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Haha this surprised me, because I thought it would be great storytelling from the ratings and comments. I didn't read the novel, just the spoilers and the manga so far. But why are the characters so stupid, and change so fast? Thousands of shades of grey in humanity, and the characters only have a few? No real depth, and their reaction/actions suit the mc's plans. I don't feel any strategy, just wish fulfilment revenge.
In addition, based on spoilers, the mc has the thirst of revenge like a middle schooler, who seriously and innocently wishes death upon their classmate who talked badly behind their back. (But will feel guilty afterwards and wont even remember it growing up lol unlike evil mc)
And the icing on top, the misogyny, in a shoujo-like work. The saint of a daughter worthy of being loved. The witches to be burned for their cunning and greed – to weaponize their womanhood as the most cruel punishment, their dignity and grace solely on being a pure and demure lady, to lose their minds over losing a child (I think?). And the guys who supported these pathetic ladies seem like victims who deserve better lives? This is traditional, seemingly based on a patriarchal society and mindset, of also setting up two kinds of women-- one that is worthy of men's care and one that is not.
Going from what I know it's problematic imo, but who knows if someone finds comfort in this work, it's absolutely fine (it's fiction!). Or if it's just fun and interesting great! But I think there is a lack of acknowledgement for how problematic it is.
I mean... isn't most otome games problematic as is? And even most "reincarnated in otogame villainess" is just a saint holy mother cookie cutter molded otogame mc in the body of the villainess and ogMc painted as either a green tea bish or too dumb to know better than involve herself with multiple man (including engaged) naive "innocent" girl. Honestly they are already problematic and misogynistic enough for me.
I didn't read novel or spoilers... but mc's reactions seems pretty ok to me? Wanting to screw them over after having their only child humiliated and sentenced for death like that.. and remember that the new fiance was the one supposed to be sacrificed and that was not his family's fault. He is a villain he remember his past life but didn't become someone else. The difference between the revenge of a villain and a hero is just in which side readers are on and I feel he have enough reason since they are after his life.
Also... considering it's based on being kinda inside a otome game... why would you expect them to be smart? And even if they were... they are what a little over 20? And competing with someone who's been prime minister of the nation for years, and have memories of every aspect of the game. Like someone who's really obsessed with a datingsim will not just play it haphazardly. They play every route, get every ending of each of them, search for hidden pieces and easter eggs, know by heart the detailed background of the main characters and like to imagine how they'd react to random situations and scenarios. So yeah... it would be weirder if mc wasn't able to manipulate them to his liking.
Idk... I think I got tired of the many of the same in otome game genre and am just happy to see a villain villain as mc. We do have few of those. I do wonder how the bl will go tho... xD
That's a nice perspective. Thank you for helping me understand the other side of it. But in case, please don't let the expression of my opinion tamper your joy of liking the work. It's wonderful as it is.
To answer, I guess for me I was put off by the severity and type of punishment for the lady characters and how the worst way the author could think of is such a demeaning way to what society might perceive as the worst for a "woman". They could have just died, been socially outcasted, be revealed for their selfish motives rather than that. I wanted a more tasteful approach basically if they decided to imclude it. Because those can be very triggering issues.
I love it though that you find a villain mc refreshing. I just felt that the readers were on his side and were quick to pass judgements of evil to the villains because the characters were unlikeable. Seems extreme to me, and feel free to disagree, but imo mc is not compelling for a villain story.
I think my expectations were different. I thought I'd see good storytelling with grey characters, but it was more of a feel-good, easy on the mind and heart revenge kind of thing. The mc does not seem smart, his strategies and emotional manipulation are one layered and not multiple layers of: if I go wrong on plan a, do I have plan d? If another variable is introduced, can I conquer that? And I believe young people can be smart, esp in high stake situations. Esp since they are underestimated. I could be totally wrong, I didnt even read the novel haha, but Im not feeling the complexity. I was a bit disappointed is all.
But thanks again for letting me understand a bit of what you saw in it. The romance I agree, potentially a burning intrigue of an affair. Have fun reading :)
Don't worry, this kind of conversation won't affect my reading of it. I also hope you don't feel pressured to read it or like it since it's not my objective.
I don't know yet about their punishment but I can very well imagine it. No matter what kind of comic female punishment is usually super misogynistic. Male punishment is usually stripping them of power, imprisonment or death by guillotine. At most torture to get information but it rarely or never get to castration, public humiliation or anything sexual. Even more because what most men would think as punishment in that regard would just be homophobic. Which wouldn't be much better honestly.
On the guys getting a lesser punishment and the girls just being unlikeable. I can also understand but I'm also kinda torn. The other villain comic I read is "The one within the villainess". O don't know if you read it but I'll give you a little spoiler: the OgMc not only have a bad personality but uses "items" from the game to raise favorability, aka brainwash the targets. We get a lot of those, the ml's that were bad to the mc because they were "brainwashed" but are actually nice. The Mc of that one doesn't accept that as justification because if they had trusted her that wouldn't happen. It surely gives Mc a stronger reason for her revenge and behavior. What makes me torn is: should them be punished more harshly for not being brainwashed or be punished more lightly because asides Juliette not deserving to be cheated and senteced like that, they weren't exactly in the wrong about the father and church and wanted the betterment of the country. And those girls... were they just being naive and nice and falling in love or did they approach them purposefully to save themselves and climb the social ladder? Did they manipulate them on purpose? Did that girl seduce them knowingly? Is that better or worse than using a love potion? I'm waiting to know about that before deciding.
