7 Novel Recommendations (VERY long post)
If you like Trapped in a Webnovel, you might also like the following (click to expand).
WARNING : spoilers ahead, though I tried making them vague
Warning 2: these are all NOVELS. Unless otherwise stated, they have no comic adaptations. Only no. 4 & 5 have manhwa versions so far.
Still here? Ok, let’s proceed.
*Bromance ratings provided in units of Jonghyuk, where 0=no bait, 1=are you sure this is not BL
1-“The Editor is the Novel’s Extra”
(Do NOT confuse this with “The Novel’s Extra,” these are different novels! TNE is a harem, EITNE is not)
An editor is transported into the world of a 8-times rewritten manuscript & possesses Kleio, the timid son of a nobleman. He doesn’t want to get involved, but his talent in magic puts him in the role of the kingmaker (Merlin-type character backing the original MC, the 3rd prince who is literally named Arthur).
Cons: Really slow at the beginning. If you like the protagonist to jump into action right away, don’t read this.
Pros: Wait for political schemes, & a villain who is genuinely a threat. Arthur’s older brother Melchior is politically smart & uses charisma to manipulate people - though he’s not blindly evil.
Also, the psychological aspect is really good. Kleio might be an editor, so he’s fine with saying “this world is fictional,” but a few other characters (not transmigrators, as in 2-3 characters born in the manuscript so far) become aware of the drafts being rewritten. Author (unlike most other writers of this mini-genre) actually explores mental instability/irrational grudges being fueled by having conflicting sets of memories each time the author rewrites the draft.
Bromance Level: 0.3 Jonghyuk
2-S-Classes That I Raised
In which our MC, Yoojin (F-class) resents his S-class hunter little brother, but after his younger brother dies saving him, he regrets everything & wishes to go back in time. When time resets, he find that he now has the skill “Perfect Caregiver,” with which he can “raise” people with talent. First half is a wacky comedy in which he manages a bunch of yandere-ish S-class hunters who all like him, but don’t necessarily like each other. Second half takes a sharp turn for the serious, going into the nitty-gritty of timelines & paradoxes (still a comedy though).
Cons: confusing if you skim instead of read. Also, anti-JP sentiment typical of KR novels, but you can skip these bits.
Pros: dynamics between characters. It might look all fluffy, “MC beloved by everyone,” but it isn’t entirely. A few of the S-classes have twisted ideas of family, putting MC in physical danger, which prevents him from being too OP. Also, our MC Yoojin’s dynamic with his little brother goes between “haha both of them are yanderes” & “damn-onion cutting ninjas really going at it with the inferiority complex VS unresolved guilt.” And it works better than it sounds.
Bromance: 0.7 Jonghyuk
3-Legend of the Sun Knight
Not a dungeon or transmigrator story, but a pure fantasy/action. It’s a comedy in which our main cast, who all are high-ranking knights working for the church, have to act out pre-set roles that contradict their personalities. The titular Sun Knight, our vicious MC, has to pretend to be an all-loving hero while dealing with scandals in the palace, taxation issues, revolts, demons, etc.
Cons: lots of info dumping
Pros: a bromance level of 0.5 Jonghyuk
4-Omniscient Reader (novel & comic both)
Do I really have to introduce this one? This is the king of epic Korean bromance. Please do read the novel too, as there are some metal quotes & beautiful turns of phrase that got cut out of the comic adaptation. Search up “ORV Boxnovel” to access all 551 novel chapters.
Bromance: 1.0 Jonghyuk
because this is literally where Jonghyuk (aka. The 1st to say “2 men can be Companions of Life and Death, and live 1000 lifetimes to meet again, but no homo”) comes from
5-Trash of the Count’s Family (novel & comic both)
Smart protagonist who claims he is lazy, but is revealed to be a super unreliable narrator, with a huge-scale plot involving naval battles (Operation Ghost arc is fantastic), politics, etc. So much foreshadowing. Heck, even what people complain about (how come MC isn’t trying to go back? Why’s he so calm & seems used to this?) are later explained (hohoho, TCF chapter 273) & become plot points (around the 500-600 ch. marks). Go on Eat Apple Pies to read.
