11/10 cried AND lost my sanity... more>>

If someone ever asked me for the best piece of fiction ever written... well here you go (credits go to [redacted]). Kim Dokja, please seek therapy.  <<less

A very subjective 10/10 cried... more>>

If you want to wallow in misery, this is for you. Welcome to Satan's personal lounge, you cannot escape the angst and depression here. (The plot is admittedly not the strongest though) <<less

10/10 lost my sanity... more>>

I will be a corpse and still nobody will be able to pry this out of my cold, stiff hands. My girl Rosén outdid herself with the girlbossing, gaslighting, and gatekeeping. The ML was interesting, seasoned unlike the 10000000 other bland mls out there. The plot??? Stunning, that's all I'll say. Overall, very well-written and plot twisty until the end.  <<less

10/10 laughed... more>>

If s*upid met s*upider, got married, and fell in love (yes in that order, hence the title)

(unlike all the other novels on this list, this one's funny and lighthearted, enjoy) <<less

10/10 cried and slightly lost my sanity... more>>

What happens when the transmigrator who takes over your body is a better version of you? How do you meet these higher standards when you, the original owner of the body, return? How do you live with that? Can you live with that? A novel where every character is blameworthy yet blameless, innocent yet guilty, and the mc became a victim for being himself in his own body.  <<less

10/10 cried... more>>

I was this close to lowering the rating to a 9 because of how s*upid I sounded when singing its praises. "'My Beloved Oppressor!' was so good!" Not a pleasant experience, would not recommend. I would recommend, however, reading this novel for the way it explores the mc and the ml grappling with the consequences of circumstances beyond their control and how it affects their relationship with each other.

OK to preface, the ml admittedly seems shitty. But let's not reduce him to a piece of tr*sh. 

Sure, ml can be reduced to some shitty guy who tramples on the fl, but that's such a surface level interpretation of his character. He was forced to grow up in an extremely cruel and abusive environment, undergoing torture, betrayal, and the death of his teammates, all to train to become a child soldier/spy for fl's father and the rest of the nobility. Up until he met the fl, he never even developed or experienced a healthy relationship with anybody. Among those who resent the nobility, he has the most reasons to do so. Obviously as a consequence, he lacks emotional intelligence, which combined with the fact that as a figurehead in this new system of government, ml has to juggle his public image while figuring out his feelings for the fl, results in his neglect of the fl. 

Similarly, fl can be reduced to some innocent girl who's done nothing to deserve such hatred from society and the ml, but that overlooks her complacency in allowing the corrupt system to perpetuate. She benefitted off the suffering of so many. Sure, it was out of ignorance, but many of the commoners don't know that. To unify public opinion ('cause their nation is embroiled in a war and after undergoing a revolution, they need all the stability they can get), fl has been made the scapegoat of society's hatred and propaganda painting fl as some wicked witch is constantly being made. Those who are aware that she was ignorant of her family's evil are still resentful -- as far as they're concerned, her ignorance was the greatest sin because a sin, even committed in ignorance, can hurt others.

You don't have to like either of the characters for it but that's just the way things are. Besides, if you can understand the premise, then it's easier to appreciate the growth of the characters from this point onwards. You get to see how the ml, who was a product of his environment, grow beyond being just that. You get to see the fl mature out of her ignorance and take the initiative to involve herself in the betterment of a country her family and associates corrupted. 

Imo, it's done really well, so 10/10! (the title is still a disservice though) <<less

9/10 depressed... more>>

"They have different cries when they are born. The third voice that invades the human subconscious and shakes the sanctuary. A voice where angels and demons coexist. Their singing shows heaven, and their screams show hell."

A very interesting premise with an unreliable narrator to help you navigate through it!   <<less

9/10 depressed and laughed and slightly lost my sanity (got hit with a full combo)... more>>

The way the mc teases the ml T-T Overall, this novel has a very interesting premise where there is an explanation for awakening, regressions, and basically every magic system in the story that does not just boil down to "and so the system abracadabrad it into existence!!".  The plot twists were twisting (so much so I actually had to pull out ChatGPT, no, this is not a joke), and the angst was angsting.  <<less

No rating because it feels weird to rate someone's lived life especially considering the context of this novel. Just keep in mind that this all actually happened and don't be like me who read it thinking it was fiction only to see the summary after finishing every chapter...... more>>

This novel is like a series of diary entries (it's basically a compilation of Nan Kang's blog posts), documenting what happened following Nan Kang's separation from his boyfriend of many years and the realities of living as a gay person in 2000s China.  <<less

Again, no rating because it feels weird to rate someone's lived life especially considering the context of this novel. ... more>>

I read this after reading "Waiting Until 35 Years Old", and it's incredibly sad to see what Nan Kang had with his boyfriend. Whenever he makes an innocent remark about how he wished his present happiness could last forever...  <<less

8/10 cried but disgusted... more>>

My absolute condolences mc, that ml is an unredeemable piece of shit. The mc has one of the roughest lives I've ever read (and I've read "A Little Life"). He's honestly pitiful, but in his own passive, quiet way, he's a strong person. I love the author's writing style, particularly during the mc's POV. It was melancholiously beautiful (the way mc would measure the passing of his time in seasons and describe his emotions AH -- it always felt like he knew how he felt but could not put the name for the feeling or gave up trying). 

