Rant|Manhuas Have The Trashiest Characters and Moral Standards…
EDIT (Jan. 15, 2021):
DISCLAIMER
It was brought to my attention that my post may have come off offensive to some people. I do want to apologize, and clear things up. It was an in the moment rant when I posted it, so I’m sure that I did not have the best wording. As it was a rant post, I also realize my tone may have come off strong. I apologize for not articulating my thoughts more clearly. I was also told that I was racist against Chinese culture. I’m not sure how such a conclusion was made, but if that’s how I came off, I apologize as that was not my intention at all. I would also like to clarify that I am not racist against Chinese people or Chinese culture. Rather, I have a great interest in Chinese culture since it’s a part of my heritage that I’m not very familiar with. I’m also a firm believer and supporter of promoting and respecting different cultures.
I just want to clarify that my rant was towards extreme characters and situations depicted in many of the manhua I read (Both historical and contemporary series). I have some familiarity to Chinese culture thanks to my Chinese friends, and from Chinese dramas. My thoughts and feelings in this post were based on how characters and situations are very overblown, even more than compared to the Chinese and Taiwanese dramas/movies I’ve watched; Be it period or contemporary. My rant is purely on the fictional characters and situations, not the Chinese people or any actual people, and certainly not the culture.
The miscommunication may have also stemmed from me using the phrase “trashy”. Again, I’m not trashing any actual groups of people or culture. For me, I was using “trashy” in the same sense as “evil”, “hypocritical”, etc. The lens in which I view things are a mix of both a western and Asian lens. I am well aware of cultural differences, as well as what was considered the norm in historical times. I’m familiar with that due to similar cultural aspects from my own cultures. I’m also aware that many similar themes and characters are depicted in other media (western and Asian); Including media in from my own cultures. Again, my rant was based on how these characters and situations were quite extreme and overblown. I felt it was overblown to the point that it wasn’t very logical. I admit I have not read Chinese novels. I have, however, watched many Chinese and Taiwanese dramas and movies. So my understanding, thoughts, and feelings were based on my familiarity from that. Again, I emphasize my rant is just own how it seemed very overblown, even compared to other Chinese media.
The things I ranted on was also because they’re things that I know wouldn’t fly even with actual Chinese or Taiwanese people today. Like I’m pretty certain that IRL, they wouldn’t praise the cheater and his mistress and outright bash the victim who was cheated on like that. I think that’s a universal set of moral standards regardless of culture and time. Unfortunately, in many of the manhua that I read (even the contemporary ones), it seemed to be the standard to praise the cheating parties while slandering the victim. Even when the cheating parties were clearly at fault and blame. Same thing with rape-y scenes. When it’s forced, someone is unconscious and/or drugged, and there’s no consent… That’s basically rape. I’m pretty sure that that’s a big no-no and viewed negatively in Chinese culture. However, in many of the manhua series I came across, it seemed standard. It’s like these characters are meant to be seen as trashy in personality and having trashy morals. They’re meant to disgust you. It’s just that they’re on a very overblown level. That is what I meant by trashy characters and trashy morals. It’s not a norm, because there are characters (typically the main character and a few of their supporters), who are normal and have morals and logical thoughts.
Again, I’m sorry for the misunderstandings and if I unintentionally offended anyone. Please know that was not my intent. Also, I don’t think all manhua are bad. There are a few that I have enjoyed reading. I just wanted to rant my frustrations on the extreme ones. I know that was a really long disclaimer, but I hoped I clarified myself. I’ll be mindful and try to be more clear with my wording and thoughts in future posts to prevent any similar misunderstandings.