Bromance: 0.6 Jonghyuk. It was 0.4 in the beginning, but Postype has a ton of ChoiCale fanfic
Now, for the recommendations that I hesitate to give you…
6-Regressor Instruction Manual
A bunch of people from Earth wake up in a monster-infested dungeon. Our MC, Kiyoung, is actually a man w/ no sword/magic talent. However, he can see the titles of others (like a game stat board). He realizes that one of the other people—Kim Hyunsung—is a regressor & latches onto the regressor (plus a bunch of other people w/ potential) in order to survive. Kiyoung quickly realizes that while these people are better at fighting, he’s the one who best understands politics & how to deal with rival guilds.
Cons: the harem. Some of the female characters are well-written, some are… not. Also, the MC really is scummy.
Pros: MC is not just a bastard, he is a Magnificent Bastard. Fun to watch his schemes succeed, fun to watch him also trip himself up when his plans don’t go right.
Also, BROMANCE. There’s the princess carry scene, the part where only the MC can snap the regressor out of a breakdown, the part where the ML falls in love with the MC’s genderbent form (long story), ML imprisoning MC in a windowless room to “protect him from the world,” etc. If you thought I was exaggerating, too bad; all of these things happened. Come get y’all gaybaiting juice.
Bromance: 0.8 Jonghyuk
7-I Don’t Want This Reincarnation
An ACTUAL BL novel in a dungeon setting. MC is a man who wakes up in the body of a really unfortunate fictional character who works as the henchman of the main villain. Somehow, he gains the attention of both the villain & hero.
Cons: Novel just started being translated.
Pros: Go to Novel Updates & look this up. No, really, do it. The MC Yigyeol looks identical to Choi Yuseong, but with slightly darker hair (think sand blonde instead of champagne blonde). Both of the MLs look like Dojin. The villain looks like Dojin (behavior: sadistic edition) with long bangs. Hero looks like Dojin (behavior: cold edition, with hidden yandere) with his hair parted on the other side. If you want to see a MC who looks just like Yuseong collect a harem of Dojin expies, read this. Also, the plot is fun & there’s a lot of action (not the R-rated kind, this isn’t explicit in that way. I mean battle scenes)
Bromance: This is straight-up BL. Do not measure with Jonghyuks.
Now, as for where to read:
Type “novel name” + “Novel Updates” into Google search bar. Exceptions are Trash Count (b/c the Korean fandom found out about translations) & Omniscient Reader (NU page only has chapters till 39), so for either of these, you’ll have to find an aggregator site.
If you like Trapped in a Webnovel, you might also like the following (click to expand).
WARNING : spoilers ahead, though I tried making them vague
Warning 2: these are all NOVELS. Unless otherwise stated, they have no comic adaptations. Only no. 4 & 5 have manhwa versions so far.
Still here? Ok, let’s proceed.
*Bromance ratings provided in units of Jonghyuk, where 0=no bait, 1=are you sure this is not BL
1-“The Editor is the Novel’s Extra”
(Do NOT confuse this with “The Novel’s Extra,” these are different novels! TNE is a harem, EITNE is not)
An editor is transported into the world of a 8-times rewritten manuscript & possesses Kleio, the timid son of a nobleman. He doesn’t want to get involved, but his talent in magic puts him in the role of the kingmaker (Merlin-type character backing the original MC, the 3rd prince who is literally named Arthur).
Cons: Really slow at the beginning. If you like the protagonist to jump into action right away, don’t read this.
Pros: Wait for political schemes, & a villain who is genuinely a threat. Arthur’s older brother Melchior is politically smart & uses charisma to manipulate people - though he’s not blindly evil.
Also, the psychological aspect is really good. Kleio might be an editor, so he’s fine with saying “this world is fictional,” but a few other characters (not transmigrators, as in 2-3 characters born in the manuscript so far) become aware of the drafts being rewritten. Author (unlike most other writers of this mini-genre) actually explores mental instability/irrational grudges being fueled by having conflicting sets of memories each time the author rewrites the draft.
