The Husky and His White Cat Shizun: Erha He Ta De Bai Mao Shizun (Novel) Vol. 1

The Husky and His White Cat Shizun: Erha He Ta De Bai Mao Shizun (Novel) #1

by Rou Bao Bu Chi Rou, Meatbun Doesn't Eat Meat, Rynn (Translator)

Cruel tyrant Taxian-jun killed his way to the throne and now reigns as the first ever emperor of the mortal realm. Yet somehow, he is unsatisfied. Left cold and bereft, abandoned by all he held dear, he takes his own life...only to be reborn anew.

Awakening in the body of his younger self--Mo Ran, a disciple of the cultivation sect Sisheng Peak--he discovers the chance to relive his life. This time, he vows to attain the gratification that once eluded him: all who defied him will fall, and never again will they treat him like a dog. His greatest fury is reserved for Chu Wanning, the coldly beautiful and aloofly catlike cultivation teacher who betrayed and thwarted Mo Ran time and again in their last life.

Yet as Mo Ran shamelessly pursues his own goals in this life he thought lost, he begins to wonder if there might be more to his teacher--and his own feelings--than he ever realized.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, LGBT, Queer, Historical, Fiction, China

524 pages, Paperback

First published November 15, 2022

About the author

Associated Names:
* Rou Bao Bu Chi Rou
* 肉包不吃肉 (Chinese Profile)
* โร่วเปาปู้ชือโร่ว (Thai Profile)
* Meatbun Doesn't Eat Meat (English Profile)

Reviews

[bea ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is a fantastic novel and one of my favorites by far, but i feel like the beautiful cover and the cute title can be misleading for new readers, so i would like to warn everyone about its contents.

This novel is rated mature for a reason and there're A LOT of trigger/content warnings to have in mind before getting into this novel. I don't think Seven Seas is gonna have a list at the beginning of the novel with all its triggers so I'll leave here the list the fantranslation used to have at the beginning of each document:


besides, i would like to add some more like gang-rape, human trafficking, psychological and emotional abuse, substance abuse, forced substance abuse, noncon piercing, mind-control, child abuse...

This novel is very dark and i don't want anyone to have a hard time because they didn't know where they were getting into, so if you come across this comment, have all this in mind and decide if you want to read this or not.

All this aside it's a beautiful story about forgiveness and redemption, but love yourself and choose another novel if you feel like this may be too much for you❤️

edit: okay so this volume was amazing there were more iconic moments and quotes than i remembered. i was shaking and crying and throwing up in every page this novel is everything to me😭💕

[anmol · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Did you know the most wonderful dreams are rarely ever true?”

this book is the bane of my existence and the object of all my desires ffs how can it still hurt so bad after 3 reads????? 😭
_

THEY DID NOT JUST END IT THERE FFSFSFSF I JUST REALIZED I GOTTA WAIT FOR ALL THE NEXT VOLUMES SM WTF WEVE BARELY SCRATCHED THE SURFACE 😭

Istg the moment I started this book I just knew I made a mistake bcs turns out, this didn't hurt any less in the second read. And it isn't even that bad in the start lmaoo.

“I hate you, Chu Wanning. I really hate you so much.”
His voice was a little hoarse.
“But you’re all I have left.”

Taxian-Jun y'all 🤰🏻

And omg but the way he always describes Chu Wanning as his warmth- has me sobbing on my knees, just look

Exhibit A:

he’d still missed him with an almost physical intensity, like a thousand ants were gnawing on his heart. But no matter how much he missed him or how hard he wished, Chu Wanning wouldn’t come back.
Mo Ran had lost the last flame of his life.

Exhibit B:

He was certain that he hated Chu Wanning. But, as he held him in his arms, Mo Ran felt wetness gather at the corners of his eyes. This was a warmth that the thirty-two-year-old Taxian-jun had thought he would never again possess.

Exhibit C:

He obviously disliked Chu Wanning. So why was it that sometimes, when he looked at him, he felt so at peace—so warm?

Exhibit D:

His arms were like clamps, like shackles, latching on to the remaining bit of warmth in his arms, as if holding on to the very last ember of fire in the world.

