Timey Wimey in Danmei

 

This is the first Meatbun novel I read, right after finishing all of MXTX’s books. I chose to start with this one because the title caught my attention—The Husky and His White Cat Shizun. In real life, huskies are often a threat to cats. Huskies have a high prey drive, and they are notorious for attacking smaller animals. While you can find videos on TikTok of huskies coexisting with cats, that's usually because they grew up together or are well-trained. Even then, I would never let my cats near a husky. Vets know this, too. I've been to clinics where they made us wait outside just because a husky was inside. Sometimes, they’ll even separate our cats into a closed room when a husky arrives.

That said, the novel's dynamic between Mo Ran (the husky) and Chu Wanning (the white cat, his Shizun) plays out similarly—the "husky" definitely attacks!

The novel begins with Mo Ran, now in his thirties, having claimed the title of emperor in the mortal realm after flooding the world with blood and gore, killing anyone who opposed him. Strangely, he ends his life by drinking poison and lying down in an open grave under a tree where he first met Chu Wanning. This is suspicious, considering Mo Ran supposedly hated Chu Wanning, yet even after his death (two years prior, when Chu Wanning sacrificed himself to save the remnants of the cultivation world), Mo Ran preserved his Shizun's body with spiritual power and continued to visit it. He even cried one day when he couldn’t wear his disciple robes anymore. For someone who claimed to despise Chu Wanning, Mo Ran’s actions scream otherwise. His motivation to live seemed tied to his Shizun’s death. Really sus!

After taking poison, Mo Ran wakes up back in his 16-year-old body, realizing he's been given a second chance. He believes this is his opportunity to save the person he loves, Shi Mei, and prevent his descent into becoming Emperor Taxian-Jun. However, things start to change. It seems someone else from his future was also reborn and is causing events to spiral out of control, leading to Chu Wanning’s death instead of Shi Mei's. This is when Mo Ran’s perspective shifts. As he embarks on a quest to collect the scattered pieces of Chu Wanning’s soul for Master Huaizui (Chu Wanning’s Shizun) to cast the forbidden Rebirth spell, Mo Ran realizes his entire life has been built on a misunderstanding. The cruelty he inflicted on Chu Wanning in his past life? Completely misplaced. And more than that, Mo Ran realizes he was never in love with Shi Mei—his heart belonged to Chu Wanning all along.

It takes Master Huaizui five years to revive Chu Wanning after Mo Ran collects his souls. When Chu Wanning returns, Mo Ran’s attitude toward him does a full 360. Eventually, after waiting out a calamity on an island, Mo Ran finds the courage to confess his feelings, though Chu Wanning remains skeptical, still believing Mo Ran’s heart belongs to Shi Mei.

By the time I reached volume two, I noticed how Erha (as The Husky and His White Cat Shizun is also known) blends elements of MXTX’s novels. For instance, the story features undead corpses controlled by demonic cultivation or forbidden arts, similar to Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation. Mo Ran’s reincarnation echoes The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System. Then there’s a scene where Mo Ran travels to the Underworld to retrieve Chu Wanning’s earth soul, which reminded me of Heaven's Official Blessing—even a demon lord shows up in Erha, trying to claim Chu Wanning for himself! But really, it’s not a big deal. Both authors are Chinese, and with their shared cultural influences and mythology, some overlap is expected.

That said, a word of caution: Meatbun’s novels are not for the faint of heart. Erha includes rape scenes and is packed with Mo Ran’s...let’s just say, "physical reactions." His constant arousal, especially when he’s near Chu Wanning, gets a bit annoying. I mean, really? A slight touch and he's hard again? Not to mention, I’ve seen this book in the teen section of my local bookstore, which is wild considering how explicit it is. But who am I to judge? As a teenager, I was sneaking into my mom’s bookshelves for her steamy novels, too! Also, it’s surprising to me that this book became a New York Times bestseller. Given the content, you’d think it would spark outrage in today’s cancel culture, but here we are—it tells you a lot about people’s hidden desires.

Despite Mo Ran’s constant...distractions, the story is engaging. With all its twists, surprises, and emotional revelations, it keeps you hooked. The moral of the story? Communication is key. Mo Ran’s entire villainous life stemmed from a lack of understanding, leading him to destroy the one person he actually loved. The novel also delves into the survival of clans, politics, and betrayals, similar to other danmei works.

The Husky and His White Cat Shizun is set to have thirteen volumes, and we're currently on book six. Book seven is expected to release on December 3, 2024. Meatbun has already finished the story, and you can read it online, but as I’ve mentioned before, I prefer physical books. Plus, Seven Seas’ English translation is better written than the unofficial ones.

