As an angst/regret plot lover, this story does NOT deserve a 9.2
Many readers review bomb it bc of what the ML does but the author does a fantastic job giving actions reasoning and the state of mind ML has to come to these decisions. What I really love about this story is that the characters are not one dimensional and have a lot of depth that make you understand ML's actions. This is very different from other shitty ML who treat the FL horrid because of a poorly written backstory where it makes no sense for the ML to act they way they do.
This isn't to excuse the actions he did they are undeniably trash but, the story doesn't try to gloss over it. His flaws aren't excused in the story. That's what I think makes the story even stronger because it does not hold back in telling the reader the impacts and reprecussions of the ML's actions.
As for FL, as someone in a position of power it's her duty to be informed to some extent. We are explicitly told that the FL chose to stay ignorant and not dig deeper so she can continue to live in peace. In my philosophy, willful ignorance is a sin. If people in power chose to stay ignorant to the suffering of others for their own benefit I think the world would be a much worse place. Priviledge comes from the lack of awareness to anothers suffering and many things in our society is built off of exploitation. So when a lot of people were angry about how she's completely innocent and that she shouldn't even be thinking that I just couldn't relate.
This is also not to say that FL deserved the treatment she got but that her mental state and guilt is a very brave thing to be able to admit. This is a testament to the emotional depth of these characters. FL IS a victim but she has also contributed to the continued unaddressed suffering of the people through her ignorance. Both can be true. I will say that the guilt she carried with her wasn't porportionate to what she deserved having awareness was enough. That overwhelming guilt made her unable to deny those who wronged her since she believed she was so beyond any forgiveness. Her overwhelming emotions spiraled, but thats how emotions work.
That's what got me so passionate to write this entire rant. The raw emotions the story tells are realistic which makes it so beautifully crafted. That's why I'm disappointed that the rating doesn't reflect what I believe it deserves. As a person with a 9.4+ bias I was hesitant to pick up this story at first but I'm so glad I went against my bias and gave it a try. If someone else were as bias as I was but chose not to form their own opinion would make me feel sad.
If you read all this, and didnt enjoy the story, I dont mean to yum your yuck and its totally valid if yearning plots just aren't your preference or you don't like the personalities. I just want to make a case that this story is structured very well whether you hate the characters or not it delivers emotionally rich characters.
In conclusion, its very easy to say from a moral highground "ML is unforgivable trash" when you don't try to understand ML's perspective. He lived a life not knowing how to be treated as a human, only knowing suffering and deathly consequences. You can't expect a person who has never experienced love to love perfectly. As the famous saying goes "hurt people, hurt people"
As an angst/regret plot lover, this story does NOT deserve a 9.2
Many readers review bomb it bc of what the ML does but the author does a fantastic job giving actions reasoning and the state of mind ML has to come to these decisions. What I really love about this story is that the characters are not one dimensional and have a lot of depth that make you understand ML's actions. This is very different from other shitty ML who treat the FL horrid because of a poorly written backstory where it makes no sense for the ML to act they way they do.
This isn't to excuse the actions he did they are undeniably trash but, the story doesn't try to gloss over it. His flaws aren't excused in the story. That's what I think makes the story even stronger because it does not hold back in telling the reader the impacts and reprecussions of the ML's actions.
As for FL, as someone in a position of power it's her duty to be informed to some extent. We are explicitly told that the FL chose to stay ignorant and not dig deeper so she can continue to live in peace. In my philosophy, willful ignorance is a sin. If people in power chose to stay ignorant to the suffering of others for their own benefit I think the world would be a much worse place. Priviledge comes from the lack of awareness to anothers suffering and many things in our society is built off of exploitation. So when a lot of people were angry about how she's completely innocent and that she shouldn't even be thinking that I just couldn't relate.
This is also not to say that FL deserved the treatment she got but that her mental state and guilt is a very brave thing to be able to admit. This is a testament to the emotional depth of these characters. FL IS a victim but she has also contributed to the continued unaddressed suffering of the people through her ignorance. Both can be true. I will say that the guilt she carried with her wasn't porportionate to what she deserved having awareness was enough. That overwhelming guilt made her unable to deny those who wronged her since she believed she was so beyond any forgiveness. Her overwhelming emotions spiraled, but thats how emotions work.
That's what got me so passionate to write this entire rant. The raw emotions the story tells are realistic which makes it so beautifully crafted. That's why I'm disappointed that the rating doesn't reflect what I believe it deserves. As a person with a 9.4+ bias I was hesitant to pick up this story at first but I'm so glad I went against my bias and gave it a try. If someone else were as bias as I was but chose not to form their own opinion would make me feel sad.
If you read all this, and didnt enjoy the story, I dont mean to yum your yuck and its totally valid if yearning plots just aren't your preference or you don't like the personalities. I just want to make a case that this story is structured very well whether you hate the characters or not it delivers emotionally rich characters.
In conclusion, its very easy to say from a moral highground "ML is unforgivable trash" when you don't try to understand ML's perspective. He lived a life not knowing how to be treated as a human, only knowing suffering and deathly consequences. You can't expect a person who has never experienced love to love perfectly. As the famous saying goes "hurt people, hurt people"