Honestly I'm fine with them not being too 3-dimentional and this being a more feel good story, otherwise it would be too angsty for me. But maybe they are shown mor in dept in the novel. Comic adaptations usually cut a lot and makes things way lighter than the novels. But maybe I'm wrong and the novel is like the comic. But I do also wish the author made it so that he have multiple countermeasures and second plans in case something goes wrong. Even if they aren't needed.
All in all I really just appreciate the "face-slapping" and feel good revenge being done in the villains POV. Usually when it's done by the Mc's authors do their best to justify their action and show them in a good light. And when the mc is female... the revenge is either a battle of words or depending on the smarter, stronger, richer and more powerful male lead to achieve success in life and have him punish them instead. Male mc's usually use their intelligence to get physically stronger and richer and use it all to kill off their enemies, het revenge and a powerful position. Female ones use their smarts and looks to manipulate and people around her into being on her side, make money, use the money to raise their reputation and get more allies, looks gook and act nice and seduce someone more powerful and let them bring her enemies to justice.
If I'm completely honest what attracts me in this comic is that the male mc is doing exactly what female mc's do, just not under the guise of "a nice person" by the author but because pretending to be a nice person makes things easier. And in the other comic I mentioned the female mc does kinda the same, doing what usually a male mc would do under the guise of "righteousness" and being a good person.
I wish I could recommend you some good comics and novels with deep characters... but I'm more into light reads instead. Maybe you will like more the stories with multiple incarnations but same romantic interest or the ones with a lot of character growth. I'd recommend look for novels on the NovelI Uppdates site and going for the tags that interest you more. Sometimes changing between comics and novels help when you get too bored with them.
Daniel... when I say I cried for you i mean literally all three times. (Incoming essay—too long but its for my heart okay)
I read this for the ml regrets part, but I didnt know I'd cry for a side character jdjxjejd. What made me sad was that I knew Daniel in the eyes of Rael, he was cheerful and competent. When he died, I didn't think much of it, and when I learned he was sick, I thought he had a reason, and that's sad—but that's it.
I didn't really know how much pain he felt until the side chapters. I didnt know he knew of his fate from a young age and when he got the diagnosis 3 years later, he decided to protect his family and his people. He was slowly dying from a disease where he seemed perfectly fine on the outside but inside the pain increased as his organs slowly melted away.
Despite that, he chose to live to the fullest. Even though he was born to a life of luxury and power, he chose to serve others by becoming what the kingdom needed. And perhaps even more remarkable—despite the unbearable and lonely suffering of dying slowly without anyone noticing, he wanted to live. He had become scared to die because he cherished his life and the people around him.
What made me cry so much is that I knew, but I didn't feel it before reading his pov in the side chapters. I guess his cheerful demeanour was too effective. Like how the word 'sick' didn't mean much to me until it was explained. Until I saw he hid alone, huddled in his bed under the pretense of a carefree break, having seizures and nosebleeds while thinking, this is it for me—only to survive till the next day. And still: he wanted to live.
(I was literally air screaming: AUTHORR WHAT BL THIS IS A TRAGEDYY HUHU)
Some moments that struck my heart about the young prince:
1. The way Daniel never wailed, complained nor showed weakness in front of the only person who knew: the doctor. And even said a calm thank you afterwards, despite the medicine not working on him anymore. He accepted his fate fully.
2. He was ready to sacrifice his body too, but he knew his body was too frail and without senses to handle it and the emperor would notice. And how he thought after the nightly affair that Rael could be stronger than him. I was like excuse me, how could you say that about yourself when you should know best how heavy and lonely the burdens you handle are?
3. He thought of everyone. He didn't feel contempt for Rael who was destined to get everything he has. Instead, he felt guilty for not taking his will into consideration. But while he gave Rael a heavy task, he also said that if Rael finds it too difficult, then he should choose to live as himself instead. He was guilty and grateful, and generally did not feel entitled—even though he had helped and saved a lot of people.
4. The fact he made everyone's lives (well maybe not his 'protege' Rael) easier when he was around. The kingdom functioned, the traitors were kept at bay, his father could continue to be his good natured self, and his brother enjoyed a relatively peaceful life before being king. He shouldered the responsibility and labour. He was the brain and the brawn. His lieutenant confidently said: not like anyone could kill you. And he smiled and agreed.
5. When he ate food voraciously despite not having a sense of taste anymore.
6. When he thought it was easy to live, he just needed to endure the pain. The same pain that caused others to commit suicide, and how the longest case was three but he lived to 5. And yet, at one point he thought of himself selfish for wanting to live. When i tell you, if I knew this man i'd slap him then hug him in tears.
7. The way he watched even in the afterlife shows he truly cared and lived his short and painful life deeply.
My AU is he got trnasmigrated to the modern world, lived a normal but shining life with people who love him and who he can be free and vulnerable with.
And my should-have-happened is that he should have at least died a warmer death, not the one he chose. Where his family, friends, and the kingdom would grieve for his actual death and know his pain and sacrifices so they'll mourn not only his loss but also how strong, kind, and exceptional their talented and competent prince is.
Oh its so much longer than I thought sorry (but ngl personally happy its without chat gpt, just pure emotion haha)
And yet Ill still be selfish and add no. 8-> how he considered the one good thing about the progression of his disease was that being cut by a sword doesn't hurt as much. But it's not becuase of a lessened sense of pain but because the inside pain is that much greater. Daniel, you lived a tragic but meaningful life, you deserve to rest. In the modern world hopefully wuhaha