-Minty
This is gonna be a hella long rant post, so there will be some spoilers~ ☆⌒(≧▽° )
Sup BAYOG Fam!~ So y’all know I’ve just been living my life in quarantine since March. Everyone in my family, except for me, is immunocompromised. So we basically temporarily closed our restaurant. We have no plans on reopening until things look a bit better and safer for us to operate. Hence why I’ve just been living the quarantine life. Now y’all know why I’ve been able to read over 300+ manga, webtoon, and webnovel series. For the most part I’ve been reading Korean and Japanese series. The stories are good, and so is the art. I’ve found alot of really good and fun series. However, me having alot of free time means I quickly blow through the updates. So I’m caught up on all the good series. I’m still bored though. So I will end up reading bottom tier series to pass time.
**Note: When I say bottom tier, of course I mean a matter of my own personal preference and standards. You like what you like, but this is just based on my standards of what I find enjoyable.
It’s usually when I really need to kill time that I’ll read manhua series. So if you didn’t know: manga=Japanese series, manhwa=Korean series, manhua=Chinese series. I tend to prefer manga and manhwa because I feel like many of the series are better quality wise. I find the art super pretty, there are interesting characters, and the stories flow better. To be honest, I’m not really a fan of manhua series. There are some manhua series that have really pretty art. Sometimes there are some somewhat interesting story concepts. However, often times…I feel like the art is very subpar compared to manga and manhwa series. It’s kind of hard to get into the story when the art is “meh” for me. Still, ya know I can push on and pay no mind to it if the story is good.
Which is inevitably one of my biggest issues with manhua series. In my opinion, alot of manhua series are pretty bad story wise. Nearly every manhua series I came across really sucked in regards to the flow of the story. Like the flow of the story is awful. Instead of going from point A, to B, to C, etc…it’s like point A to F, to P. It throws me off and I’m like “Wuht…? What just happened…?” It’s alot of “Well that escalated quickly” moments. Sometimes, it just didn’t seem coherent whatsoever…and I don’t mean from translations. The choice of overall dialogue, speed, and delivery…everything just is like, “Wuht??” That’s what ends up making alot of manhua series hella bottom tier for me. Don’t get me wrong, some manhua series have really interesting concepts. However, the execution and flow just sucks. So it’s really not enjoyable. I usually end up just quickly scrolling through the chapters instead of actually reading and immersing myself in the story.
There’s another main issue and true reason why I can’t really *enjoy* alot of manhua series. That issue is the characters are all trash and the morals in these series are trash. I get it, it’s fantasy. Sometimes trashy characters and drama are necessary to make things interesting. However, I’m not talking about your normal situation where a villain or couple antagonists are ‘sposed to be trash and ‘sposed to have trashy morals. I’m literally talking about almost everyone in the story has really trashy moral standards. I was basically like, “WOW…YOU’RE TRASH, AND YOU’RE TRASH!! THAT FUCKER IS TRASH TOO! YOU ALSO TRASH!” Like I got mad and my brain felt like it was gonna explode. I kept stopping and yelling, “WHAT.THE.FUCK??? THAT DOESN’T EVEN MAKE SENSE??” Alot of it got me like, “Y’ALL FUCKING DISGUST ME!” 멘붕 (MTBD) y’all.
Y’all know I rage alot when it comes to [Remarried Empress]. Sovieshit and Trashta are utter trash. Like it’s unbelievable how stupid and trashy they are. Like Sovieshit is trash for picking up this chick despite having a wife. Not only that, he mistreated his hard-working wife like shit while devoting everything to Trashta. Trashta is a scheming, dumb, white lotus bish who stole another person’s man, and was greedy to think she was entitled to everything Navier had. Alot of manhua series have these characters that are just as trashy; Some with very similar character types and scenarios. Except manhua series are worse because it’s almost every character?? Remarried Empress is enjoyable despite the trashy characters because there are plenty of legit good characters. Plus those characters seem to have more depth. So Remarried Empress is redeemed and feels like a good story because of those characters like Navier, Heinley, Kapman, etc. There are like dumb, evil characters…however, it’s not everyone.