😭😭😭😭

His conflicting feelings towards Chu Wanning ooof the angst but the almost sweet ache it gives me tbh I have a lot of issues with this ship and this book in general. But the way it makes me feel so fucking much how can it not be special to me?

Had he been out of his mind earlier, when he wanted to kill Chu Wanning with his own hands?
If Chu Wanning died, then what would he even have left in this world…?

See what I'm talking about?

Also, reading Chu Wanning's POVs is even harder bcs that man is so misunderstood pls he's the most perfect human to exist in this book the way I love him ughhh 😭🩷 Moron You FUCKING DUMBASS IM READY TO FIGHT 🤺 PLS WANNING I CAN BE A BETTER BOYFRIEND THAN HIM PLUS I LOVE CATSSS DO YOU NEED A FUCKING LIST NOW

Just realised I said I'll actually talk about the side characters in the official translation's review and I still only ranted about Moron and Wanning. 🫠

Most of them aren't even introduced yet but Xue Meng is definitely my favourite character in the whole book and the fact that he resembles Jiang Cheng so much yea how could I not like him???

I don't really have anything positive to say about Shi Mei tho I really think his character is amazing but see, someone who becomes a thorn in between my ship, I just cannot judge them rationally 🤷🏻‍♀️

Luo Xianxian is definitely a very minor character in the long run but I love that woman v much istg I never really cry but her backstory and her last lines always makes me sob so much CHU WANNING OWNS MY HEART FOR BEATING THE SHIT OUTTA MR CHEN

MORON RN IS SUCH A DUMBASS (TBH HE ALWAYS IS) BUT THIS ONE IS SOO ANNOYING BCS HOW MUCH HE IS HURTING MY WANNING BUT AT THE SAME TIME HES SUCH A MOOD AHHH AND IM NEVER GONNA STOP TALKING ABOUT THE WINDOW SCENE OOF THAT SCENE IS MY ABSOLUTE FAVOURITE IN THE WHOLE FUCKING BOOK

Also, rereading it all, THE FORESHADOWING THE FUCKING FORESHADOWING EVERY OTHER PAGE OMG

We're probably gonna get Xia Sini and Chu Xun in the next volume and I'm so not ready for the emotional damage but I know I'll prolly read it in a day or two.
_

i cant believe i missed this moron and his wanning sm that im ready to go through the pain again in just one month

[Marureviere · Rating 5 out of 5]

2ha is finally home and it's so thick and pretty and officially a NYT bestseller! 🥳 So happy for Meatbun!!!

[Nark · Rating 5 out of 5]

AHHHHHHHHHHH!! my heart feels like it's bleeding broken ripped apart and i will never feel happiness ever again

[ana ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

note:
wrote this after reading the whole series, but since i got the physical books now i'll be reviewing each volume separately. this one can still pass as vol 1 review

'He once trained you in cultivation and martial arts, trained you in the art of self-defense. He once taught you how to read and write, taught you poetry and painting. He once learned how to cook just for you, even though he was so clumsy and got cuts all over his hands. He once... He once waited every day for you to come home, all alone by himself, from nightfall, till the break of dawn...'

imma kick things off with a warning that this novel is undoubtedly, non-negotiably 18+. and i am emphasising this not because “it is needed because it’s law”, but rather “it is only in such way, so that it would save the psyche and nerves of many people.” the restriction may actually be 21+ or more, depending on how much a person can handle such things. there is cruelty, obscene language, violence in various forms, including cannibalism, sexual coercion, tearing off limbs, and of course BL details. yikes…this emotional roller coaster of a novel is definitely not for everyone. if after reading this sentence your eye twitched and your hand slid to the “close” button, that’s good. if you are still with me, then buckle up.

yall i've never read anything like it. i have never felt so many emotions in one story. i've never re-read a book so many times.

this is the most brutal, deep, sensitive, real and controversial story i have read. the darkest and most suffocating. the love present in every line is so strong that even death is not the limit for it. this book squeezed absolutely EVERYTHING out of me, all the feelings that were possible and all my thoughts, breaking my heart more than a dozen times. the author pays a lot of attention to the psychology of the characters. they are constantly changing. so do their thoughts, actions and attitudes towards each other. everyone hides secrets in their hearts, learning which can change everything. everyone is afraid that someone will open his closet and everyone will see the skeletons stored in it. the author approaches the characters very meticulously, giving them time to open up and see the true essence of each of them.

