The Reader and Protagonist Definitely Have to Be in True Love

Description

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An internet troll who wanted attention, the reader criticized his favorite web novel, saying: “The protagonist is dumb and the author is s*upid.”

Author: “…Got it.”

Unfortunately for him, the author actually listened to his (troll) feedback. The formerly lighthearted tale of a cute harem master suddenly became super dark and edgy. The reader could only helplessly look on as the protagonist was abused and betrayed, finally embarking on the road to becoming completely evil. Everything was a mess!

After that the reader transmigrated into a strange world. How come the person in front of him looks like the protagonist (evil undead version)? Just what is going on?!

Note: Du Zhe (读者 meaning Reader) and Du Ze (杜泽 the character’s name) sound almost the same

Associated Names
One entry per line
Độc giả và nhân vật chính tuyệt đối là chân ái
นักอ่านกับพระเอกน่ะต้องคู่กันอยู่แล้วนี่ !?
讀者和主角絕逼是真愛
读者和主角绝逼是真爱
Related Series
N/A
Recommendations
Quickly Wear the Face of the Devil (48)
The Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System (37)
Every Day the Protagonist Wants to Capture Me (32)
Transmigrating into a Mob Character to Rehabilitate the Villain Plan (27)
The Legendary Master’s Wife (20)
The Founder of Diabolism (15)
Recommendation Lists
  1. Reading Shelf
  2. Male Yandere List ^^
  3. Danmei read
  4. Medieval / historical magic/non-magic (bl)
  5. bl novels - completed

Latest Release

Date Group Release
04/09/18 BC Novels c96 (end)
04/05/18 BC Novels c95
03/31/18 Ainushi Translations c94
03/23/18 BC Novels c93.2
03/21/18 BC Novels c93.1
03/19/18 BC Novels c92.4
03/17/18 BC Novels c92.3
03/15/18 BC Novels c92.2
03/13/18 BC Novels c92.1
03/07/18 BC Novels c91.3
03/07/18 BC Novels c91.2
03/05/18 BC Novels c91.1
03/03/18 BC Novels c90.3
03/01/18 BC Novels c90.2
02/27/18 BC Novels c90.1
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413 Reviews sorted by


Lea168
Lea168 rated it
March 23, 2021
Status: c80 (on hold)
2/5*

Almost finished the novel, but quite disappointed. Main characters are 2-dimensional at best, barely any development. MC is really boring except that he is always described as silly and cute, but that's it. Side characters are 1-dimensional, barely play a role.

Story was very hard to follow as world building was all over the place. Mix of western fantasy, scifi, modern... Makes it messy and my head is dizzy from too many genres and too many fantastical elements. Really don't understand why this story is so popular and one of the... more>> most read BL novels. What am I missing here??? There is a lot of smut, is that why people read it? <<less
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sleeplessnk45
sleeplessnk45 rated it
June 6, 2019
Status: --
The ending is amazing. Well, this story is pretty amazing. MC is flawed and no one expects ML to be a good guy anyway.

... more>>
Spoiler

I just love how guilty the MC is for his role in destroying ml's life. Sure if it's just a character in the book then whatever, right? They're not real. But if you meet that character in real life and realize what they've been through was real for them, then you're just horrified. It reminds me of the movie Stranger than Fiction.

This to me is the appeal of this novel. MC trying his best to atone for what he believes he's done to the ml. He lets ML get away with using him and being submissive. It doesn't help that mc's deafness is the reason for his trauma and character. So others might feel he's too timid or quiet or boring, without thinking of how his characterization is actually like added with his guilt for his favorite character.

Even if he's not like other mc's, I think it's also important to have variation and diversity in novels. Not every MC needs to be strong and confident and badass, because not all people are like that anyway. People are different and not at all the same, so we should celebrate diversity in reading as well.