Most manhua series seem to have very wack moral standards. Often times, double standards too. Let me name some very common character types, situations, and issues in manhua series:
- Female lead’s significant other (boyfriend/financee/husband) cheats on her with the female lead’s “friend” or shitty sister/cousin. Not only cheats, but may have also gotten shit friend/sister/cousin pregnant. Verbally and physically abuses the female lead. Treats the female lead like shit. Sometimes calls her a slut/whore. Like he’ll treat her as if she’s beneath him, or as if she’s less than an animal. He’ll throw insults, emotional abuse, and sometimes physical abuse left and right. He’ll usually say shit like how he can’t stand her. Sometimes bragging on about how his sexual relationship with the other woman or women. Yet, he somehow feels and acts entitled to the female lead. Even if they’ve ended things, and she’s just moving on with her life. Also, always gaslighting. Bruh. GTFOH.
- Female lead’s “friend” or shitty sister/cousin. Seduces female lead’s significant other, and tries to seduce the male love interest(s). Is a white lotus; AKA a bish who looks and acts innocent and weak, but is really a scheming bish. White lotus who always schemes to take things from female lead. Always scheming to ruin female lead’s reputation. Feels entitled to everything.
- The female lead’s shitty family member(s). It could be a parent, both parents, grandparents, siblings, or the whole damn family. Usually abusive and controlling. Always gaslighting. Always putting the blame on the victim and not the actual instigator. Doesn’t stand up for the lead, or side with the lead at all. Yet, will always side with the white lotus.
- The shitty friends and family of the shitty previous significant other. They blind to all the shit shitty previous significant other did….or they’re aware, but shitty birds of a feather flock together. Also always gaslighting and physically/emotionally attacking female lead and male lead.
- Manhua male characters, including the male leads, also tend to seem very misogynistic and chauvinistic. Like extremely pushy and possessive. Male lead is usually the female lead’s fiancee or husband, through a forced/arranged marriage. Sometimes it’s through a contract relationship/marriage. Either way, dude be hella pushy, demanding, misogynistic, and chauvinistic. There’s no respect for boundaries. It’s like even though it’s a fake or forced relationship without love, dude always forcing himself on her with some “You have to perform your wifely duties” bullshit. Um…excuse me, but WHAT THE FUCK?? I swear it’s basically rape most of the time. CONSENT. LEARN CONSENT AND RESPECT, Y’ALL. (」╬°ロ°)」
- I found many manhua series I came across, generally have fucked up moral standards when it comes to consent. Drugging seems common. Rape scenarios appear alot. When that happens, it seems like the female lead gets blamed and hated rather than the actual rapist(s)?? Alot of times it feels like the male lead forces the female lead to sleep with him. It just feels rape-y to me. I just feel pretty grossed out by it. So it’s hard for me to like the “romance” aspect of these series.
Actually, basically all characters in many manhua series seem to be full of misogyny and chauvinism. There’s alot of the female lead having to follow whatever their family says, no matter what. Women must obey their husband and family. Even if said husband and family are all trash. The women are basically treated as tools. It’s also common where it’s like the guy cheated and has a mistress/concubine. Despite the female lead being hella loyal and dedicated, she gets gaslighted alot and told it’s her fault or due to her “incompetence”. Even if it’s bullshit by her husband and the concubine that causes her to lose her baby or something. I kind of get that these fucked up values and situations would be somewhat present in the stories since many of these manhua series take place in feudal/ancient times. I’m sure those values were viewed the norm then. Still, it’s like WTF??? WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK?? It’s often very, like hellaaaaa, extreme and I swear *everyone* is on that extreme?? It’s extremely overblown to the point that it’s a bit hard for people in the modern world to digest?? Or maybe it’s just me? I dunno. The whole time I’m pretty disgusted/outraged and channeling Masta Wu like, “That’s no-no…”
However, it’s kind of gross that even the male leads are like that. Especially in contemporary settings. Like…that’s not hot bruh. Whether it’s in ancient times or a contemporary setting, that kind of attitude and values from a male lead is pretty gross in my opinion. I dunno about y’all, but I stan characters that show love with respect, support, and understanding. That is possible. They do exist and appear at times. The point I’m ranting about and have an issue with is normalizing and romanticizing aspects that would be criticized IRL. Both in the east and west. Also, the characters I stan at least have some common sense. I can’t stand characters that have like no, and I mean -NONE-, reasoning or common sense whatsoever. I can’t stand double standards and hella jealous and overly possessive types either. Like bruh, you a cheating man-hoe. Yet, the woman gets called a slut and gets severely punished just for having a platonic conversation with some dude. The fuck is this shit??
