[Chinese BG novel] 重生之顶级超模 / Rebirth of the top supermodel

This novel gave me such a strange feeling after reading it for a while. I have so many things to comment on (funnily, people in the comment section share this aspiration). I'm on chapter 199 when this novel has a plenty 531 chapters in total. It's a rebirth novel which is also about transmigrating. It's hard to understand without describing in more details, so here we go.

Kong Ling had a particularly hard life and tragic death (like author really dumped all the possible tragediec on her to make her life experience this bad). Kong Ling was a result of a one-night of her mother with unknown man, this was a shame that stuck with her mother all her life, she also was unfortunate because mother and daughter were trafficked to a village and returned back home when Kong Ling was around 9 (I think it was 9, it was mentioned in the text briefly). Since then she was scorned by the grandmother in her family and her mother was always under verbal abuse. Since no one wanted such a "wasted" and "used" product like her mother, even if she didn't want to she re-married to a man who also had a son. What she did not expect, but in the end never stopped was the advances of her new husband towards her own daughter. This broke out in a tragedy (tbh again I think it was mentioned, but the language and thus mtl was so garbled that it was hard to understand). Kong Ling died, but was also dropped under a cliff. Here she came into contact with some unknown grass, which helped her to be reborn, she traveled back when she was still 16 and her mother was about to re-marry and she could change things for herself, her idea of being independent and far away from this family was almost haunting her. But while she was reborn at unknown time she opens her eyes and finds herself in a different world, with a different identity, she lives these lives, gains experience and goes back to real life before the next transmigration arrives. Thus when in real life she was only 16, but she already lived few extra lifetimes, gained extra experience which could help her leave this hellish place, so she looked 16 yet had a conflicting mature air around her and was profecient in different things no one knows when she was able to learn.

Now, why I have a bad impression of it. Before we start let's mention one important thing - the typos. Even the comments were mentioning it constantly that  the writing is messy and there's ton of typos. I agree with that, since at times mtl was unbearable, it's often messed up and you have to spend extra brain cell to get what author meant by this or that. Also there's no indication that the novel will be switching between rl and other worlds like that, I only got it after reading for a while.

The first thing I couldn't get is why give the heroine such a tragic life experience that is filled with filth. Of course she managed ot get rid off her family, but in a different way, she basically lied that she had a lover who will pamper her and she's ready for such rich life, thus the family cut ties with her, since they were the most ashamed of her and she needed independence, while she went to university and basically never wanted to see them again. Oh yeah, btw since she's the heroine who travels she has become smarter and remembers things better so she finished high school earlier and entered university to study finance. But of course those lives gave her experience and we must blow it out of proportion. She is always described as insightful and others are impressed by her ability to look at people and control the field and talks, but tbh it also felt like a lot of catering to her personality or her experience, which tbh resulted in a mess of things. To give an example let's look at her experience: in one of her lives she played stocks and became profecient with such things, in reality she used this knowledge when came to the dean of their department to become a disciple, she also played stocks in rl and later she came into contact with one of the richest people - Xiao. Nothing bad about their relationship, simply partnership in the end (what I did not understand in how many gossip surrounded them, while she's still underage, it was gross). She figured out his big plan in a play between companies, so she took part and later entered the field of giants. Many people thought she was just a vase since she has a mixed race face and is also really-really beautiful. Yet only those who came into contact with her realized her wisdom. But also in other lives she had different experience, what I couldn't get why it was used at times. One thing is like ability to speak foreign language, which is a peaceful skill and that's it, but there was a show she filmed and they traveled to a foreign country where they became hostages and she pulled off blockbuster stunts she learnt in a previous life, so it's basically really a scheme of life experience that is applied in a real life instantly. 

One of the biggest things that bothered me was Kong Ling's messy ambition.

At first she was seeking financial independence, but at times I could not understand her urgency like someone is chasing after her if she doesn't reach the peak, and trust me her ambition is really high. How high? Politics. You may ask - but where is the top supermodel came from? I also can't figure her out why she sticks to everything. Simple EVERYTHING.

