So…Scum Villain

Ok.
So…I’ve been meaning to start on The Untamed after I (finally) completed CHQY but I got sidetracked by other dramas…and then I finally got to starting on The Untamed but before that, I decided to look up the author of the novel, MXTX, and learned of her other works – SVSSS & TGCF. This made me recall that I had previously found a complete playlist reading of MDZS and had shelved it for after I was done with The Untamed. On that same channel was the complete playlist reading for SVSSS so I gave it a casual listen.

And that…was something I shouldn’t have done.

I only did that because I was curious about MXTX’s other works. I haven’t (“officially”) watched The Untamed but I know the gist of what happens and I really liked the story and characters. The characters are really fleshed out and their every action and words can be explained if you analyse their past. The characters don’t do or say things because the author wants them to, but because it is something that the character would do. This creates a connection between the readers and the characters.

So. From what I (think I) know of The Untamed, I love it. How the story is told, how the events unfold, the character’s experiences and growth. I’ve never had a favourite author before, but if anyone asks now, it’s MXTX. Which is why I decided to “casually” listen to the reading of SVSSS.

And now I’m stuck in the SVSSS hole.

I’ve been listening to it on the train (instead of working on the CHQY novel), at work (with one earpiece in), when I’m home, even falling asleep to it some nights. It has even replaced my drama watching time. I have no words. At this point I’ve probably heard the story at least twenty times. I didn’t count.

And now I’m kind of afraid to listen to the reading of MDZS. Because SVSSS has a lighthearted tone and it already made me so sad. MDZS doesn’t have a system so everything will definitely be more serious.

I’ll start on The Untamed soon. I have to, I want to. I just need to climb out of the SVSSS hole that LBH has dug and SQQ has pushed me in.

And I plan on doing that by spilling my guts here.
But because I have no one to talk to about SVSSS…
Hi.

Note that there’ll be spoilers, do not read further if you do not want to be spoiled.

The story started off really light-hearted and I really enjoyed SQQ’s inner thoughts and internal arguments with the system, what with him cursing at the system for deducting 10 B points times 6, when he was internally scolding a crying NYY for running about (the scene where they were captured by Die Er)…and also when he realised that LBH had no intention of killing him…but wanted to…pursue him.

I also liked the many twists and revelations at the end, finding out that Tian Lang Jun wasn’t that bad afterall, that LBH is under his XM’s control and about YQY’s past with SJ. Speaking of YQY, we were given two hints prior to the reveal but that scene still had me shook and emotional, especially at the thought of how the angelic YQY in the original timeline must’ve felt when he received SQQ’s legs. I cannot even begin to imagine the devastation he must’ve felt. Think about this. In the past, even though he had risked his life to cultivate as quickly as he could, just because he hadn’t made it back quickly enough to rescue SQQ like he had promised, he had tried to make it up to him in any way he could, by agreeing to his every request and even protecting him with his life. If this angel realised that he had failed to protect SQQ, that SQQ had had his limbs torn off…(I’m tearing up lol – NEXT!!)

A twist that I find hilarious is LBH’s jade pendant. Knowing that it would be a great item for placating LBH, SQQ was reluctant to use it and I had thought that it would come into use either when LBH goes on a killing spree or everything would be just fine and SQQ would give it to LBH at the end, tying a nice bow on the story. However, MXTX surprised me as always and SQQ gave it to LBH at the end, after SQQ had already suffered in his attempt to placate LBH. SQQ…poor thing.
And also poor me because I’m not actually a fujoshi and it was around bedtime when I first listened to that part and…let’s just say that I was traumatised and ended up sleeping at 4am that night. (Remember how I mentioned that I’ve heard this story at least twenty times? I’ve always skipped that part ever since.)
Ignoring the fact that the jade pendant can only be used when certain requirements are met, I keep thinking about how things would’ve turned out if LBH had known about the pendant earlier. LBH wouldn’t have felt insecure about SQQ’s attitude towards him, XM wouldn’t have controlled him, SQQ wouldn’t have orchestrated his death. If all that didn’t happen, would LBH still be the innocent little sheep? Because although he had blackened after returning from the demon realm, he was still not too far gone because he was still clinging onto the hope that SQQ had his reasons and had only really blackened after SQQ’s “death”.