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anon25
anon25 rated it
November 17, 2018
Status: Completed
Its ok. Kind of boring because the MC's and ML's characters are lackluster. You could mostly predict the whole story. A big con would be the MC's character. He is too submissive. They both don't have much of a backstory or character growth. All characters apart from the main couple are just background stereotypical characters who have no importance in the story so much so their life or death seem almost seem irrelevant. Its mostly a typical shoujo manga turned BL. A good thing about this novel is that the... more>> MC is a little funny for the first few chapters. <<less
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metlife27
metlife27 rated it
December 21, 2017
Status: c70.2
One of two novels that regularly update and one of my favorite novels so far. I just love the story and the characters, especially the baby phoenix chick (I also love Du Ze, Xiu, and old John). It won't be long until this novel ends but I'm so glad that I decided to give this novel a chance. I've read everything since the first chapter was uploaded and I'll continue to do the same with the last chapter
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KKristen
KKristen rated it
December 8, 2017
Status: c63.2
The art and description make this novel seem like casual and silly BL-- but it's actually really good. It has a full-fledged story, and the plot development and action take precedence over any fluff.

Summary:

Du Ze is a black-powder fan -- who writes terrible reviews and hateful comments on his favorite author's writing in order to draw attention to it and increase the novel's popularity. One day, his trolling accidentally goes too far, and the offended author changes his normal "stallion" harem story into a depressing and dark tragedy in which... more>> the hero destroys the world. Before he reaches the end of the novel, the despairing Du Ze is transported into the world of the story and to the hero who has already turned "black."

Writing:

The two main characters, the reader and protagonist, are well-written and believable (despite the ML's protagonist-halo and otherworldly good looks). Their personalities and relationship develop slowly and surely. The dynamic between the stone-faced silly fanboy, Du Ze, and too-beautiful-to-be-true yandere, Xiu, is great fun to read. I particularly like how the author handled Du Ze's slow change in perspective from an outside observer to actually caring about Xiu as a person.

The pacing of the story is also very good, so it's easy to read this story without getting bored. The translation quality is GREAT, with helpful notes, frequent updates, and no difficult Chinese vocabulary to memorize.

The BL is also good. ;)

The minor downsides to this novel are that:
1.) None of the other side characters have major roles or developed personalities. (But really, this novel is only about the two main characters being in their own little world, so it doesn't really bother me.)
2.) It's still a parody of a typical "stallion" novel (you know, the ones where the protagonist has a golden-finger/cheat, rare treasures, god pets, harem, level-defying abilities, etc), so you have to be ok with those sorts of scenarios constantly popping up.
3.) There is an non-consent R-rated scene after Ch.50 that may offend/trigger some people. (Other rotten fujoshi may enjoy it, though... Just thought I'd mention it just to be safe.)

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this series. If you are a fan of stories with fantasy, parody, and the relationship between a dense/cold main character and possessive male lead, you will probably like this. <<less
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CrookedCrown
CrookedCrown rated it
September 19, 2017
Status: c25.2
Really love this manga! Not only is the story excellent, but the translator is the best at pushing out updates. I really love watching the protagonist's obsession and dependence on the Reader grow!

I also would LOVE to have a copy of Du Ze's doujinshi *cough cough* for educational purposes (/*/w/*/)
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Perry_08
Perry_08
February 22, 2023
Status: --
Some things just hit me too hard... I was also bad at socialising so I also learned to smile whenever I didn't understand anything... and one day a boy came upto my face and said why are you always smiling like an idiot. Well, I slowly lost my smile after that to the point where my friends get surprised whenever I do smile. The littlest things always seem to affect you in the biggest ways...
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ghoststories
ghoststories rated it
September 27, 2022
Status: Completed
This book is... fine. Not terrible, but also not terribly enjoyable (although there were enjoyable parts).

The beginning tries way too hard to be comedic and was hard to read because of all the internet/otaku slang. After a few chapters that calmed down a lot, and the story got pretty good for a while. In terms of characterization, I liked that the backstory of the MC ... more>>
Spoiler

developing social phobia due to his experiences when he first developed hearing loss in middle school, and how his social phobia and hearing loss affect the way he perceives the world and interacts with the ML and other characters. However, later on, it stops being interesting and feels like it’s only mentioned again when it’s convenient to the plot. For example, in the first maybe 1/3-1/2 of the book, MC’s hearing aid loses battery in the afternoon/evening so there are a lot of things he misses or can only understand based on watching people’s actions, but later on he can pretty much hear all of the time. The hearing aid is then only mentioned when the MC is noting that he can still hear, therefore it must not be nighttime yet (even though in several previous nights there was no mention of him not being able to hear).

