Lifire Lotus
8 months ago
Not recommended
This is going to be my very first review on WuxiaWorld. I had high expectations for this novel and was eagerly looking forward to reading the first 50 chapters. Unfortunately, I ended up being deeply disappointed.
This review reflects my thoughts up to chapter 46.
First and foremost, the main character feels very one-dimensional. He's just a collection of positive qualities with nothing more to him. We don't gain much insight into his thoughts, he doesn't reflect on what’s happening around him, nor does he suffer, feel anger, or experience happiness. In fact, he seems to have no emotions at all, he comes across more like an AI, to be honest.
Another aspect that stood out is how his synergy with his Second Self is strongly tied to his happiness. The happier he is when defeating opponents - especially stronger ones - the more overlap time he gets (he becomes twice as strong and fast overlapping with his Second Self). But in reality, the MC usually just maintains a poker face or a cold expression, and we only learn afterward that he was actually happy or excited. The story relies heavily on telling rather than showing, which makes the character feel quite flat.
Also, his motivation to grow stronger feels like it came out of nowhere. He reincarnated, but we know nothing about his former self or the previous owner of the body. From what we can tell, neither of them had any interest in practicing martial arts, at least, that was confirmed for the person he reincarnated into. So, why does he suddenly have a passion for martial arts? His main motivation is to feel free and unrestrained, but what triggered this desire? It’s not like he was ever suppressed or humiliated before, so it doesn’t really make sense to me.
The most glaring issue for me is MC's cheat ability - it's way too overpowered, especially for this kind of setting. As mentioned in the synopsis, his shadowy Second Self can increase his strength and speed and absorb damage. Essentially, the MC used this ability to quickly catch up to people who had been training for many years by letting his Second Self absorb pain that would have otherwise crippled him and damaged his potential. As a result, in just a few months of painless training, the MC managed to surpass those who trained for over five years. We didn’t see him struggle, overcome pain, grit his teeth, or sweat, none of that. His gained power feels unearned, which diminishes the sense of growth and challenge.
Regarding the worldbuilding, it’s essentially non-existent. The world is quite similar to our own, and so far, there’s hardly been any mythical or magical elements. Everything feels quite boring and mundane. As someone else mentioned, the so-called power system lacks any real gradation or progression. People seem to regard martial arts with high esteem, even though there are firearms and other advanced weapons and technologies that can easily kill martial artists. So, at least for now, this isn’t a fantasy setting, just a regular, contemporary world.
I'm not sure if I'll continue reading this novel. It doesn't contain any elements that typically trigger me, I just find it boring and unfulfilling. I hope my review will be helpful for others.
This review reflects my thoughts up to chapter 46.
First and foremost, the main character feels very one-dimensional. He's just a collection of positive qualities with nothing more to him. We don't gain much insight into his thoughts, he doesn't reflect on what’s happening around him, nor does he suffer, feel anger, or experience happiness. In fact, he seems to have no emotions at all, he comes across more like an AI, to be honest.
Another aspect that stood out is how his synergy with his Second Self is strongly tied to his happiness. The happier he is when defeating opponents - especially stronger ones - the more overlap time he gets (he becomes twice as strong and fast overlapping with his Second Self). But in reality, the MC usually just maintains a poker face or a cold expression, and we only learn afterward that he was actually happy or excited. The story relies heavily on telling rather than showing, which makes the character feel quite flat.
Also, his motivation to grow stronger feels like it came out of nowhere. He reincarnated, but we know nothing about his former self or the previous owner of the body. From what we can tell, neither of them had any interest in practicing martial arts, at least, that was confirmed for the person he reincarnated into. So, why does he suddenly have a passion for martial arts? His main motivation is to feel free and unrestrained, but what triggered this desire? It’s not like he was ever suppressed or humiliated before, so it doesn’t really make sense to me.
The most glaring issue for me is MC's cheat ability - it's way too overpowered, especially for this kind of setting. As mentioned in the synopsis, his shadowy Second Self can increase his strength and speed and absorb damage. Essentially, the MC used this ability to quickly catch up to people who had been training for many years by letting his Second Self absorb pain that would have otherwise crippled him and damaged his potential. As a result, in just a few months of painless training, the MC managed to surpass those who trained for over five years. We didn’t see him struggle, overcome pain, grit his teeth, or sweat, none of that. His gained power feels unearned, which diminishes the sense of growth and challenge.
Regarding the worldbuilding, it’s essentially non-existent. The world is quite similar to our own, and so far, there’s hardly been any mythical or magical elements. Everything feels quite boring and mundane. As someone else mentioned, the so-called power system lacks any real gradation or progression. People seem to regard martial arts with high esteem, even though there are firearms and other advanced weapons and technologies that can easily kill martial artists. So, at least for now, this isn’t a fantasy setting, just a regular, contemporary world.
I'm not sure if I'll continue reading this novel. It doesn't contain any elements that typically trigger me, I just find it boring and unfulfilling. I hope my review will be helpful for others.