Hi everyone, back again with an in depth review. A short summary: great story, it’s on the dark anti-hero side but no cliche brooding MC. It has a lot of kingdom building elements, with the company aspect, decent fights, a diverse and well fleshed out cast of characters, and interesting plot points/story progression. The translation is also top notch with minimal errors. Overall, great story, I recommend if you enjoy smart and ruthless MCs and are fine with the use of other intellectual properties. Now onto the in depth part:
First, always start with translation: It was perfect. That’s it. Well obviously not really, no translation is truly perfect, however, this story comes as close as it gets to perfect. No errors in sentences, no missing text, names are consistent and appropriate, no syntax or sentence structure mistakes, and it is editorialized well when compared to the source. Overall great translation quality, what other stories should strive for. Also, at the time when the chapters were being released, the releases were always consistent and reliable. Grade A++
Story/Plot Progression: so the premise of the story is that the MC gets an USB that he can use to take items out of movies and shows, and later on even travel towards those worlds. Simple premise, even if it’s a bit of fan fiction, right? Well I can’t deny that, but despite the basicness and unoriginality, it is totally made up for by the fun of thinking what movies or items the MC can go into to become stronger, and how the MCs choices affect the people and world around him. The author makes an excellent job of not only fleshing out the MC, but also other characters and the world, but more on that in the character section. The story has a clear path and progression, with understandable goals and where it’s heading. Though the last 20 chapters can be seen as somewhat rushed as the authors seems to wish to end the story soon when in my opinion it could had kept going for 100 more chapters to fully complete it. Grade A-
Characters: we’ll start with the MC. If you aren’t into ruthless MCs like Leylin from WMW, then this story is not for you. The MC is ruthless and isn’t afraid of killing people who get in his way, regardless of who they may be, however, his reasonings and goals are completely logical and make sense for who he is. He isn’t a murderous psychopath like many other MCs we’ve seen (looking at you ATG and MGA), but more of a cold blooded person. He is willing to go to many lengths to accomplish his goals but he has clear bottom lines he tries not to cross and isn’t needlessly cruel. Other characters are also great in this story though, so it isn’t just a one man show. The author fleshes out many characters that inhabit this world, sometimes dedicating 2-3 chapters to them and it’s a treat to get outside perspectives on the MC and how his actions have changed the world, whether for better or worse. These characters are also given believable personalities and depth. They aren’t cardboard cutouts to simply cheer on the MC. Grade: A
World building: with the premise of the story being able to go into movies/shows you would expect this story to be mainly focused on going on adventures to those worlds correct? Well you would be wrong, this story is more about the MC trying to elevate humanity from a simple planet civilization to intergalactic society, the movies are just a device to get to it. Though it’s enjoyable seeing the worlds from games and movies we like be referenced into the story, I always found myself looking forward more to the “real” world parts of the story. This is due to the MC learning more about the universe and uncovering the mysteries that surround him, including why he even got the USB in the first place. There’s a nice consistent pace as we see the world change in stages and how humanity responds to these changes, though it can be funny seeing politicians agree on things easily when threatened. The only downside is the ending as it felt somewhat rushed. Grade: A-
So in the end, I think this is a great story. One of the better ones I’ve read in a long time. It has intrigue, mystery, a smart MC and a diverse cast of characters. Clear plot progression and world building with interesting settings. I fully recommend this if you are into smart ruthless MCs and a bit of kingdom building aspects. This story isn’t super heavy on the fighting, but it does a decent job when it does show those scenes. No romance, and only affection is from the MC towards his parents and his AI. Overall an A grade for this story.
