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A review by rensreading
The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System: Ren Zha Fanpai Zijiu Xitong (Novel) Vol. 2 by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
hoooo boi did everything go to shit in this volume. i’ve read the OG translation already so i had an idea of what i was getting into, but i truly did not feel very prepared. so much was jam-packed into this. it wasn’t necessarily hard to keep track of, but some of the minor details being changed in later scenes did trip me up here and there.
i missed luo binghe so much and his unhinged era? to die for, literally. the misunderstandings trope was used to the fullest here though so if that’s not to your liking, just know its resolved 70% of the way through the volume and isn’t going to reappear in the next three volumes thankfully. im not a huge fan of it myself so i was getting annoyed that they just wouldn’t TALK to each other instead of pointing fingers.
shen qingqiu being terrified for the better part of the story was concerning, to say the least. it definitely made sense when you think of how lbh treated the original goods, but sqq failed to factor in how his ooc-ness would cause ripples in the story. specifically when it came to the kind of person he had helped mold lbh into becoming when he was his disciple.
i still find it strange as hell that lbh fell for the closet thing he had to a father figure in his life though. that’s taking daddy issues to an extreme, especially when he just keeps throwing himself at his shizun hoping that sqq will finally hold onto him. they have the potential to be great but lbh absolutely needs to learn what the fuck consent is and how to abide by it. sqq’s glass closet was funny to watch but also sad as hell. i feel like someone definitely shoved comp-het shit down his throat as a child and its stuck with him ever since.
as for the majority of the content warnings, i cant even begin to explain them so i won’t. just know they’re a part of this and if you can’t handle that, skip this book and move on with life. this is one of mxtx’s funnier novels but the tone shift in this volume has left little room for humor. its reads a bit like a soap opera, which isn’t bad. just means its extra dramatic in front of a crowd when it really doesn’t need to be.
oh and lqg? i would die for him. its so obvious he has a crush on sqq. and the fighting with lbh because they’re jealous? very obviously a shitty wife plot point sqh cooked up and i will not be thanking airplane for that
once again, fuck the system!
i missed luo binghe so much and his unhinged era? to die for, literally. the misunderstandings trope was used to the fullest here though so if that’s not to your liking, just know its resolved 70% of the way through the volume and isn’t going to reappear in the next three volumes thankfully. im not a huge fan of it myself so i was getting annoyed that they just wouldn’t TALK to each other instead of pointing fingers.
shen qingqiu being terrified for the better part of the story was concerning, to say the least. it definitely made sense when you think of how lbh treated the original goods, but sqq failed to factor in how his ooc-ness would cause ripples in the story. specifically when it came to the kind of person he had helped mold lbh into becoming when he was his disciple.
i still find it strange as hell that lbh fell for the closet thing he had to a father figure in his life though. that’s taking daddy issues to an extreme, especially when he just keeps throwing himself at his shizun hoping that sqq will finally hold onto him. they have the potential to be great but lbh absolutely needs to learn what the fuck consent is and how to abide by it. sqq’s glass closet was funny to watch but also sad as hell. i feel like someone definitely shoved comp-het shit down his throat as a child and its stuck with him ever since.
as for the majority of the content warnings, i cant even begin to explain them so i won’t. just know they’re a part of this and if you can’t handle that, skip this book and move on with life. this is one of mxtx’s funnier novels but the tone shift in this volume has left little room for humor. its reads a bit like a soap opera, which isn’t bad. just means its extra dramatic in front of a crowd when it really doesn’t need to be.
oh and lqg? i would die for him. its so obvious he has a crush on sqq. and the fighting with lbh because they’re jealous? very obviously a shitty wife plot point sqh cooked up and i will not be thanking airplane for that
once again, fuck the system!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Homophobia, Self harm, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexism, Kidnapping, Murder, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Rape, Slavery, and Torture
internalized homophobia, comp-het themes, body horror, weapons, (forced) blood drinking, (false) allegations of rape, (false) implied allegations of necrophilia, minor description of being buried alive, major character death, and teacher/student relationship. the self-harm is of a mental kind, not physical by the way