So I've been reading a lot of good mtl lately but nothing's perfect the mcs are usually the problem. I've long since stopped getting heated due to the sheer number of the same thing but hey. We all like to complain even if it doesn't change anything. It's spiritually soothing and relaxing. Now without further ado: Those damn chinese mcs and novels are getting on my nerves: I know it's their culture with Taoism Confucianism etc but why is every mc so humble! A few is fine but every single one is humble as hell that it's off putting. I can ignore them acting respectfully to strange old men because again culture but they take it too far. Every dialogue: Senior, this junior, this disciple God it's aggravating#Why I hate mcs with sects. It's an extension of what I call the cheap family trope. They treat strangers and friends like ACTUAL family members no joke it's like some sick disorder. This old guy is treated the same as you would your grandfather in every way. This friend you just met us now your brother that you fight, and go the extra mile for etc. This girl is anyways you get the point. Then it's the little sister fetish that I hated like the prior humble mcs but now I just roll my eyes and drop the novel when I see they have too much screentime. I'm not exaggerating when I say excluding orphan mcs (my favorites) 29/30 of the other mcs have sisters. 8/10 sisters are younger sisters. They are always deadweights bratty annoying and act cute and get spoiled. It now repulses me. Then it's the women problem. Don't get me wrong I love harems but the cn mcs let women walk all over them. The men in novels have no self control (mcs too sometimes) drooling, getting horny, and just having zero resistance to pretty women. Just because they are pretty even the non 100% simps treat them better, do stuff for them, save them etc. It's annoying. Then there is the other cultural problem. Hugging thighs aka being a yes man to this superior in some way person usually a disgusting heroic manly man or a woman with more strength and status. Which is no problem if it's necessary but it usually isn't. The mcs act like the under lings of the arrogant young master stereotype but not as bad but the behaviour has the same theme. The mcs and their grandmother knows they are the mc if not they have their mc certificate of authenticity aka their cheat that builds their journey (not you plot armour, your son). And despite this, knowing they can surpass this so called thick or golden thighs all they call it, they still want to hug it like a retarded with no life threats near. Again repulsive. We all know racism and china numba wan syndrome so I won't bother. I'll just say I can tolerate one or two of my complaints like younger sisters etc. I usually only quit after I see three or more things I deeply dislike as I know nothing's perfect but racism just ruins everything in a novel so I drop every one. Don't read anything where china exists as a nation. I have some others but I think I'll shut up now. Short summary of the others is: No trama of reborn/reincarnated mcs who were once betrayed yet still easily make friends, the lazy authors giving both the transmigrated mc and the previous one the same name. Mommy and daddy fetish/trope/stereotype where life has no meaning without parents again nothing wrong conceptually but again I'm not exaggerating when I say they take it too far. Fat best friend. Teamwork aka mc carrying the rest on his back. Damn I'm digging up my pet peeves and starting to get heated better stop now. This is why I like anti-hero cn novels and their tropes have corrupted me. Now I like me some murder especially annoying women and respected elders. When the mc himself starts dropping bodies instead of being like the other mcs I feel great. Please note I do know there are exceptions which are my favorites and what I like to read, just complaining about general trends. Also when I say I don't like this or that it doesn't always mean I want the EXACT opposite e.g. beta vs alpha male. Okay I'm not going tire my fingers writing more.
If Japan can boast that they invented the instant noodles, then China's claim to fame is the 'instant' family. That quick 'brotherhood' is a carryover from wuxia and as you rightly pointed out, it sucks. Same for the annoying little sisters, shameless, horny MCs and the 'sect' culture/politics.
Now thats a short rant. Probably because you skipped 80% of the problems xd I stopped reading CNs for a multitude of problems, and the MC is more often than not the main reason.
Now now give them credit where credit is due. Maybe it's because they have a large population so even the small ratio that write novels is a lot. But I've seen some real creative shit in worldbuilding, unique power systems etc that just blow me away. Of course they later ruin it with stupid plots and characters that are better off not existing since they spoil the entire novel like racism. Or romance in douluo dalu all of them, I'm glad doubly dalu is a fan favorite in china they make yaoi and all sorts of fan fics. It had so ppotential but was ruined in each novel with romance. The author sucks at romance. And it ruins everything since he insists on doing it. Same case with different concepts across the board, I usually just read halfway or while the novelty of their unique aspects has not faded yet. But hey, we are the ones reading no one's forcing us so yea, the best option like you is to just stop. Getting butthurt doesn't do anything. Personally I know better than loving a Chinese novel. I just read for the experience now.
