- #1
In the process of reading this and enjoying so far. I did read some reviews and went in with some expectations.Regarding the review that said MCH “sold out” after writing Earth is Online and just wanted to write something that’s typical/cliched... really must not have read many MCH works. She’s always written very extremely typical and two dimensional danmei characters - very OP shou/gong, both good looking, never make any mistakes, etc etc.What she’s really good at, and this novel is no exception, is the storyline and plot. Fourth Perspective has a super unique premise and it’s so different in fact that took me quite a few chapters to wrap my head around it. I don’t think I’ve read any novel, Chinese or Western, with such a unique set of rules and scenarios. So big props for that! MCH says this is not infinite flow and I would agree with her. Earth is Online is already quite different from regular infinite flow and this one goes in an even more unique and mind-boggling direction. She’s amazing at world-building and this is her biggest strength.However MCH’s weakness (in my opinion) is always in her characters. Her characters are very typical and two dimensional. The situations they are in are fascinating, but they are not lol. I agree with another review’s criticism of the MC. He’s just way too... perfect. And it doesn’t make sense in the context of the story. Other stories have the MC being reborn/come from a different world/had rather bizarre life experiences growing up etc to explain why they are so unflappable. But when it comes to this MC it’s stressed that he’s ordinary (author states this multiple times). He’s never travelled outside his hometown even. Had ordinary growing up with a warm loving mother. So why is he so smart, so calm, nothing can phase him, he’s just born perfect is that it? Then why say he’s ordinary over and over again, but then have him behave so differently to all the other ordinary characters. Without an in story explanation, it does feel a bit jarring and you can see the deux ex machina of the author’s pen (or the protagonist’s halo) too strongly. It’s to early to see romance but MCH’s romances are always pretty thin, and relationship drama is never the focus of her novels. It’s always just slowly simmering and burning in the background, sort of like a little extra sprinkle of flavour on the top but definitely not the meat of the meal.I’m complaining but I’m still reading lol. MCH’s world building is just too amazing. The characters are just the vehicles by which the amazing scenarios play out. That’s how I see it.