Kong Ling's first job was to be a model, she got her first money which she used for tutoring in university. She later took photos which also gave her first nickname - Peacock. She later goes to university and has a loose "contract", which can hardly be called that with a company that follows her modeling career. She chose modeling since it's quick money and she needed a starting capital. Why she'd need it? For her ambition tbh, she always gives the feeling of I want more and I want to be in a position that nobody can touch me. But with her modeling career she can hardly be called dedicated, she had only a handful of jobs while other offers were pushed back. She also mainly aimed to get a better oppotunities to raise her price too. She also came into contact with the Xiao family through president Xiao himself. She played within the company he led, they also played around before being laid off (which was also one of the big plans involving Xiao family matters). Due to one of the lives where she learned computers she came back and started a game company with Xiao, but she basically started it, put it on track and later left not really mentioning it unless she modeled for the game they created. Again, why she would need that is unknown to me, you have a company here, have shares there, in general she's very successful, but keeps on going and often goes into dangerous risky operations. She also keeps up with her modeling career and they opened an entertainment studio making her model/star of some sorts. She is basically a public figure, but with little to no experience and shaky foundation tbh, since she had almost no works that should support her "greatness", her being part of the company was also something strange in a combo, like I'm a model, but I'm also here managing a huge company. Tbh it just looked bizarre because she kind of like grabbed things, partially did them or not and went along like that. After one of her lives where she experienced what it's like to manage the country she was inspired to enter the politics arena. I kid you not I was like - WHY?! And not herself, she pushed Xiao to do it. Tbh Xiao never mentioned he wanted to enter politics, she just decided these things on her own.

As for the stories she goes through.. I must say they're completely nothing new. They're also can be long or short and start at the weirdest point (like really suddenly). So she goes through these worlds, the grass on her ankle blooms (LOL forgot to say, the grass landed on her ankle and it grows with each life, so it is nourished by this experience I guess) and it has some purpose. It is also evident that she's not the only one like that, in one of her lives she met a person (so I suspect it's going to be a romance story instead of No CP, but who knows), this person also helped her out in one of her lives where she died unexpectedly. But it's still a mystery to me what's the purpose and who is that man, since I'm still reading and I'm very far from the end.

In a short form, her messy ambition of grabbing here and there, starting this and that and dragging all this buggage along is what made me feel strange about this novel. Too many rainbow farts for Kong Ling really left me with a subtle emotion, since the execution of her greatness was questionable to me. Many things it feels are created just to cater her and not be an organic and nicely put together story. So I'm here with only few words of "anything and everything" left in my head after reading.

RATE: 2/5 so far. It's just messy to me. Nothing horrendous about it, it's simply messy.

[Games] Monument Valley

 

Tbh Monument Valley is one of he cutest games ever. Combining both puzzles and lovely graphics. I applaude to people who created it, because despite some levels being quite easy to pass, but the matter of perspective in more complicated levels really was like a small wonder. As a PC player I was really happy when they became available on the computer and playing it was full of joy. Both MV and MV2, both have their own charm and idea.

Person like me, who is not cut out for action games and enjoys puzzles this was such a lovely game :3 I wouldn't mind more games like this, but it is evident that due to complexity of perspective it is easier said than done, it's not as easy as "creating" other puzzles that do not need invention tbh, but just require use of the base.

[Time Princess] Selfie #3

New hair from new 'Power Game' set, don't care about the set, which looks like a carpet, expensive, yet carpet, but hair is cute. My lucky paw got it on the 4th try from 6 tries in total. I think it suits immensely well with this dress. Collectively now the doll looks like an anime/fantasy game character. Cute <3

[Chinese BG novel] 我的钱又又又多了[重生] / I have more money

*Frivolous mtl of the title.

THIS. IS. SO. CHEAP!!!

This is one of the cheapest novels I've ever read! It's like that happy dream where you get unlimited money and go on a shopping spree, but it's good as a dream, yet as a novel it's just a no. Omg, I can't believe this actually has relatively good rates, I saw other novels which were more profound and way better but their rating weren't as good. What is this shallow plot, what is this cheap romance, what is this absolutely GAUDY main character???!!!