When you talk about mcs being too humble, I'm guessing you forgot all the other times they did some face slapping and killing to young people and old people alike, both men and women. There hasn't been a single mc who didn't kill people if there is martial arts involved, and more often than not, at least 1 family (or a whole branch family) will be killed by the mc. However, I have a real problem with casual killing in front of witnesses when the setting is modern. It's not the same as medieval xianxia where there is little to no law enforcement, damnit! The other problem I have is saving girl from arranged marriages. It's overused!! Sometimes appearing several times in the same novel/manhua in less than 300 chapters. The last problem I have is women in their 20s being rich businesswomen and acting like naive 14yo when it comes to relationships. Even a simple kiss is a tedious thing to get (one of the biggest offenders is the CEO in "I have a mansion in the post apocalyptic world").
I'm not going to go over the rest but these protagonists aren't nearly as humble as you think. You're reading the dialogue overly literally, and it's likely that the translation you're reading is also rendering the dialogue and prose overly literally. It's a common trap because so much of Chinese looks so tantalizingly like regular English that's it's easy to take the easy way out instead of rewriting the text. And I'd say that it's often a mistake because even though the words are technically correct but the feel can be completely off.
@Exalted Look here, a fellow brother is slowly descending into the abyss. Take the final step! Go for purely evil protagonists!
Lol be careful hoss-or they might try to censor you for bringing politics into it. They got my previous thread when I asked for no Chinese racism locked. Bunch of butthurt racist’s smh…. What do you mean? Isn’t it all translated?
Ah yes, CN stories My main tick off with these stories are the extreme Chinese supremacism. Cringey asf. Even in a fictional setting they still insist on their "CHINA NUMBER 1" rhetoric
Keyword: Extreme Every story depending on the nationality of the author has its cultural biases but CNs are notorious for the extremity of the nationalism they have write into their fiction.
My biggest problem is honestly the sheer hatred for America and Japan that comes out in many of the novels. Its not the racism, or nationalism that bothers me, its the sheer attitude they have towards the countries. I would not mind so much but infinite novels always go to various anime, and movies many of which are like the Marvel world. Then all of a sudden the semi humble, semi normal mc will turn into an antagonistic monster who will slaughter the country or a world of innocents, for no reason other then..i could. I read one where they opened a portal to the one piece world from dragonball, the mc literally destroyed the whole one piece world for no reason but he could. In marvel they become some super hero, then slaughter half of the united states military just because they looked at him funny. This slaughter mentality seems to become more and more prominent these days. Where are the mcs that just beat the crap out of people..i miss it now.
/nod/ I especially love those that uses words, face-slapping them with facts/ sarcasm. There's also those that has a bit of skills in martial arts detaining an attacker swiftly and beautifully, with a lot of pain but not much harm (aka can't be blamed), ex: dislocated something/ judo throw/ acupunture point/ neck chop (so they faint). True, in chinese novels, usually people mock each other either subtly (sarcasm, indiscreet, or with flowerly language/ poems citings) or harshly (cursing the other's family members to their ancestors, internet slangs, crude/ no culture words). In normal conversations, usually it's done subtly, in an internet debate/ fight, they let go of inhibitions, hiding across the network and viciously critise/scold/harass people (topic: celebrities, happenings in school/ outside (usually about collapsed image, crimes, events, politics, etc), venting, LGBT, water army (they did most of the talking and directing), etc). It was so vicious the one they targeted could instantly get severe depression, etc and commit suicide (after that, they'll be blamed even tho they're victims). In novels, as long as yoy're rich & powerful, you can do anything, even evading crime charges.
Yeah, at least when Western media does it, it’s the villains who’re doing all the slaughtering and blowing up of other countries. You know… to show how powerful and evil the villains are.