Okay, let’s go into specific examples. There’s a series called [就要宠坏你/I Must Spoil You]. In my opinion, it’s one of the better manhua series that I’ve come across. The art is actually really nice compared to most manhua series I’ve come across. It was actually high quality art for a manhua. The flow wasn’t that bad. The premise of the story is aiight, it’s typical for a drama kind of series. It’s just a C tier series for me cuz of the ridiculousness of trashy characters and morals. However, it is held higher in comparison to other manhua series because the male lead actually isn’t trashy. Surprisingly, the male lead is actually a nice and respectable dude. He actually trusts, supports, and sides with the female lead. He’s a legit decent human being who understands the concept of consent. Also, I was legit shocked that the female lead’s dad sided with her and actually cared. That’s super shocking and rare in these manhua series. So yeah, that’s why I consider it one of the better series.
TRAAAAASSSSHHHH.
However, like I said, there are ridiculously trashy characters and moral standards. So in this series, the female lead suddenly enters a contract marriage with her doctor. It’s a spur of the moment decision out of revenge cuz she’s pissed and heartbroken. Basically she had come home and caught her fiancee and best friend sleeping together in the home and bed she bought for after her wedding. Wow…just that sentence makes you think, “WTF? That’s some trashy shit.” It’s understandable to be angry. What makes it worse is that they insult the female lead and treat her like she’s the villain?? Excuse me, but what??? I’m screaming…WHAT???
So female lead is just trying to live her life with her new husband. Yet trash fiancee shows up saying that he still loves her. He basically wants her to leave the doctor and be his side hoe. Gross. Trash. GTFOH. He gets rejected, but can’t comprehend “No. I want nothing to do with you.” Him and trash “friend” tell the female lead that they’re expecting. The “friend” is 3 months pregnant. Wow. They’ve been at this for a while… Anyway, they’re engaged and are telling the female lead she *has* to come to their engagement ceremony. Y’all. Considering how much I’ve been rolling my eyes, it’s amazing they haven’t popped out at this point. But wait! This is only the beginning! It’ gets worse! LMAO!!
The female lead’s mom is just as bad! She literally treats her daughter like shit. She’s always siding with and defending the white lotus bitch! She knows this bitch slept with her daughter’s fiancee, in what was supposed to be their married life home and bed. She knows that white lotus is pregnant. Yet, she has the audacity to tell the female lead to “Get over it”. Not only that, she has the audacity to be like, “How can you treat your friend like that?! She’s such a good girl! You’re being an awful person!” I wanna pull out my hair…probably slap some bitches while I’m at it… Like…ugh…
So here’s how fucked up the logic in this manhua is. Basically the whole time the shitty ex keeps coming on to the female lead. Literally the female lead has, since the beginning, wanted nothing to do with him. She’s told him to GTFOH and leave her alone. Yet this psycho is always there. He’s literally going out of his way to go find her. It’s been going on the whole damn series. Since the moment he got caught cheating. Like he shits on her, but also proclaiming that he loves her, that she supposedly needs him too. Her freakin’ mom, white lotus bitch, and shitty ex’s mom are all raging at the female lead. They’re all, “STOP COMING ON TO HIM! LEAVE HIM ALONE! STOP RUINING HIS LIFE!” BRUHHHH. Major spoiler, but he ends up finding out the white lotus’ true nature and schemes. In the chaos of him trying to force the female lead to get back with him, he pushes the preggo white lotus. This causes her to end up losing the baby. I should note, he didn’t give a damn. Female lead, however, was the one who urgently called for medical help. Anyway, female lead’s mom and the shitty ex’s mom cause a scene at the hospital. They blame the female lead for the whole thing. “STOP HANGING ONTO *whatever shitty ex’s name is*!” Bruuuuh. The asshole came to her house and harassed her. “It’s your fault *whatever shitty white lotus bitch’s name is* lost the baby!”
