Seizing Dreams

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In the dreamer’s dream, the dreamed one awoke.
— Borges

“I exist between the heavens and earth, in the sunlight, in the wind, and in dreams.”

One night, Yu Hao, a college student who was at his wits’ end had an unexpected encounter with a mysterious visitor – “General” – who had dream travelled. He led Yu Hao in solving the countless riddles that abounded in the realm of the conscious, and lit up the fire beacons on the meandering Great Wall.

Thereafter, the darkness retreated, the sun rose, and when the long night was thoroughly lit up, the him who existed in reality was reborn.

The black dragon that roared, the lighthouse and demonic eye on the coastline, the rain forest before Chichén Itzá, the fierce beasts that wreaked havoc in the Colosseum…the bizarre projection of reality in one’s consciousness reflected the hidden place that the sunlight in reality couldn’t touch – the innumerable sins of the human heart.

The journey of seizing dreams continues, and one can only hope that the sun will continue illuminating the human heart.

——

Fire beacons on the Great Wall were lit up to signal a border invasion.

Associated Names
One entry per line
duo meng
SD
Đoạt Mộng
ครองฝัน
夺梦
奪夢
Related Series
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  5. Novel interessanti da tradurre -Cinesi

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91 Reviews sorted by


namio
namio rated it
August 21, 2019
Status: c97
Okay, this might be an unconventional review, judging from the others I've read.

I wish I had this novel in my life 10 months ago.

I was having a rough few years (decade), and while not about to actually do it I thought about dying a lot. I liked dissecting my emotions and why I felt them-- why am I terrified of even being in the same grocery store aisle as other people? Why does the sound of people hollering at each other in dorms send me into a panic? What were... more>> the root events of all these different triggered responses?

Seizing Dreams is about dreams, but these dreams are about that. About trauma. About what shapes us, what made us associate this with that and react this way and that way. It doesn't take a surface look, either, instead fully on board with twists and turns that's at the core of how we became this way. Which person, event, thing is the one actually ruling over your life? And more importantly, can changing your perception of it alter its grip strength on your life? If your dream is the subconscious map of your soul, if someone lit up all the beacon towers in your Great Wall, could that illuminate a path in your darkest moment? If there is a dragon and that dragon is the darkness of the water your mother might've wanted you to fall into as a child, how does one slay it and would it make a change? Seizing Dreams ties incredibly compelling, intricate and fantastical settings to not just psychology, but also its application. It says, slay that black dragon, and tells you that the sword is coming to terms with a trauma you might not even consciously remember.

Yet despite this theme of recovery, it's not a novel that takes that journey for granted. Fei Tian Ye Xiang is an incredible author, their characters are all imperfect and flawed in such ways, with such details as to feel alive. Heroes are never infallible, nor do they need to be; to resonate with another soul you never need a perfect copy of experiences. Daily life is a major component of the novel, because reality is ultimately the lives we live. SD never shies away from morality questions, realities of poverty, domestic and childhood abuse and complex familial feelings, imperfect lives and solutions. Everyone is on a constant journey out of the dark, but the destination is never perfection.

Our MC Yu Hao is poor and a closeted gay. When he was quite literally saved from the brink, he ended up accidentally falling for his savior-- a straight man, with a bad temper, and confidence, and fighting skills, and a violent, broken home. His General isn't perfect, but that's never a problem-- he never needed to be. And Yu Hao never fully, easily, automatically puts behind lessons learned from his entire life's journey, but that's never a problem. A problem is something that stops you from living a fulfilling life.

This is such a good novel. It's absolutely hilarious, the descriptions are amazing, it's insightful, and the MC and ML are in love and the translation is topnotch with lots of funny comments. If you can handle the subject matter I honestly can't recommend it enough. It doesn't need to be something you 100% agree with-- you don't need it to be perfect to have it have an effect, after all.

After their first meeting they end up working together to help others regain control over their subconscious by helping them defeat their demons. I can't help but feel they might've accidentally entered mine, and maybe took down one or two of its monsters. <<less
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Zryuu
Zryuu rated it
March 19, 2019
Status: c86
Translator’s Review:

SEIZING DREAMS IS SO!!!!! GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!! It’s a perfect mishmash of both fantasy and reality as it interweaves stunning dreamscapes with its corresponding representations in the real world.

We start off with our MC (Yu Hao) facing an unfair conviction of stealing his student’s watch. Sadly, it wasn’t the first time Yu Hao had been accused of such a crime. But because of an accident and everyone’s distrust of him, he could not rid himself of the first accusation he faced in junior high. Coupled with the death of his grandmother,... more>> his only family that was left in his world, Yu Hao had lost all hope and thus decided to end his life. However, after he fell into a deep sleep during his su*cide attempt, he woke up in a foreign place that looked... a lot like the Great Wall. And it was in this place that he met the one who brought light (sort of literally) into his world again — General.

What I like about this novel:

1. The dreamscapes are visually stunning and can stand alone as worlds of their own with all kinds of funny places/creatures that reflect the dreamer’s fears in the real world. In each dreamscape is a totem that signifies the dreamer’s future hopes and dreams, and is the nucleus of the dreamscape. Thus, the main task of Yu Hao and General is to seize the totem back from the one who had taken it away (usually a manifestation of their biggest fears would have stolen the totem). When they successfully retrieve the totem, the sun will rise and everything in the dreamscape will be born anew. Meanwhile, they need to be careful not to die or be chased to the borders, or they’ll be at risk of falling into the unconsciousness and will never be able to wake up again.