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ML I felt was cheated because the author really only writes of him as a main character of a novel (and doesn’t even refer to him by name half the time, just calls him “the main character”). So his personality is pretty flat and uninteresting, even though based on his backstory he could actually have so much potential to be a compelling character.

For the plot, it was fine at the beginning, then got really interesting for a while, but about 2/3 of the way through it got really boring.
Spoiler

After they reached entered the tower that allows you to become a god, it became really formulaic because they were just repeatedly going to the different floors, completing the challenge, going back to the main lobby, and seeing that there was species’s statue added to the display, then repeat. And because the challenges themselves were not super interesting, it was boring and a chore to read through.

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The smut parts were also not that interesting. ML was just really forceful and MC just went along with everything. They didn’t really even change positions that much, and somehow everything seemed really... contrived? I got the impression the author is a virg*n lol. Or in other words, it seemed like the author skipped over a lot of parts because they didn’t know quite what would happen there. <<less
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iamblair
iamblair rated it
February 8, 2022
Status: Completed
I'm glad I didn't drop this. I almost stop reading this because I thought that it was not my cup of tea after reading the first 3 chapters.

The MC is a black-fan type of reader that transmigrated to the novel he was reading with only his knowledge of the plot and the 0-point restoration skill as his cheats. The ML is a good-turned-bad protagonist in the MC's favorite novel. In the whole novel, my favorite phrase would be "A silly, cute reader..." and my favorite character would be the phoenix... more>> bird.

I've read some bad reviews about this novel but I still tried and enjoyed reading this so maybe it's a matter of perspective and preference. I would recommend that you read the novel first because you never know, this may be worthwhile.

Some clarifications:

  • The r*pe scene
Spoiler

It happened once when the ML was forced to take aphrodisiac but after he regained his reason and realized that the MC was afraid of him, he promised that the event would not happen again and that he (ML) would never hurt him (MC). He stayed true to his promise, he only used his dragon form when needed and he never did something without the MC's consent. To be clear, I don't codone r*pe, I'm just explaining what happened in the novel.

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  • The R18 scenes - you can choose not to read it if you feel uncomfortable since the translator linked these R18 scenes to a different site.
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Scarletanemone
Scarletanemone rated it
December 19, 2021
Status: Completed
Everyone has their own view and taste. Although ML is a little yandere, he still respects the MC's decisions. At the same time the plot is funny and very emotional. Whenever I read the plot's climax, I cry cause it so f*cking hurt to see them suffering. In my opinion although this story is a little dark, it understandable. If you don'tl like a possessive and yandere ML then this novel is not your thing. I love this novel very much and this will be my favorite bl novel ever.... more>> So if you don't like it, then don't read it, there is no need to pay a low rating. <<less
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elsololobo
elsololobo rated it
December 9, 2021
Status: --
Reading this novel after reading a plot heavy novel with complex and well written characters is just like eating a plain stale cracker after having a satisfying meal.

Just so bland, characters felt so two dimensional and their relationship was just plain ass abusive how is this even romantic? The plot had potential tbh. I had high expectations when I saw lots of 5 star reviews, only to then be disappointed by a messy plot and flat characters.
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AliceJ
AliceJ rated it
October 30, 2021
Status: --
I don't understand how this got so many good ratings and I was deceived OK OK hear me out !

The MC is deaf which is unusual and I kinda liked it BUT he's useless and by useless I mean USELESS and I guess that's what has put me off, I don't like weak MCs they just get on my nerves.

The story is nice like really nice I like the world, but at some point within the story it just became... bland? so colorless so bleh...