'Shizun, haven't you always looked down on me? Haven't you always thought I was lowly?'

'I'm sorry, Mo Ran. It was this master's fault..'

SHUT UPPPPP

not going to touch on the plot much, but a couple of points worth mentioning. once upon a time there was a lovely guy Mo Weiyu, also known as Taxian-jun, and an even more inspiring Emperor “treading on the immortals”. pretty obvious that the whole world hated him. this evil emperor did whatever he wanted - flooded the cities with rivers of blood, put his paws on all the women and men he liked, from the righteous to prostitutes, and even wiped out all his old relatives and friends.

his most hated person, teacher Chu Wanning, also fell under the torrential rain of hatred and depravity.

anyway, this emperor went completely mad and, without waiting for the troops who rebelled against him to arrive, he swallowed poison and DIED. but we are in a danmei novel so you don’t actually die there, of course. now, in the body of a teenager and with the memory and thoughts of the 32-year-old asshole, Mo Ran OBVIOUSLY is reborn.

the two main characters. ugh the characters.
Mo Ran. in a past life, Mo Weiyu was an outright tyrant and a madman, but after being reborn in the body of a young boy, the dog was forced to hide his fangs. although Mo Ran himself could hardly be called “pure”. from an early age, he lived and served in an actor's house, where he was perceived as a beggar dog. there, for a few coins, singers had to “please” a generous visitor, and there was no sign of morality. so Mo Ran himself from a young age wandered around entertainment venues and brothels. despite his hopelessly black past, in his rebirth he did not intend to be a hostage to a bygone life. he thought, analyzed, and wanted to prevent past losses, to get off the losing path. throughout the entire novel, this guy will change, or at least try to change, make mistakes and admit them. i love him ໒꒰ྀིᵔ ᵕ ᵔ ꒱ྀི১

'Shizun, I'm really not...beyond remedy...So, please, don't give up on me'

CHU WANNING. my tragic devastating loving heartbreaking sorrowful caring heart-wrenching boy. Chu Wanning is a man of “pure thoughts and a strong heart”…strong, but very lonely in his shell. the saddest thing is that he considers showing kindness in public a weakness, which is why all the actions of his broad soul remain inaccessible to everyone, and most often are simply attributed to others or taken for granted.

'Shizun doesn't even have anyone to talk to. Isn't that lonely?'

despite such a dark mess at the beginning, Erha turned out to be such a multifaceted story, which can only be understood by reading it from beginning to end a couple of times.

yes, it was hard to read it the first time, and im gonna say it again. when the cards are revealed, it is difficult to even imagine how much the attitude of Mo Ran, Chu Wanning, and the reader himself to what is happening will change. and after the ending.. as they say, “my life will never be the same.”

finally, all the bright feelings—romance, friendship, devotion, and great humor—all this is present. they are breathtakingly sweet, ridiculous, innocent and deep.

the relationships of the main characters are also far from being created out of cruelty. it was very amusing to watch how the ruthless, maddened, bloody Emperor Mo Weiyu, under the influence of circumstances and new knowledge, voluntarily removes his claws and exposes his belly.

this novel cannot be compared with anything else, because something like this simply does not exist

[el · Rating 5 out of 5]

summer 2024 reread: STILL HITS THE SECOND TIME AROUND MY GOD SOMEONE GET THESE TWO PSYCHIATRIC HELP RN!!!!!!!! THEN SHACKLES AND A SHARED BEDROOM

—

recently, i've been encountering a lot of protagonists and/or love interests that largely emulate some level of moral righteousness + flawless character power potential (which has its place and can be very lovely), so getting to meet the stunning disaster duo that is chu wanning and mo ran has been an immense pleasure.