2. Action. Yu Hao and General has to face all sorts of weird creatures in dreams that they’ll have to defeat in order to retrieve the totem. I almost died of asphyxiation cause I was holding my breath so much during their fights.

3. Interweaving dreams and reality. Whatever appears in the dreamscapes are intrinsically tied to the experiences and thoughts of the dream in real life, which makes for some very interesting links.

4. It tries to go deeper. There’s a lot of talk on psychological disorders and the human psyche in this. As someone who studied Psychology for my Bachelor’s, it’s interesting for me to see how the author tries to incorporate such elements into the novel (I don’t necessarily agree with the novel’s standpoint though). So this is also a trigger warning for people who can’t stand to see stuff related to su*cide, personality disorders etc.

5. The characters. All the characters in this novel were represented very realistically and I fell in love with Yu Hao and gang. I especially adored the character development of Yu Hao as he courageously faced new challenges head on throughout the novel, and he's such a cinnamon roll that it makes me want to hug him through my screen. I freaking love ML too because he's actually a really perceptive and attentive person. Around the end of vol 1, I found out just how many of his 'insignificant actions' were actually done on purpose to help those around him, which was a pretty mind-blowing moment for me.

This novel has one of the most unique premise that I've ever seen, and everything ties together really well too. Definitely one of my top 3, would highly rec it. Feitian <3 <<less
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WalerZ
WalerZ rated it
April 4, 2019
Status: Completed
I am studying in Canada, and my English teacher told me to give up Chinese bl fictions and read in English. I said no I need them because it is the source of my power. We tried to search online, but we didn't have so much time. Now I find this. Fei tian ye xiang is my favorite author. I have read many of his fictions. Everyone is special, especially Seizing Dreams. It talks about your dreams and hope, pass and future. I finished this book for many months, but... more>> now I am still influenced a lot by it. For the translator, THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!! YOU SAVED MY LIFE!!!!!! <<less
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Eulear
Eulear rated it
April 18, 2021
Status: Completed
(3.5/5) After reading some positive reviews, I was curious about this book and decided to read it. I felt conflicted because a lot of people enjoyed ZS and YH relationship. The plot and side characters were interesting and that's what kept me going.

Yu Hao:

... more>>
Spoiler

Yu Hao feels like that younger sibling that grows on you. You also feel like a parent, watching him growing more confident. The MC had a dark childhood with his mother trying to kill him and his dad dying early. To top it off, he is poor and bullied by his classmate for stealing a wallet, which he didn't do. He also had a crush on an as*hole that was homophobic and only used him for money. It makes sense why MC developed an inferiority complex and hides his feelings. Yu Hao is not a perfect human and that makes him enduring. At the beginning of the story, we see him avoid reaching out for help because he perceives that everyone doesn't like him and thinks it tramples his pride leading to this messed-up life of agony. He needs help desperately but doesn't ask for it which leads to situations spiraling downhill since he won't communicate. I honestly felt annoyed and frustrated at his actions, acting cowardly and letting people step on him, but he got that sweet character development that made him grew on me. His selfish behavior in trying to be selfless harmed himself and the people around him, but later in the story, he started to accept help and tried his best to communicate with his peers. I admire how much he grew and not giving up when things got difficult. I feel that he doesn't really have a harem of gongs, but that's up to debate. CYK and OQH felt more like friends to him.

[collapse]

Zhou Sheng:

Spoiler

The reason I docked a star. MAN, this dude if he existed in real life, I would love to smack him in the face. If I was YH's parents, I would want to kick SZ's stick for treating my son like this. I understand that his anger issues were from his parents being physically abusive towards each other, but he is the embodiment of anger and issues. The MC gets scared that ZS will start punching people out of nowhere. Sure he keeps saying that he has a good excuse for punching people, but is that answer to resolving a problem? Before he was even YH's boyfriend, he got jealous of CYK and tried to separate them even when CYK was lowkey suffering and needed help. I'll explain more at the end, but TLDR, is also quite a toxic boyfriend, keeping secrets from YH, hiding things from him, shutting down YH's ideas, not communicating with YH, acting aggro to prevent YH from asking further, and even erasing some of his memories. He is also unrealistically overpowered. Like somehow he is stronger than the police and can fight them off with no sweat. He is also super-rich and great at math even though he never studies. He is so overpowered with testosterone that no one else can beat him.

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The plot

Spoiler

Dreamscape #1: Yu Hao's dream takes place at the great wall of china. He meets his grandma again, who is protecting him, and gave him a laundry stick which defeated his dark side because his childhood self is scared of that. He also projected his grandma as an elephant who protects him. The General and MC face off that as*hole crush of him and the black dragon, his dark side gets defeated. The MC gave General his totem which connects them together. The ML tried to erase his memories when the MC found out he was the general, but the power of the totem.

Dreamscape #2:

Shi Ning's dreamscape. Her dreamscape covers a heavy and sensitive topic. It involved tent**les and a cold barren artic. The enemy is her dad who r*ped her in the study room. It wasn't stated explicated, but the clues lead to this conclusion. The eye represents the phone that the dad took pictures of her with or he used to monitor. The ML became the monkey king and MC was the archangel who defeated that disgusting pe*ophile.