BRUUUUUUUHHHHH. First off, it’s the fault of the shitty parents (the ex and the “friend”). One, white lotus bitch was using the baby as a tool. Second, pretty sure it’s the fault of that damn “precious son”. He’s the one raging, pushing her (for like the second or third time at this point), and not caring about white lotus bitch and the baby. I see why your son is trash. Seriously, I don’t think people understand what responsibility and accountability actually are. All y’all trash. Please just go jump into the dumpster and catch on fire already.
There’s soooo much more shit, but I can’t. There’s too much. It would take me forever. Mind you, this is one of the better manhua series. Imagine the truly, bottom, bottom tier ones. Yikes. Of course I’m not saying all manhua is trash. There are some interesting ones. It’s just that I Must Spoil You is hella rage inducing because of such strong trashy characters and backwards ass morals. As you can tell, it pisses me off. However, I do like how the female lead is strong and doesn’t stand for her shitty ex and friend’s bullshit. She recognizes how toxic these people are and she’s truly trying to live her life without them. I also really like that the male lead is actually a decent human being and not some toxic piece of shit. I’m also super happy that the female lead’s dad is actually a respectable guy who actually loves his daughter and stands on her side. I also actually like [一品嫡女/First Miss Reborn] and [《妃为九卿》-神医小娇妃/Goddess of Healing]. The art style is actually really nice. I love the watercolor-esque look to it. The pacing is considerably good compared to other manhua. Both series have female characters that are strong and cunning, and overall the stories are interesting. Of course, there are still similar very rage-inducing factors though.
I’m just saying that many manhua series just seem to have some of the trashiest characters and hella backwards morals (alot of hypocrisy and double standards). Yet, I’m still reading them. Honestly, there are manga, manhwa, and Korean webnovels that have similar trashy characters and nonsense morals. However, I just find manhua series to be on a whole other extreme level. I’ll bitch about it, but I’ll still read it. Cuz yo’ girl still needs something to kill time while waiting for the series I really enjoy. Unfortunately, that just means I get to rage alot and my blood pressure gets to pop off. What are your experiences with manhua series? Y’all fans or nah? What do you like? What do you hate??
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Hihi! I’m Minty! I’m Thai-American~ เป็นคนไทยค่ะ~ ยินดีที่ได้รู้จักนะคะ~
I’m BAYOG’s hella basic Asian chick, Real People Stuffs expert, and boba addict. I fangirl and blog about music, live action movies/dramas, and manga/webtoons~ When I’m not blogging, I’m usually writing/singing Thai-English covers~
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BLACK LIVES MATTER
This is a difficult, but necessary matter to address. I’m not good at putting things into words, so I apologize. We all know the matter regarding the unjust murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and many others. The current Black Lives Matter protests are being covered globally. I’ve even seen it being covered daily by the Thai news. Racism is a very real thing. Being Asian, I’ve personally encountered bullshit racism on a daily basis. So I can relate and understand the struggles. However, I’m also aware of how much more difficult and blatant it is for black POC. AS A GROUP OF BIPOC, BAYOG strongly stands with Black Lives Matter. We’ve individually done several donations. Of course, donations to support the cause and support change isn’t the only thing needed. Support for the cause and change also requires conversation. Make sure to have those conversations. Aside from donating, I had several conversations with my family. I explained things to my parents, especially since some news stories were being reported inaccurately. I was afraid it’d be a bit difficult. However, as fellow POC and human beings, it was a necessary conversation. My parents and grandma understand, and now stand on the same page regarding BLM as well. Please remember to be an active supporter, be it through donations, sharing information, and/or conversations and speaking up.
