My expectations for manhua aimed at boys and young men are so low they're in Satan's basement so I'll take whatever I can get.
Unfortunately these are the kind of stories I like because the ones aimed at women are just...so, yuck...I don't even know how to explain it. It's worst sin is how much time and chapters are devoted to stupidly and poorly written romance that's shoved in where it's not needed.
Anyway, yes. This is recycled slop but it's entertaining, recycled slop that's self aware. It has no problems poking fun at itself. I love it.
Also, shockingly, this MC actually allows men his age to exist peacefully around him. (As long as they don't attack him first, he's good with them. Crazy concept, huh?) This almost NEVER happens in these kinds of slop manhuan with a Gary Stu MC. Especially another male character who is attractive AND powerful in his own way?
Nah.
Other manhua and manhwa writers would be scared shitless of having their self-insert MC be challenged in this manner.
This MC though? Yeah, this dude is hilariously secure in his masculinity. So much so he's actually endearing and cute. Hallelujah. Finally. MC is allowed to have a good looking male friend who's talented too!
(Comics aimed at women also have this problem of the MC being the most ✨️interesting✨️ to EVERY man alive, including the men in her own family. So no other charismatic, beautiful and cute woman can exist to take the men's attention away from her. 🙄😒
If they do exist, they are almost always uglier than her or lower in socioeconomic status and/or dumber than her. Or all the above. If they're equally as attractive as her, you can bet that woman is MC's rival and will be revealed to be a conniving, catty, scheming, backstabbing, attempting to steal MC's man, jealous bitch.
Ugh.)
Oh, and it's true that the women ARE barely dressed BUT what scraps of cloth they were is rather pretty and fashionable. Not to mention their faces are actually attractive, too. They look like characters you might actually find in comics aimed at women! WOW. Refreshing.
Even better? Their monster designs are outrageously cool. I can't believe women are allowed to look badass in a manhua aimed directed at little horny teenage boys.
I'm so relieved MC is not collecting a harem of women. Even though the women who tries to hurt or even kill him are incredibly beautiful he doesn't show mercy, thankfully. He kills them instead of recruiting them into his harem like 90% of other idiotic MCs.