In conclusion, this isn't some annoying ability limited by being a superpower like MHA, nor is it a unreasonable deus ex machina. It's an explained, creative power used to the MCs advantage with its own limits.

This one is probably Jee Gab Song's masterpiece. I always thought the setting in the Villain Wants to Live was something super unique and the plotlines were quite good, but no matter how far that story went there was a sense of something missing, this novel is one that has built up on all the things from his previous works with, so far, absolutely none of what makes it bad. The story is great, the characters are not one dimensional at all with each of them following different motivations and... more>> goals, the plotline and world setting is unique and fresh, it's a self contained system that is very loyal to the rules it has set for itself. The best part of it all is that all kinds of possible misunderstandings are handled right away and the story consistently seems fun. By all means, this one is a 'mature' work.

I can go on and on about how fun it is and how much I like it, so instead I'll talk about some of the common complaints in other reviews.

1) MC is a pushover, bootlicker, idiot, unlikeable:

100% troll reviews. Shion is a very nice protagonist and gets better as chapters go down. He isn't a mu*der hobo which is likely what's making many of these kids seethe. It takes a while for him to adjust to his place and for us to adjust to the very different world setting, but once the focus truly goes on Shion and his goals, he quickly becomes a very fun protagonist and kind of the best lens to see the world through.

2) The World doesn't make sense:

I don't understand this point. The world is very mystical, it follows the rules it has set for itself very strictly. There is a lot of mystique in things. I see that a lot of people these days absolutely need explanation for everything, this work, in my opinion keeps the 'magic' in its definition of magic and that reflects the best through the world. It never goes too far to stretch the thread of suspension of disbelief too thin. I think it is done well.

3) Slow paced, slice of lifey:

It isn't exactly slow paced as it is dense. You see a lot of stuff from the beginning of the story, it is very happening in very little time which makes it seem slow paced. The fact that there are some info dumps doesn't help. That said, it has the perfect mix of tension and relaxation, and it's definitely not an issue of things going too slow since a lot is constantly happening.

4) Notepad is a strange ability:

Yes. This is a very valid critisism. Notepad is a loose power that isn't exactly following any determined rules. I personally think it was a good decision from the author and makes things very fun, but if you are someone who absolutely needs quantification behind every ability, then you might have some qualms with Notepad. It is fun nonetheless and I am certain won't work as a deux ex machina wherever it counts.

5) Characters suck:

Absolutely not. The characters are the best part of the novel.

6) female leads suck:

You might think this for exactly one person in the beginning, Elise. But that character's transformation is done so well that Id bet everyone would want her to be the main heroine.

The other female leads are good. They're funny, quirky and all of them have their own ambition.

7) It's Jee Gab Song so there will be a lot of annoying misunderstandings.

Believe it or not, there was a moment very fit for a misunderstanding. If it was in The Novel's Extra or Villain Wants to Live the misunderstanding would have easily continued for a hundred chapters if not for the whole novel. And this time, it was resolved, in a grand total of 1 chapters all thanks to a mature dialogue with a side character. Unbelievable for one of this author's novels, but it is so. There is still a vague one sided misunderstanding that can't exactly be called that, but I don't see it being a problem in the future either since the MC has been very clear about his stance on the character and the event.

Overall, I think the rating currently is too low and not really reflective of how good and mad fun this story is. Would highly recommend. <<less

It's actually sad to see all the reviews that stopped reading at around 70 chapters or less giving this novel 3 stars or less. While I do think there's merit to rating novels based on the first impression, I also think this novel is being judged unfairly. Almost all of the complaints I see in this review section become obsolete as you read the story. The main character grows as you read, he does start off as the useless dumb ass that he was last cycle, but as he understands... more>> his power he slowly uses it to improve himself, and that effects the people around him. "Annoying side characters" like Elise, one of the main heroines, become likable the more they interact. Watching as the main character makes all the people around him learn to respect and/or love him has been really amazing. None of the side characters that he interacts with are one dimensional. (Except for maybe Layla but she's used more as a gag character for comedic relief in between all the drama.) This novel should be at least rated 4.2-4.5 in my opinion. It's not perfect or even amazing but it is above average.