Dreamscape #3

Chen Yekai, the professor, I love him. (The reason I kept reading) He is so precious and doesn't take that BS Zhou Sheng is trying to sell. The gay panic is too strong and lowkey I wanted to punch SZ many times when reading this at midnight. Chen Yekai has trauma from his past because his lover committed su*cide. They loved each other, but it was a toxic relationship, power imbalance. (Cough cough* kinda like the main couple) Chen Yekai was rich, his lover got jealous easily, felt insecure, and tried to isolate CYK from his friends. I love how he is such a supportive teacher and someone that the main characters and rely on. It felt kinda off when Zhou Sheng keeps saying that he has a crush on Yu Hao. In my opinion, I feel that maybe he did project some feelings of his ex on him, but didn't love him. I love seeing him grow out of his pain and accept his lover's death. There is also a potential ship between someone else. He beat up that dude with a scalpel and uses a gun as his weapon. His dream world is related to South America since that's where his lover committed su*cide and the place they first made love.

Dreamscape #4

They went into the CYK's shimu (teacher) dreamscape to wake her up from her coma. She recorded him beating her up and gathered evidence of his affairs. That dude had a kink for cheating with married women and resorts to domestic violence. Since he is well versed in psychologically manipulating people, it was implied that he convinced CYK's lover to commit su*cide.

Dreamscape #5 Ou Qihang

When they first went into his dream, he was in the middle of being kidnapped. Ou Qihang was a kid that tried to commit su*cide to try to expose what happened to his father. He joins the gang and is super smart and can kick ass. There are also hints that he will get together with CYK. The ML erased his memories and that backfired (that's what you get ZS for not trusting people) at the end cause it caused more trouble. He will get his memories back though. His dream world was like a zombie apocalypse.

Dreamscape #6 Fe liqun

He is the definition of the best friend. He is supportive and caring. He has a great girlfriend that is supportive of him, but her dad doesn't like him because he isn't rich. I just like how much in love he is with Cen Shan. Even when their relationship was rocky, they never truly gave up on each other and prevailed in the end. He got stuck in a pyramid scheme (it could've been avoided if ZS stopped being a tsundere and helped him when they knew his company was failing when FLQ didn't have a support system and was depressed about himself. So much for high EQ.) by this jealous roommate and was stuck in this sus place. The gang rescues him and in his dream, they needed to use CYK's money to beat up the enemy (LOL). In the end, they fight a big dragon, Cen Shan's dad, and saves princess Cen Shan. His setting was a desert. When he was meeting up with Cen Shan's dad, he made him ride a Ferris wheel to discuss his daughter. Man, that was too funny. Money can't separate this gold couple apart. They have a child and married at the end.

Dreamscape #7 Hu Ting

He is an amazing police officer. He also believes that YH didn't steal the watch when people doubted him. In his dreamscape, it was a maze full of danger and traps. Zhou Liang tried to cuck them, but he managed to erase his memory about the bracket. The MC and the crew without the ML saved him and got his totem back. He was scared of death and didn't want to die, but had a serious medical condition. I love how strong his friendship was with CYK. Even without saying anything, they'll do anything to save each other.

Zhou Sheng's Dreamscape:

It was a colosseum and he needs to battle himself to overcome himself.

Last battle:

It was against this crazy dude who was in charge of Hu Ting that wanted to use the dreamscape so everyone will be under his control. He gets his ass beat up by the gang and it ends happily.

[collapse]

Pro:

Side characters are well fleshed out, you can feel their flaws and strength. {This was the reason I kept reading}

Spoiler

Even though ZS's dad was an a**hole, I enjoyed reading him. I understood his motivation and can feel how much he cared about ZS even if his methods were sus. He is a materialistic person that believes money solves everything and tried to make ZS take over his business and set him on blind dates. Maybe I just don't like ZS, so I enjoyed seeing him suffer. In the end, he got cucked by his new wife since she cheated on him with someone else and the kid isn't his. I kinda wished he could just talk it out with ZS and maybe seek therapy, but ZS is so hard to talk to. He just explodes and gets angry 24/7. At this point, only YH can tolerate him.

[collapse]

-I enjoyed some of the relationships between the crew because friendships were strong

-some foreshadowing and mysteries that keep you hooked and dreamscapes were interesting

Con: (just my take on YH/ZS relationship)

-OK so I personally felt that the MC and ML relationship were toxic.

Spoiler

I don't really mind slow-burn romances, but the ML (SZ) kept denying his own feelings for 50 chapters and gave MC (YH) false hope. The part that made me feel concerned was how controlling he is when Yu Hao isn't even with him. He also sends mixed messages, being close to him when he knows full well Yu Hao likes him. When YH tried to distance himself, ZH gets sulky/angry. Then YH starts apologizing even though it isn't his fault. He also tried to make the MC go on blind dates to forgot about him, but when the YH tried doing that, he messed around his dates and the dates got nowhere. When CYK was suffering and MC was trying to help him, the SZ got irrationally jealous and yelled/berated the MC for being near him. It's kinda like when SZ yells at YH for some small problem and YH just apologizes and conceded even though it's not his fault. SZ also calls YH dumb and brags about being strong and smarter than everyone else. Power imblance! Reading those chapters made me max my M powers.

