Surprise! The Supposed Talent Show Was Actually–?!

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Wu Jin, as a trainee from a certain entertainment company, had a peerless, stunning face. He was qualified to debut as a lead performer even if he just sat there and did nothing.

After signing up for a certain talent show, the shining path to stardom beckoned to him––

Wu Jin: Hold on, why is this show different from what we agreed on? Wasn’t it supposed to be about jumping around, dancing, and singing songs? Why do you have to send me out into the wilderness…

Program Producer: You’re a once-in-a-century high appearance value competitor! We’re relying on you to save the program’s ratings!

Wu Jin: … I seem to be on the wrong show. Wait a minute, this isn’t an idol show, it’s a fighting survival reality show ahhh!!

Ten months later, the little cutie who had been thrown into the show––

Turned into a human weapon.

Powering up through various instances, slight entertainment circle elements.

Extremely overpowered gong x little cutie who grows to become an overpowered shou.

Associated Names
One entry per line
STSTSWA
Sốc! Sao Bảo Là Show Tài Năng Cơ Mà
The surprising talent show
สู้จนเลือดหยดสุดท้าย เป้าหมายฉันต้องได้เด
惊!说好的选秀综艺竟然
驚!說好的選秀綜藝竟然
Related Series
N/A
Recommendations
The Earth is Online (9)
Game Loading (3)
Don’t Pick Up Boyfriends From the Trash Bin (3)
The Trial Game of Life (3)
The Virtuous Omega Disguised as the Vicious Colonel (2)
Mist (2)
Recommendation Lists
  1. BL Novels: Unlimited Flow/Infinite Flow
  2. Liz's Collection : BL { Unlimited Flow / Horror / ...
  3. Best BL Novels
  4. Interstellar bl
  5. Want to read or re-read soon BL (complete translat...

Latest Release

Date Group Release
12/09/20 XIIN c238 part4 (end)
12/08/20 XIIN c238 part3
12/07/20 XIIN c238 part2
12/07/20 XIIN c238 part1
12/06/20 XIIN c237
12/05/20 XIIN c236 part2
12/04/20 XIIN c236 part1
12/03/20 XIIN c235
12/02/20 XIIN c234 part1
12/01/20 XIIN c233 part2
11/30/20 XIIN c233 part1
11/29/20 XIIN c232 part2
11/28/20 XIIN c232 part1
11/27/20 XIIN c231
11/26/20 XIIN c230 part2
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144 Reviews sorted by


New gakifang rated it
March 16, 2024
Status: c238
Tldr- made me laugh, made me lose sleep, made me sniffle. A+, would read again.

I'm came back to edit this review after I got my thoughts in order, because I literally just finished the novel when I wrote it and I was still in the giddy 'yay!' bit of things which is why most of this is under spoilers.

I really liked this, even when I thought it was going to be a cold domineering gong carrying silly shou type novel. An impression that lasted the very first battle and then... more>> my expectations were shattered, and I abruptly became very invested. Before, I had though that it was an entertainment novel where a silly sweet shoutransmigrated to the insterstellar age and would battle 'be carried by gong' to the top of the new entertainment field, and technically, you could class this as that. Technically, a tugboat and a battleship can be classed together, too. The shou and gong very quickly grow beyond what your expectations are from the begining into fun, well rounded characters with interesting backgrounds. The side characters as well are super interesting and well developed and I was honestly deeply invested in all of their outcomes as well. I deeply appreciate that the extra's explored happy ending for them as well.

The battle scenarios and instances are well planned and really well written, turning fights and puzzles that could have been boring slogs to get through as fast as possible into thrilling battles and triumphs. No the novel is never going to win any thought provoking Literary awards, but for a really fun novel with a well done, long plot running under the theme show story, it's a great time. I'm absolutely going to reread this.

Spoiler

The shou, while being a little silly, takes all of the perseverance, will power, and bloody minded determination of a 'worked their way to s ranked' idol trainee into his new circumstances and spends the front third of the novel training like his life depends on it and researching anything and everything that he can get his hands on that might give him a leg up in the next battle. I really enjoyed that the author didn't do a fast paced training montage and gave a real sense of how hard Wu Jin was working at getting to his goals.

The gong rarely shows up in the first portion of the novel, only really popping up to teach the shou a combat move or refine his shooting technique and for the battles. And for the shou to squeal about how amazing Brother Wei is and how cool. There is a very real acknowledgement that the gong very easily could carry shou to victory, and it's only shou's determination to Git Gud and earn his debut himself, later his determination to be gong's equal that really stops him. Their interactions through the novel are amazing and I honestly giggled about the whole pasting test paper onto the shou bit.

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earlgreyt
earlgreyt rated it
May 4, 2020
Status: Completed
I struggled VERY HARD with the rating of this novel because it is actually a strange combination.

We have an extremely intelligent and thoughtful author whose arcs/ideas/themes are both extraordinarily creative, mature and intellectual...

YET, it is paired with some of the most... cliched tropes in the BL genre.