Bromance Level: 0.3 Jonghyuk
2-S-Classes That I Raised
In which our MC, Yoojin (F-class) resents his S-class hunter little brother, but after his younger brother dies saving him, he regrets everything & wishes to go back in time. When time resets, he find that he now has the skill “Perfect Caregiver,” with which he can “raise” people with talent. First half is a wacky comedy in which he manages a bunch of yandere-ish S-class hunters who all like him, but don’t necessarily like each other. Second half takes a sharp turn for the serious, going into the nitty-gritty of timelines & paradoxes (still a comedy though).
Cons: confusing if you skim instead of read. Also, anti-JP sentiment typical of KR novels, but you can skip these bits.
Pros: dynamics between characters. It might look all fluffy, “MC beloved by everyone,” but it isn’t entirely. A few of the S-classes have twisted ideas of family, putting MC in physical danger, which prevents him from being too OP. Also, our MC Yoojin’s dynamic with his little brother goes between “haha both of them are yanderes” & “damn-onion cutting ninjas really going at it with the inferiority complex VS unresolved guilt.” And it works better than it sounds.
Bromance: 0.7 Jonghyuk
3-Legend of the Sun Knight
Not a dungeon or transmigrator story, but a pure fantasy/action. It’s a comedy in which our main cast, who all are high-ranking knights working for the church, have to act out pre-set roles that contradict their personalities. The titular Sun Knight, our vicious MC, has to pretend to be an all-loving hero while dealing with scandals in the palace, taxation issues, revolts, demons, etc.
Cons: lots of info dumping
Pros: a bromance level of 0.5 Jonghyuk
4-Omniscient Reader (novel & comic both)
Do I really have to introduce this one? This is the king of epic Korean bromance. Please do read the novel too, as there are some metal quotes & beautiful turns of phrase that got cut out of the comic adaptation. Search up “ORV Boxnovel” to access all 551 novel chapters.
Bromance: 1.0 Jonghyuk
because this is literally where Jonghyuk (aka. The 1st to say “2 men can be Companions of Life and Death, and live 1000 lifetimes to meet again, but no homo”) comes from
5-Trash of the Count’s Family (novel & comic both)
Smart protagonist who claims he is lazy, but is revealed to be a super unreliable narrator, with a huge-scale plot involving naval battles (Operation Ghost arc is fantastic), politics, etc. So much foreshadowing. Heck, even what people complain about (how come MC isn’t trying to go back? Why’s he so calm & seems used to this?) are later explained (hohoho, TCF chapter 273) & become plot points (around the 500-600 ch. marks). Go on Eat Apple Pies to read.
Bromance: 0.6 Jonghyuk. It was 0.4 in the beginning, but Postype has a ton of ChoiCale fanfic
Now, for the recommendations that I hesitate to give you…
6-Regressor Instruction Manual
A bunch of people from Earth wake up in a monster-infested dungeon. Our MC, Kiyoung, is actually a man w/ no sword/magic talent. However, he can see the titles of others (like a game stat board). He realizes that one of the other people—Kim Hyunsung—is a regressor & latches onto the regressor (plus a bunch of other people w/ potential) in order to survive. Kiyoung quickly realizes that while these people are better at fighting, he’s the one who best understands politics & how to deal with rival guilds.
Cons: the harem. Some of the female characters are well-written, some are… not. Also, the MC really is scummy.
Pros: MC is not just a bastard, he is a Magnificent Bastard. Fun to watch his schemes succeed, fun to watch him also trip himself up when his plans don’t go right.
Also, BROMANCE. There’s the princess carry scene, the part where only the MC can snap the regressor out of a breakdown, the part where the ML falls in love with the MC’s genderbent form (long story), ML imprisoning MC in a windowless room to “protect him from the world,” etc. If you thought I was exaggerating, too bad; all of these things happened. Come get y’all gaybaiting juice.
Bromance: 0.8 Jonghyuk
7-I Don’t Want This Reincarnation
An ACTUAL BL novel in a dungeon setting. MC is a man who wakes up in the body of a really unfortunate fictional character who works as the henchman of the main villain. Somehow, he gains the attention of both the villain & hero.
Cons: Novel just started being translated.