Honestly, this MC, she did nothing bad, but I hated how she was portrayed, her personality and actions leave you with absolutely nothing. Even side characters sometimes give quite a non-flattering evaluation of her (not mentioning her looks which are praised everywhere), which is ironic.

This novel is a rebirth text with MC called Lin Meng. Her story is actually quite ordinary, she was born with good looks, due to her family divorce where she as an older girl stayed with her father and her mother took the younger sister, she lived with a patriarchial grandma and she was quite introverted, her looks always evoked bad thoughts in others, either jealousy or gossip, though tbh in rl such things don't happen but whatever it's such settings. So even if she tried to conceal her appearance, people still knew she looked good and had hot figure. It also led to her downfall. In an accident her own roommate pimped her to her lover who is an older boss, she also took photos for blackmail and although Lin Meng never agreed, but those photos ruined her reputation and job prospects etc. Her beauty brought her many inconveniences in consequent job. She lost her life because she was pushed by a madam of the company thinking she was a vixen, again showing photos taken from tricky angles. But she was never in a relationship before.

That's her sad and ordinary life. Though you can see that her childhood influenced her, but she was too silly like a little white flower and never doubted people, when honestly if you hear someone offering such a deal as selling yourself and you hate it, beat the shit out of them and walk away.

Thus Lin Meng was reborn right before the events. But she also found that an Alipay app on her phone looked different and after an accident she figured out that the money from this app never decrease no mater how much money she spends. And this is where our nouveau riche Lin Meng starts her shopping spree life. And this is what I dislike about the whole novel and why it gives me a cheap and shallow feeling.

Not long after being reborn she deals with the situation of her friend, the thing I find funny is that author made it so coincidental that her senior sister was the daughter of the man who wanted to hook up and supported this friend/roommate. I really don't see a problem with just refusing and leaving, nah, she wanted to get some sort of revenge I think, since her life was ruined, but tbh even with the photos she got she could simply publush them, later this roommate could have taken it lightly, but was framed by another roommate who decided to jump high, instead she got a sentence for theft. Like why do you write it like that. Anyway Lin Meng was more confident and with accumulating a bit of wealth after figuring out how the app works she went on a first shopping spree, because she agreed to the proposal of transfer and going to a branch office, she decided and I quote "create a rich second generation image" basically so ppl won't suspect where her wealth comes from, honestly no matter how much confidense she thinks she has I still thought it's the same old person. I could understand that if she was happy she would continue to work, if not she would go do her own thing. In the end again conveniently one of director wanted to use unspoken rules, in the end she beat the guy, but because she got help from unknown person her case was handled well. By this time she already met ML by the way in a hotel, but they were simply passerbys by that time, only ML already have seen and accidentally witnessed her actions in the university where she defended herself. Basically this part was given as a justification of his love, that even if he fell in love at first sight, but she saw her honest clear eyes etc. Yeah, I call it cheap romance, simply because they fell in love really easy like that. He fell in love with her when he saw her and she was not against his adcvances, since she never was in a relationship and he was up her alley. This is how awkwardly and pretty quickly they came together.

