- #1
Yes this is that kind of story. The competition will usually go for a few days or a month without meaningful break. It's competition after competion, and you can easily skip it and still follow the romance progression outside of it. But the romance are very minisclue that perhaps you'll only get 20 chapters (compare it to 180ch) if you skip all the games (this is only an exaggeration).
Fortunately the games are not entirely boring.
At earlier chapters, the competitions are quite meaningful and dramatic because people just get to know MC (Ye Shaoyang/nicknamed Yangyang). Like, who is this newbie omega player?? What can he do?? And it was quite fun to see how shocked or pressured their opponents were because the author wrote it in comedic way.
However after that, it became a bit duller. There are no more surprises, the pattern of the fans, audiences, and opponents became fixed/predictable. Perhaps the author also realized this and at one point just skipped all comments and finish a game without any outside interruption, as if the world was only inside the game.
The pace of some games became much faster which for me is a positive thing. (Author is really good at story pacing)
For people who like moba games or teamwork action in general, I think this type of novel is pretty enjoyable. I've never skip a battle and I enjoyed all action and rounds. I do take breaks, when I need romance/drama I'll read other stuff.
The author was very comprehensive when creating the heroes and their skill. I'm very impressed A LOT by how much imagination and works the author has been working for this fictional moba games.
For the games alone, I'll set aside all my tastes and give this novel five stars.
Of course it's not 100% beliavable because it's fiction.
For example, the author made several couple heroes (two heroes who complement each other as in name, design or skill) so we can pair up MC & ML. This is creative works so I don't think it's important whether this set up is beliavable or not. It's cute. It's harmless 'shipping' tool. Why not?
For people who don't like moba games or teamwork action, earlier games are still quite fun to read. But it'll be hard to continue without ever skipping a game or taking a break. It's your choice.
When the romance is due, it's quite cute, beliavable, and Yangyang's realization about the meaning of Alpha-Omega's marking is so damn hilarious!! I couldn't stop rolling in my bed and smiling/gigling by my self.
[collapse]2. The MC (and ML) is OP and his team always winSpoilerA game has 3 or 5 rounds. They don't always win a round, but yes, up until ch 180 they have never lost a game (maybe I'm wrong but if they ever lose, it's very forgettable, meaning it doesn't affect their overall outcome at all).
This is logical if the author wants to make them win the world competition in MC's first debut (which I guess is) because the system of the tournament won't allow a team to lose too much.
If they lose one or two games, then they have to make up for it with another game and it'll make the story much longer. So I bear with it.
I also think it's beliavable for a power house to suddenly emerge in a tournament and bulldoze their way to the top, although it's very rare.
Unfortunately, yes the MC and ML felt OP because MC and Tianhuan's (their team) coach team could always come up with new team arrangement that have never been used before, catching their opponent off guard. The problem is, their opponents never do the same. They always use old arrangements which everyone already know.
Well in reality it's hard to come up with new arrangement. But Yangyang (MC) is from another world so his view isn't stuck in what already existed. It's also completemented by his personality that like to challange the impossible.
I think the author wants to highlight his strength and also make the story more interesting than just winning though skill alone which is even more impossible and will look more op.
Fortunately, some opponents old strategy are not easy to win, so it's still provide a bit challange and the battle aren't dull. Although you know they'll win, you still want to know how (at least for me)
Despite that, yes, the author still should let other team to come up with new team model/arrangements so Tianhuan will look less OP. Maybe they will in the future game.
Beside that, imo Ye Shaoyang (MC) is far from having golden finger. He's already a genius and experienced world-class gamer in his previous life after all. And in his current life he did practice a lot, no less or even more than other players. His teammates also worked hard. So, they still made me want to genuinely support them.
If you talk about golden finger, maybe you mean the tacit understanding between Yangyang and Chi Shuo/Cap Chi (ML), but if you pay attention to the game environment, as long as you play a lot with your team and have similar level of ability, I think it's achievable.
The author also mentioned other pair from other team also has good tacit understanding. Anyway it's not just MC and ML, but the author just don't mention others. Theirs are mentioned a lot to create a pairing/romantic atmosphere. After all it's dull if it's not mentioned.
If you still can't believe it, take it as their special ability of having 100% matching pheromone so their thoughts are syncronized. After all that 100% is not mentioned as much compared to other ABO with similar trait and I also want it to mean something.