i can't explain why or how i click with this world in the way that i do, but the unflinching moral corruption throughout....the total and complete humiliation of (mutually perceived) unrequited feelings.......the toxically rendered gay LOVE TRIANGLE....the sheer intensity of repressed, slowburn horny energy coming from the main couple??????

on totally different levels btw…

chu wanning is babygirl horny (repressed sad sullen virgin scandalized by bare ankles who should have his teaching credentials revoked with a swiftness, just wants to be held and called pretty, is woefully touch-starved, etc. etc.), whereas mo ran is little meow meow levels of insanely horny (in abject denial about his domestic fantasies and as a result reaches feats of obsessive rage henceforth unknown to man, needs to be pet like a little ankle-biting dog, moonlights as a professional good boy despite being a closeted chu wanning stalker...).

um soooo.........i literally love them.........and i need to see them happy RNNNNNNNN!

[Lau ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you had told me I was going to love a romance with more TW than items on a ten-member family grocery list, I would have laughed. Add all the reviews I’ve read said that erha wasn't meant for fluffy readers (ME) because of the supposedly concerning relationship between the male leads. While I agree I would have dnfed it had it been a contemporary, my brain is wired differently when I pick up danmei novels. That’s how I encounter myself LOVING every single sentence, dynamic and main character without caring about whether it is moral or not. If you are looking for a story to suppress reality and embrace the wild, this may be the one for you.


↬ The premise


When everything he has ever loved was taken from him, Mo Ran’s rage put everyone at his feet, naming himself emperor and killing every single one of his offenders. But he left the worst for his Shizun, Chu Wanning, responsible for the death of the only man Mo Ran’s ever wanted, Shi Mei. But there was something about Chu Wanning that brought Mo Ran’s emotions he never understood, a need to see his marks on Chu Wanning’s fine skin, to cuff him to his bed to have him completely at his mercy. He thought it was only the satisfaction of seeing him suffer, until Chu Wanning dies and Mo Ran realizes his whole reason for existence perished with his shizun.


When Mo Ran commits suicide, he doesn’t expect to travel back in time to his sixteen-year-old self, but he is ready to grasp the second chance to protect Shi Mei at all costs. He isn’t counting on the effect of seeing Chu Wannning alive again. As much as he loves Shi Mei, there is something about his shizun that makes every single cell of Mo Ran’s body tremble. It doesn’t help that Chu Wanning may not be the beast he always thought he was, that his words are cold and angry but his actions are speaking of love and care and kindness. Who is this Chu Wanning? Has Mo Ran been wrong all his life?

by Lisa Buijteweg

↬ Review:

The amount of emotions a single book has brought me is unprecedented. Not even the translation was able to suppress the masterpiece the writing was, every world an arrow right on the mark. I’m aware that part of the humor was lost on the way, all the playing with the words the translator kept having to explain on notes, but there were still plenty of moments that brought a smile to my face only to break it with more pain. But the most important part was the pacing. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book with the pacing so on point. I stayed until 4 am to finish this book because there wasn’t any point where my brain could go to sleep-believe me, I tried closing it and turning off the lights only to turn them on again. She even managed to make the flashbacks to Mo Ran’s previous life as addictive as the present tense, make us suffer with not knowing everything that had happened, everything that he had done while wanting to see him realize all the things he still was missing.

When the dusk settled, Chu Wanning was left alone in the middle of the barren wasteland. Other than his solitary figure standing amidst the ruins, shrouded in brilliant scarlet like read lotus in first bloom, or a fallen haitang blossom, there was only the ground, covered in shattered white bones, and terrifying Tianwen, golden light still coursing along its length.

As someone who never picks up fantasy romances expecting anything from the fantasy part-a lesson learned the hard way-, I was not expecting how much I loved all the fantasy elements. Without stealing the focus from the characters, the author was able to make so many great plot twists, so many things happening in the background that could have been the final act of any decent book yet here they were mere ornaments to yet another breathtaking action scene. I would need a lifetime to come up with everything that happened in this first book, and it’s only the beginning of a huge series.