Back to Lin Meng and her business. Because she decided to resign and do business since she got enough money to rent etc. she bought a cake shop. But what surprised me in her starting business is - why she started business in this city? She definitely would want to go to another city later, she had plans, her original city was also good and had her property, like you basically bound herself with the business in this city. What also really surprised me is how she decided to buy more storefronts without making a bigger plan even in her own head, she just really went with the flow - oh I buy, buy, buy. Gaudy feeling and irresponsible. Even the side character who later became the general manager of her newly opened company said after figuring things out that Lin Meng acted really unreliable and unprepared. This already started whispering - GREED - in my ear. Even if it's not said outright, but she really started to give a disgusting feeling. Her self-improvement in finance, since she was completely unaware how to run a company was later scrubbed off with simple mentioning that she started to read books on finance during the time so she started to understand (finally started to understand lol) the things that were said. She could have been content with just one shop tbh, be content with a normal life, but without saying it in the text we all know that she never stopped, she's not a business guru, she actually relied on the app and money that came from it to open this business, so instead she bought and opened more. Only later being cautious with how she's going to explain her finances. But no worries, the app actually updated and basically put everything as a perfect financial history and all of her money were justified, so of course she left all her worries behind. Only after buying a house she felt more secure, for a minute or two I think, though this is the only logical point, buy something that can become your property and be a backbone in case the app disappears. I honestly did not see the need for this app to exist in the first place, it totally ruined her as a personality, she really said and done things that made me as a reader think that she started think too highly of herself. The most disgusting part that showed it was actually in a situation that involved her family. Big note: Lin Meng's father divorced first wife, she stayed with her father, younger sister was taken away, her stepmother gave birth to a daughter and son, but as it happens the son was actually exchanged with other family, her biological second child was also a daughter, she did it because the grandmother of the family was too patriarchial. This truth resurfaced and Lin Meng came around, but seeing her father being indecisive again like with first marriage because he had feelings for the child he brought up for six years, instead of thinking how all the children will live together she left angrily. Her father called her and once again mentioned that she's most important and he will leave half the property to her, but she said that she doesn't want anything at home and then thinks most disgusting and gaudy thing - that what he wants to leave to her can't even buy her a bathtub. Why this is disgusting? It's because when Lin Meng bought apartment in this city, she called previously used decorator and asked him to take care of her apartment, the decorator actually used it to go all out and basically the spent huge amount of money on everything, including some fancy bathtub which costed immense amount of money. This is the place that I was outraged with this heroine. Her "wealth" doesn't come from her own hard work, it comes from the outer source, she only uses it, her own business actually didn't make money to pay for all the stores, it is only possible because her money don't decrease. So honestly, her fast switch from frugality to luxury is understandable, but despite everything, I think in a situation like hers, where she could have enlightened her own father and not "wait when he will notice things himself", instead she patted her butt and walked away angrily. It was only ML at this moment that said a wise thing that some emotions can't be put like she puts them, yes she can be angry all the way, but it doesn't mean her father who brought up a child for six years can disregard everything like her who doesn't have close connection with siblings in a minute and be done. Yes, she said that she can't decide, but that attitude and her thought about bathtub really was what snapped the balance once again and tilted it -100. I also find that what her father did would probably hurt the family more, but really that bathtub stuck to me and doesn't leave.

Back to the app and her shopping and buying. It was only like a "cool" dream, but generally I couldn't find anything remarkable about it. From other point she had no reason to refuse money and thus be on a shopping spree, I understand it, but if it's about clothes, I'm fine, considering house is also ok, but this growth of business was just - let's get what we see pleasing to the eye. She's truly a layman in business and was bad with figuring people out before, even if she lived 8 more years in previous life to me that doesn't mean much, but honestly the way she acted about business was really silly. She also acted disgustingly when ML offered to pay for her with good heart, she acted like she has money, she really does, but again, it's not like she earned them honestly.

Back to the romance. I understand sometimes romance can be fast, here is the plain example of it. But also it had so many passing cliche about a good guy relationship, upright man who fell in love for the first time, but he also can be domineering in doing business and his own thing. In the end it's all quick about fall in love, say that you expect from her to be not only his girlfriend but wife. I mean that's fast confession and also it's already a proposal tbh, which I guess was skipped by both. But again, they came together quite quickly, good thing that his relatives were pretty open-minded about his future spouse even if he was from a big family, that's how we get our happy family. Tbh at times I kind of felt sorry for ML, yes she's beautiful and yes she has clear eyes and "not as other girls", but tbh I couldn't like her character. The most ironic is that the business she was so proud of was soon shoved to background after the relationship progressed. How isn't it not ironic? :'D Especially when the child arrived, it was all - let's speed up growing the company and move to the same city as my bf. Again I can't understand the need of that golden finger and her business it was so pointless TvT

The taste of this story is very bland, not interesting at all. So what if she got the app, so what if she opened her own business like that, so what if she and ML got together quickly, tbh plain story, but this entire app and shopping really were a weird addition in my opinion.

RATE: 1,5/5.

PS: At times I also felt like this novel is all about going to dinner, everyone went to dinner so many times, while around nothing prosperous was happening. Oh, and I simply stopped caring and started skimming through starting around ch50.

