wow. this was quite the read. i initially went into this story for the romance—i was really only after that aspect—but what kept me reading were the unique qualities of the story itself. i found myself enjoying every chapter because it explored real-world issues in a digestible way, while also handling them with a lot of care and appropriateness. some scenes even made me emotional, which is rare for me. i tend to be pretty detached when it comes to certain issues, but without giving any spoilers, there were parts of the story that hit way too close to real life—closer than most stories ever get.
one major theme, obviously, dealt with things like racism, prejudice, sexism, and homophobia, and how religion can tie into and influence all of those. for a story that was advertised more as a romance-with-a-college-life-twist featuring animal characteristics, i was genuinely surprised by how deeply it dove into these serious topics. that’s exactly why i ended up putting it in my favorites folder.
this definitely isn’t a read for anyone just looking for romance—while romance does exist, it’s far from the focus. it shows up pretty sparingly, and there’s not even a kiss. but what really made me love this story was the emotional impact and how it mirrored so many real-life struggles through a fictional lens. so if you’re looking for something thought-provoking that reflects our society while exploring the dynamics of another, this is absolutely worth reading.
i lovedddd how this one concluded! so well done and adorable. this entire read was super fluffy and entertaining.
very cute story! a lot of cliches ╮(￣▽￣)╭ my only complaint is i wish the romance didn’t seem so random?? the main character seemed super straight until maybe the final 10 chapters. i feel like we could’ve gotten more romance for a BL :P
U thought he straight he seemed to me like the most generic twink with the hard to get kink like from the moment these guys started playing advances on him he lost his straight quality behaving like tsundere all the time this
for real hahaha
this ending was so rushed. sooo many unanswered questions about the system. how it was seen. about the guidebook. so so so sad. could have been sooo peak if only they answered some more questions. who’s the person who ate the stone? what’s the significance of the pain indicator? what happened in his past life? was it a past life at all? this was sooo enjoyable to read it’s genuinely such a pity that we got no kiss & the romance was sudden.
words can’t even begin to describe how i felt reading this story. this is definitely one of my favorite things i’ve ever read. it felt so real. so raw. every chapter had a purpose—it never dragged. the ending is so bittersweet, but so realistic. it’s beautifully done.
the art style isn’t really my cup of tea, but the symbolism is insane, and the dialogue between the characters + the narration is masterfully done. i seriously can’t even articulate how much this story affected me. it’s one of those rare ones i took a random chance on, and i’m just so, so glad i did.
even the trauma in the story was handled so well—it didn’t feel glorified at all. and the way it explores love… like, what does it really mean to be in love? what is love? do people experience it differently? it makes you feel all of that.
this story is just so fucking beautiful. criminally underrated. amazing, amazing, amazing, amazing. life-altering. i’m so, so, so glad i read it. unbelievably well done.
shout out to all the translators out there that allow us to read these stories. you guys are goated. ignore the hate!!
makoto is absolutely adorable. like his personality is top tier. also, luca mentioned at one point being poly— does that mean he’s poly currently? makoto doesn’t care? i wish we learned more about that bc that’s all i could think about (〜￣△￣)〜
OMG YEAH i feel like since he actually found someone he loved he doesn't align with being poly? IDK BUT SAME EVERYTIME I READ I REMEMBER THAT SMALL BIT OF INFO.
genuinely phenomenal. there are still some unanswered questions though: why’d they put so much emphasis on the royal family & totality if it never really mattered to the plot? to get the readers off track maybe? they said that lewellyn is biologically different somehow but they never actually spoke about why. is it related to the injections he got as a kid? was he ever really different at all— or was it a way to alienate him and make him an “animal” (similar to what they did in nazi germany)?
Precisely. I'm also only curious, because this story really is that captivating.
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(Spoilers)
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Even during that debacle with the sleeping pills, what exactly made Lewellyn have such a reaction? What did they mean when they said he's a "mutant"? Also that prison, why was it that Shavonne's pov didn't find anything else odd, other than them treating Lewellyn as "a dog"? Haaaahhh~ so many questions~
Was the novel more elaborate with these discussions...? Any novel readers here?