What you get:

    • F*cking incredible puzzles, original arcs based on everything from [cellular automaton] to a correct implementation of [Darwin's Theory] to a historical [Louis XIV Era]
        • One of the only stories I've ever read on NU that managed to seemlessly integrate all of these complex ideas and genres into extremely unique arcs that actually made me happy to read more on Wikipedia and watch hours of Youtube videos about the concepts mentioned by the author just for fun?!
        • Show, not tell, is the key y'all. SERIOUSLY incredible storytelling.
        • Spoiler

          Does anyone find it ironic that the only CN novel that doesn't misquote Darwin is a survival-battle-royale novel where physical stats actually matter?!

          [collapse]
    • Really really good fleshed-out side characters, teamwork, and extremely good understanding of the "professional" world. Essentially, there are no "1-sided" evil villains or people who exist just to be obstacles.
        • Livestreamers/survivalist/show-biz people might be killing each other on-screen, but off-screen, they could just as easily be sharing drinks instead
    • Futuristic society with hints of genetic manipulation [a la Final Fantasy VII] super soldiers, a black market, psychology, and an up-and-coming masked floating city. Frickin' cool amirite?!
What was disappointing:

    • Extremely lil' bunny/child-like/innocent/cutesy/beautiful/clueless/short/weak/doted-on MC who everyone literally thinks is 12 years old because he looks/acts/gives off that feeling
    • Extremely stereotypical filthy rich/mysterious/CEO/cold/handsome/protective/stoic ML who is SO OP that he manages to avoid all cameras in a game show making money off of livestream let's not ask why he decided to participate on a trainee survival show when he literally owns an entire city and billions of assets in the first place
What made things better:

    • MC works REALLY REALLY hard to get OP and "git gud"
    • MC does become OP eventually (MC is very very very smart)
    • The relationship was actually fairly well-written, both MC and ML fall for each other equally, ML is very considerate of the MC and despite being more OP than god, he respects the MC's choices
    • MC's cringey "cute bunny rabbitness" eases up and it becomes humorous instead of cringe
    • time-travel/past explained very well and closes the circle
What made things even better:

    • Spoiler

      author is writing new story in same world with seme (?) protagonist / or equal MC/ML

      [collapse]
TL;DR

Read this, you won't regret. Translation is really good, much thanks to translators! I read the raws (no, not MTL) starting ch 40.
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paputsza
paputsza rated it
August 19, 2019
Status: c3
So the summary doesn't really say what this story is about. Our protagonist is a newby in the entertainment industry trying to interview to join a beginners boys group. He can dance from high school, but more importantly he is very attractive, like any guy in BTS, that body and face type. He is confident that he can fit in and be a vase, if nothing else pans out. He then fills out a strange form, goes through a strange hallway, and transmigrates a thousand or so years into the... more>> future when he is now a newby in some sort of battle royale. Fkn, everyone around him is armed to the teeth fkn soldiers. NFL tackler body types. After much confusion the ML helps him finish part one of the game and our MC is really popular amongst people attracted to little pretty boys. Our MC works hard, even if he has low self esteem with his abilities. <<less
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rhianirory
rhianirory rated it
September 10, 2019
Status: c75
another MC who is clever when it comes to solving problems but incredibly unworldly and dense when it comes to just about everything else. It's not just that his EQ is low, he has no common sense or self-awareness. I know a lot of people find it cute but I don't and I was getting really frustrated by the time I hit c75 so I'm going to stop and maybe come back later. The only reason I made it that far was that that there is some character growth, though... more>> it's almost all within the game (growing courage, quicker thinking, honed instinct, problem-solving, etc.). Outside the game, he remains a clueless little rabbit just waiting to be eaten. For those who like cute little animal type shou with no common sense and domineering big bad wolf ML then you will like this. <<less
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XieJyun
XieJyun rated it
December 22, 2020
Status: Completed
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monokrome
monokrome rated it
May 26, 2020
Status: c105 part2
The previous review is way too harsh lol. I'm writing this review because of that - it's good to express your feelings, but you shouldn't scare away readers who may end up liking the novel! Also, for the translators who have worked so conscientiously, I want to give a realistic review that will enable potential readers to determine if this novel will be to their taste or not!

---1. MC---

MC: He's not really a Mary Sue. Sure, he's a bright-eyed, naive white lotus (which wasn't to my taste... more>> as well, and reading it in the reviews almost prevented me from beginning the novel at all) but! The other contestants treat him seriously. You don't have a variety of scenes (other than with the one and only ML) where the other contestants go easy on him just because of his looks. That's the type of trope that I really hate with white lotus characters, in which they always get carried by the people around them even in unrealistic situations just because they're so pretty and cute and helpless. Instead, in the instances in which the other contestants go easy on him, it's because he has knowledge they want (of the instance, map, etc.), or in one particular case (very minor spoiler)

Spoiler

because the contestant was instructed by his successful older brother to form a fake CP with the MC (0 romantic feelings involved) in order to gain more votes lol.

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Overall, I do wish the author had just chosen 2 out of 3 (or even just 1) from the triangle of "looks, strength, intelligence, " but at least the MC doesn't just start out with everything at S-rank. Here's a direct quote from the novel (doesn't spoil any major events) to demonstrate this:

"Nine days, forty hours of fixed target shooting practice, twelve hours of dynamic target practice, nine hours of tactical evasion."