Pros: Go to Novel Updates & look this up. No, really, do it. The MC Yigyeol looks identical to Choi Yuseong, but with slightly darker hair (think sand blonde instead of champagne blonde). Both of the MLs look like Dojin. The villain looks like Dojin (behavior: sadistic edition) with long bangs. Hero looks like Dojin (behavior: cold edition, with hidden yandere) with his hair parted on the other side. If you want to see a MC who looks just like Yuseong collect a harem of Dojin expies, read this. Also, the plot is fun & there’s a lot of action (not the R-rated kind, this isn’t explicit in that way. I mean battle scenes)
Bromance: This is straight-up BL. Do not measure with Jonghyuks.
Now, as for where to read:
Type “novel name” + “Novel Updates” into Google search bar. Exceptions are Trash Count (b/c the Korean fandom found out about translations) & Omniscient Reader (NU page only has chapters till 39), so for either of these, you’ll have to find an aggregator site.
2021-07-24 09:19 marked
6 MORE Novel Recommendations for "Trapped in a Webnovel" Fans (ALSO VERY LONG)
Hey, it's me (Simps Dojin) again, back with more novels. Please click to expand!
Again, there will be spoilers, though I've kept everything as vague as I can. Again, NOVEL ONLY... unless otherwise stated.
You can read all of them by searching up “title + Novel Updates” unless otherwise noted. Find my previous recommendations under the comment "7 Novel Recommendations."
Novels w/ a Male MC, No Harem, No Romance:
1-"Second Male Lead Powers Up," aka. "Third Wheel Strikes Back"
A man realizes that he has transmigrated into the body of a character from a novel that his sister was a fan of. He is now the 2nd male lead, a prince who is a "visitor" in name, but is actually being kept as a political hostage to another kingdom, & is fated to die in the 1st male lead's place (he took his place in the war for the female lead's sake). But unlike the character, our MC has no intention of sacrificing himself or going to war. He's going to do his best to live. However, he actually never read the book–only heard it offhand from his sister.
Cons: Slow, fluffy. If you want a vicious MC who face-slaps & curb-stomps, this isn't for you.
Pros: Which is exactly why you should read it. Our MC doesn't talk shite because that's how you get killed when you're in the middle of a semi-hostile kingdom. Instead, he ties himself to a powerful institute (the church), being blessed with an OP priest/cleric skill. Not a genius, but he's got an open mind that allows him to genuinely befriend the original female lead–& even the other male lead (who he has quite a lot of bromance with). There is political intrigue & assassinations, but this story basically goes, "you know, kindness can't solve everything, but sometimes being willing to listen & give other people a chance IS good. Maybe Heart is an awesome power after all."
Fiction-world isekai protagonist who is mentally stable & has 0 interest in romance.
Also, the MC (Jesse) looks like Yuseong, but more blonde. Cedric resembles Kim Dojin, but with red eyes & no vendetta.
Bromance: 0.6 Jonghyuk between Jesse & the other prince Cedric
2-"Count's Youngest Son is a Warlock"
Premise is that a badly behaved young master regains memories of a past life & wants to change developments; namely, he wants to gain strength as a warlock while hiding the fact that he's a warlock, so he can live but avoid persecution.
Cons: some may complain about originality. The MC Lucion is rather like the original Cale & Choi Yuseong, pre-transmigration. A rich young master with a bad temper and mental health issues, who picked fights but "never once laid a hand on his servants."
Pros: This IS NOT plagiarism, y'all, despite what the haters on the forums say. Similar concept, different execution. It's not entirely fresh, but we're here for similar novels, yeah? The plot is different enough that it's not just copying. There are some major differences:
Lucion struggles with self-destructive behavior & voices in his head more. Unlike most other MCs of this genre (Choi Yuseong, Cale, Kleio), he's NOT A TRANSMIGRATOR. He was born in this body & lived in it without knowing anything for years, then bam! He remembers his past life, so now he knows he must change... but. Lucion still is the same person, & his behavior speaks of that.
There's also an overlying layer of darkness. Lucion occasionally says things like “I have no choice” & “even if the world considers darkness a plague, I must learn it” & "I'll never let him go again" (spoken to Lucion's teacher, who died to save him in the established plotline). He justifies any unhealthy/irrational behavior by mentioning "the plot," but they are also halfway born of fear/guilt/clinginess.