TLJ is a really weird character and we were shown that right from the beginning, when TLJ had asked SQQ why he would want LBH’s body when his was more good looking – WHEN IT WAS ROTTING AND HIS LIMBS WERE CONSTANTLY FALLING OFF! Another scene that showed his weird character was when he had suspected that LBH was in SQQ’s lodging together with ZZL and he had wanted to watch them 🤣
Because he was supposedly this powerful character, the final BOSS that even airplane didn’t know how LBH should defeat, the revelation that LBH was actually the one behind the merger really threw me off. Especially because LBH had been acting cute with SQQ just a few hours ago, asking to ride with him.

One character that I feel really sorry for is Gong Yi Xiao, such a righteous and upright young man…gone just like that. Although his character was probably set as a canon fodder right from the start, MXTX’s addition of SQQ’s unfulfilled promise to let GYX visit Qing Jing Peak made the news of his death more crushing and regretful, especially since he had died right after helping SQQ to escape. Later in the novel, the reveal that ZZL had actually killed him in passing made his death even more senseless.
On another note, the fact that ZZL was at Huan Hua Palace…on further thought, he was probably there to collect SQQ after succeeding in making him lose his reputation. Killing the 100+ disciples present was also probably to silence any witnesses while also painting a picture of the “evil” SQQ killing everyone and making his escape, further cutting any ties SQQ would have with the human realm.

Oh and the revelation in the last chapter that Chun Shan Hen was written by LMY was a cute little touch.

So…in an attempt to get over SVSSS, I went and read the extra chapters about Bing ge and Bing mei. One thing that bothers me is that technically, Bro Bing should be waaaay stronger but the both seems to be on par? I couldn’t really tell because Bing mei wasn’t in his best condition and SQQ had to help out but if you consider the differences in their journeys, Bing ge has fully mastered his XM, Bing ge has the powers from the flower (the one that he picked for QWY but later got transferred to him when they papapa-ed) and Bing mei’s powers are greatly damaged because he killed the figures in his dreams every night for 5 years.
Regardless, these chapters provided the knowledge that both LBHs can co-exist in the same world and that Bing ge seems not to hate SQQ that much…maybe even liking him? And that was when I realised that the hole I was in? It has now turned to quicksand.
I’m kind of mad that MXTX ended it off with Bro Bing simply returning to his world and –
I need more SQQ x Bing ge interactions.
I need to know how Bing ge feels about this SQQ ~ Whether the blackened Bing ge can still be ‘changed’ by SQQ like Bing mei had been.
I need to know what SQQ will do when stuck between Bing ge and Bing mei ~ From what MXTX had written, SQQ seems to have a soft spot for Bing ge just because of his face.
Basically,
I need a sequel.
But it’s most likely not coming.
Like…Ever.
Never ever.
😭

(And I don’t dare to read the other extras because the hole I’m in is deep enough)

And then they released the animation.
KYAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

So let me get the complains out of the way first – Their unnatural (at times) lip movements bother me.

That’s all, now on to the good stuffs.

Little sheep LBH is so cute! And I especially like his fiery gaze as he fought against his fellow disciples.

I feel like they’ve made SQQ dumber. I mean, it’s just the first episode and he has already fainted twice. Like what? Also, novel SQQ had the intellect to bypass the system’s OOC function and give the medication to LBH by being mean about it but animation SQQ ended up drinking the non edible medicine *facepalms*

I’m not too bothered by that though, because I feel like it’s a necessity if they want the animation to have a more lighthearted feel. After all, SQQ can go on long trains of thought in the novel but we can’t have animation SQQ blanking out as he rants / argues with the system – there would be nothing for them to animate!
This is especially obvious in the final scene of episode 1 where LBH lost his jade pendant. The animation tried to stay true to the book but I feel like it was a little chaotic, especially for someone who hadn’t read the novel. They had to pick SQQ’s “important” lines and had him quickly say them as the scene shifts to him for a second before returning to LBH.