PPS: At the end I really couldn't care less about anyone and sudden splurge about side characters etc. Honestly, wasted time.

[Chinese BG novel] 真千金是满级杠精 / The real daughter is a full-level

People without fate.

Hm. Tbh I didn't find it a bad one, but I understood the dissatisfaction after reading it.

This is a rebirth text and exchanged babies but not only. Wen Susu once lived a disastorous life in a village where sons were prioritized, women were bought and sold and she basically was used as a child labor. But when she was 15 years old she was picked up by her biological parents, she thought that her life should turn for better and she saw hope, she yearned for love of her parents, but what she met was scorn and use, she never understood why she had to take a role of illegitimate daughter for the sake of adopted one, why everyone told her to be patient with parents and everyone, being ostracized and isolated in school, bearing school violence and mental violence and in the end being pushed down the stairs and falling to her death. She did not die but cross to the world of cultivation where she lived for 200 years, she reached heights with her cultivation, but during nascent soul tribulation she remembered the last life and it spiraled into her demon, she failed to survive and thought she would die. The next thing she knew she came back to her previous life when she was 15 years old, when she was on her way to meet the Wen family, the parents who let her down so much and now she did not hold the same feelings and same bearing. She now wanted to untie the knot and solve this cause and effect.

I find that the original situation that surfaced is way more complex than your everyday switch of babies story, because of the following situation. As Wen Susu found out: her biological mother cmes from a very patriarchial family, but even in such family her younger sister is loved by the father of the family and which resulted to her having quite wanton temperament, this sister Meng Wanru, felt a bit inferior to her sister who was excellent in design, their family was in kewellery business, but she also liked Wen Jiangchen, who became Meng Yueru's (biological mother) husband, she decided to plot against Meng Yueru and sent a fake priest to her saying that one of her children (she was pregnant with twins) will kill the other one. When Meng Yueru was pregnant and she was not far before going into labor she accidentally saw her own husband and her own sister on their bed having s**, she also heard her own husband saying many things that stimulated Meng Yueru and she went into labor due to this accident, she could only give birth in the closest small clinic, which resulted in a death of one of the twins, while the other twin (Wen Susu obviously) survived. Due to her hate towards her husband, who previously loved her dearly actually, but who knows why he was muddled and swayed in that moment, Meng Yueru with her own hands switched the baby and sent her biological daughter to suffer, while she considered the adopted daughter as her plaything and had no real feelings for her, as it was uncovered eventually. Thus the hate that did not belong to the innocent child that did nothing wrong bore blame for everything, for the husband who cheated and also for the child that died. Thus Wen Susu was sent to that backward village where she suffered, she was put into labor since childhood, if it wasn't for the goodness of people she would not get cumpolsury education, she was often beaten, once even was close to death, so her yearning for a normal family was justified, but she had no idea about the situation why she was sent away. Previously she wanted to be close but never realized how cold her own parent could be, one is her father who allowed anything due to guilt of those years, other is her brother who actually is more of a white lotus than others and did not want anyone to block his inheritance and the one is adopted daughter who did not want to share the love, care and fame.

Past Susu became the victim without knowing why, present Sus did not hold any hope for this family, her mind was filled with righteous revenge, but the one supported by law. In the end she found out that some people don't have the fate, even if they're closest people by blood.

These details and truths she found out only in this life and it only made her choice more firm. And this is the dilemma of this book that I think was picked up nicely, on the one hand we have an innocent child who bears no fault for the actions of their parents, on the other hand we have a mother who was betrayed by closest people and could not look at the child that survived. Many people were saying that Susu should consider her mother's feelings and that her mother suffered, but knowing Susu's past we realize that her mother isn't the only one who suffered, her life was really tragic, her days were filled with gloom, but she still survived, while her mother, although suffered a few years of depression, but later was quite fine and living a good life of a pampered high-class lady not feeling any guilt for what she had done to her own child. Tbh there is also part where Meng Yueru refused to go to therapy/doctor, while these things could be guided at least in some way or another nto to make her completely crazy, without any guidance Meng Yueru on the conrary was like a lunatic at large, although she never acted like one, but she could do unpredictable and dirty things when it was to her own desire.

