She is the Protagonist (Novel)

Asyeurin Dec 29, 2020

8

I can't lie - I really love this series. I highly recommend it, and I especially recommend it if you're looking for romance, comedy, GL or are unsure about Chinese novels.She is the Protagonist in not an angsty novel - that's not to say there's no conflict or drama, but, possibly because the main characters are, you know, grounded, healthy adults who mutually respect and trust one another, it's very comfortable to read, making it enjoyable and relaxing (although I still end up seal clapping when they're being cute), with a lot of light-hearted scenes to make you smile and laugh.The author is very fond of writing lovably witty 4D protagonists, and Yu Ru Bing - or Yu Bu Ru Bing (Yu Not Ru Bing) - is among the most eccentric of them. Reading several of their works side by side the author's preferences and humour clearly bleed through, but I still don't get tired of reading unpredictable heroines like Ru Bing. Tang Han Qui on the other hand is the cool, competent and dependable type, but derives a very human vitality from her furious will to live freely, or not at all - a trait which she shares with Yu Ru Bing.The characters are both funny and likable, with a mid-sized cast of supporting characters. Yu Ru Bing feels very genuine in her strength and optimism - her rough past doesn't read like a sob story; she's dealing with it, she's dealt with it, she's not a pitiful person, and it gives her this calm-in-the-face-of-danger vibe that contrasts her seemingly scatterbrained and easy-going self. She is well matched with Tang Han Qiu in this regard; although on the surface they are very different people with contrasting personalities, they are both very driven people, who give what they get unhesitatingly, be it foul or favour. This common ground gives them a unity from very early on that fits very well with the story, and is a solid foundation for their relationship.This is a single transfer novel-system type transmigration story, with the heroine as the transmigrator - however the should-be villainess has also awakened and escaped the system to become a free character, labelled a bug by the system. The novel is written in the third person from both of their perspectives varyingly.There is an original-male-leads-are-scum trope, and the main characters are a bit OP, but not too unreasonably so - at least in my opinion. Yu Ru Bing is supported by the in world heroine's halo, while Tang Han Qui has the character settings of a formidable love rival - wealth, status and beauty are all on her side. Combined with the luck maxing halo, there shouldn't reasonably be much in the novel world that can stand in their way - however the antagonist is the system itself, that is to say, the apparent overseer of said world that is trying to control Tang Han Qiu. Additionally, there is some mild plot armour giving the protagonist a head start in the entertainment world, but building idol talent isn't a plot focus in this story - if anything it's the bts/irl celebrity drama that is relevant to the story, and most of all, the key point of everything is the development of the relationship of the main CP.There's a background plot revolving around the system, mini arcs defined by show biz, and sub-plots relating to side characters, so the romance takes its time to build naturally and slowly while we become immersed in the world, only showering the readers with sweetness later - there's no love at first sight or love overnight here.The characters are career focused; they start out on a good note, but don't start really bonding until a good few chapters in - and it takes them even longer to move from friendship to romance. It makes their love feel sincere and precious, and their relationship very comfortable and humorous. Overall there isn't a great deal of conflict, at least nothing truly angst worthy. The series is amusing and lighthearted pretty much throughout, with a very wholesome core of healthy relationships across the board, and the bad people are bad because they can't treat others decently. It's pretty much the opposite of your average toxic YA romance there, and Ru Bing made me laugh a lot. I did have to take off a star for when everyone clapped at the end though.If you want to ask me if SitP is a literary masterpiece, written to move the heavens and the earth - well no, it's not, but it's not supposed to be. This isn't written by Hayao Miyazaki or Makoto Shinkai, it's not going to touch your soul and pierce your heart, leaving you with withdrawal symptoms for days. But I still think it's really good. After all, it's not written to be like that; it wasn't the author's intention to raise your spiritual level and bring you one step closer to enlightenment. The intention is for something enjoyable, funny, stimulating and shippable. It's also definitely a response to the relentless waves of terrible romance dramas with manipulative and borderline abusive relationship dynamics and obscene levels of cat fighting. (Don't worry, it turns out there's an individual responsible for all that trash, and she'll get what's coming to her eventually. Ah, catharsis. Anyway.)SitP stands out to me as more than just fluff, perhaps because I find the characters memorable, perhaps because the soft but steady nature of the romance puts my heart at ease, who can say? But I find it interesting, amusing, sweet, well paced, and well written. Please give it a read, and support the author on jjwxc if you like it.