As for the flaws,

Watching as he slowly unravels different plot points and develops himself further, the story takes a deep narrative turn as he leaves the academy. Many plot points get introduced and there's many machinations going on in the background, some of which neither the main character nor the reader understand until later. We see these different plot points develop from different povs, with ultimately everything coming together to profit the MC. My only complaint about this is the sheer amount of things going on at once. The MC has to juggle between a virtual world, a life as a student, and a life as an assassin/villain. On top of that he develops his relationship with libra and becomes a spy/assassin type character there as well. He's basically living 4 different lives all at once at this point, and it's kind of annoying to go back and forth. The plus side I suppose is watching as these developments resolve has been pretty good, but still kinda annoying in the moment.

The main draw to this novel is watching the MC self improvement and seeing as he turns previous enemies to allies. Characters that were hated and even u wish the MC would kill later on become allies. I saw someone say that he doesn't become friends with males only females but this isn't true, he becomes friends with Gerkhan which changes gerkhans destiny quite a bit. Watching as he changes people's opinions of him is a blast. <<less

This novel has got it all:

• Absurd romantic subplots, hate/love relationships straight out of a Korean drama
• A lively modern fantasy world run by a sham parliament & corporations filled with psychopaths
• Resourceful MC who is actually an underdog, like literal human garbage at the beginning.
• Cheat abilities don't get too advantageous.
• Good incorporation of core themes
• Constant foreshadowing
• Fun interactions between side characters

Some people like to complain about the loose power system and the MC's cheat, but I'm fine with it, because what he achieves with it ultimately doesn't break my SOD and affect the balance... more>> of the world. There is nothing wrong with a soft magic system based on asspulls as long as it ties in with characterization, plot, and overall believability. A hard magic system isn't inherently better.

Some things I didn't like were the themes of unaliving. Occasionally it was executed well, but other times it was forced. I consider this to be a minor issue because it ultimately doesn't have much involvement, the author doesn't have to portray a sensitive topic the exact way I want it to.

The other thing I didn't like was how the author sunk my ship. I don't consider myself a shipper by any measure, but you cannot just spend 100+ chapters developing a heart throbbing hate/love relationship and then drop it like this, and then have the gall to puppet the heroine's metaphorical corpse around like she's still going to end up together with the MC. It's ship baiting, awful stuff.

Explanation:

Spoiler

It's quite easy to miss this, I think most reviewers didn't get it. Basically the heroine Elise gets trapped in a time loop with a future version of the MC. They spend 2000 days together and gradually fall in love. Elise can leave at any time and solved the puzzle behind the loop, returning to their timeline, but didn't tell future MC because she wants to be with him. They are bored with the time loop zone so they promise to write each a novel. Elise writes a novel called "Short Story that wants to become a Novel" as a metaphor about their life. When Elise finally has to leave as future MC's consciousness is crumbling, the narration states not so subtly that this love and Short Story will not be a part of the main plot. Literally the author confirming that she will not be the main heroine. After this, Elise also loses her memory of the time loop. The two carry on their tsundere dynamic as usual and the author continues to hint at romantic developments. What. The. F*ck. This is actually sinister. It should be illegal to bait like this. Rant over.

[collapse]

I am only reserving the fifth star because the author is known for bad endings. If it really is bad, I'll downgrade it to a 3. <<less

The setting is absurd. They have everything we do: smartphones, cameras, the internet, etc., yet they lack guns and still maintain a nobility system with knights.

The power levels are unclear. I can't gauge how powerful the main character (MC) is. He often appears weak, yet occasionally displays his strength. It's ambiguous.

The story doesn't progress smoothly. The academy arc is disappointing. There are constant assignments, and the MC relies on his unique power to pass them. It's monotonous.

The writing is good, the translation is good, I have no problem except for one thing — the characters.