This conflict is what I found interesting in the whole novel.

Now the not the best sides of this novel.

First should be the length of this novel, which creates of a bit of mulling over things effect. I personally found it a bit long, one thing is to be against the mother and basically their confrontation is built on that the mother hates her daughter to teh core, but the daughter wants her mother to feel some sort of remorse or to realize her mistakes, they go against each other but later Susu does things according to the law, like calling police on her trafficking adopted parents and even sending Meng Yueru to prison for her actions of abandonement. But honestly this took quite some time. On the other hand we have Susu dealing with other family members. She hates adopted daughter Wen Menglan for previous life and killing her, while parents dealt with the matter and brushed it under the rug, her father Wen Jiangchen who caused everything, but still allowed his biological daughter to be sent away like that to such place and in her previous life nto having any remorse (though I think even if they sent her away to live in other place, or be brought up by grandfather for example, things would be different), her brother Wen Mingshen who mastered the acting and tea art, while he asked Susu to bear everything he was hypocritical and thought only about himself and his inheritance. This family, except grandpa, was like her enemy and she pushed and pulled to let them not have a good time.

The other part of the novel covered her school life. Due to her cultivation her spiritual realm is different and she can comprehend things differently, meaning she became smarter. Going to university was one of her long-lasting wishes which never reached the goal in the first life, since she was pushed down by that time. She also had a dilemma, while she was going against her family, she did not know what she is going to do in her future, since she never lived to that future before.

We also meet ML of this story, Lin Chengmo. He has a special status in this story. He is heir to the wealthiest family, but also has a secret, he is actually a Demon Lord from the cultivation world and her crossed to this modern world with Susu. At first he was completely unprepared to live and study, but eventually when both became tablemates Susu helped him out and they, as once acquaintances, became friends. Chengmo has more carefree and childish character tbh, due to his life experience and also the deep love of the parents he met in this life. The romance in this story should be called insignificant tbh, because it's not the central piece, but actually the bickering and help that both had for each other was going on through entire novel, it's just different from others that confession comes at the very end like a fairy tale. 

We have pretty tough girl, although she lived for more than 200 years, she acts in a pretty rough way I'd say, there's no intrigue with smiling faces, but she acts straightforwardly most of the time, which might lead ppl to feel badly about her. There is also the justification and reason behind actions of each character and you might think that probably Susu should let go of one or two, but she doesn't and at time I think she does have a solid reason for it.

The last thing I'd like to say, that even if it might be in an "easy" category, but actually I find it quite dramatic and heavier than something that supposed to be easy. Again I'd like to underline that the situation of mother and daughter is more complex than in usual exchanged at birth children. But again the number of chapters I find a bit blown out of proportion. The ending is full of good feeling actually, even though it feels like a TV drama where ppl either got to prison for some time or go bankrupt, but Susu's heart is actually good when she established fund in her name and opened hope schools for girls all over the place, which was inspired by her own life experience.

RATE: 4/5.

[Chinese BG novel] 穿成大佬的私奔前妻 / I raised a big boss in the 90's

Note: I copied the following review on NU site, I had no idea it was picked up for translation and found out only after posting here :D

I can't say I liked it, but it has good points and bad points. The bad points, which might not be as such for others, I consider quite overbearing, since in my opinion they were quite rubbed into your face.

This is a story of wearing a book. Rebirth or transmigration texts are one of my favorite on the market. Although it's nothing new and I also read another novel from this author, so their "style" is quite consistent, but actually I don't agree on some points of views of the main character and we're not talking about the beginning, which actually caused quite a stir in comments on the site, but I'm talking about the love of the heroine. Because was there love? You might ask yourself when you finish.

Su Weiwei travels into a book and also this book is set in 90's, this is supposed to be a cool text with a reborn heroine (not Weiwei obviously), where she is just a cannon fodder ex-wife who left her child and also husband's siblings after several years of being a widow. This cannon fodder had no idea that her child is a very high IQ kid and all the siblings she neglected would eventually turn into big bosses covering different walks of life. Su Weiwei decided to hug the thighs of big bosses and woked to inspire them, so she won't end up badly in case her husband, which she knew actually never died, but lost his memories after a car accident, would return and she might go out the door.