If "Second Male Lead Powers Up" is a light & fluffy work, "Warlock" is more melancholy. This is set in a world where magic isn’t entirely positive; those who are favored by darkness have to become warlocks if they want to stay alive/sane, but the moment they are revealed to be warlocks, they are persecuted.
Not a downer novel, though. Lucion makes conscious efforts to behave differently, treat the servants better, respect his teacher, try to repair whatever is left of his relationship with his father, etc.
Bromance Level: 0.3 Jonghyuk, though the direction is vague (no clear ship, just an atmosphere)
2- “How to Live as the Enemy Prince”
It’s about a soldier who dies, but instead of going to heaven/hell, is transported into the body of the young prince of the enemy nation. Cue sibling rivalries, battles for the throne, politics, scheming, deliciously horrific family relationships, & misunderstandings.
Cons: The author is dead, so don’t expect an end to this; it’s on indefinite hiatus. However, what exists is worth reading.
Pros: Dynamics between the MC & his siblings, especially one of his older brothers. Also, it’s not grimdark; though there is neglect & bad parenting, MC has mentors & friends who care deeply about him. MC himself also calls out BS, and if he has to take it, he damn well is getting justice later.
Bromance: 0.4 Jonghyuk
3- “Lord of the Mysteries”
MC transmigrates into the body of a dead man, but not into a novel/game/established world. B/c there’s so little info, & no source book or show that he can reference, he doesn’t have cheats such as knowing the future… but he does have access to a mysterious space above the fog, a talent for bluffing, & a strange Lovecraftian power. He’ll need it, as the setting of the world is basically a Cthulhu mythos + Industrial Revolution/late Victorian-era Europe + dark, vicious systems of magic that have severe backlashes + hostile eldritch gods.
Cons: Rushed ending. Author suddenly finished at a point that basically no one was happy with.
Pros: No romance, no harem (as are the previous 2 series). Also, an unusual tarot-based magic system that doesn’t have any godforsaken numbers/XP/game system boards, but instead a series of “pathways,” each with limited abilities tied to their tarot themes
Bromance: 0.2 Jonghyuk (barren of bromance, but the Chinese fandom sure writes a lot of fanfiction)
I hesitate to recommend… Male Transmigrator MC, but has romance:
4 - “My Death Flags Show No Sign of Ending” (both novel AND manga)
MC transmigrates into Harold, a villain in a game. He tries his hardest to maintain the Stokes territory, support the main characters, & avoid death.
Cons: The romance made me drop it. Felt very forced.
Pros: Harold is not a bad person, but the world literally edits his words to sound villainous/mean, so even when he’s doing nice things, he comes off as a male tsundere. It’s superb.
Bromance: 0.1 Jonghyuk (this field is barren, I see nothing)
And now for some ACTUAL BL…
5 - “Circumstances of a Fallen Lord”
Enemies-to-lovers BL. Our MC, Luisen, flees a besieged castle & lives years on the streets; he is helped out by a pilgrim, but eventually wastes away. Instead of dying though, he returns back to the day of the siege & resolves to surrender himself this time… and runs into the enemy, the noble-hating mad mercenary/knight Carlton. Through a series of bluffs, manipulations, & character developments, they gradually grow closer.
Cons: Carlton is a bit… well. Some people may not like him.
Pros: Sort of like in “Son is a Warlock,” MC doesn’t magically become a wonderful person. However, Luisen has certainly become smarter. He relies a lot on verbal attacks, armor-piercing deductions, & literally talks the (absolutely bonkers & violent) ML into not murdering him. Great to see a weak character obliterating a much stronger opponent with mere words. Also, this has the “are we allies? I want to use you but you pose a danger to me” sort of dance on both sides, which “Trapped in a Webnovel” fans like.
Bromance: This is literally BL
6 - “Is the Villain Role Over?” aka. 악역의 역할은 끝났는데요?
Due to complicated circumstances, MC regresses & redoes his death 99 times, each time having to fake being a villain & getting killed by his best friend, who he is trying to save. But after the 100th time, his best friend remembers the previous loops & realizes, with horror, that he’s repeatedly killed the one person willing to sacrifice himself. ML then becomes high-key yandere & resolves to murder the world if he must, in order to save our MC. MC is now the only person able to hold his leash.