AND even after they get together, the MC constantly listens to ML's demands. Somehow the ML's opinions are always correct and the MC's opinions are wrong. BUT MC also has great points and asks a lot of interesting questions that the readers want to know. It was only near the end when the ML admitted that the MC was correct for telling Cen Shao about Fe liqun so they can rekindle their relationship. When MC was confused and wanted to ask questions, the ML shuts him down and gets angry at the MC for being curious. LIKE I MEAN COME ON ZS JUST TELL US AND STOP HIDING KEY INFO FROM THE MC. I wonder how he made such great friends. I understand that he isn't a saint, but ZS claims he has high EQ (except his own feelings) and with one look can understand what people are thinking. He feels reluctant to step in only when YH convinced him he goes into their dream. It was for a petty reason, being jealous because he felt that CYK or OQH like YH so he doesn't want to help them. I felt worried on the MC's behalf. I would get trust issues too if that happened to me. He also erases memories of the MC even though the MC didn't consent. Everyone gets nightmares, but the ML just erases it even though MC told him not to. It was kinda sad that when I read MC being scared to talk to ML about his thoughts since the ML keeps rejecting his ideas. At this point, it feels like the ML just wants the MC to be obedient and just listen to his amazing ideas 24/7. Is that an equal relationship? When YH tried to be independent and got a job in Beijing, he still needs ML's help since he is poor. It's like the MC can't do anything without the ML's help. The ML is rich and super intelligent and the MC worships him like a god. Maybe the author wanted to write that the ML has some super OP person that is worthy of the MC. It's painful when your voice doesn't get heard and MC consistently needs to tread on thin ice so ML's anger issues won't explode. It feels like [大男人主义]-you must listen to my opinion because I'm always right that type of person.

I feel I'll die of anger issues too if I meet ZS. Yanderes or tsundere (I love tsundere, but not this type of as*hole tsundere) might be fun to read, but if the significant other tries to stifle your opinions and feeling that you can't communicate because it'll annoy them, the relationship will be rocky. In the back of my mind, I keep feeling scared for YH because SZ feels really unreliable with his manipulative tactics and unbalanced power over him. Sure he is has a big d*ck, but is it worth all this emotional baggage? I don't find their relationship cute or healthy. BUT they do love each other deeply and I can feel it throughout the pages. If my friend encounters someone like SZ, I'm ready to punch that person. Maybe I'm just traumatized by the overbearing CEO troupe that makes every single decision for their white lotus. At this point ZS is acting like his father who tried to control his life, maybe it runs in the family.

[collapse]

This was a big rant on ZS's character, but if you're into that type of alpha gong with anger issues, drinking vinegar, and love playing hide and seek then you might enjoy YH/ZS's relationship. I can feel how much YH loves SZ and how much SZ loves YH, but the relationship feels kinda toxic. Side characters and the whacky adventures got me through this. I probably will never reread it, but it was a fun novel to pass time. <<less
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Ishikawa.chie
Ishikawa.chie rated it
October 8, 2019
Status: c79
The plot is honestly good. But the ML (SZ) chara really ticks me off. He kept dragging the MC's (yh) feeling. He rejected and even convinced the MC to find others yet he prevented the MC from dating afterwards. He's just a closeted scum. though he had circumstances he couldn't tell to MC, at least he could say "could you wait for a yr" to mc

I could accept that he did it because of his past experience, but he dragged it too long. And the MC's... I couldn't blame his... more>> feelings for the ML since yh really loves sz.

Will drop <<less
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yuukine
yuukine rated it
April 20, 2020
Status: Completed
Rating: 4.75

> "Life is like a play, it all depends on your acting skills. "

Finally finished this masterpiece! It's captivating, it's fulfilling, it has everything you ever want and need.

... more>> Feitian deals with traumas, with suppressed emotions and with self harm tendencies by introducing General - a mysterious entity who can go through dreams and help their tenants fight against themselves and their fears.

There is a lot of psychology in this one - not in a way that one would be confused with many terms, just that it has a huge amount of dedication and effort and time spent into side characters alongside the main.

Who and what is the General? How can he travel through dreams? Why can he solve other people's problems by fighting for them?

The answer is simple. The General is someone who wants to help and save people from others and from themselves.

Yu Hao, a college student on the verge of su*cide is one of his cases. Yu Hao has already been accused of theft, and now it happened again. And of course - no one believes him.

◙ He's depressed

◙ He is an orphan and can't depend on anyone else

◙ He literally has no money

◙ and he's gay

All of these combined made his life hell, but General noticed. But so did Fu Liqun and Zhou Sheng from the basketball club (and no, this is not a book about basketball!). He also meets Chen Yekai and Huang Ting - the only people who believe in him and who are willing to listen.

There is so much accent on side characters. There is so much mystery, every arc deals with one person and EVERYONE gets to meet General eventually.

How it affects the dreams - affects their minds in the present.

All the set ups, all the places, everything is so well done. You can literally spend hours analyzing why there is Colosseum, Chichen Itza, Zombie apocalypse, Great Wall and what they represent. But you don't have too because there are people in book who will.

Everything is so beautifully written, there are so many wonderful moments, there are so many funny things, funny ideas, gut wrenching sob stories, and THE FINALE IS GRAND AND MAJESTIC.

There is a part of a particular arc around 120-130 that bored me a little, but the end of the book was as mind blowing as the first 115 chapters of it. The last 25 chapters are such a wild ride you won't be able to stop.

Go with Yu Hao and General on adventure of Seizing Dreams!

OVERALL:

Characters: 5 - Zhou Sheng and Yu Hao and Chen Yekai get so much attention. Their characters are stunning and realistic. (No, this is not love triangle). Side characters: 6 - I have never seen side characters that are developed as these, that have so many scenes and where all of them will hold a special place in your heart).

Story: 5 - impactful, wonderful, fantastic story.

Emotional impact: 5 -I cried a lot, but it gets better!

