Let's start with translation quality.
This novel has without a doubt one of the best, if not the best translators out there. I can't read Chinese so I can't judge on how close it is to home, but I can judge its grammar and whether it can drag me in and allow me to immerse myself. The translators do exactly that. A few mistakes here and there, but I'm sure they'll be corrected in the near future (they are quite minor to begin with).
Updating stability:
Well. That's all really. I don't have any complaints. I guess I can praise you for it. So 5 stars for that.
Now here's where it goes wrong.
Story development:
I'm up to date with the translation, and my God is it repetitive. The author really just recycles his plots and replaces the MC's counter attack with a different poem or calligraphy or whatever he's using at that moment.
At first you see him really grow into his new life and the story progresses as he gets closer to his dream. As he moves from one place to another he's knowledge and his 'convenient ring' allows the story to move to different angles ergo better development.
However once you get past a few hundred chapters it really gets to you. The author uses the same plot over and over and it really feels like a waste of opportunities. How about bringing in a character that's in both worlds in the present, not just in history? How about a character who's also from the world he is? Or a different world? Many many opportunities wasted.
Which brings me to my next point...
Character development/design:
Oh jeez. It is so bad.
Let's start with the good.
The main character continues to develop over the course of the novel and you really see him stubborn to his nature. The novel shows how uncompromising he is, in all situations. It makes you wonder when he'll fall and fail to keep up.
Granted the 'convinient ring' is the means to let the story develop alongside the MC, it's well done and keeps you intrigued.
I mean, I am up to date for a reason.
Now the rest.
Apart from the MC, there really isn't any other character who stands out or has any development. They're really just thrown aside and brought back to praise the all mighty plagiarism warrior.
To top it off, the author doesn't seem to want to bring back old instances or events between the side characters and the MC. It really is a shame that the characters only get their moment in passing.
What ticks me off though, is that previous events just don't have an influence on the present. For example, what happened to the little flick between Dong Shanshan and Zhang Ye? Why is it never mentioned, especially in the last hundred chapters or so?
It's as if the author really just forgot it ever happened.
Another problem is that all the female characters are really the same. Apart from the 'high profile' females (who's development are really just negligible) the rest are the same. They all just whine and cry. Really. That's it.
Then you have Chenchen, who I see as immense story potential. She has a few chapters dedicated to her, but that seems to be it. An intelligent yet cute girl, who can easily be used to form a new plot for the main story. Imagine if she was to join the industry with Zhang Ye, imagine the possibilities?! Then there's his old crew! And Old Wu. OLD WU! Develop her some more, I beg you.
I'm really just using this review to rant.
World building is fine, albeit a bit convenient. There's no need to stress over it. Although how and why the 'convinient ring' exist would be nice and how he got to where he is would also be nice. But it's not that kind of novel.
All in all. The character development just lets the novel down. The story is repetitive and at times just, "Yeah, that was obvious."
The world building is fine.
But I have to shower love to the translation crew. I'll continue to read this till the end, simply because the translation allows me to immerse myself. So props to the translation crew.
But that's all from me and my rant/review/essay, which ever pleases you.