Meet the MC! He is an emotionally fragile person that will literally lick your toes if you give him a penny. In his first regression he was a very loyal subject to the household libra because that household is the patron of their orphanage. He was used by that household and was mu*dered by them too. Then with a light of miracle glittered upon his fate — he regressed, hooray!

He told himself... more>> he won't be a pushover, won't be used by anyone and will get revenge but as I read through the story – I highly doubt it.

He did have a backbone and did not let himself get pushed by his classmates. But he was still pliant as ever, especially to the main heroine (I forgot her name lol). He deluded himself that he himself needed to be a knight in shinining armor to this beautiful princess, but the said princess did not even care if this f*cker died. I thought that she did something so worth it to get this treatment (well she kinda did since she saved him in the first regression; but the MC said she only did it out of pity. It's like she treated him like a pitiful beggar and gave him some spare change - so I don't know).

Well theres also the second heroine (again I forgot the name) but she was annoying as f*ck — no I meant every character in that whole novel is an annoying as*hole — they all loathe the MC an extreme rate for no justifiable reason. The only lovable character to that novel is the old man in the bas**ent, so I say, make him the heroine of that novel because he deserved it.

I pity the MC because he lacks any sort of love and will give his all to any person that will give him any sort of basic human decency. That is why I called him emotionally fragile — with how this is going I doubt he'd get his revenge and probably fold if the libra household gave him enough love and attention.

I love romance and harem tag but honestly with the characters here, it is better for the MC to be cold hearted and remove this tag, but if the romance is reserved for the old man well~ 😏😏 (jk)

Well that's all. <<less

Engrossing, but forgettable.

The power that the MC has is one of those vague plot related power ups. For example, the power to write notes and keep them morphs into the power to record anything he sees, to the ability to copy anything he sees, then into the power copy abilities of any object as well as improve any object. It’s so lazy of an ability.

Its just too plot breaking and along with the random vague limitations, I can’t take the story seriously. The set up to the story is we... more>> have a MC on a revenge quest after his death in a previous life, and so to become an insider on the company he wants revenge, he goes to school with the elites fighting his background- a poor cancer ridden orphan who can’t use magic.

The problem is he can quickly and freely learn from his recorded memories- so he can master swordsmanship, painting, scriptwriting etc. Instantly. The writer throws a bunch of random scenarios at you disguised as tests for the school, and while that’s initially fun, it’s ultimately just filler.

In addition, certain characters feel forced into the spotlight, namely the main female character, who is really irrelevant to the overall main plot.

Ultimately this is just another tr*shy Korean power fantasy located at an academy. <<less

Original (3.8/5)

TLDR: I like the author, messy start, good progression, interesting story.

I LOVE Jee Gab Song! Although he had a rocky start with monster, he's been getting better and you can tell! Anyways, I really do enjoy the novel so far.

To quickly sum up the novel thus far, the main character dies and comes back from the future with the ability 'Notepad' that's been seriously juiced up through Peronium, an item produced by Libra (main antagonist-company) before going back in time. He travels back to when he was about to drop out of magic highschool and decides to take an alternative route into college. Afterwards, he's mainly just trying to survive in a highly competitive and malicious environment due to classism and just general hatred from focal characters in the story.

So far the story is really interesting and the story is actually starting to ramp up at around chapter 40, but therein lies the problem. The novel doesn't have the best start. It's a bit rocky right off the bat with the clunky conversation between the protagonist and his killer from the original timeline, to introducing the main characters are... Not the best.

However, all of that does start to get better later on. As is with most of Song's works, he has a slightly weak start but the story fleshes out a lot more as you progress with the novel.

Like with many other Jee Gab Song novel's the start is amazing, with a likeable main character who's actually reasonable with his decisions alongside an interesting yet unique power system with a modern twist, however if I were to name one thing why I prefer this novel over his other works like "The Novel's Extra" and "The Villain wants to Live" it is the development of the side characters.