This is what caused others a contraversy of some sorts. Because we often wait for the heroine to be purely kind-hearted and without a motive to help others or she should not wait anything in return, but honestly I can't agree. I think one should not condemn the behavior of "you treat me right and I treat you right", especially when this novel shows the bad example of a similar situation, it's not Su Weiwei btw, but the mother-in-law of the family Liu Yumei, typical shrewd and shameless character, but also compared to Su Weiwei she is a pure evil. While Weiwei is actually pulling all sibling not just with motivational speech, but her own actions where she earns money and invests them in all siblings, guides them and takes part in their growth, although it's described a bit light-hearted, but for me it's enough. She also doesn't pave all the way for them, she considers herself a common person without a huge golden finger like the siblings, but gives directions so all the kids in the family will be able to be independent and do what they like the most with her support behind them. On the contrary the character of the mother-in-law is a typical leech, she considers you a waste of money, but when you prosper "there are no overnight feuds between family", which is the most annoying thing. This actually always made me not really like this part of Asian culture, where kids should honor their parents etc. Where everyone forgets that its not only respect the old, but also love the young. Respect should be earned, even if it's parents or in-laws, you should not unconditionally jump like a puppet as your parents order you to just because they are parents.

Anyway, the plot itself is like a TV drama with 52 episodes. First part of it is spent in the village, Su Weiwei turns her mind around how to earn money, because it is the 90's and there are opportunities everywhere, but also because she can't handle this place she wants to upgrade their living conditions, she knows better than others that only changing to better conditions of the city all the siblings will have more opportunities. She also starts educating children, her own son and the youngest Xiaomei from the husband's family, because kids are really neglected. Why? Because their own mother died and not long after their father married Liu Yumei who brought her own two kids (boy and a girl, the boy is married and they already have two children). All money were spent on them, while the siblings from the first wife fully felt what it means you have a stepfather with a stepmother. Su Weiwei slowly integrated into this life, wanting to get out of the situation, so she looked for opportunities, slowly she knew other siblings, since they all went out to work and here came her ideological work. Original Su Weiwei was a small boss of her own advertisement company and now she used her own tricks to boost morality of entire family. While she traveled back and forth she actually accidentally met the husband who lost his memories, at first she did not recognize him, but like in any fateful TV-like novel they came across each other several times, more like brushing. Next stage is the move to provincial capital and development with the growing business opportunities. It also involved finally meeting the husband and our ML - He Donglin, who lost his memory and now was also a big boss. Sudden contacts with the "heroine" who wanted to catch up with all siblings, but those were preempted by Su Weiwei. It also involved quite novel-y plot that revolved around Su Weiwei herself and was not mentioned in the original script and who knows it's because of her book traveling or it was originally set like that. Original SWW had a tough life where she had a younger sister but she lived a life like she was not biological, she was exploited and unloved and strived to change her life with studies, but even here she was plotted against by her "mother" and her student status was changed, younger and unppromising sister took her place and next thing she knew she was married in a muddled way, but actually SWW is a daughter of a rich Ye family in the capital, who was kidnapped as a child. The younger sister because of the mother's manipulation replaced SWW once again to become the young lady of the Ye family, thankfully it didn't last long for the affair to be uncovered, yet it took some time btw, which really was like - why? But was explained as not to allarm the snake and investigate to have enough evidence, so this mother would enter the game. SWW was also found later and recognized her relatives, good intellectual family with different types of people, but entirely doting on the newly found sister/daughter. During this time from initial state of nodding acquaintances both SWW and the HDL moved to the zone of intimacy. But here is where my dissatisfaction comes from, that entire novel passed, but one thing hasn't changed and that is SWW always insisted that they're just "gun friends", even if she admits ML's love for her etc. but she still calls him a gun friend which is quite annoying tbh. Like you've been living in such love and comfort, you are good to each other in many ways, but her feeling of "love" can't be taken serious at all. It also comes to investing into siblings, although there's nothing excessive, but honestly her opinion sometimes was simple like wanting to help, but at other times she emphasized too much that she waited for some return, good feelings at times for me were completely ruined because of those thoughts of hers. Even if later there was emphasis that during this tme when everyone was on the right track she even forgot her initial goal, but at that time she was also quite successful herself.