Cons: NO TRANSLATION AS OF 7/8/2021. You can find paid raws on Ridibooks, though.
Pros: Regression? Villains? Fantasy? Yandere male lead courting a skittish protagonist? Yeah, this has all the stuff that “Trapped in a Webnovel” shippers like.
Bromance: It is folly to measure actual BL with Jonghyuks
Hey, it's me (Simps Dojin) again, back with more novels. Please click to expand!
Again, there will be spoilers, though I've kept everything as vague as I can. Again, NOVEL ONLY... unless otherwise stated.
You can read all of them by searching up “title + Novel Updates” unless otherwise noted. Find my previous recommendations under the comment "7 Novel Recommendations."
Novels w/ a Male MC, No Harem, No Romance:
1-"Second Male Lead Powers Up," aka. "Third Wheel Strikes Back"
A man realizes that he has transmigrated into the body of a character from a novel that his sister was a fan of. He is now the 2nd male lead, a prince who is a "visitor" in name, but is actually being kept as a political hostage to another kingdom, & is fated to die in the 1st male lead's place (he took his place in the war for the female lead's sake). But unlike the character, our MC has no intention of sacrificing himself or going to war. He's going to do his best to live. However, he actually never read the book–only heard it offhand from his sister.
Cons: Slow, fluffy. If you want a vicious MC who face-slaps & curb-stomps, this isn't for you.
Pros: Which is exactly why you should read it. Our MC doesn't talk shite because that's how you get killed when you're in the middle of a semi-hostile kingdom. Instead, he ties himself to a powerful institute (the church), being blessed with an OP priest/cleric skill. Not a genius, but he's got an open mind that allows him to genuinely befriend the original female lead–& even the other male lead (who he has quite a lot of bromance with). There is political intrigue & assassinations, but this story basically goes, "you know, kindness can't solve everything, but sometimes being willing to listen & give other people a chance IS good. Maybe Heart is an awesome power after all."
Fiction-world isekai protagonist who is mentally stable & has 0 interest in romance.
Also, the MC (Jesse) looks like Yuseong, but more blonde. Cedric resembles Kim Dojin, but with red eyes & no vendetta.
Bromance: 0.6 Jonghyuk between Jesse & the other prince Cedric
2-"Count's Youngest Son is a Warlock"
Premise is that a badly behaved young master regains memories of a past life & wants to change developments; namely, he wants to gain strength as a warlock while hiding the fact that he's a warlock, so he can live but avoid persecution.
Cons: some may complain about originality. The MC Lucion is rather like the original Cale & Choi Yuseong, pre-transmigration. A rich young master with a bad temper and mental health issues, who picked fights but "never once laid a hand on his servants."
Pros: This IS NOT plagiarism, y'all, despite what the haters on the forums say. Similar concept, different execution. It's not entirely fresh, but we're here for similar novels, yeah? The plot is different enough that it's not just copying. There are some major differences:
Lucion struggles with self-destructive behavior & voices in his head more. Unlike most other MCs of this genre (Choi Yuseong, Cale, Kleio), he's NOT A TRANSMIGRATOR. He was born in this body & lived in it without knowing anything for years, then bam! He remembers his past life, so now he knows he must change... but. Lucion still is the same person, & his behavior speaks of that.
There's also an overlying layer of darkness. Lucion occasionally says things like “I have no choice” & “even if the world considers darkness a plague, I must learn it” & "I'll never let him go again" (spoken to Lucion's teacher, who died to save him in the established plotline). He justifies any unhealthy/irrational behavior by mentioning "the plot," but they are also halfway born of fear/guilt/clinginess.
If "Second Male Lead Powers Up" is a light & fluffy work, "Warlock" is more melancholy. This is set in a world where magic isn’t entirely positive; those who are favored by darkness have to become warlocks if they want to stay alive/sane, but the moment they are revealed to be warlocks, they are persecuted.
Not a downer novel, though. Lucion makes conscious efforts to behave differently, treat the servants better, respect his teacher, try to repair whatever is left of his relationship with his father, etc.