Now it’s time to talk about the real reason this book is so famous: the author didn’t use a pen to write it, but a knife, ready to stab the reader at every turn of the page, make us bleed until that last scene that shattered us to pieces. The romance is giving me Lan Zhan and Wei Wuxian’s vibes-which is scary enough by itself-, but with the addition of a writing that makes wonders with my poor heart. You know there must be a terrible misunderstanding for them to have ended that way, for Chu Wanning to let Shi Mei die instead of helping him, breaking Mo Ran’s heart. That there is something Chu Wanning never told him that would have prevented Mo Ran’s revenge on his body. But the answers are way more expensive to obtain that the questions.


↬ Mo Ran 🐶

[Mo Ran] was used to Chu Wanning being tormented to the breaking point at his own hands, as Mo Ran crushed his dignity and defiled his purity. But Mo Ran couldn’t stand Chu Wanning being bruised and scarred at the hands of anyone else.

Yes, Mo Ran has some issues. I would understand if anyone hates him, but I couldn’t help but connect with the villain’s thoughts. The rage of being left alone, of having everyone you loved ripped from your life can break anyone’s soul, and Mo Ran wasn’t any different. Be aware that he won’t shy away from telling you every single terrible thing he had done, so I wouldn’t recommend this if you can’t manage to enjoy very gray characters. But I loved witnessing how the spark of joy was brought back to life when Mo Ran went back in time, how much good was still there despite his will to let the pain consume him, turn his heart into stone to stop feeling. Mo Ran has the material to have the best redemption arc, from the little student to the villain emperor back to the person he used to be, and I’m so looking forward to seeing him cry of impotence when he realizes what Chu Wanning’s soul looks like.

by Lisa Buijteweg

That being said, I HATED seeing him obsessed with Shi Mei, who does nothing other than being a saint and having zero personality. I’m probably biased because I wanted, needed to see Mo Ran realize he should be adoring Chu Wanning instead-come on, who in their right mind would choose Shi Mei when you could choose CWN? I know Shi Mei is not guilty of Mo Ran’s being blind and deaf and oblivious of his own feelings even after having a lifetime to sort them out, but I deserve to hate someone for no particular reason other than getting in the way.


↬ Chu Wanning🐈‍⬛


There is nothing so painful as seeing someone kind suffering, and poor Chu Wanning collected all the characteristics needed to feel miserable. He has Xie Lian’s desire to help everyone around, no matter the pain inflicted on his persona, Lan Zhan’s tendency to let everyone think he’s someone to fear instead of someone to adore and Jiang Cheng’s pride preventing him from admitting real feelings and screaming rude things instead. If it wasn’t enough, he’s gay and in love with his student, Mo Ran, ten years his junior and in love with Shi Mei, another one of his students. Because of course.


I hate student-teachers romances and any ten-year gap with the younger character under twenty, but this is where danmei comes and makes its magic. Firstly, Mo Ran is technically thirty-two, since that was his age when he died and came back in time. This means that his body is 16 yo but his mind is 32 yo, even older than Chu Wanning who is 26. Secondly, there wasn’t any kind of romance in Mo Ran’s previous life. In fact, adult Mo Ran was the one who took advantage of Chu Wanning and not the other way around. Chu Wanning’s desire for his student is another way of self-torture and he would never act on it as long as Mo Ran doesn’t shock his inexperience shizun with his wicked tongue.


Overall, I’m still shaky with the impact of meeting this piece of art. I can’t believe that a couple days ago I didn’t even know their names and now I feel consumed by the intensity of their tragic love story. I’d highly recommend it to anyone who thinks they would be okay with the grocery list of TW and following a MC that used to be the tyrant villain.