Lastly if you compare it to "Fanservice Paradox", their tacit understanding is not cringey at all and has more reasonable explanation. *please don't hit me*
[collapse]3. Their confession aren't naturalSpoilerI only find Yangyang's sentence in his answer is unnatural but most likely it's because mtl.
I think Yangyang's thought, why he accepted CS's confession, is in line with his personality which is true to his heart (also honest, straightforward, isn't afraid of challange/something new). So he quickly realized his feeling and accepted it on spot which is reasonable.
In fact, he already think of it a lot before he was confessed and I sense a change in his heart at some point.
What a bit strange is, I thought he already realized his feeling before the confession, but somehow he haven't and rerealized it when he was confessed. Maybe I'm wrong. Anyway it's small stuff.
Beside that, I can't comment about other stuff.
[collapse]4. Side characters are dullSpoilerThey don't have much screen time or highlight during earlier chapters and when they appear, their personality are kinda dull.
But this story is not focused on each of the team personality/problem like in "Toxic Assembly Camp", nor it has side pairing like in "I Can Do It".
This story is more realistic in people. They still serve their role and purpose. I'm quite okay with that.
And it doesn't mean they won't have characters' development. Not only Yangyang's teammate, but other players from other team also has development both in character and game skill.
There is a quite moving story from a player from another team whom Yangyang made a friend of.
However Yangyang is not a gary stu! Although he does bring a lot of impact to people around him.
The author is just very skillfull to make her main character shine in every possible way.
[collapse]5. The ABO world is...SpoilerThis is not a smutty ABO worlds. Idk whether there will be smut in the future. But probably not in jjwx.
The ABO world in this novel looks quite clean and friendly.
The government managed the gender differences quite cleanly and organized, with respect. In most public and entertainment area, people are reminded about their hormone to prevent accident. And in earlier chapter Yangyang was asked about whether he was treated well as the sole omega in the dorm.
You are free to think whether this is restricting or not, but the author write it in good light.
I think this setting is quite in line with modern technology and mindset which is to prevent accident and creating safe environment for everyone regardless gender. But this ABO world still has some traditional aspects which create a bit of contradiction.
One example, there is a mindset that "omega should be delicate" as represented by Yangyang's younger cousin quite heavily. But when an omega like Yangyang showed up, people quickly accepted him with no more prejudice. A bit illogical but not important.
There are more but the review is getting too long. I'll just mention that despite Cap Chi has traditional mindset (which also pure mindset) to take responsibility for the omega he marked (albeit temporary), he can be quite unrestrained when he already thought that the omega is his, despite not being married yet.
Maybe this is just aspect of ABO that I don't understand.
Anyway it's hot so I accept this dog food.
[collapse]6. Other pointsSpoilerBoth Yangyang and Captain Chi have their own life, their circle of friends
They are very dedicated with their work, very professional.
It's adult romance in a sense they don't prioritize it over work. But it doesn't mean they aren't passionate when they can.
I think this has more realistic nuance compared to other esport novel, and more slice of life.
No overly jealous ML, no prolonged misunderstanding, it's solved quite cleanly. Tbh I don't like drama in this aspect.
Although game focused, the pace is good, reasonable. The author is very sensible in a lot of aspect as well. The writing style is comfortable to read.
mtl is quite understandable (for my standard), not as dry as other. Take this with a grain of salt.
[collapse].Spoilers (if you want to go straight to romance) warning: quite a spoiler:Spoilerch 121-125 ch important romance progression
ch 131 wet dream (no, it's not Cap Chi's)
ch 153 hugging again (after a game, a very meaningful hug)
ch 158 Cap Chi sing for Yangyang (actually don't skip the extra competition, it's fun)
ch 162 not real, but still confessions
ch 175 suspectible period & first kiss, second kiss, eh do I need to count?
ch 176 true confessions, finally
ch 184 maybe fourth or fifth kiss, I really don't need to count, right??
[collapse]The things happen in the chapters mentioned but it can be after a game (in the end of chapter) and it can continue to the next chapter, I won't bother to write the range.This is strictly romance spoiler after the previous translated chapter (that no longer exist). And maybe I missed some small thing so I'll add more spoiler in the future if anyone need it.