To improve his fighting strength, and even his storage of knowledge, he has to work his bu*t off studying and training. And even then, it's not instant. For example, even after several arcs, with continuous training in-between them, his shooting skills aren't on par with the other contestants, and he has to keep improving. A while after that, if I remember correctly, his strength (I don't remember if it was shooting or fighting) was only ranked at a B (overall ranking is E to S).

Additionally, his personality is even confronted as a weakness, something Mary Sue protagonists never have to face. His trainers and teammate alike pinpoint his innocence/naivety as an Achilles' heel in the midst of a death-match style entertainment fighting game, and there's even an entire arc in which he has to go through 'behavioral modification' training in order to tackle it.

---2. ML---

Yeah, the ML is really the typical Chinese BL novel ML. Overbearing and overpowered and overly possessive. MC + ML being anywhere near each other = dog food galore. If you're into that, then go on, but if you're not, I will say this: the ML acts more like a trainer than a complete golden thigh. He gives the MC space to grow into his own strength, and doesn't just save and carry the MC through every instance. Still, he's really overpowered and I do wish he hadn't been in the survival reality show at all, so that the story would focus more on the MC's personal growth. A lot of the times when you think 'wow, this is hopeless, no way the MC is going to get out of this one, ' the ML leaps in as a human deus ex machina... once again, if you're into that, go in full steam ahead! But if not, then tread more cautiously. I, for one, really wish they'd show the MC getting out of more situations by himself.

---3. Side Characters---

Side characters is one of the areas in which this novel shines. You have a wide arena of personalities, from the all-brawn-and-no-brains Caesar, to the... all-brawn-and-no-brains Wei Yan...? *coughs* Bad example, let me clarify that the former is outgoing with no brains, and the latter is an emotionless human experiment with no brains to the extent of which one instructor prescribes him dog-blood idol dramas as a way to learn to emulate human emotion. All of the side characters are very fun and sometimes I even wanted to see them more than the ML.

---4. Games---

The instances are really fun! This is the main area in which I disagree with the previous reviewer. You can tell the author wrote them with a lot of care. Although not quite up to the intricacy of the instances shown in other puzzle-based instance novels such as Card Room and The Earth is Online, the author makes up for it in creativity. Honestly, I think this was the main reason why the author made the protagonist so intelligent haha... considering the way in which team members are separated (and may not even be teammates) depending on the instance, it's much easier and more immersive to have the MC figure it out for the readers, than pan over to the same random side character or explain it all at the end every time. It's really entertaining to 'figure out' read how the MC figures it out because I'm too s*upid how the instances work every round, especially as it's based on real world knowledge. For example:

Spoiler

cellular automation (each room/mini-instance is a 'cell' that can move around within the entire instance), tarot cards (with the meanings of each card, the minor/major arcana, and even the history behind their origin, and the rooms are connected according to their respective card's relation in time), and dinosaurs? with evolution theory? yeah idk either but it was fun to read as well.

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If I didn't find the instances so interesting (they've obviously had a lot of planning and research put into them, there's so much cool facts/theories/knowledge in each of them!) my overall rating would be 3 stars instead of 4 stars. These were actually what kept me reading more than anything, I wanted to see what the next instance and then the next instance would be like, and how the characters would face them.

---5. Translation---

Top-notch, great job from Chrysanthemum Garden/XIIN as always! Thank you for the translation!

---6. 3 Biggest Things I Didn't Like (-1 star) ---

The pervasiveness of the OP!ML (wish he had more personality or at least some more flaws, and would leave the MC alone for an instance or two so he could grow on his own), how often the novel waxes poetry about the MC's looks (this was one of the hardest things to read in the beginning, but eventually your mind just starts automatically skipping these sections 'ah it's talking about the MC's dewy eyes and petal-like lips NEXT PARAGRAPH' lol (apologies to the translators who translated these parts for us to read)), white lotus MC (not as bad as the previous two points, author did a good job with him).

---7. Conclusion---

Take points off if you don't like naive protagonists and typical bl c-novel male leads, but if you're okay with them, then go ahead and try this out! Honestly, I was surprised - I prefer to avoid novels with naive/innocent/bunny-type protags, but I ended up liking this novel more than I expected due to the strength-building, more-realistic-than-expected portrayal of a naive MC in the midst of a survival show, the side characters, and the design of the game instances. Try it out, you might like this more than you thought as well! <<less
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Wolvelyn
Wolvelyn rated it
May 20, 2020
Status: c138
Ugh, I'm dropping this. The concept is intriguing at first, but it gets boring after a while. The MC is annoying and the ML is borderline mute. I peek at the last chapter and decided to not waste my time by reading this till the end.