↬ The Husky and His White Cat Shizun (Erha He Ta De Bai Mao Shizun):

1. Vol 1: 5 stars
2. Vol 2: 4 stars
3. Vol 3: 4 stars
4. Vol 4: 4.5 stars
5. Vol 5: 3.5 stars

[siu · Rating 5 out of 5]

CHU WANNING ILY😫

[Monique · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 'Beautifully painfull' stars



I don't know where to start. I've read only one vol so far and I'm already completely in love with this book. I haven't cried... yet. But I was very emotional many times. Seriously, I haven't expected that I would get attached to ranwan so quickly. My precious babies 🥹🥹 we're gonna suffer so much together 🥲🥲



I'll start with Chu Wanning because 🥰🥰🥰 I think Hanguang-Jun just got a competion. And I might just have a thing for cultivators with zero social skills dressed in white. Really, I can't express how much I want to wrap Wanning in a blanket and put him somewhere safe. I know he's like ridicuolusly powerful but this man has no sense of his well-being. I just want to cuddle him and possibly stare at his cold, beautiful face.

Mo Ran watched him from a distance. Althought he'd thought himslef preprared, if he was honest with himslef, seeing that figure appear once before him, healthy and well, made him shudder down to the smallest fragments of his bones. Half dread, half... thrill.
His shizun.
Chu Wanning.

There was no one else in the room. Thus, after much consideration, the once cruel ruler of the cultivation world, the Despot of Sichuan, Emperor of the Mortal Realm, and Lord of Sisheng Peak, Taxian-jun, Mo Ran himself, expressed his honest thoughts: "Fuck..."

So, about Mo Ran... It obviously took a longer time to warm up to him. In my defense, he can be difficult to love sometimes often but at the same time I also want to put him somewhere safe, where no harm can come to him.




I'm really curious what kind of person was he, before becoming Taxian-Jun. We've seen just a glimpses of him but he seemed such a sweet child.



Even before he trully grew on me, I really enjoyed his charachter. Nothing is funnier than the ex-emperor of the cultivation world being trapped in a teenager's body, lacking power and strenght. Listening to his thoughts is just hilarious. Poor boy is all over the place, especially about his feelings toward his Shizun. I just know their relationship will be such a mess, I mean it kind of already is.

Mo Ran once again felt the vine binding him squeeze and twist, making his organs feel like they were going to wrench into mush. He screamed in agony, letting loose the thoughts in his mind.
"Chu Wanning! You think you're tough?! Watch me fuck you to death!"

I'm so curious about the previous timeline. I know, we'll find out eventually through the story but I'm dying to know how exactly happened (I'm sure it wasn't just Shi Mei's death) that Mo Ran became Taxian-Jun and just decided to practically kill everyone.

In this life, he'd started out as a bastard son who possessed nothing, and after enduring great deal, he'd become Lord Emperor of the Mortal Realm.
He had blasphemed, and his hands were covered with blood. All that he loved, all that he hated, all that he prayed for, all that he resented - when all was said and done, there was nothing left.

And I wonder if we're ever gonna get Chu Wanning's POV of the previous timeline events. It must be heartbreaking but I'm masochistically curious. I know it's probably just pain and more pain and even more pain but I need to know.


Fanart by Zolaida



And all Mo Ran's flasbacks of Taxian-Jun's life with his concubine. Taxian-Jun's obssession and hate and... was there also some kind of twisted love? I know it's sad and tragic and horrible but sometimes I just want to laugh a little when Mo Ran is ranting about his hate toward Chu Wanning, when it's obvious he cares about him, and he did even then, no matter how insignificant that care was.

A vision appeared unbidden before his eyes, of Chu Wanning half kneeling, sprawled on the ground beenath Mo Ran's fiery, ferocious passion. His shizun's eyes were half-lidded and his body trembled uncontrollably as he endured, but was still fucked into his own climax...

Ok, I was going somewhere with this review, I really did, but honestly I have no idea how to continue. There's so much more that I want to talk about and at the same time I don't know what else to say, so I'll just stop here. I know this reviews is not helpful at all, however, if you got intrigued by any chance, I guess, happy reading! Join me in suffering, lol

And so the white cat knelt all night, never turning around.
And so the dumb dog stood all night, never once leaving.

5 'Beautifully painfull' stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
5 'My baby shizun' stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
4,5 'Wontons, stairs, and Mo Ran's childhood' stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐/⭐
tbr
tbr

[PEACHY BLOSSOM ~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

imissthemmm
wanna re-read 🥺

[Bubble · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5 ★ As 1 star feels too low to me and 2 stars is way too much.