Humor: 5 - I laughed so many times I think my ribs hurt. <<less
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Avrohom
Avrohom rated it
February 11, 2020
Status: Completed
I don't know what this novel is doing here on NU, even though here I found many novels and stories that deeply impressed me and translators that I admire greatly. This one is real literature and the quality of translation is simply off the charts. It is so good that I had to reread the first chapter right after I finished reading it and this I now do with each following chapter. Un-freaking-believable. This is pure goodness! Despite that scary and off-putting summary of the novel and so very many... more>> intellectual or analytical reviews that made my head spin, I managed to start reading Seizing Dreams and it is actually simple and kind and invites me to continue reading it not because it is interesting and entertains my mind but because it does something beautiful to my soul. It describes people and what makes life worthy of living it unlike any other novel I have read before. <<less
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MicasLenny
MicasLenny rated it
February 4, 2020
Status: Completed
This is one of the best BL novels ever written in my opinion. There are many aspects of Seizing Dreams that elevates it from other BL novels of it kind.

You would find that even though SD is a fantasy novel, it is one of the most realistic novels that you will ever find in this genre. Most of the BL I read were all novels where the ML is OP af and always protects the MC to the point where the dog blood plot is not very exciting since you... more>> know the ML would win anyways. However, in SD, you can actually sees the psychological vulnerabilities of all the characters with the novel have to deal with.

The novel touches upon many topics from sensitive ones such as su*cide, homosexuality, poverty to other ones such as not knowing what to do after you graduate. Each character within their novel have their own issues and they rely on each other to solve them. That is where the fantasy elements come in.

ML had obtained an item which allows him to traverse into the surface subconscious world of other people, throught this the ML, and later the MC as well, will traverse dreams in order to try to solve these psychological issues of other characters and themselves. All characters in the novel is very well-fleshed out, with their own personalities and quirks that are easy to distinguish.

Another point I like to make is the symbolism and the descriptive details that are enoted within the novel itself.
Spoiler

I feel like the author wants to try to reflect the reality of the modern day world as much as he can. You can see that he often uses different symbols such as the sunrise and the moon to not only denote the ML and the MC, but also saying that no matter what hardships you go through, no matter what happens, the sun will rise and a new day will come forth again.

[collapse]

Another theme that the author relies heavily on is what is the meaning of life? What is success?
Spoiler

A lot of times you can see the younger characters such as the ML and Fu Liqun always clashing with the elders (Zhou Laichun and Gege's father-in-law) where the elders always say that a successful life is one where a person gains money and fame at the cost of everything else, whereas ML and Gege feels that there are more things to life than that, such as love, and that where there is love, life is fulfilled. I feel this very much highlights not only the differences in opinion between parents and their children but also the different ideologies that change over time.

At the end of the day, I think the author is trying to say that no matter what type of ideologies that you believe in or how difficult your childhood is, it is only up to your own self how you decide what to do with your life. It is also up to your own self what the meaning of success it.

[collapse]

Consequently, I think that the fantasy elements of SD is just an undertone for the psychological elements of the novel, meaning that I think SD is more of a reflective novel of the modern day world and the difficulties that each person will go through and how to deal with it, whereas the many battle scenes in the novel just serve as a pretext to that.

Overall, I think SD is much more like an actual novel than a webnovel. I don't think it should be compared to other novels of its genre (BL) since it can literally stand out on its own. This psychological drama deserves to be treated like any other actual novels (BL or not) out there and I hope that many people will read this series.

I find this novel heavily relatable as I'm a second-year university student with no idea what to do with his life, and this novel allowed me to contemplate on my difficulties and helped send me a message that no matter what happens, there is hope at the end of the tunnel, and the sun will rise again. Treasure your true friends dearly as they will help you get through tough times; and no matter what there is always a way out.

Endnote: I felt a heavy reluctance to part with the novels as I felt heavily invested and felt the many different feelings of the main characters in SD. It feels like gaining new friends even though they are entirely fictional (I need real friends). I hope the translator will translate the remaining extras! <<less
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stardustmist
stardustmist rated it
August 23, 2020
Status: c143
The novel is a good read, the dreamscapes are brilliantly detailed and at first I was gobsmacked by the premise. However, it isn't as amazing as the reviews said. I had to grit my teeth and try to finish the novel and I dropped it at 143, couldn't read a bit more. It had me yawning and wanting to close the tab very badly...

Some reasons which made me not want to read this novel are just my pet peeves. I can't stand love triangles, ... more>>
Spoiler

God, when every side character is either in love with Yu Hao or just jealous, I'm like nope, this isn't for me. I can handle a bit of rivalry but Zhou Sheng has to remind his lover about this in every chapter. It got annoying to the point where I wanted to throw my phone. Also, Yu Hao would attract only Gongs while Zhou Sheng only attracted girls, a bit ridiculous in my opinion.

[collapse]

How come Yu Hao can get his suicidal tendencies and thoughts lowered in a few days while others take months and years to recover from depression??? I know this is fictional, but the slice of life tag is there for a reason, no?? That seemed too unrealistic.

Also, Zhou Sheng is too OP,
Spoiler

I know he has the Golden Crow, but it's too much when the dude can fight with 15 guys at the same time. He's handsome, rich, smart, good at cooking, fighting, strategies, has a big dick.... I just think that there wasn't any side characters needed, he can do anything and everything. That's too unrealistic when it's a modern setting. He can even trick the Investigation department. When he said that the Police is incompetent, I really felt they were.

[collapse]

There was this one average character,
Spoiler

he didn't have a well off family, neither was he very smart nor had friends. He got jealous of Yu Hao and ended up hurting others. If it were me, I would have been deep buried into my pit of issues to harm others. Every other character including the main and side are good looking, extremely smart, they have everything and only the average looking one would be harming others. It was weird.

