- #1
I've really enjoyed this novel so far!Spoilers alert!Honestly, I started the novel with quite low expectations due to the MC, Eden, showing such attitude issues at the beginning. I thought I would feel uncomfortable with his character, but surprisingly, his character becomes more and more likable without becoming boring the more I read. As the story progresses, you will see that he is not that bad. On the contrary, he's quite a sweet guy with unique and interesting aspects in his personality. At first glance, he seems to be the type that doesn't use his brain well, much like a shounen manga's MC in the old age. His strengths seem to lay mostly in his musical talent and superhuman body. But he's actually not just that. It's really funny because he's the type that can be very intelligent when dropped into an environment where he has to survive on his own, but when there's someone with a better brain that he can rely on, he would just outsource his brain to that person without a minute of hesitation 🤣. Also, it's refreshing to have an idol MC who is a rapper, a leader, and a producer and has a rather straightforward personality without being brainless as well as an extremely strong body. Also, Eden's emotions were portrayed and explained well in the novel, so instead of making me feel annoyed, they made me feel more relatable. Thanks to those emotions and his past before the regression, the positive changes in Eden's character and his relationships with others as the story goes also feel very satisfying. He really makes me feel like a mom who watches her hopeless son gradually grow up and become more and more mature and reliable. It's to the point that I can reflexively say something like "our Eden might be a bit rude, but he's still a nice kid" whenever someone says something bad about him lol.Also, though the story also unfolds the emotions and growth of other characters, Eden seems to always be the center of everything. As someone who prefers mc-focused stories (but still not to the point of a mc-solo story), this is exactly my cup of tea. I especially love the arc where Eden participated in a famous rapping show. Mannn, every single chapter with him in the show is so enjoyable that I think I can re-read it from time to time. So far, those chapters have been when he shined the brightest. I still hope there would be more opportunities for him to shine like that in the future though.His system is also a pretty good one. It's not at all pushy about achievements, but it rather just wants to shape Eden into a good idol, who would not have to stray the way he did in the original timeline. I'm glad that I don't have to be annoyed with the system at all since it seems to be absolutely on mc's side. I also like that even though the system helps Eden here and there, Eden's skills completely came from his own talents, efforts, experiences, and enlightenments. And because he is very serious about music, it hits even harder when I read about his struggles during the slumps.Though the trope about insufficient/manipulated memories is seen quite often nowadays, I'm still glad that the author added that to the story as it gives the story the mysterious aspects that intrigue readers. It also provides the tension that prevents the story from being boring with only a transparent regression where we already know full well about the mc's past.One thing I also like is Eden's name lol. The author definitely had the Garden of Eden in mind as they gave him that name (proven by the account names of his fans in the novel). The pristine garden that was still vulnerable to evils really suits Eden's narrative, especially when you think about the meaning of his tattoos, his personality, and the events in the past before the regression.I highly recommend this novel for anyone who enjoys idol novels. It also has a manhwa version with quite good arts (really, Eden looks both handsome and pretty there, so I love it), so you can also give it a try.