Since I plan on rating and reviewing all the rest of the volumes when I read them, I've come back to write a review on volume 1. It has been a while since I read it so I am a bit rusty on a lot of the things that happened in the book.

[WARNING: This Review will include mentions or talk about talk about most subjects present in the book, including but not limited to rape, abuse, NSFW/sexual scenes and so on so forth, probably not extensively or in detail but I will talk about them nevertheless. The review will also probably include spoilers.]

Where do I start... It's hard to say I enjoyed this book, theres ASPECTS of it that I liked but for the most part I did not enjoy it or spent my time reading it rolling my eyes.

Before anyone says anything I am a grown adult and I was WELL aware of the warnings for this book. I don't have an issue with the themes and subjects explored in 2HA theselves, horrible things happen in real life unfortunate as it is. As long as they are things that happen in real life they will also be explored in fiction. But I did not in the slightest enjoy the way they've been presented or executed so far.

I picked up the novel partially because I saw it's very popular and people seemed to like it a lot, upon reading the premise I found it interesting and was curious about it so I decided to check it out.
I wasn't exactly surprised but it wasn't as enjoyable or entertaining as I thought it would be.

I will start with the protagonists themselves, I found my biggest issue with the novel to be Mo Ran himself. I'm all for morally dubious characters or characters who are terrible people, however I found Mo Ran to be almost completely insufferable throughout the volume. There isn't a single speck of character development throughout the entire volume which is pretty long, like yes I know that 2ha as a whole is very long and he'll get there probably but it's a fact that I cannot get invested in his character within the first volume... which makes it harder to even want to read more of the book.

When Mo Ran dies in his previous life after having achieved his revenge goals he is transmigrated years back when he was 15-16 before he took on the dark path and decides to leave the past behind him and persue his past-life crush - Shi Mei. However the moment he is "brought back" to life he instantly fucks the guy he was sleeping with in a brothel to unconsciousness and steals his valuables, like even if he had wronged him in his previous life it's a pretty asshole thing to do. Either way it was the very beginning after he had just been brought back so I could technically let it slide as he has a lot of time left for thinking back on the the life he had led up until now (something he doesn't do until almost midway through vol. 2 but I'll get to that when I finish volume 2)

[The following segment will include talk about SA]
Throughout the rest of the novel we learn of how Chu Wanning was abusive to him and how Mo Ran had taken revenge on him in previous life by holding him prisoner and basically abusing him and raping him for years? I believe. No matter the fact alone that this is how what's going to be the endgame main couple is introduced into the story by itself is off-putting to me. Sexual abuse is extremely fetishized and/or romanticized in this volume, as it is used either for shock value or just because... readers are expected to find it? Hot? Idk. It does not seem necassery to the plot as it plays pretty much no part in either characters' development nor is how it affected them negatively ever properly explored. It does not help that Mo Ran will fantasize about it every few pages, usually in a little too much detail.
I know that there is an audiance for this kind of stuff for some reason, I know that for some weird reason there is people that enjoy this? I will never understand that, I find it extremely gross and off-putting even if it is purely fictional. The very fact that Chu Wanning later falls in love with and gets together with his abuser (even if he does not remember as of now) by itself throws me off.

Excluding the gross fetishization and romanticization, this wouldn't have been a HUGE issue if this WASN'T promoted as a ROMANCE NOVEL. This is NOT a romance novel it is EXTREMELY hard to see it as one. And I've been spoiled on quite a few things that happen later on, that does not change my opinion.

Anyway fact is throughout the entire first volume which is like 500 pages, Mo Ran doesn't change one bit. Not to mention even if he isn't really actively doing anything he is just being an asshole or a jerk throughout the whole novel, and it is clear to me that 2ha isn't trying to explore him as a morally wrong charatcer or at the very least it is extremely bad at doing so, I did not find him compelling for the most part of these 500 pages.