[collapse]

The dreamscapes were brilliant, but the actual reality cases were just briefed upon and they just won over those bastards so easily. And, those bastards didn't pursue the couple, that doesn't make much sense. I guess the genre was supernatural, so FeiTian just brushed upon the cases. However, the cases weren't gripping, I felt bad for the victims, but I would move on easily.

And none of the characters face a near death situation, they go to do dangerous missions, but they easily trump over the difficulties. I'm just baffled at how they can survive anything, even when they are just students????

Also, the CP dynamic was good at first, but then they fight on trivial things and what happened to the "we don't have any secrets between us?" Both of them starts hiding little things and then strain their relationship. Their relationship just got duller in the later chapters. The side het CP, oh God, they had a loving relationship, but then they, too got annoying. They would break up once in a while and be together again. It was frustrating to see them and little exhausting, too. I wanted them to break up so badly and never reconcile.

Overall, I'm pretty disappointed with this novel, I'm a huge fan of FeiTian, but this novel just wasn't my cup of tea. I somehow endured and read upto here, I don't think I will ever finish this novel. The translation is done beautifully, thank you for the amazing translation~ if you want to read it, go ahead, you will surely like it, maybe!!! <<less
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ResidentialPsycho
ResidentialPsycho rated it
September 25, 2019
Status: c118 part2
This is a slice-of-life/romance/BL/comedy with occasional splashes of supernatural/action thrown into the mix. The romance develops in a reasonable without anyone suddenly going yandere, and it's believable. The story development runs smoothly. The writing quality of this series is excellent.

The main characters have complete personalities with depth and character development, and so do the side-characters. Everyone comes across as fairly realistic. For once, the main couple is not abusive toward each other, and this is not a r*pe-romance series. The ML sometimes calls the MC s*upid, which I dislike, but... more>> it's not enough to constitute emotional abuse. They help and support each other. Although the ML pampers the MC, the MC also pampers him. They enjoy taking care of each other and building a life together as they struggle to plan out their futures. This is something many college students or even high school students could sympathize with. These characters screw up plenty and definitely take the wrong turns in life, so they're not OP protagonists who automatically have everything given to them without any tension.

The setting is modern-day college mixed with the occasional mystical dreamscape.

The psychology in this series isn't necessarily the most accurate thing, but that doesn't matter as long as it's interesting. There must be meaning and metaphors with the dreams as well. As long as the reader interprets this series as a alternative world, it's easier to accept the events. The dreams have interesting settings and their own unique dramas as characters face off against their hidden fears. Unfortunately, the action in the dreams is rather vague and over-the-top at times. The battle scenes in the dreams are written in a more vague manner with ridiculous abilities, which reminds me of why I dislike Xianxias. However, dreams are abstract, so this may be intentional on part of the author. The action in the real world is more realistic, even if it could be written in a more exciting manner.

Although this is one of the more professional and high-quality series I have read, it's not my cup of tea. More than 50% of the series is romance, which is a genre I can barely tolerate. Quite a significant portion of the series is also slice-of-life, which I'm only interested in if it's a tragedy. Although it's well-written, this is definitely not a series I could read in one sitting and could only tolerate a handful of chapters a day after the more exciting first arc came to an end. I like more action/suspense/adventure/horror/mystery series like Lord of the Mysteries, Thriller Paradise, and Quick Transmigration Cannon Fodder’s Record of Counterattacks. Of course, I like series like Quickly Wear the Face of the Devil as well, but I actually like to read danmei more for the plot than the romance.

That said, even if this series isn't to my tastes, it still deserves a rating of 5/5 for it's quality. I can't dock it points because I don't like the genres. <<less
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glitteryjoon
glitteryjoon
March 4, 2022
Status: c1
I’m not going to physically rate this because I didn’t manage to finish it and I feel like because I’m dropping it at chapter 12 I didn’t get into enough to warrant a rate.

What I did read, however is lackluster at best. Honestly I had high hopes for this in a lot of ways because not only is it rated fairly high, but most of the reviews are praising it to high heavens.

However, after reading just the first couple of chapters alone I felt like this novel was so corny... more>> and childish. Maybe it’s just me, but if I’m being honest, it felt extremely chuuni.

For real, what teacher would allow a student to talk about his trauma with a full audience? Especially one that’s meant to be helping him after his attempt to unalive himself? Like that firstly made me cringe because how unreal is that?

then, he just blurted out any and everything that happened in his life with not a care in the world. That was corny too, not to mention in doing so they all became super duper best friends. How? Why would they become friends and his first thought not be “is it out of pity” but rather “wow I have friends.”

fine whatever I could ignore that it’s not a big deal, but the dreamscapades felt sooo corny I skipped over most of it. Like, the first bit was fine iguess. Fighting at a wall sure. But then the general fighting the dude MC was in love with and trying to transfer his feelings by holding him and saying “I’m protecting you, doesn’t that make you feel anything” —or whatever and it actually work ?? Lmfao wtf? Sh*t was so cringey man.

tbh it could also be because I’m reading it in 2022 and so now stuff like this may be a little outdated. Idk but I just— this is my third time attempting to read it and while I did get farther than before I’m still stopping just as well. From what I read alone I’d rate it 3.5/5 on the low end. It’s not intriguing it’s not anything unique and it doesn’t really allow me to envision anything. So I’ve dropped <<less
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Iamher rated it
May 13, 2021
Status: c120
In all honesty, I didn't know what the novel was all about because the summary confused me.

The first few chapters didn't really hook me cause it was a bit depressing and just confusing, but since people were recommending it, I decided to persevere.

And it was just good.

... more>> And I'm not pertaining to the interactions between the MC and ML.

It was the plot!