Of course as this work is yet to be finished, I can only hope that this novel doesn't face the issues that other Gab-Songs novels struggle with, the ending.

But with my initial impression being quite positive, I would thoroughly recommend this!

Honestly a breath of fresh air. Main character is likeable, intelligent, proactive. Side characters are written well also.

I enjoyed the depiction of magic & swordsmanship--it actually takes a central role here and the system seems original and well thought out.

Setting (Modern/fantasy) is interesting and unique as well.

The writing sometimes gets a little cheesy but the characters and the magic make it enjoyable nonetheless.

Maybe I am a bit too nitpicky but this is a "because plot" novel.

"Notepad" power is not a notepad power. It's whatever plot demands power. It started as a thing that let him remember the future because he wrote it as a diary meticulously and I was willing to overlook the attached magical battery from the future. By chapter 21 it's something that lets him remember his entire past life, copy paste power of a magic microscope in his eyes, copy paste mana heart into a body.

Our poor sickly orphan... more>> somehow knows multiple celebrity young masters most who hates MCs guts. Yet so far they didn't do anything to him, despite MC constantly backtalking and antagonizing them including breaking their stuff. Normally on a decentish novel I'd trust the author suspend my disbelief and expect it to be explained in future. But since author is pantsing the premise with plot notebook I can't. <<less

It's very good, but more uneven than The Novel's Extra. But I don't mind, it has all the ingredients of stories I love :

• Tragic MC in a second chance story who also develops beyond his initial revenge goal.
• Very slow romance.
• A nice harem vibe, well made with an interesting female cast. This time they all start as total psychopaths in the making, and it's nice seeing them deviate from that and become better through mc's influence.
• Interesting adventures.

So I can forgive the parts I liked less :

• Very abrupt transitions sometime.
• Non stop action, it's too much.
• Academy arc that seems to stretch and go everywhere, somehow unfocused.
• MC is a little too abrasive for my tastes.

Right; It is evident how much this author loves to draw inspiration from other works (Breaking bad and cancer, for example). It's amazing that he does this, especially if the target media is really good, but Jee Gab Song should also try to achieve the same quality as these. Study for this. And, although his novels are very interesting in a wide range of ways, they still lack substance and narrative imbalance. Let's look at an example!

... more>>

Spoiler

At one point, the protagonist and one of the heroines are thrown into a time loop world. They develop their own relationship, there's emotion, catharsis, etc., it's excellent. However, after a few chapters, the protagonist falling in love and not wanting to forget the protagonist, she simply gives up remembering and joins him in oblivion. What a waste! Why make her forget? What is the use of all this if there will be no applicability to the unfolding of the drama? Make her remember! Make her a fanatic about the protagonist and let everyone question themselves! These imbalances are necessary because they serve as a convergence for new conflicts, character arcs and could even have been used as leverage for the entry of a second act! Do like in hunter x hunter (one of its extremely obvious inspirations, vide Gon's personality conversion) and suddenly change the character's personality! You always do this with situations and scenes, why not with personalities, which is what would make everything extremely more interesting and multiply the number of conflicting moments naturally?

[collapse]

Many of the characters are stereotypes and not very individual. Nobles and students follow stereotypes of the harsh and prejudiced Elite. The intrigues seem like a facade, especially when they involve the Libra family. The characters demonstrate who they are only when they interact with the protagonist. If the Libra family is built to be distant and mysterious from the beginning, this is a mistake! Make them really scary through intrigue and conflicts that are above the protagonist. Develop real factions, not just facades that don't say much.

Real world building is extremely important for this type of narrative, and should affect the characters themselves. It is not a solo and introspective character arc, but rather a story actively oriented towards the external world.

Spoiler

Example: in Hunter x Hunter, regarding character arcs, there is the arc of Kurapika, Killua, Gon, the Chimera Ants, Hisoka and the Phantom Troupe (the last two are not as developed as the Arc). In this work, only the protagonist, the future evil heroine and the Libra family (and the last two are only developed with the presence of the protagonist).

[collapse]

<<less