What to Do When I Become a Koi and Fall into the Male God’s Bathtub

To be concise, this novel had a great concept regarding how the main character (MC) and love interest (ML) meet, but they both feel like wooden boards halfway through. There are no high stakes, very little foreshadowing, missing context, and poorly utilized side characters. I felt like I was fooled by the slowly darkening plot at the very beginning, and I fell into the trap of thinking this novel would be different.

It has a few original ideas, but they were not developed very well. The only part I truly enjoyed was the somewhat misunderstood relationship between the ML and MC at the very beginning.

Spoiler:
I literally didn't understand why the MC still had fatherly feelings for the ML and then asked to be in a romantic relationship??? There was no reason for that to be a thing except to set up the best joke in the novel about the MC treating the ML like a son when he's bald and like a lover when he's not.

Spoiler:
Then suddenly the MC is livestreaming because of his siren voice, but he never shows off his fishtail at any point? There's no need to be drawing unnecessary attention as a lucky koi merman (when the author has already mentioned how dangerous it is to be one). The ML literally said he'd provide energy stones for him...

I'll stop here; I'm getting worked up. I'm thinking of all the plot holes now.

TLDR: Good description, quite misleading. Beautifully written at the beginning, loses touch later.

This novel hit the perfect balance of fluff and angst that I was craving. It’s overwhelmingly fluffy, often making me pause to squeal with delight, yet it doesn’t shy away from deeper, more intense plot elements, which are crafted beautifully.

The male lead (ML) had a challenging childhood that significantly shaped his adult life, adding layers to his character and making him incredibly intriguing. He is one of the few MLs I genuinely adore and root for wholeheartedly. Watching him grow and develop his relationship with the main character (MC) is heartwarming and makes me believe in the concept of soulmates.

Additionally, the novel includes children in the extra chapters, though there’s no mpreg content. These sections are mostly from the ML’s perspective, which only deepened my appreciation for the novel. It’s rare for me to have a favorite character, but the ML has become one of mine. 10/10, I would definitely read it again.

The first half of the novel is very tense, emotional, and engaging, but the second half began to lose its grip on me as the dynamics between the main characters shifted. It gradually became more and more cliché, with the male lead showering gifts on a seemingly perfect, saint-like female lead. While one could argue that the female lead's character hasn't changed, the absence of the imminent threat of death and suffering made the narrative increasingly flat and uninteresting—for me, at least. It felt as though the characters and their relationship stopped evolving.

To give credit where it's due, the first half is emotionally powerful, and you really feel the gravity of the situation. This initial adventure is almost enough to carry the novel, even if my interest in the direction of the story waned.

Much darker than I initially expected from the description, but it has excellent storytelling, genuine character development, and a high-quality translation.

2024 Update: After two attempts, I ended up dropping this novel. Midway through, the plot shifts to a highly stereotypical interstellar narrative with a shallow main character (MC) and a show-off male lead (ML). This wouldn't be an issue if that's what I was looking for, but the stark contrast between the depth of the first half and the superficiality of the second half ruined the story for me.

Both fluffy and gory, I'd say it's the best among the BL horror games I'm currently reading. Unfortunately, it seems the translator got caught up in real life, and the last update was nearly a year ago.