I can't wait for book seven!

i was flabbergasted, LOL not really

" While waiting for Meatbun’s new volumes of "Erha" and "Yuwu," I decided to pick up her third novel, "Case File Compendium."

(I prefer reading the official English translations of danmeis, and I’m not a fan of reading online.)

As with Meatbun’s other works, there are some things to keep in mind. Her stories are not for the faint of heart or those easily triggered. If you have a strict moral compass, don’t even attempt to pick up "Case File Compendium." As for me, I’m intrigued by the morally complex—books like these don't bother me; they fascinate me. Now, let’s dive into the book.

The story follows He Yu, who suffers from a fictional mental illness called Psychological Ebola. Although it doesn’t exist in reality, it appears to be a blend of several mental illnesses, including anger issues, abandonment issues, and delusions. Actually, the way Meatbun describes Psychological Ebola is like how criminal psychologist describe serial killers. Then there’s Xie Qingchen, a medical psychologist who was once hired by He Yu’s parents to treat He Yu. However, Qingchen quit the job four years ago for unknown reasons.

Fast forward to the present, He Yu enrolls in a university where his childhood crush, Xie Xue teaches. Xie Xue happens to be Qingchen’s younger sister. At 19, He Yu seems to have his mental illness somewhat under control until he discovers Xue Xie is in love with someone else. To distract himself, although He Yu is a screenwriting and directing student, accepted an acting role in his school’s drama department. However, Qingchen finds him barely keeping his sanity in a hotel room, leading to an unexpected and mistaken kiss from He Yu, who confuses Qingchen for his sister.

Subsequent scenes reveal how secure Qingchen is with his masculinity; despite being disgusted by the kiss, he doesn’t hold it against He Yu. Perhaps it’s his professional detachment as a psychologist or his indifferent temperament. The novel doesn’t just focus on the growing relationship between He Yu and Qingchen. It also delves into criminal activities involving an underground organization, which indirectly leads He Yu to discover why Qingchen quit as his physician four years ago. Feeling betrayed, He Yu’s mental state deteriorates further, especially when compared to how he handled his feelings toward Xie Xu.

In a moment of rage, He Yu accidentally gives Qingchen an aphrodisiac, leading to a prolonged and intense encounter that spans several chapters (To be blunt, He Yu rapes Qingchen) . Volume 2 ends with Qingchen being rushed to the ER by his police friend, Man Chen, (after Qingchen held on his cold proper pose for a day to deal with family issues. Hiding the fact that he has been raped the night before repeatedly.) He Yu, disguised in a black cap and mask, follows them, stealing Qingchen’s lab test results out of curiosity. While Qingchen’s condition isn’t life-threatening He Yu is puzzled why Man Chen lookesd like the world is about to end. Man Chen was actually devastated, upon learning Qingchen slept with someone or is in a relationship, here we learned that Man Chen harbors feelings for Qingchen.

As I read, the main characters and their dynamics reminded me a lot of Meatbun’s "Erha." Xie Qingchen resembles a cold, reserved Shizun, while He Yu’s dark, unstable nature mirrors Mo Ran. Xie Xu has the friendly demeanor of Shi Mei, and Man Chen shares similarities with the conflicted Xue Meng.

However, the rape content in "Case File Compendium" is far more detailed than in "Erha." It almost seems like Meatbun has a penchant for rape fantasies though "Yuwu" doesn’t feature this kind of rape content—at least from what I’ve read so far. I haven’t finished "Yuwu" yet because, as mentioned, I prefer holding physical books over reading online or on digital platforms.

"Case File Compendium" is a fascinating read. It delves into various mental health issues, some of which are handled with surprisingly insightful approaches. Despite being fictional, the narrative feels well-researched, adding depth to the modern-day setting. I appreciate when authors take the time to research and ground their stories, rather than relying on unrealistic setups. I’d definitely recommend this to friends interested in psychology; it’s quite engaging.

I can’t yet determine the overall moral of the story, having only read up to Volume 2. I attempted to read some unofficial translations online, but they were poorly translated—too literal, with grammar issues that made some parts confusing. I’m eagerly waiting for Seven Seas Entertainment to finish their official translations.

The official English translation is expected to have seven volumes. So far, Volumes 1 and 2 have been released, with Volume 3 scheduled for October 2024. The release dates for the remaining volumes are still unknown.

As a preview for Vol 3, it looks like He Yu is going to go after Qingchen even though he declares himself not gay. Can't wait for October.