It was a useless ability, right till the very end. That’s what Shion thought as he was dying. Among all the tr*sh, it was the tr*shiest that could only record.
Even when the Libra family was taking his life, his ability, ‘Notepad’, could only record.
But then, with his return, the amplification of the Notepad occurred. Not only recording and storing, but also recalling memories.
All the conditions were prepared.
“My future dream is to be a guardian knight of Libra.”
Now, Shion is about to record their downfall from the closest place to his enemies.
[Memoirs of the Returnee]
It's intriguing how our weak, sickly orphan, seemingly connected to numerous celebrity young masters who despise the protagonist, hasn't taken any action against him despite constant provocation, vandalism, and antagonism. In a decent story, I would usually trust the author to explain these anomalies later. But given the author's手法, the reliance on the plot notebook as a driving force, it leaves me skeptical and unable to suspend my disbelief.
The story hints at his desire for self-reliance and revenge, but as I progress, I find myself skeptical about his ability to stand firm. He does show resilience against classmates, but when it comes to the main female lead (her name escapes me), he's overly compliant, believing he must be a knight in shining armor for her. However, she doesn't seem to reciprocate his feelings or care much about him, treating him more like a charity case.
The secondary female lead (name forgotten) adds to the annoyance, as do most other characters in the book, who seemingly despise the MC unjustifiably. The only character I find likable is the old man in the basement, deserving of more attention. The MC's lack of emotional support leaves me concerned about his chances of achieving revenge and suggests he might crumble under the affection of the Libra household.
While I enjoy romance and harem stories, the current character dynamics suggest the MC would benefit from being more guarded and possibly dropping the harem tag. If the romantic interest were to shift towards the old man, that could create a more engaging dynamic (just kidding). That's my take on the matter.
On a personal note, I actually like both books, and I'd argue that this one is marginally superior thus far. However, there are some drawbacks. The initial chapters focus heavily on a cliché where everyone dislikes the protagonist unjustifiably, which can feel repetitive after a while. The sudden hostility between characters can be frustrating, especially when their dynamics become predictable.
Additionally, the author occasionally veers off course into unrelated and absurd subplots, such as a video game-inspired world or a time loop, which might confuse some readers. The power progression in the story lacks coherence, allowing the主角 to seemingly perform impossible feats due to their overwhelming strength. While this doesn't bother me much, others might find it problematic.
Despite these shortcomings, the engaging narrative and evolving character relationships make for an enjoyable read. The writing is generally good, and the translation is solid. Considering its overall quality compared to other works on the platform, I believe this novel deserves a 5-star rating despite its flaws.
Given that the story is still ongoing, one cannot help but hope that this novel avoids the common issue faced by Gab-Song's other titles, which often struggle with satisfying endings. Nevertheless, based on the promising start, I wholeheartedly recommend this book!