The events also became boring and... more>> unengaging.

all in all I really didn't like the novel and I couldn't bring myself to finish it I'm sorry.I guess it's just not my cup of tea Xb <<less
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Ettoine
Ettoine rated it
September 22, 2020
Status: Completed
I Love this story. One of the most satisfying & complete read I've had for a while.

The story overall captivates me with its adventure, world built, protagonist and story progression. Really dynamic and a full fledged journey both event wise and characters' growth. Gave me some good laugh and picked my interest with the trials, challenges and riddles....

It has a balanced amount of: humor, adventure, fantasy, cruel reality/society tendency (xenofobia, etc) suspense, romance and characters' growth.
... more>>
Spoiler

I also appreciate that the MC is not OP. He seems to be invincible but actually he's fragile and the author don't try to give him some cheat armor powers to cheat on his flaws... Instead the author keep the message he's just a normal boy that can be strong using his own strength

instead of the oh so common novel convenient cliche logic " if you're a loser, inept and didn't spend your youth wisely you deserve to be given a cheat power... ". The fantasy of sloths....

The fact that the events were not rotating around the MC, but on the ML yet the MC role is not overlooked was good.. since he's not being put aside... he contributes and take part of the journey/events and meet various characters, grow and didn't suffer from the cliche of getting everything (power, women,...). The "you don't need to be at pinnacle of the food chain or experience catchy the love of more than three characters to experience a healthy and eventful love" was nice.

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Charcaters were really good. I like the MC and his character concept.

Spoiler

I also liked that he has some physical issues and trauma (ofc not rejoicing that he suffered) that doesn't not steam from the usual cause being: circumstances (plotting, scapegoething, jealous stepsibling lazy setup...) but physical appearance. I completely approve story that helps readers be more sensible of people with disabilities and such. Usually protagonist in novels are subjected to bullied MC for being poor so it was rare for once that the MC has a sort of physical issues.

The story helps a lot portraying and guiding people to see how people with disabilities aren't s*upid they can sense when something is odd or when people are faking their kindness or friendship. They aren't idiots.

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The ML is intriguing if you ask me~ the side characters didn't feel generic and easily forgettable either.

Spoiler

several races in one... Truly a miracle. Haha

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.... the adventure and the journey is what made it more engaging than the usual cheap romance of light novels known for its basic world building and generic event pattern. It's real nice of the author to bring the readers to experience and empathize what people with issues feels. I cried. <<less
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nazgul8126
nazgul8126 rated it
August 12, 2020
Status: c50.2
Overall: 2.5/5. Just... meh.

I got to chapter 10 before losing interest on my first attempt reading. And held on through to chapter 50 with my second attempt before dropping again. I must be missing something for how popular this novel is, but it just could not keep my attention.

The premise had potential with ML being the descendant of all 8 races in the world, where each arc is supposed to see MC accompany ML through each race’s metropolis and resolve a conflict. But the plot lines were superficial. I would... more>> rather there had only been, say, four races. Eight seems too unwieldy, and ML powers through each arc as if marking off a checklist rather than discovering his heritage. Too much telling rather than showing, especially when the MC goes on about how things were in the original book and compares that to the present situation.

The MC is also frustrating to read not just because of his obliviousness towards ML’s affections (Oh yes, it’s a very bro thing for MC to give ML a handjob. That doesn’t mean either ML or himself are bent or interested in each other though!) but also because he claims to want the ML to be a good person and not become blackened like in the original story... but just stands there as ML is wrecking devastation on the world. And the ML is no better, becoming insanely possessive when MC interacts with anyone else.