If you can, please consider donating. I’ve donated more than once as well. For one of my donations, I donated through the BTS ARMY x BLM project. I recommend that if you’re unsure of where to donate. This is because the donation will be split amongst several different non-profit organizations. Of course, you can also choose a specific organization(s) if you wish as well. You can find that [HERE].
You can also check out the following:
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9 Replies to “Rant|Manhuas Have The Trashiest Characters and Moral Standards…”
I 100% get what you are saying and I often feel the same, but I hope you realize that you are being racist here, because you seem to have a problem with Chinese culture in general. Read some xianxian novels and you will slowly get how their culture operates. Its often very alien to people used to western standards.
Hello~ I’m not sure how you came to the conclusion that I was being racist or had a problem with Chinese culture as I do not. Rather, I’ve had a big interest in Chinese culture as it’s part of my heritage that I’m not as familiar with. I think you misunderstood me due to my rant tone. I apologize if I somehow offended you, as that wasn’t my intention at all. While I haven’t read xianxian novels, I do have a familiarity with Chinese culture from Chinese friends, Chinese movies/dramas, and a bit from my Thai-Chinese side of my family. I’m very familiar with both eastern and western standards. I actually tend to look at things from both a eastern and western view.
My rant here was just based on how overblown some characters and situations are compared to characters/villains in other media (mostly Asian), including Chinese and Taiwanese dramas/movies. It was also based on conversations with my Chinese friends saying that such characters and situations are overblown. My usage of the terms “trashy character” and “trashy morals” are in regards to the fictional characters, their personalities, and actions. My usage of trashy is meant to relate to their hypocrisy, personalities, and how evil they. I only meant that these characters and villains tend to be very overblown, as such standards and actions would be heavily criticized IRL; Including by Chinese people. But I mean, that’s what it’s meant to be. Those characters, their personalities, and actions are meant to be seen as trashy because readers are meant to hate them. But again, my rant was just about how they’re at a very extreme level is all.
ohhh thank you so much for this T_T i don’t think you’re being racist btw, but the disclaimer might help other people. my exact issue is the same but with korean webtoon manhwa’s instead, idk what’s with the author’s obsession of being abused by a male lead/father figure. i think a lotta them need to sort our their thoughts to a therapist lmao 😭
not to mention the very one dimensional, as you said it: asian lotus antagonist type. it seems that everyone else in the manhwa universe is as dumb as a rock and always side with the antagonist for behaving in a cutesy~ innocent way. the FL is an awkward but strict, but oh!! FL is actually an innocent, unexperienced lil flower that needs to be protected. like God T__T i’d love to be proven wrong but it seems that every manhwa i’ve encountered is like this. it’s like reading a poorly made soap opera through the lense of nice art style.
the authors seem to value “dramatic points” that pisses of the reader and allows them to wallow in self pity (because hey, FL is a self projection for all the readers), than writing an objectively good story. This kind of story is good for anyone that likes to victimize themselves (I do that too, but hey, limits). These kind of people would probably enjoy this kind of story. i don’t though. i prefer my “junk food” entertainment somewhere else.