In the end this novel of growing sibling, children and still being a childish girl in front of your husband passed like that. I read it with good speed actually, but at times these things were sticking out and basically living a bad impression on SWW as a character. And it's not about her wit and play against those that try to harm them, but this gun friend thing with your own husband after years of marriage and harmonious life. Although at other times she was rehabilitated by her good actions. Well, something like that, that's why it had some bad points and some good ones.

RATE: 2/5.

[Time Princess] Selfie #2

 

[Movie] The Suicide Squad (2021)

To me it was fun. But why it was fun? Because of black humor overload :'D

My fascination also comes from the contrast.

To me it is all about the change of director and what difference it makes. Although we're talking about the same crew and same actors, but the effect to me is infinitely different. Basically, as I see it, the version of 2021 is not as serious, more to say - it's not serious at all. While first Suicide Squad felt like an attempt at being an anti-hero movie, I don't diminish the achievements of the first movie (or do I? xD), yet it felt too serious and in general it wasn't anything exciting (except for Harley).

The second movie (although I personally consider it as a reboot) doesn't take such a serious position and it actually follows the whole mission part as the first movie to the t and yet the result is so much different.

Comparison is bad but. Let's start from the introduction of "heroes". Both movies have it, but first one takes a lot of time and gives everyone a bit of time to more or less pour some light on their life and why they were imprisoned. Second movie also has it, but the intro is too short. We have few heroes from the first movie in the line btw. But then they arrive on the beach and there is ambush ahead and BAM we have almost everyone wiped out. Let's not forget that the jokes are shoved here and there, so most typical scenes that should be dramatic are viewed as a comedy almost.

As it turns this squad was only to divert attention from the main unit which takes it time to go through the jungle unimpeded. Let's give a round of applause to John Cena, the dude did a great job, like a really great job with walking around in a helmet that was called a toilet seat by others, he truly did a good job as his character. There is no deep introduction to them all and it's not dumped on you right away, we hear about the past of this or that person and what I liked is actually visualization of how some characters perceive the world. Especially Harley. I was truly fascinated when saw her fighting scene and how suddenly the background bloomed with flowers and the animated birds were flying around, to her the world is also a bit of like a video game. In general I was truly impressed by this scene and the representation of her psychology and inner world. It is way better than Harley in the first movie who simply said - voices in my head. I really preffered this interpretation of how she sees the world. She also has more scenes to showcase that Herley can kick ass, even if she's not normal as a person, but she can put up a fight. I remember how many people were questioning how Leto would look as Joker, but to me Harley always deserved more attention with all her tricks and fights. What I really didn't like in the first movie is how she was made into this doll, she looked great, but the old-fashioned sexualization of her body was really outdated. While here she doesn't look less pretty, but manages to kick ass beautifully.

The mission and the twist behind it don't really differ from the first movie, if I'm being honest. Like in the first movie they had no idea who they save before they see a person who controlled them all the time. Here they also reach their mission goal to find out that - oh, we're wiping the ass of you know who at the top again. The whole difference is that first movie takes what villains do as some sort of catastrophe, surrounding area is totally empty with aftermath scenery, anyway everything is very "serious". Here we have absolutely comical alien species of unknown origin that was experiemnted on, it looks too animated to be taken seriously, but the damage is real and it poses a real threat. Many things happen on the way to "save the world", but sometimes it has again that black humor tone to it (for example when one of them is smashed by a tentacle, or the starfish falls thanks to the army of rats), yet I find that with the ratio of those who survived and those who fell as the result more realistic. Even though it has that american-type final scene where everything is over, everyone is tired, but people give each other a satisfied smile :'D God I dislike those, but the Hollywood likes it, so I have to cope. At least here it's not so cringe.

To me James Gunn made it work.

[Music] B.I - BTBT