The author wants to portray MC as this 'smart' guy of the group, but its nonsense really. All he needs to do is squint his eyes while reading the clues and BAM suddenly he unDerStanDs evErythiNg and starts rapping wikipedia facts, then people will look... more>> at him with awe. Like please author, we readers, are not s*upid. MC is such a Mary Sue really; like, he's supeeer cute (rolls eyes), good at dancing, singing, acting, has a above average IQ yet minus EQ, it only takes a blink from his eyes to conquer the hearts of people (talk about protagonist halo *pukes*)

The ML, sigh. He's a typical cold-blooded, emotionless, wounded-and-has-a-tragic-past, silent yet agressive kind of ML. Super OP but hiding his strength. He bite the MC's neck like Alpha of ABO world (rolls my freaking eyeballzzz). I don't freaking know why he likes MC..... maybe because MC resembles rabbit? So his 'predatory' instinct wants to 'mark' him? Ugh I don't know. He doesn't talk much, expressionless, yet the MC can decipher everything from a single gaze *vomit*. Imagine a 3rd person witnessing the MC and ML looking at each other and suddenly they start to shoving their tongues on each other's throat and the MC will tRemBLe and the ML eyes will gLinT. 3rd person be like: who am I? What am I? What happened?

And the game itself is so weird, the rules bullshit, the backstory half true half nonsense. Especially the dinasour one, I don't know what the heck they are doing. Reading this is so tiring, and after that I already forgot 70% of the plot.

But hey, I really enjoyed the beginning. The side characters also quite funny. That's it. Bye. <<less
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Alexa Esme
Alexa Esme rated it
April 9, 2020
Status: Completed
Absolute best novel out there. I thought there would never be a novel that could make me an addict other than "Quickly Wear the Face of the Devil", "The Founder of Diabolism" and "Heroic Death System" but this novel DID JUST THAT. It has an absolutely cute, intelligent, clever and extremely hard-working protagonist who just makes you want to give him a big, tight hug but also fawn over how freaking badass and cool he gets. The world-building is insane and it just feels ALIVE, like I can actually imagine... more>> a world like this so clearly which very few novels have achieved so far. The translator is also amazing and has a very good style and rhythm of writing. My absolute favourite part is the ML-MC interactions. I can literally feel all the chemistry and tension and wholesomeness between them exploding and slapping my single dog face. It actually makes me envious of their relationship and its SO damn hard to control my squeals and smiles over their every glance and interaction. They're just... one of the best couples out there for sure.

My second favourite part is the character growth. Most novels let their characters stagnate in terms of growth but not here. I can see the MC growing from a normal human like the rest of us who's never held a gun in their entire life and just wants to escape this survival show to someone who genuinely wants to win the show and works so incredibly hard to improve (I'm not even kidding, he trains to the point that I want to cry and hug him). And the ML too. How he goes from being emotionless and unfeeling (he's incapable of feeling because of an experiment) to someone who feels and loves because of the MC's presence and his overall bunny-like and lovely personality (but he's only like that to the MC tho?)

My third favourite part are the supporting characters. All the characters are 3-D and have their own quirks and traits that set them apart and make them so likeable and funny to watch. I laughed at so many of their interactions with each other and the MC. And I love how most of the people who associate with the MC always baby him and treat like a kid that'll get stolen any minute?? <<less
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aresk
aresk rated it
May 14, 2020
Status: c25
I'm at ch25, originally I was hooked on the idea of brain puzzle and some review mentions that MC is REALLY smart.... okay.

It's slow paced, I don't mind that and MC is a fast learner in terms of survival skills...I guess? Good for him, it's unrealistic but can make do. I think I'll have to say, Wikipedia is his brain. Spongebob is his body. He mostly needs to train physically to survive.

Since there's no true death in this novel, there's no real stake on the line and no mystery to... more>> keep me going. Kinda like a smooth online gaming with the head mod as your teammate, story.

Cute and innocent MC usually don't bother me much it's not my cup of tea, but this one... you can't go one chapter without a person screaming how cute he is. Like okay, he's cute. Stop shoving it down my throat. Everyone auto-like MC because he looks cute and hardworking... uh. He sells meng by default so everyone dotes on him. I'm starting to think the only obstacle in this story would be the shows they throw him in. His EQ is also not the best, he usually doesn't do much (?) Except for looking cute and hardworking and ppl will flock to him.

ML... typical overpower tyrant. Stands in 70*C, body temperature 25*C. Sees MC as a smol animal must protecc. He's a safety net that'll always be there. If MC is in danger, he's there, slappin everyone and make sure MC is safe, but from the shadow. There's no real danger if he's around.

Idk why he likes MC yet, idk if I ever will.

Long ass review but tldr: Read if you're into smooth sailing survival simulation and dense (?) Pining from sugar daddy.

Don't read if you're looking for action and life-on-stake survival. Cuz prolly 80% of the time you'll see how everyone oggles about MC, how good lookin he is, how cute he is. The other 20% is rabbit analogy. In any case, I'll be dropping this. <<less
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moon-bunnies
moon-bunnies rated it
May 31, 2022
Status: c20
I'm begging you, just one chapter without boasting about how innocent or pretty or cute the MC is. I already know he has amber eyes, dewy pale skin, fluffy hair, graceful limbs, and facial features so endearing that someone can cry from joy just by being in his presence. And how could I ever forget that he smells like milk, has a smile brighter than the sun, and exudes such a lovable energy that you can see him manifest in the shape of a bunny?

Every page was like a checklist... more>> to make sure all of those descriptions were mentioned at least once.

Comrades, I can only hold out for so long. I came here for guns, guts, and blood, not a toothache. Maybe one day, one day I'll be so bored that I'll convince myself to trudge again, through the adorkable adventures of Wu Jin.