I like your opinion and tastes in things! I hope we can be friends lol. You seem like a person that’s fun to talk to 😀
Hey there!~ Thanks for taking the time to read and respond to my post!~ I also definitely know the kind of Korean manhwa you’re talking about! lol Unfortunately alot of media (be it CH manhua, KR manhwa, or JP manga) seem to have these abusive and trashy father figures and male leads. I definitely agree. I’m always like, “What kind of hurt did you go through to go all out with making these kinds of characters??” lol
Like I get tropes and there are times they can be used with added effort and flair where they don’t feel so dumb, repetitive and flat. Unfortunately, like you said, the majority of the time it’s all put in the same mold: a seemingly overly sweet, naive and cutesy girl who has everyone blindly and foolishly trusting them. Like, literally no one has the brain cells to think for themselves and question how obviously sus some things are?? lolol Overuse of the same old tropes and character molds make things seem so repetitive and boring. I also hate when its like FL is originally seen as strict, strong, and smart. But again, they’re actually very innocent, naive, and they don’t seem to have any of the strength or intelligence they supposedly have. It just feels so inconsistent. Like you said, they can come off as bad soap operas with pretty art. Although I admit I’ll can push through if the art is pretty and the pacing isn’t terrible lol My more enjoyable series are the ones that actually do use their brain cells and have a shred of common sense and wit lol
I definitely know what you mean! Like I get dramatic points make a series spicy and interesting. But a good series needs to know limits, proper execution, and proper pacing. Otherwise it just feels so shallow with just a bunch of flashy drama, but no real substance. I admit that I’ll read for drama and to kill time, but sometimes it’s just too much lol
I’m glad to hear that you think that! Of course! I’m a bit awkward and I don’t know if I’m particularly fun or interesting to talk to…but I would love to be friends! I always enjoy sharing opinions and discussing different series~
*****It seems the original blog post this comment is on has received some criticism regarding racism, so I just wanted to put a disclaimer here that I don’t believe this is what Asian(all encompassing, because I’ve read many graphic novels with these undertones) culture is like. I actually had to research whether I was wrong about this because it got too common to see these plots in the graphic novels I was reading(and yes, this really ISN’T how Asians are). Therefore, I am directing this comment to the novel authors to implore them to grow in their journey as content creators, and to be aware of the messages they are sending to their audience with the content that they are creating. Racism is something that a person is taught, not something they are born with. With certain cultures being more pronounced and certain ones more withheld than others, (for example, Americans don’t know too much about Chinese due to restricted communications, etc) it becomes even more important that the little content that IS produced portrays something closer to the truth, or to how one wishes to be perceived. At the very least, it should show the variety that comes with living human lives, rather than a repetitive concept reused over and over. If something is repeated in front of someone enough times, it’s only a matter of time before people think it’s a fact. I’m not saying this is right or correct in any way, but it is something that happens, so awareness is key.******
On to my actual comment! 😀
I was specifically looking around on the internet to see if anyone shared this opinion and I’m glad I’m not the only one! The quarantine left me with a lot of time to just read and play and entertain myself. Too much time, even. As a result, I’ve gone as far as to read some of these “bottom tier” webcomics, as you call it, and I was also in shock.
I really had to spend some time trying to figure out if these are actual cultural beliefs because it was beginning to be too common of a thread where family members are evil to an exaggerated extent of repetitively trying to kill the MC, romantic partners were overly infringing on women’s rights, 95% of the MC’s friends were conniving backstabbers, and at times, even the MC has evil undertones masked as rightful vengeance or payback.
I understand a lot of these types of webcomics(all encompassing manga, manhua, and manhwa, since I read any and all interesting looking ones I can get my hands on) are set in olden times where traditions and the social climates were not always in line modern morals and beliefs, but there’s got to be a line drawn somewhere if you’re still trying to appeal to a modern reader. To push a reader to the point of wondering whether the culture in which the piece was produced from actually think and behave this way means that you have gone too far, authors!
I can write off being burdened by familial duties as part of tradition. But it doesn’t make sense for an entire family to want the MC dead out of jealousy. I can write off the occasional hater, we all have those. But every person the MC comes across is terrible? This does get repetitive eventually. I can write off having multiple wives since we all know times were different back then. I can even relish the occasional deserved backlash of the MC towards an antagonistic character, because some sweet revenge does appeal to most reader’s dark sides. What I can’t get past is how everyone in the storyline is just like, yep, this is totally normal, let’s not ask questions, let’s not reflect on whether this is right or wrong.