Bromance Level: 0.3 Jonghyuk, though the direction is vague (no clear ship, just an atmosphere)
2- “How to Live as the Enemy Prince”
It’s about a soldier who dies, but instead of going to heaven/hell, is transported into the body of the young prince of the enemy nation. Cue sibling rivalries, battles for the throne, politics, scheming, deliciously horrific family relationships, & misunderstandings.
Cons: The author is dead, so don’t expect an end to this; it’s on indefinite hiatus. However, what exists is worth reading.
Pros: Dynamics between the MC & his siblings, especially one of his older brothers. Also, it’s not grimdark; though there is neglect & bad parenting, MC has mentors & friends who care deeply about him. MC himself also calls out BS, and if he has to take it, he damn well is getting justice later.
Bromance: 0.4 Jonghyuk
3- “Lord of the Mysteries”
MC transmigrates into the body of a dead man, but not into a novel/game/established world. B/c there’s so little info, & no source book or show that he can reference, he doesn’t have cheats such as knowing the future… but he does have access to a mysterious space above the fog, a talent for bluffing, & a strange Lovecraftian power. He’ll need it, as the setting of the world is basically a Cthulhu mythos + Industrial Revolution/late Victorian-era Europe + dark, vicious systems of magic that have severe backlashes + hostile eldritch gods.
Cons: Rushed ending. Author suddenly finished at a point that basically no one was happy with.
Pros: No romance, no harem (as are the previous 2 series). Also, an unusual tarot-based magic system that doesn’t have any godforsaken numbers/XP/game system boards, but instead a series of “pathways,” each with limited abilities tied to their tarot themes
Bromance: 0.2 Jonghyuk (barren of bromance, but the Chinese fandom sure writes a lot of fanfiction)
I hesitate to recommend… Male Transmigrator MC, but has romance:
4 - “My Death Flags Show No Sign of Ending” (both novel AND manga)
MC transmigrates into Harold, a villain in a game. He tries his hardest to maintain the Stokes territory, support the main characters, & avoid death.
Cons: The romance made me drop it. Felt very forced.
Pros: Harold is not a bad person, but the world literally edits his words to sound villainous/mean, so even when he’s doing nice things, he comes off as a male tsundere. It’s superb.
Bromance: 0.1 Jonghyuk (this field is barren, I see nothing)
And now for some ACTUAL BL…
5 - “Circumstances of a Fallen Lord”
Enemies-to-lovers BL. Our MC, Luisen, flees a besieged castle & lives years on the streets; he is helped out by a pilgrim, but eventually wastes away. Instead of dying though, he returns back to the day of the siege & resolves to surrender himself this time… and runs into the enemy, the noble-hating mad mercenary/knight Carlton. Through a series of bluffs, manipulations, & character developments, they gradually grow closer.
Cons: Carlton is a bit… well. Some people may not like him.
Pros: Sort of like in “Son is a Warlock,” MC doesn’t magically become a wonderful person. However, Luisen has certainly become smarter. He relies a lot on verbal attacks, armor-piercing deductions, & literally talks the (absolutely bonkers & violent) ML into not murdering him. Great to see a weak character obliterating a much stronger opponent with mere words. Also, this has the “are we allies? I want to use you but you pose a danger to me” sort of dance on both sides, which “Trapped in a Webnovel” fans like.
Bromance: This is literally BL
6 - “Is the Villain Role Over?” aka. 악역의 역할은 끝났는데요?
Due to complicated circumstances, MC regresses & redoes his death 99 times, each time having to fake being a villain & getting killed by his best friend, who he is trying to save. But after the 100th time, his best friend remembers the previous loops & realizes, with horror, that he’s repeatedly killed the one person willing to sacrifice himself. ML then becomes high-key yandere & resolves to murder the world if he must, in order to save our MC. MC is now the only person able to hold his leash.
Cons: NO TRANSLATION AS OF 7/8/2021. You can find paid raws on Ridibooks, though.
Pros: Regression? Villains? Fantasy? Yandere male lead courting a skittish protagonist? Yeah, this has all the stuff that “Trapped in a Webnovel” shippers like.
Bromance: It is folly to measure actual BL with Jonghyuks
2021-07-16 18:56 marked
Photo from Nesting