Finally, the writing is sometimes burdensome to read. Too many references to MC as “some silly, cute person” and ML as the “Moe Lord.” It’s not endearing. There’s probably quite a bit of other internet slang that is difficult to translate out of Chinese. Scum Villain has the same idea where MC is a reader that incited the author to change original ML from a naive protagonist into a blackened stallion but handles the internet lingo and role of MC as a reader much better. <<less
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StarPhia
StarPhia rated it
July 21, 2020
Status: Completed
10/5 the story was AWESOME! It had twists and turns! It made me cry! The ending wasn't super obvious! The main character, Du Ze, is adorable and his evil book was also hilarious! Xiu is awesome and his abilities are really well written. The plot has got to be the best part of this entire story, its super interesting! The romance is acutally kinda adorable!
Spoiler

Du Ze actualy had reasons to not want to be with Xiu, such as guilt! Also the last few chapters were really sad, I almost cried! Ajrerebhnjerjnfrjniowja why did Xiu have to suffer so much ;-;

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hejikkk
hejikkk rated it
June 12, 2020
Status: ~c15?
Truth be told, I just found this novel really bland and boring. It has all the cliches, your "sudden transmigration into a book you hate (at the current plot point) ", your "kinda op items from previous world", and "omg ML finds you and falls in love". The world building is kind of awkward, I feel like rather than the MCs traveling the world, its more like they just wander around and the places are created as they go. The mc's thought processes are also kind of redundant and uninteresting... more>> to read. ML is lowkey borderlining creepy atm

theres nothing unique about it overall, but maybe itll improve as it continues (considering the fact that so many ppl like this) ? Im dropping the novel here cause I dont see much potential for future development and I'm not exactly a fan of the writing at the current stage <<less
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FreyaS
FreyaS rated it
May 11, 2020
Status: Completed
This was a lot more violent and gruesome than I expected. Honestly, actually imagining the things the MC and ML went through (not to mention the brutal punishments ML dealt out to others) made me shiver. Overall, I enjoyed the story. I think it’s completely realistic how the ML fell for MC (hard not to when someone literally will give their soul to heal you). As for MC, I think how he fell in love was also realistic.

... more>>
Spoiler

i really loved the fact that he came to the realization that he was judging the ML based on the story he read, rather than actually getting to know the ML. I think that realization made the fact that he did fall in love even more believable.

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Its not a perfect story, but it was interesting, I believed the reason for the ML being crazy possessive was explained, and I thought the eventual romance also made sense. I’ll read it again. <<less
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YoriMei
YoriMei rated it
September 5, 2019
Status: Completed
This one grew on me. Honestly in the beginning I was trudging through this story a bit but once we started to ch 30 or so, the plot managed to hook me in along with the curious status of MC and why spirit beasts were scared of him. I binged this in literally 24 hours. (My eyes ache...)

I truly do love both the MC and the Novel for giving us a deaf MC and sticking with it, and it's refreshing to see the MC transmigrated as himself instead of... more>> into a character from the novel, and also remain weak (power wise) from beginning to the end. Rather than your typical "transmigration into novel, bend protag, fix flaws and win life", it's more like if the MC went into the novel but didn't set out to truly change anything. Instead, he's just there for the protag at his darkest time and then became a one of the party members. Rather than watching MC overcome challenges, it's more like watching the MC watch the ML go through his trials and reach his "happy end".

Was this great? Honestly, it's just a shrug from me. It had a lot of original elements, a really interesting antagonist and ending, the writing also was quite decent overall. That said, it's quite slow at times and the angel trial took so long I basically skimmed that to the end. There is a lot of hand waving, all problems are futile in front of ML's handy race-changing powers. Give it a shot, but be warned that it might not be everyone's cup of tea. <<less
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Orange Oranges
Orange Oranges rated it
September 10, 2018
Status: Completed
I created an account just so I can review this story. The story is amazing. The author did a great job and the translation team also did a phenomenal job. I really wish more people know about this.

As for the story, I don't really need to say much since a lot of the other reviews have summed up everything I have to say. The story is well paced. The characters are well developed. I love the way they handled the typical Chinese novel cliches, its GOLD!
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Snowwhitefox
Snowwhitefox rated it
September 3, 2018
Status: Completed
I thought this novel was really cute. Good smut scenes, satisfying ending, absolutely faithful ML, adorable, awkward, deadpan MC... loved it. Worth the time to read!

Spoiler

The dragon form smut scene made me uncomfortable but that was due to.... the vivid imagery of pain. >_<

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