Aside from a moral standpoint, let’s talk about creativity. If the MC goes around just killing everyone for crossing them, the story begins to lack depth. If the whole family is against the MC, it’s too easy to just kill the whole family. It’s too easy to kill off every “villain” in the story, and just keep introducing more “villains”. Then there are some situations between the MC and their SO that are just like, wait what. This speaks to the authors beliefs of how relationships work and what it’s based on, which sometimes isn’t a good look on the author. I’ve seen an MC literally pick their SO solely based on them being handsome. I don’t know whether to praise the author for being on the mark about how a lot of relationships begin, or to berate them for promoting such a thing.
And finally, the overall cohesiveness of the story line. There are times when I legit believe that the translators must have missed a chapter or something because the last chapter ended one way, and the next chapter just jumps forward and assumes that you as the reader have figured out how the last situation panned out. As a reader, inference in one of the skills we eventually acquire but some of these authors are asking for too much inference. On the one hand, I’m glad they’re not doing too many filler chapters, but on the other hand, a lot of things just go over the readers’ heads when it wasn’t explained in enough detail.
Content is content, and I am grateful there are artists and writers out there continuing to produce content, otherwise, I’d have nothing to read. But that being said, I hope this feedback reaches some authors so that they could see what they can improve in. Some classic situations withstand the test of time, for sure. But there is such a thing as too much of a good thing, which I think is what some of these authors might be missing the mark on completely.
Hi there! Thank you so much for taking the time to go through my blog post/rant!
You’ve said everything I meant to say so eloquently! Yeah, basically someone interpreted my post as me being racist and having a problem with Chinese culture… Which I wasn’t and I don’t have a problem with Chinese culture. While there are some aspects that do exist in Asian culture, the portrayals are really extreme. While they commonly appear in these series, as you said, it’s not how these Asian cultures are actually like. Alot of these things are not seen as normal or okay. I get that they’re shown to be more extreme than reality because drama and what not is what makes fiction interesting. However, as you said, how something is portrayed and perceived is extremely important. Especially when it comes to how those unfamiliar with those cultures. For me some of these things were just too extreme and lacked such common sense. My issue is also normalization of such extremes and people seeing no issue with it.
You sound exactly like me haha. The pandemic has been awful, but it’s been fun finding different content to read.
Exactly! As you said, I understand that some things were commonplace considering the time and setting. However, as you said, there still needs to be a line to appeal to a modern reader. Also, just common sense. There are series that have similar elements, but are still able to incorporate characteristics and values to appeal to a modern reader. It’s also just weird that such concerns and questionable things happen even in series with modern settings. For example, everyone cursing and insulting a character who’s been very clearly mistreated and cheated on, but they’re praising and siding with the mistress. That just doesn’t make any sense. Especially in a modern setting. It’s times where things are too extreme and it breaks one’s immersion because the reader is constantly questioning everything.
Agreed. I understand the idea of familial duties and filial piety as part of tradition. But as you said, it doesn’t make sense for an entire family to hate and want a MC dead. It also doesn’t make sense for family members who were seemingly affectionate, very quickly turn on the MC for very trivial things. Like some things can make sense given the time, setting, and circumstances…but as you said, sometimes the morality is just too questionable. It’s very weird to have some things be seen as totally normal, have no reflection, or to see characters simply forget about crap they’ve done and think everything is totally okay again.
I also agree about the creativity. Sometimes it’s like a villain just died, suddenly there’s a new one. With the same exact MO. Eventually, it’s like constantly like it’s the same old exact villain, but in the form of a new character…30 times… It’s just so unnecessary and you just get a ton of shallow villains instead of well-developed ones. Sometimes I seriously wonder how the author thinks relationships work. Alot of times it’s incredibly questionable. There are also alot of red flags at times.
I totally agree with the cohesiveness. There are times I ask myself if I missed a chapter or if I’m reading a different series… I’m glad for no filler chapters, but it definitely makes the story feel like it’s lacking when the flow and cohesiveness don’t make sense.
I agree, I do enjoy having content. Again, I feel like it’s not completely terrible. Often times there are actually really interesting stories and characters. It’s just a matter of execution. I feel like with improvements, these series could be so much better. Like you said, hopefully authors do see and consider feedback from readers like us.
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