Roll that Review: Transmigrator meets Reincarnator

Although Chu Lian had been going for a fierce tone, her voice was naturally soft and charming. Even though she tried to harden her stance, there wasn’t a single threatening bone in her. Instead, He Changdi felt warm inside. He wanted to pull the angry little kitten in front of him into his arms for a nice round of snuggles and pets.

Hello! TokyoRoll again! This novel is a crime against foodies. It makes you just wanna eat eat eat! Also hate hate hate… sometimes. But its good! Really good! Very good. Definitely not to be read on an empty stomach though! ಥ_ಥ

I read to chapter 455 of the translation (around chapter 227 of the official raw) and took a short break to read Shen Yi Di Nu (cough not sure how I feel about SYDN…)

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Title: Transmigrator Meets Reincarnator

Author: Snow Mountain Mists (Xue Shan Lan)

Series: Standalone

Rating: ★★★★★★★ (7&1/2 of 10 stars)

 

All Chu Lian had done was to read a book where the female lead had cheated on her wonderful husband. While wondering why, before she knew it, she was waking up in the body of that very same female lead!

 

Wait, did that mean the handsome husband from the book was hers now? Chu Lian decided to welcome him with open arms!

However, what she got wasn’t the kind husband she had been expecting. Instead, his personality seemed to have been completely flipped! He left her all alone on their wedding night… and just five days into their marriage, her dear husband abandoned his loving wife and left to enlist in the army!

Fine! Be that way! She could pass her days perfectly well somehow, even if she had to do it alone!

Chu Lian put her household in order, charmed the rest of her new family, and did a little business on the side. She even opened up some new trade routes! Her days passed peacefully and leisurely… Until her dear husband got into trouble at the frontline of the war.

Hmph, isn’t he crawling back to me for help in the end? Forget it, I’ll go save him myself!

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Positives of Transmigrator Meets Reincarnator (from now on called TMR)

 

Food: You can’t tell me that this foodie heaven novel isn’t good because of the food. Shame on like, 100 generations of your family, a whole 100, if you don’t think it’s good because of the food. I don’t even LIKE food that much but whenever I hear about how much she, Chu Lian, enjoys her food, it makes me warm and fuzzy inside. Plus, it’s human nature. There are 3 basic human needs that need to be met: Food, Clothing, Shelter. She can make almost anything good as a gourmet of the 21st century. She, Chu Lian, loves good food and after transmigrating, she takes that passion to a whole nother level. Also, the pictures to accompany the food are killer! ˚‧º·(˚ ˃̣̣̥᷄⌓˂̣̣̥᷅ )‧º·˚ Definitely remember to eat before reading, or have someone on hand that can quickly whip up the meals she makes…. or grasp the opportunity to eat out and binge on good food. Either way, food is good, food is life!

 

Love to hate: I personally never expected to like a character because of how much I violently hate them. Xiao Bojiang is an insidious, disgusting, uncouth, childish, egotistic, downright dirty jerk. To be frank, he’s incredibly well crafted in how he is such a low life. It’s impressive. I mean seriously, he’s got all the makings for a terrible human being but that’s just it, he’s human. He’s definitely flawed in how he acts but he also acts more human than some characters I’ve read, even recently. Everyone acts incredibly human, plus everyone has such solid characters. Anyway, back to love to hate. The reason why I say that I love to hate him is because of how he functions in a character. He’s an antagonist, a well-crafted antagonist.

Xiao Bojiang is painfully in love with Chu Lian, he doesn’t listen entirely to what she says, believing she’s merely trying to keep up appearances and that she still loves him. No matter what she tries to do, no matter how she attempts to block him he desires her, unrelentingly trying to corner into being his object. He’s egotistic in that he thinks that just because he’s one of the most handsome men in the capital that he’ll get whoever he wants, and in the previous incarnation of the male lead, He Changdi, that was 100% true. His actions cause the readers to fully feel disgusted and displeased, cringing as soon as his name pops up. You can’t not hate him as the aspect of a story character goes, but as a character birthed from someone’s mind, you can actually feel that he’s a little endearing, at least I feel that way. He’s a powerful character and I strongly feel that if he was one way or another, any different from his character right now, the story would be bubkis and not worth anything other than maybe 4-star rating max. He really does make the story better.

 

Solid foundation: The story has a surprisingly solid foundation, And as always, I can’t forget putting story one way or another. I live for story. It starts off in the middle of a story, almost literally, but what’s interesting is that the story not only revolves around the main characters, but even around secondary characters, or even characters that aren’t even mentioned in the novels…. novel. Every person who is in that world has a purpose. Everyone exists for something and the female lead lives in that story. She has only read to the middle of the story, but she lives it, feeling the story pulling at her, controlling her path so that regardless the pre-destined result happens, even if she desperately doesn’t want it. The meat and potatoes of a story are how well the author can create characters, environment, and intent. Without those three things, the story won’t necessarily be good.