But not today. <<less
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dee_ism
dee_ism rated it
January 12, 2021
Status: c153
start good, quite interesting story, hardworking MC

but somehow.... it lost the spark gradually.. I dunno, it just get boring.. each arc is so long and feel so draggy.. the romance also feel dull, maybe because their very bare minimum interaction (?)

I'm not saying that the story is bad, but imo it's not satisfying.. I basically drag myself till now and try so hard to continue and I just lost the energy to do that now.. I'm sorry but I don't think I can finish this one..
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Alta
Alta
April 22, 2020
Status: --
I like to think that at this point I'm unbiased and actually review the novel based on its quality rather than my preference.

It's a worthwhile read. Sure, it's not a literary masterpiece but it gets points for being a satisfying online danmei novel.

I agree that it is a light-hearted and low-stakes story. The novel is here for fluff and occassional badassery and not really confronting moral dilemmas and dark themes. But it does sell fluff well.

How does it fare in technical writing?

  • It has a plot and the author takes care in clarifying the characters' thoughts and motivations moving forward.
  • Characters are fleshed out enough for each to truly have their own recognizable personality but not to the point of dark complexity.
  • It has a fair amount of world-building which is revealed to readers as the MC learns more about his new setting but not Tolkien-level detailed.
  • Pace is a not fast but since the theme is based on character (skill) development, it's understandably not bombastic.
  • The translation is well-done. It reads well and has a good understandable flow. The in-text pop-up (not end notes) cultural explanations are helpful and convenient.
Whose taste will it appeal to? Here are the tropes:

  • Shou: Innocent and an unknowing tease. Starts off naive but is hardworking and has genius talent which lends to his ability to drastically improve
  • Gong: Cool, stone-faced with built-up resources and reputation who acts as a mentor/big brother to the shou at the start while holding passionate possessive romantic feelings for the shou
  • Slow-burn romance
  • Weak-to-Strong protagonist
  • Meng-selling shou
  • One-sided pining gong
  • Everyone goes gay for the protagonist
  • Mostly fluff but can also tease
A biased defense of the novel from other reviews:

  • The story will get better. It starts off "cringy" of you're used to OP protagonists (which tbh is most of us danmei readers) but the almost OP quick-learning/genius ability of the MC offsets that and provides the same reader "power-high" feeling.
  • The MC naivety is a huge meng/cute point in the novel.
  • It has a good mix of high-tension combat, friendly off-combat, skill-levelling and subtle romance encounters. It gives the novel a more rounder feel than just doggedly pursuing the plot or getting the couple together.
Overall, it's a light-hearted mid-tier danmei novel which sells badassery as well as it sells fluff.
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agathe
agathe rated it
February 21, 2020
Status: Completed
Starts nice, some good ideas, but somewhat lose it’s energy when it starts to make senses, how disappointing ?

romance makes it dull, and it’s also not too satisfying - but I’m starting to feel this way about all yaoi : why on earth obsess about « role » attribution when all the point should be getting out of gender bias ?
And in here the complete « blade / scabbard » metaphor makes it even worse : come on ! That male / female thing, and so are 0/1... !... more>> Dull

i have no need to explore the detail of bed stories, but if you write about two guys, can’t they at least both have male attributes ? (By the way « butts », are universal in human kind... !)

i don’t get the appetite of writers for destiny or any kind of predestined things... it honestly rarely makes anything better, some might find it « awww - cute », but I feel like it removes substance, deny the meaning of efforts, or something <<less
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smolgingerfox
smolgingerfox rated it
February 1, 2020
Status: --
I love these sort of adventure stories with lots of action. Also a gentle MC that is bada** in his own way. I love rabbits!! ? the ML is great, just the kind of almost emotionless but soft only toward the MC kind of guy.

I definitely binged all of the translated chapters and almost cried when I realized I had to start waiting for releases.

I want more dog food though. I’m waiting impatiently by the bowl. Feed me. ?
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secondthots
secondthots rated it
December 17, 2020
Status: Completed
All good things must come to an end...

I casually picked this up after reading Vanguard of the Eternal Night, an incredibly cute & fluffy assassin transmigration story. I needed something that acted as a filler before I launched myself into The Earth is Online & I turned off my brain expecting an easy & long read.

YOOOOOO I HAVE NOTHING BUT MAD RESPECT FOR THIS BIG-BRAINED AUTHOR. HOLY SMOKES!

Less than a quarter into the novel, I had to force my brain to turn on because each instance had... more>> me mind-f*cked. That's how good the plot was. This is your not-so-typical transmigration story. I feel that has been used a lot, but I feel like in a gist, that is what this story encapsulates. MC is an idol & during his audition, he suddenly transmigrates a thousand-plus years into the future, where the world has expanded into intergalactic trade & travel, where technology is at its peak & imagination maximized into its full potential. During this chaotic time-jump, MC is dragged into a reality survival broadcast show, mistaking it to be his intended audition location. sh*t hits the fan, bullets fly back & forth, & our beloved protagonist is nothing short of a sitting duck awaiting slaughter... until ML picks him up ;)

The power-balance, the action, the fact that the author's brain is 10000x bigger than my rice-grain sized one, the amount of HISTORY that history classes can't compare to, the tooth-aching FLUFF from the main CP, the plot twists, the side characters- I cannot stress how much I adore this novel. No smut, I'M SORRY. I am equally just as devastated. However, the story is a novel experience. The build-up between the main CP practically blew up my heart & the gratification I received from a SINGLE KISS sent me straight to the moon. It was an incredible romance, executed phenomenally. I still don't know how I'm going to get over this one...