The plot!

Important things must be repeated twice!

I like how it explained the logic and depth behind every dream.

It was nice, gave me plenty of epiphanies.

On, "oh, it was actually like that!"

"Should've realized!"

Anyways, it stayed honest to the psychological tag.

A very inspiring story.

It's worth the read. Just beware of being drained, both mentally and emotionally. <<less
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ChronoH0
ChronoH0 rated it
March 31, 2019
Status: Completed
I really like this story. There's a lot of psychology in this and they maybe not be accurate.

The creativity the author creates on the dreamscapes is very interesting. Not only that the characters are alive. Both MC's are designed to promote growth.

Yu was pressed by accusations that weren't true. He went into a coma and had a dream where he meets the general. He becomes the only light in his life. Coming back to reality where he regains the will to live. It's where the gears started turning and the... more>> moment where he becomes affecting other people's life.

The general is also begun to change because of it.

The dreamscapes are like arcs of world hopping genre where MC's go into the dreams of others. Those dreams are affected by the reality that those particular characters faced. The more impression or experience the characters faced in reality. The more danger the dreamscapes becomes.

There are 4 volumes in total. Each volume marks a new chapter where the MC's began moving towards a new phase.

The story is generally a mix of slice of life, action, mystery, and maybe depiction of cruelty. There is drama but it wasn't too much.

Really recommended if you want an interesting story. You won't find cp pairings tho here. <<less
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Saphie
Saphie rated it
March 18, 2021
Status: Completed
Absolutely beautiful. I am very much in love with this novel. At first, I was rather put off by the reviews and put off reading this for a few months (plus, I wasnt in the condition to read anything serious) BUT BOY was I wrong and very much regretting why I didn't read this sooner.

Other reviews said that this contains love triangle and much like a harem— bzzt, wrong! MC and ML are very much in love with each other. They only have their hearts for the other. This... more>> doesn't even come close to a harem or live triangle. Their chemistry was very very good even when they still weren't together.

MC is calm and collected. He is smart but poor. He faces his feelings very well and knows what he wants. ML is OP, but not /very/ OP, his OP-Ness is just right. I love ML so much, once he gets past through his beating around the bush phase, he spoils MC with his love.

It is indeed true that ML was beating around the bush with MC and he was kinda annoying— but lemme tell you I LOVED THAT PART VERY MUCH. Don't you just love it when two people who obviously love each other are running around circles? I love the angst so much including
Spoiler

ML pushing MC away. Those parts were so so so good to read and I feel pain for MC —which made it all the better! I love seeing them suffering.

But do take note, their romance is light and fluffy, only this part was the angst.

[collapse]

Along the way, you'd get suspicious of the new characters, and even got suspicious of a few people in the circle, but the main antagonist doesn't come until the very last book!

There are some moments that made me gasps because of the twist and turns and the revival of a few information that I thought wouldn't appear again, but it's all good! Author wrapped it up very cleanly.

One more point why I love this is that their struggles are very raw. The job hunting, money problems, coming out to their parents, opposition of the parents and so on. I love their friendship very much too. They did it all together through thick and thin and surpassed the ordeal that came along their way with mix of adventure in the dreamscapes of course!

Also, there are only 3 chaps of smuts. BUT it was written very well and I keep coming back to it. Sighhh, it would be good if there were more.

I only wish it was longer. I am missing them all too much. Now, I can't wait for the LA!

10/5 definitely would read it again. <<less
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YuzzuUzzzu
YuzzuUzzzu
January 27, 2021
Status: c90
I love this novel a lot, so much, truly a lot. It rivals MDZS and HOB. Though I'm taking a break because I feel like after confession in the middle novel I got tired to read more. Burn out? Or I just want to end at the happy moment and don't wanna read more angst or drama. Idk, I love them a lot and I couldn't see both MC and ML get hurt anymore. I wish there will be an official English translation so I can buy this novel. I... more>> love Zhua Sheng the ML, I really want to just end reading here and have them in my safe bubble forever. Haha. <<less
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e1ysian
e1ysian rated it
August 11, 2019
Status: c68.1
The book is a slow burn on tbe romance and is actually realistic when portraying the romance between a straight guy and a gay person. The plot is also very well thought out and has a lot of knowledge on psychology.

The reason I gave 4 instead of 5 stars is because the MC seemed like he relied on the ML to the point that even tbe MC going out to have drinks with someone has to be decided by the ML.

The ML also is very possessive of the MC even... more>> though they aren't in a relationship and the MC always apologizes for things he shouldn't! <<less
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GaaraJunkie
GaaraJunkie
July 4, 2021
Status: c165
For those that were fed up with the initial interaction between the MC & ML, you'll see that it was actually a build up with hints- and you will LOVE chapter 81!

The NSFW scenes are really juicy too, starting around ch 85 and the real deal at ch 99

This is an interesting novel where what happens in a dream can affect reality by rules of psychological studies and assumptions - with a hint of sci-fi - though a lot of it is not proven, and it's heavily imbued with fantasy... more>> as well. It is reminiscent of the Surrealism Art movement.

The author is clever, and all events are relevant with clues. It's well written and I adore the western setting very much; because once you've read an issekai/rebirth with cultivation trope and Gary Stu characters, you've read them all...

Trigger warning, though, as it starts off dark.

#review69 <<less
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TimeToEscape94
TimeToEscape94 rated it
December 22, 2019
Status: Completed
Rating 4.8

This was my first "modern time" novel.