Now let's talk about the ml. This absolute turd. The only reason why this isn't a 10 is because of his contribution to the plot. Is he even a contribution? He's more of a hindrance. Like please, set my boy free you f*ckass leech. I stopped reading when the POV switched over to the emotionally constipated ml's, I actually can't with this absolute bakery of an ass.  <<less

8/10 intrigued... more>>

I FREAKING LOVE HISTORICAL FANTASY. Sorry, I'm lowkey a nerd, but this novel was hitting in terms of setting. OK so imagine this: 2 members of noble society living in Victorian era Britain while the Opium Wars were being waged. One of whom was born in a rich and powerful aristocratic family while the other worked his way up into the upper class through his merchant business as an opium seller. 

Can this go anywhere but down? Nope! 

To put it plainly, both of these characters are morally crooked. Sure, the mc is a product of his circumstances, but the ml? This guy was so entrenched in his greed for prestige and moving up the ranks that he gave up everything. He used his political power to advocate for a war with China so he could continue to sell opium in spite of them having dumped all of it into the ocean because it was turning Chinese citizens into vegetables. 

In essence, this story is about two messed up people who have a messed up relationship. The only reason why this isn't rated higher is 'cause the plot drags a little in the middle. Oh well. <<less

10/10 depressed but laughed... more>>

The concept of this novel is hilarious. The novel itself? Not so hilarious.

Basically, you have a guy who is the only sane survivor of a team of a thousand or so hunters that entered a dungeon that threatened to destroy Earth, all to save the planet. That's the mc. Understandably, this mc is very much so traumatised and depressed, even more so considering his age (he was the youngest and only a teenager...). The only thing keeping him alive? The wills that his teammates left him before they died. To put it simply, they were ludicrous. "Fish 10 5 m red anglers from this specific lake every Saturday morning." "Chew your food 3 times before swallowing." "Sleep 8 hrs every night." "Bake 10,000 cookies." "Knit 100 sweaters." "Run 10 km, do 100 pushups, and 100 squats every day." <this is just me paraphrasing from memory (I might've mixed up the last one with One Punch Man's training regime), but you get the idea. 

So now you have a mc who really wants to die but can't because he's honourable and has a good heart, so he must complete all these wills (they number in the hundreds) before he can die in peace. Now mix that with the fact that he's hiding his identity as the last survivor of that dungeon, and everybody's looking for him because the next apocalyptic dungeon is opening soon, and you have a very funny yet tragic story.  

This story is very dear to my heart, 10/10. 

***SPOILERS***

The fact that his deceased teammates gave him all those wills because they knew he was suicidal and wanted him to live well... They wanted him to eat well, sleep well, be healthy, and have hobbies T-T <<less

7/10... more>>

Boy oh boy do I love hunter stories. This story didn't necessarily stand out -- it didn't have a shocking plot twist, funny banter, unparalleled chemistry, or anything that permanently etches a novel into my mind. But what it did have, it did well. The hunter world, the regression, the further exploration of unspoken feelings from the mc and ml's past life, etc. It was all done excellently. Sure, the novel dragged a little in the middle, but that's why the rating is what it is.  <<less

7/10 sad... more>>

NOW THIS IS A PREMISE. A good person who is forced by the system to be the Earth's villain? Who is powerless against his designation of "evil" and is forced to repeat his days endlessly until he commits the evil act that the system assigned to him? Who is tired and decides to find the system's "hero" (hint hint, the ml) to end it all? Now we're talking. 

To be fair, I didn't fully read this, and only skimmed through the middle and end, so take what I say with a grain of salt. The novel had a very strong start, and it executed its premise very well. The middle did drag though, and the end was confusing, hence the rating. <<less

8/10 depressed ... more>>

FYI: I read a different translation of this a while back, and the translator put a lot of effort into making a quality translation but they ended up taking it down. I'm not sure about the quality of the current translation, but the story was very solid. Think traumatised ex-secret agent X steadfast, honourable cop.  <<less

8/10 depressed and intrigued... more>>

Again, I LOVE HISTORICAL FANTASY. 

Honestly, I just felt bad for the mc. Like what an unfortunate hand to be dealt with in life. While it is not the worst, it certainly does suck. I really liked how he navigated his circumstances though -- there was a good mix of politics, and the lead-up to that arc was so good. 

Now as for THAT arc... I dunno what to say man. I guess I just wanna ask. How do you fall in love with that thing? Especially after all he did to you? Of your own volition too???

That's why my rating is the way it is. 

(Anyway, this novel has an excellent manhwa with fantastic translations that are very in-line with the story's temporal setting, you should totally read it)  <<less

8/10

7/10

8/10

8/10

10/10 ouch my heart

9/10 yowchie, expected that though

8/10 solid characters and plot