My favorite, all-time quote from this novel:

Spoiler

"There's a fierce beast in my heart, and the reins are in your hands." --c96.1

AHHHHHHHHHHHHH--- I SWOONED & DIED.

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My favorite arc:

Spoiler

Has to be the dinosaurs.. I mean they RODE ON A FREAKING QUETZALCOATL & HELD HANDS! On an honest note, I expected that there would be at least one instance that would bore me to death, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that there's always an exciting new factor to each one. A very creative move on the author's part- loved it!

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Ritsuka
Ritsuka rated it
December 10, 2020
Status: Completed
I'm writing this review for people like me who are extremely picky when it comes to novels and myself because I don't want to forget the exhilaration and excitement I had while reading this masterpiece! Listen well my comrades!

I can actually guarantee that this BL novel will rise up to the top BL novels in NU. For me it was even better than Game Loading and Zombie Wife (no offence). Even tho I give 5 stars easily, this novel is one of few that is truly worth these 5 stars.... more>> Why? Well its simple because I gave most novels 5 stars based on only some elements that I liked but I'm giving this 5 star because I absolutely loved every freakin thing about this!

The problem with long novels is that I suddenly lose interest in them even though they are good but with this I can say that even these 238 chapters which were long as hell weren't enough to satisfy me. The author could write a 1000 chapters and I would still read them all enthusiastically!

Starting from our MC, Little Witch.I absolutely adore this baby to death!From the first chapter, he was the definition of adorable! Like I liked him so much that I seriously wanted to check out boy bands to see if I can find anyone as adorable as him! And then when he danced, the text was literally oozing sexiness describing how sexy little witch danced! And I once again wanted to follow boy bands! (Even tho I'm not a fan) His actions, to his speech and innocence, such a well behaved child! I'd love to adopt him!!!! But thats not all folks!The baby has literally the best freakin character development i've seen for BL MCs! From a cute little white rabbit, he slowly and steadily evolved into a badass! I want to tell you guys even tho the summary describes the plot as MC thrown into the wild and then MC quickly adapting to the wild becoming OP thats not the case at all! Little witch was extremely intelligent but he was weak and even his data calculations had faults! Rather than him becoming OP in a flash, he worked hard super diligently, facing setbacks, criticisms and finally achieved his dream! It was the best character development! Even though the ML helped at times but Little witch himself denied the ML help most of the time and chose the hard way and proved himself!
Spoiler

Tho I was angry that they changed his background from time traveller to scabbard from R-base but the way the author described the back story was so beautiful that it won me over. How the turn of events exactly played out for Lil witch and readers to think he time travelled was impeccable!

My precious smol lil witch! I cried so much for him when he was banging on the window calling for Wei Shi!

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Now about ML, truthfully I expected him to be some figurehead of the survival show who'll get interested in the MC while saying omoshiroi! And then chase him but colour me surprised! He was talent show trainee and even tho he seemed like your typical cold, possessive ML I absolutely loved him from the start. How he gave pointers to MC and was so freakin gentle to him! And he clearly acted so funny and in a wholesome manner with the MC! Giving him rabbit, milk toffees, guns and quietly acting jelly! Consulting guides to flirt! I loved their tactic understanding! Brain waves! His way of respecting the MC's choice even though he wanted to help him so much! And believing in the MC no matter what happened! And he just kept getting more and more interesting as the novel progressed, getting better at flirting and expressing his emotions! Mind you there's a reason he was emotionless at start
Spoiler

its related to his genetic modification as he had to go through emotional lock but believe me with each layer of the lock unlocked, I loved him more and more

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Just get yourself a Wei Shi, Ladies! One of the best MLs ever!

The relationship b/w the MC and ML was one of the best! Such a freakin sweet romance! With lots of kisses, hugs and headpats! Both of them respecting each other's wishes and the MC wanting to stand beside the ML on equal level and working hard for it! The proposal and their first kiss can literally be described as one thing:enough to stun you! They were legendary! Their dynamic was so good! With little witch, wanting to be his lackey first and then after becoming a couple with Wei Shi, he acted so spoiled and bullied him often too! Putting rabbit on his head! Feeling out his waist! XDD

The side characters tbh are the most fleshed out in this novel than any other I have read! I freakin loved all of them! At first I thought all of the side characters will be scheming villains like how most novels do but to my surprise they were all so fun and wholesome! They were all battle junkies with straightforward minds! Ceasar my man! The funniest character! Our caring Mama Zoe and gentle Wen Lin! The Jigyi double C (our side CP), Wei Yan and Thin Fire! Red!I just can't name them all! They were all such nice and wholesome people who took competition as competition and competed honestly without taking anything to heart! Even the villain (which felt like minor villain tbh)
Spoiler

I'm so glad he got a chance to redeem himself and lead a happy life because I never hated him!He was just a masochist lol! I actually felt quite bad for him when he made his wishlist but I'm so glad the author gave him a chance!