It's an amazing & interesting novel to read especially for people in their twenties. Mainly because it talks about different topics & struggles we meet at this time of our lives, such as: personal identity, friendship, love, dreams, professional future, etc. There are also some links made with (chinese) society and on the confrontation with current standards and expectations towards young people. In short, I think every reader can find himself in at least one of the characters.

Speaking of the characters, I... more>> think it's really the best thing in this story. Each one of them, main and secondary, is very well developed, especially through the dreams. We discover their fears, their dreams, their "safe haven", etc. The friendship between the side and main characters (MC/ML) made me cry a lot of times. It's so pure, so true et sooo realistic. There are different gay people in this group of friends. I also point out that there are some female characters in the story and they are amaziiiiing! No dumb-b*tchy-arrogant-... behavior. They are all good girls, very supportive, with their own development and background.

The MC and the ML are also amazing and interesting characters. The main character went through difficult trials, which led him to try to end his life. It was by meeting the ML that his new life began. He is a very intelligent character, who questions -a lot- himself and the world around him. He grows through his experiences with the ML, his friends and surroundings. We clearly see this "growth" throughout the whole novel. The ML is a little "rebel", who is also very intelligent, loyal, knows how to fight (savage & badass) and is very very very caring & romantic towards the MC, specially when they got together. He's the perfect hubby, there's no other word to describe him perfectly. He also has a particular family background that is both tragic and funny at times (yes I had a few laughs while reading the interactions between the parents ---> the coming out got me LMAO). In short, their relationship is amazing. It's built very naturally & realistically.

Others points:

  • There are a lot of references to psychology. I didn't always agree with what was said, but it remains very interesting to learn about differences, given the context in China and the fact that mental disorders are still very taboo in this region of the world.
  • There's a lot of action in the dreamscapes! Each dream is unique and linked to the emotions of their owner. There are beautiful metaphors of the life and many philosophical moments. I think there's a good balance between action and relationships developments (love, friendship, etc.).
  • The author is A MAN.
In short, don't hesitate to read this story! It makes you think a lot, it's funny, touching, it has a perfect pace, there are references to pop culture, all your questions are answered at the end of the story, etc. READ IT.

<<less
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Catzun rated it
October 19, 2019
Status: c126
What a great novel!!! I have no words to describe how immensely great it truly is. The author has instantly become one of my top favorite bl writers, near and dear to my heart overnight.

The translator is, also, near and dear to my heart for all the hard work and effort she puts into tl-ing each chapter. MARRY ME, please!! We (fans) are so very lucky to receive quality tl's that I am thankful and appreciative of her commitment to her standard.

The novel and translation are both a+++!!! Totally recommend.... more>> &Lt;3 <<less
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fltstrt
fltstrt rated it
July 15, 2019
Status: c84 part1
5/5, the story deserves more than 5 stars. Our ultra lovable Yuhao and his adorable General beckons you to start this awesome journey with them!

5/5 to the translating team too! Buy them Ko-fi! They so deserve it.

I've not completed this story yet but 84 chapters in, I'm positive that no other story can replicate the uniqueness that is SD.

... more>> BL isn't SD's only defining genre, its a fantastical, psychological and romantic coming-of-age novel. Give it a try even if BL isn't your thing.

With SD, as the MC 'travels' to several vastly diff dreamscapes, it almost seems like a world hopping novel! But with every arc, and with every dream 'seized' the main plot thickens, and we see our MCs' glorious character growth.

The story is visual overload, got to read slowly as content is heavy and thought provoking.

The rich and complex design of every dreamscapes, the raw social commentaries in every arc, the action-packed adventures, the sweet sweet romance, the comedic dialogues... I shed so many tears that my eyes were puffy for 2 days, lol-ed so much and almost died of fluff overload- such an emotional rollercoaster.

I have so much I want to say about the story. Warning, from here on my review will probably sound like a long rambling personal anecdote.

This story touched me greatly as dreaming will always be a fascinating topic for me. Suffering from frequent sleep paralysis from a young age eventually pave my way to learn how to lucid dream.

I kept this little secret 'ability' to myself. I felt that absolutely no one would understand how exhilarating and liberating it was to not just transverse one's own dreamscapes but to be able to alter them too...

My dreams were often exaggerated mirrors or extensions of my reality. What I wasn't able to do in real life, I had no qualms executing them in my dreams. Naturally what happens in the dream, stays in the dream– nothing is translated to reality.

But I gained more than just visceral pleasure. I felt my dreams are my personal dialogues with myself. I 'converse' with myself to understand my complex inner world and subconscious better.

While lucid dreaming was initially fun, I came to realise that things I desperately wished to hide from and to forget in real life will show themselves in my dreams. My fears and anxieties magnified and take on tangible forms to haunt me.

Trapped in my vast and limitless dreamscape together with my inner demons only further perpetuates one fact– that I am the only conscious being here. I am alone.

The huge revelation is– while I think I have the ability to control the elements in my dream, the dream is also essentially me. Well, who wins then?

At this point I wish to talk about the first arc in SD. I will try to leave details out to not overly spoil the story. At his lowest, Yuhao our MC, meets a mysterious General in his dream who helped him. The general, an entirely foreign entity to his self manifested dreamscape was able to encourage dream Yuhao and change the tide. This victory became a changing point of sorts for real life Yuhao as well.

It hurts thinking about it, but without the General's timely arrival, it is heavily implied that Yuhao will most likely face a bad and lonely end.

I am so envious of Yuhao for having his own General. It's a feeling that I am sure everyone who reads this book will feel at some point.

It almost feels that I was there together with Yuhao and his general, fighting to seize the totems together hand in hand. <<less
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