I completely agree with you, using “fiction” as an excuse, and when that doesn’t work, they just start throwing insults and act oblivious, then victimize themselves.
true, it is bad. and even in fiction they should make it a point to show it in a distinct negative light rather than fetishizing it or making it look "hot". Revenge is just a way to facilitate the excuse of rape. It could have easily bad nightmares, or increased accidents or bad luck in general. In fact, I think a story like this which started out with a strong rooting in its lore didn't require smut at all (but maybe thats just me), and could have been conveyed through character interaction alone. Especially considering it originates in China which is notorious for censoring below the neck action.
I keep seeing people defend books that include rape with excuses like “it’s just fiction,” “the plot is good,” or “I’m here for the worldbuilding.” But here’s the thing—rape is bad, period. Fiction or not.
What’s wild is that some people actually have a fetish for it. Because if you didn’t have even a little bit of that, you wouldn’t feel personally attacked when someone criticizes rape in a story. No one’s saying the book itself is terrible, or that the art or worldbuilding suck (though it’s kind of early to even judge that, honestly).
What people are saying is: we’re tired of rape being at the center of so many of these stories. And when defenders claim “it’s about revenge,” I just have to ask—why is rape always the go-to way to show that? Isn’t there literally any other way to write a revenge story?