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The plot was literally freakin perfect! I was hyped from the first chapter and the author maintained the hype through out! The theme for each match were so unique and interesting that I was pulled in right from the start! The battle tension! Tactics! Thrill of wanting to know whats going to happen next! I never once wanted to put this aside and binged it all in one go! The comedy elements mixed in always made me smile and laugh out loud! The Action was so good and each match was so unique that I felt that it could go as an anime that would be loved by people! The balance between the romance, action (progress of plot) and background arcs was greatly managed and it just made me love it more! There was some angst but it wasn't much and the amount present just made my heart soften and made me tear up. Wholesomeness was 100 tho.I teared up a lot of times due to sheer wholesomeness!

The ending was really proper!Telling us in detail all what happened in the future and showing our favourite side characters! Tho I would have loved more but its still perfect!

Anyone hesitating to read this, go read this NOW! IT IS TOTALLY WORTH YOUR TIME AND WILL BECOME ONE OF THE BEST READS! <<less
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MoistCracker
MoistCracker rated it
October 18, 2020
Status: c169
I can't even begin to explain how beautiful the mind of the author is upon writing this story. Before talking about the characters, I want to talk about how the author totally fleshed out and built the world completely using it for various puzzles and scenarios. Every instances are written so well that you'd find yourself drowning in a world of vivid imagination. The pacing, the wording, all of it falls into a place and I especially like how it builds you up to the climax and can quickly calm... more>> you down in an instant as well. As most story goes though, there are very strong arcs and relatively weaker ones. You'd have your favorite instances and challenges, and instances that you want to end as soon as possible.

As for the characters, let's talk about the MC.
    1. I can somehow understand some people's "hate" towards him. I mean at first glance he is the very soft type, dense type character at the start but he actually deserves all the hype as well because of how hard working he is. He doesn't wait for anyone to save him or help him because he does it himself. He trains harder than anyone and when he has a goal, he dives into it with full-fledged commitment. That's what makes him amazing. He's not weak. He's very talented, and handsome to boot but he's very far from the perfect mary-sue character everyone who hasn't gone too far in the story says. People may want to protect him because of his initial appearance but he's actually the one capable of protecting people.
    1. The best part I like about him is when
      Spoiler

      he realized his feelings, he goes to actually pursue the ML himself! He doesn't really just sit around idly by waiting to be picked up and noticed. He's such a dear baby, I tell you

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As for the ML, yeah he definitely fits into the ice cold mysterious filthy rich super smart trope but there's actually a VERY GOOD reason for his temperament which you will discover throughout the story. There's actual development from him too and you will see him try his hardest to be someone better for the MC. And you know what's the best thing about him? He DOESN'T interfere much into the MC's decisions. Unlike controlling MLs, this one lets the MC take all the liberty and teaches the MC the lessons or consequences of his own choices. He's very supportive of the MC's goals.

As for the side characters, you can't just help but love them all the same. Most of them are actually very important characters that you can't just replace with anyone. Though it's undeniably true that there are a few who's been written especially for comic relief but it's all harmless fun, not really annoying kinda way.

Well that's my piece of thought. Please give this story a chance because the summary really doesn't do justice. Don't be scared by the reviews. I don't know how to tell you to trust me on this but you will not regret it.

I've read a lot of novels but this is my first time writing a review here because I think some comments are being too critical especially to the main character who actually deserves all the admiration.

It's going to remain one of my most favorites. <<less
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ResidentialPsycho
ResidentialPsycho rated it
June 14, 2020
Status: c117 part2
At first glance, this looks like a story where the MC time-traveled to the future and accidentally became a participant in a survival game. I have reason to believe this may not be the truth, and I'm looking forward to figuring out what actually happened. The MC is naive regarding anything he was not trained for, and he has yet to think about anyone from his original home even once other than his agent. He never thinks of or says anything about his family, friends, or school life. He never... more>> recalls any specific details about his childhood or even how he was raised. All of this appears to have been done very intentionally by the author, and the MC is not as stereotypical or flat as he pretends to be.

Spoiler

It is possible the MC hasn't traveled across time at all and may himself be a genetically-modified person designed for dancing, singing, performing, and teamwork with high mental stability. All of his memories from the twenty-first century may be false memories since he doesn't recall any specific details. After one event in the series, there is a hint he may have seen the ML when they were younger, but he was trapped in a cage of some kind. The MC himself doesn't express any interest or curiosity in his past. It is confirmed that his brain is abnormal by how well he tolerates entering the ML's subconscious. He may have literally been made to do things like that.

The memory tampering would explain why the MC starts out so naive--he literally only has memories of his training and no actual memories from real-life experiences to rely on. He learns and develops quickly, though. This may be helped by his excellent memory, which may have resulted from genetic modification as well.

Most importantly, the MC appears to have been designed to be absolutely obedient and never hesitates when risking his life. This is something the Federation was trying to do with their modified humans, but they best thing they came up with to control them was the emotional shackles.

