Failed Awakening, Summoning a Divine Beast, I Take Off On the Spot - Reviews

Overall, this is a wildly entertaining start. The protagonist is a lovable jerk with hidden depth, the world has an original blend of post-apocalyptic survival and Chinese mythological systems, and the humor is relentless even when dealing with dark themes. I do worry that the constant joking might undercut the serious moments, but so far the balance is okay. The biggest question for me: what job will Chu Qiu get, and how will the Book of Life and Death affect it? I'm definitely curious to read the next chapters.

The wardrobe detail for the awakening – "silver robes embroidered with intricate Runes and patterns" – gives a ceremonial feeling, but then Chu Qiu remembers that in his previous life, when he was being reincarnated, Meng Po asked if he wanted a good memory or to be handsome, and he forgot how he answered. That's a running joke that ties back to the underworld. It's silly but consistent. The mix of high stakes and lowbrow humor keeps the tone fresh.

Chu Qiu's statement before the ceremony – "Life is like Super Girl, the ones who make it to the end are all real men" – is such a specific early 2000s Chinese reality show reference. I'm not sure younger readers would get it. He also says "There are four ways to write the character '茴' in fennel beans," which is a direct reference to Lu Xun's Ah Q. The author is peppering literary and pop culture references throughout, which adds a layer of intelligence to the otherwise goofy narrative.

The detail about the stone statue and the light screens that show painful scenes – it's like a psychological trial. The girlfriend's eyes, the HR's face, the neighbor's smirk, the Otherworldly Beast. These are all fuel for his rage. But the moment Xia Mo's voice cuts through, it's a literal ray of light. Her memory gives him the strength to pick up the blue brick and smash the statue. Classic "power of love" or "power of memory" trope, but executed well in context.

The line "We are all guests booked by the Underworld" by Meng Po is chillingly poetic. And Chu Qiu's retort "Don't be sick yourself and prescribe medicine for others" is a classic way to tell someone to mind their own business. His refusal to drink the soup is a statement: he'd rather keep the pain and memories than become numb. That's a strong character moment, showing his courage and his unwillingness to let go of his past, even if it hurts.

The awakening result examples are so ridiculous that I'm worried about Chu Qiu and Skinny Monkey. If the protagonist ends up with some F-tier garbage job like "Dung Maker," that would be a hilarious twist, but also kind of disappointing after all the build-up. But given that he has the Book of Life and Death in his soul, he'll probably have some extraordinary talent. The suspense is real – I need to know what his awakening is immediately.

The emotional gut-punch is the vivid past life flashback in the plaza. The breakup, the job rejections, the neighbor's gloating, his parents' death, being called a waste. It's like a highlight reel of every trauma. Chu Qiu's reaction – "Why? Why am I so weak?" – feels real and raw. This is the first time we see him without his comedic mask. The author does a good job balancing the humor and the tragedy so that the laughs feel earned and the sadness hits harder.

The humor in this novel is very meme-heavy, which I personally enjoy but it might age poorly. References like "SPA zone," "OJBK," "Allmoneygomyhome" (a pun on a Buddhist mantra) are very 2010s-2020s Chinese internet. Some of the translated puns are clever (like the Poland jokes), but others are lost in translation. The English version I'm reading has some awkward phrasing that I suspect comes from being machine translated or poorly edited. Still, the spirit of the jokes comes through.

The character of Skinny Monkey is a great sidekick. He's short, funny, plays handheld games under the desk, and is clearly nervous about awakening but tries to act cool. His worry is genuine – "Chu Qiu, aren't you afraid?" – and Chu Qiu's confident but vague answers help both of them. Their dynamic feels like real teenage friendship. I hope Skinny Monkey gets a decent awakening and doesn't become comic relief forever.

I have to admit, the pacing between the underworld arc and the return to reality is a bit messy. We go from intense soul-searching and fighting ghosts to Chu Qiu lying in bed thinking about life philosophy. Then next day is the ceremony. The transition from "I just met King Yan and got handed a cosmic artifact" to "okay time for school assembly" feels like emotional whiplash. A few more lines about him processing what happened would have helped.

The design of the nine indestructible cities is cool – eight named after trigrams (Qian, Dui, Li, etc.) surrounding the capital Ding City, with 72 satellite cities. The "nine-nine returning to one" and "cold stars surrounding the moon" imagery is very traditional Chinese metaphysics mixed with post-apocalyptic structures. It gives the setting a unique flavor that separates it from generic western fantasy apocalypse stories. I want to see these cities and their different cultures.

Chu Qiu's internal monologue before the ceremony is peak chaotic energy. He thinks about "fennel beans have four ways to write 'hui' " (a reference to Lu Xun's The True Story of Ah Q) and calls himself a "watermelon-stealing hedgehog." These are references that only Chinese literature nerds or old meme enthusiasts would get. The author is definitely showing off, but it makes the narration feel rich and layered. I love that he quotes classic lit in his head while worrying about awakening.