Let’s just imagine that you took away even one character from the story, the balance is broken. Let’s say you add one character to the story, once more the balance could be broken. Even changing the environment, whether it’s story or circumstance, the story could end up being entirely different. It’s a wonderfully designed mix, up to chapter 455. I’m absolutely floored by how interesting it all is, plus the transmigrator is actually smart for once! Just everything falls together in place and makes me perfectly content, I can’t think of one way to actually make it better because the balance is just right. I read it in just under 3 days. I was literally way too addicted.

 

Characters: Characters, and where to find them. The female lead, Chu Lian, is an interesting, plucky, food junky who transmigrates into a novel she hadn’t yet finished reading. She doesn’t accept anything less than the best when it comes to food, even using it to kinda turn all the other characters into slaves I mean, food junkies. Anyone by her side is smitten with her food and her adorable but cheeky personality. Even the male lead, He Changdi, is smitten with her, though it takes a little while. He Changdi is an interesting case as well in that he’s a reincarnator. He has lived one life where Chu Lian was a despicable wench, someone who was worth less than dog feces IMHO. He nearly strangled her the first night of marriage, thankfully he didn’t, but the previous Chu Lian was just awful. Everyone reacts to the human emotions, greed, lust, envy, wrath, pride, sloth, gluttony. Of course, they also have the 7 virtues but, humans are flawed and they show quite a bit of the 7 sins.

I just… The characters are incredibly lively, they jump out at you, they feel like if you can close your eyes and just imagine them that they can reach out and touch you. It doesn’t feel like something that someone just casually worked on, it feels like the author put their life into the story, breathing that life into the characters. It’s genuinely a good read. God, I wish I could just experience it for the first time all over again. ( இ‸இ )

 

Consistancy: Consistency is pretty good. There’s a fluid story, a fluid time frame, and incredibly fluid characterizations. If it were to be compared between chunky mashed potatoes or a fine, smooth milkshake, it’d be like a milkshake. The character’s don’t entirely stray from their standard actions, but if they do either the story explains it or it’s just a part of human nature to change for a personal desire. In the case of the family of He Changdi, his grandmother, she gets greedy and desires the money from the shop that Chu Lian is given. It’s an interesting display of what greed can do to a person.

The story is honestly a story within a story, a novel within a novel, but both plots are described by Chu Lian as the two progress up until the middle of the story where she’s confused and has no idea what happens, however, He Changdi solves some of that issue for us as he is familiar with it all in his past life. Granted at the time he’s too busy being unscrupulous to Chu Lian but later he turns into a perfectly fine Tsundere so that’s ok.

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TMR Negatives (I don’t actually have much to complain about):

 

Background: I guess one of the minor things I don’t really enjoy is the background of the character. I’m sure it’s supposed to be very clear but at the same time, it makes me question… Chu Lian’s true self is an orphan who is an avid foodie and traveler yet she maintains at least one corporation which granted her enough wealth to repetitively travel. How does she have the time to manage a corporation while also being so free? I know it’s modern day situations but it can’t be that simple to make a company at the age of 25 and then have the freedom to do whatever you want…

Upbringing, schooling, fostering a company, all of that takes a great deal of funds, and even then, it takes a lot of time. I just would like to see a more generous helping of her past life rather than the information we get as it comes in. I still enjoy it though. I suppose I’m just picky.

 

Pacing: I know! I said it has a consistent timeline, yet something about it makes me think that the pacing feels just even an iota off. Probably because He Changdi is so stubborn and Chu Lian isn’t able to associate with him, thus they don’t get to socialize much… but… come on, the pacing for them falling in love sometimes is downright vicious! It’s great, it is, but I just… I want them to snu snu since like, chapter 100. Just let me see them acting cute together, dangit! Of course, I do get my wish, so I’m at least somewhat satiated… 😛

 

Foodies: Everyone can be foodies, sure, but… it also makes me wonder. Is gluttony really that powerful? I guess it would in that era but, having everyone adore her cooking isn’t always satisfying. It can very well be but at least make one or two people who snub her and don’t turn from enemies to some kind of friend through her food. That’s what happens to most of the characters who are on guard against her, even He Changdi started falling for her thanks to her food. I know food is the key to someone’s heart but…. not everyone is a virtual Foodie.

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Today’s recommendations! All suggested by others it’s late, blame everyone else. 😂

Chongfei Manual – Before her rebirth, Wei Luo was an innocent little girl.

After rebirth, she appeared lovable on the outside but was a different person on the inside.

Those who learned of her true nature yielded to her.

Only the prince regent regarded her as a treasure; no matter how much he pampered her, it was not enough for him.

Anything she wanted, he gave her, including the princess position that she didn’t want, which he stubbornly pushed onto her.

 

Return of the Swallow – “If it’s a barbarian you want, then it’s a barbarian you’ll get!”

Reclaimed by her noble family after being swapped at birth, Qin Yining is bestowed a hellish family instead. Just as she turns her situation around and gains acceptance, her country is plunged into danger instead.

Shades of gray color the world. No side is completely good, and no side is completely evil. Refusing to be a trophy won by men, Qin Yining carves her own path instead. In this absolutely riveting and spellbinding tale, what does our MC do when an entire dynasty is at stake?