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Many of the reviews with low ratings do not mention the plot complexity of the story, which makes me wonder if those reviewers noticed it. To fully enjoy this story, a reader must be able to think and solve some puzzles for themselves as the hints are given regarding the major plotline and character backgrounds. This may look like a straightforward action-packed puzzle-solving series, but there is an abundance of depth and mysteries hidden in this series, too.

The imagery and plot are amazing. The side-characters all have their own distinct developed personalities and are hilarious to read about. The MC is naive and inexperienced, but I already explained my suspicious for that above. It's not something without reason, and he quickly learns more and becomes less naive as the story progresses. The ML is a modified human with emotional shackles, and he's been designed for combat. Unlike most MLs in Chinese web novels, he is not domineering, controlling, or violent. He does not force the MC to do anything he doesn't want to do and doesn't r*pe or force himself on the MC. He's not possessive to the point of emotional abuse and isolation. This is actually one of the rare examples of a healthy and equal relationship between a MC and a ML. It'd be great if more series followed this example.

There were comments that mentioned the ML has no reason to fall for the MC, but the reason is explicitly explained fairly early in the series. This is not love at first sight and is anything but random.
Spoiler

The MC began his treatment to remove his emotional shackles. Instead of following instructions and staying home to use his medication to forge an emotional bond with his cat like the psychiatrist recommended, he began his audition for the survival game show at that time. The psychiatrist had also recommended that, so the MC could forge relationships and develop a public identity, but he didn't mean for the MC to audition during this stage of treatment. The ML encounters the MC at the audition grounds while medicated to form an emotional bond with someone. Since he spends this critical time with the MC, he forms this companionship bond with the MC rather than the cat like he was intended to. He has a desire to spend time with his companion now that this bond is formed, and the psychiatrist and his friends encourage this as well.

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Fortunately, the MC is in desperate need of a trainer, so this works out well for both of them. Their relationship develops naturally from there.

The MC doesn't always rely on the ML and loves to battle against him, even though he's at an obvious disadvantage.

My one grievance at this point is that the world doesn't seem to take as much advantage of the sci-fi genre as it could. In an advanced world, why are they using any form of paper at all? In the current era, many companies have moved to using digital documents and signatures rather than using anything with paper already. Using paper sounds retro, even if the paper composition is different. Why are there paper books? Shouldn't they all be digital? How long does it take for interplanetary travel? What planet is the MC on anyway? Why does it sound like television and other videos still use screens rather than 3D projections or photos? I would expect much cooler technology for an advanced, interplanetary society. In such a place, how is the MC considered so beautiful when anyone should be able to change his or her appearance freely?

When I first started reading this series, I would have only rated it as a 3 or 4, but the depth of the plot and the rationale for the MC's attitude and behavior made me change that around completely. The rules and games of each competition are amazing and comparable to those in Hunter x Hunter, except this games don't usually result in permanent character deaths.

This series is well-worth reading, even for a reader who isn't interested in BL. Strongly recommended for its action, puzzles, plot, and mystery. This is a fun, exciting read that practically kept me glued to my computer for the past few days as I spent all of my free time catching up in the series. <<less
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Kikiji
Kikiji rated it
January 18, 2020
Status: c35
The plot and characters are all sensible and flows in a way that doesn't prompt you to suspense your belief every other chapter. This story has an overall light hearted tone, despite the fact that they're participating in a survival show. Most issues are low stakes and you know the MC will succeed or the ML or appear, but the problems have enough weight that as a reader, I enjoyed the way they're resolved. Entertainment value is definitely high.

I can't say our main CP broke any molds of the typical... more>> MC and ML but they, especially in the way the MC acts in making process and improving steadily (not too slow, not too fast) as the story goes on, have their own unique flavor.

I have to say the world building and writing in general is definitely well done. [Thumbs up] <<less
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Adlt_1226
Adlt_1226 rated it
December 22, 2020
Status: Completed
A very satisfying read, unlike some of the other entertainment/gaming novels which tend to become boring halfway because of the repetitive instances, this one was not. It had a lot of very interesting factoids and trivia thrown in about historical events, the sciences, math, the arts and a lot more; the character development was great too, and the fluff was sprinkled just right. I also liked how the author wrote the ending for the key characters in the novel. Translation was fantastic. Worth a read, highly entertaining and exceptionally enjoyable.
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Rustle silver butterflies
Rustle silver butterflies rated it
April 22, 2020
Status: c100
I love this. It's survival show although no one die but it's really cool and exciting. I love character grown.

MC is smart and hardworking bun, beautiful and talented bun. He is loveable and innocent. He is so obedient but he doesn't annoying. At beginning he is weak and can't does anything but he quickly learns and grows. He still save their character naive and silly kid. From the first meet he is fan of ML? He is admirate and trust him.

I really like ML because he believes in MC,... more>> supports and teaches him. He don't just protect him he really wants him to grow and become stronger. And he doesn't force him and doesn't behave as Male Yandere. He doesn't fell in love from first sight and chasing him. But he is subconsciously care about him and want to please.

They have mutuality and good impression of each other. Their interact very sweet and warm.

This really good story about beautiful and innocent-looking guy who becomes seriously fierce opponent and it's good contrast with apereance and strength in fighting. I like world setting, characters and challenges it's fun and simple to read. <<less
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