[The following segment will include talk/mentions of age-gap and pedophelia]
Onto the "love interest" - Chu Wanning. I found him a lot more bearable and somewhat more compelling than Mo Ran, his issues were also handled slightly better imo. Towards the latter half of the book it is revealed that he has some sort of feelings towards Mo Ran, although with how he is even if they are presented as such its hard to believe that Chu Wanning would be romantically interested in anyone. At the time Mo Ran is like 16 and Chu Wanning is probably 24-26? idk. It is weird. He pushes those thoughts away, finding them horrible and himself disgusting, he does not persue Mo Ran or the feelings he has towards him. Nevertheless it was introduced kinda weirdly and after the way Mo Ran is handled I do not trust the author to handle this character any better. I know or I've heard there is more to it later on but this is what is presented in volume one, this is how I will talk about it for now.
Not to mention I don't see a reason for CWN to even like Mo Ran as a student so far. He's been nothing but an asshole the entire volume 1.

AGAIN things I wouldn't have that HUGE of an issue with if this wasn't promoted or presented as a romance novel. There is a clear difference between dark fiction and romance fiction.

Outside of the protagonists I think some plots drag on for WAY too long. I can't even tell what the plot of the book is, the pacing feels off? Some events are way too long, some kinda short. There is a lot of pointless stuff that doesn't contribute to the overall plot or characters, this seems to be a bigger issue in volume 2 so I'll leave most of my talk about it for later.

As for the things I did enjoy, as I said I found the premise interesting. The idea of a terribly fucked up person being brought back in time and given a chance to redo everything and change for the better is what pulled me into starting the novel. The author is also very good at writing scene descriptions, I could easily find myself perfectly imagining the scenary as it is being described in the novel, sometimes sounding almost poetic. Althought it could be a bit uneeded at times.

I found Mo Ran and Shi Mei's relationship to be very compelling (be it platonic or romantic it does not matter), their interactions are some of my favorite throughout the volume and one of the few things that kept me going,I know of most of the major plot points that happen later on so I want to see where their characters will get in the future and how, probably one of the only reasons I will continue reading this series.
Another character I enjoyed was Xue Meng, he is barely relevant but I found him fun. A lot of the other side characters are pretty forgettable though.

My expectations for the rest of the volumes is pretty low as I can't really see my opinion on the main couple changing much but I will read the entire thing anyway just for Shi Mei. And to form a complete opinion of the entire novel.
Point is, if I'm an entire 1 volume in and counting and not at all invested in the main characters then maybe there is something up.

It is worth mentioning that I might change my opinion on the characters as time goes on but volume 1 is supposed to be able to pull you in and make you stay and read the whole novel, and vol 1 of 2ha didn't manage to do that for me, most of the characters did not stick with me and I didn't really like them.

[Bella ♡ ✧.* · Rating 5 out of 5]

i am inexplicably sad towards both of them. im sick about them. oh my god

rtc

[Marina ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Emperor Reborn And His Dearest Enemy

Holy moly that was interesting. It was addicting, eye catching, and just brilliant. It definitely spices up my currently reading shelf.

The Husky and His White Cat Shizun is a book about an evil emperor dying and being reborn as his younger self. This younger version of him still carries all of his past memories. And as he goes through events a second time, he recalls his deep hatred for his Shizun, Chu Wanning.

This book was on a more explicit note in the sense that Mo Ran’s inner monologue was so straightforward. At some points I was like “is that what you’re thinking??…Really?” His whole attitude and the way he thinks about certain things is absolutely hilarious and the concept was smart.

And so the white cate knelt all night, never turning around.
And so the dumb dog stood all night, never once leaving.

I think the main thing I loved about this story was the main focus that the author was trying to draw: The fact that Mo Ran was very simple minded when he first met Chu Wanning and carried this hate for him his whole life that stemmed from his focusing on only the bad memories. But when we are taken along this ride of Mo Ran’s second life, we see how Chu Wanning had nothing but sympathy and love for his students.

The one thing that is pretty entertaining is that we get phrases and thoughts from every character. Even though Mo Ran is pretty much the MC we still get thoughts, feelings, and facts about other characters. That’s the only way we know that Chu Wanning secretly likes Mo Ran.

He didn’t care for Chu Wanning, and so he held nothing back

~ Liar 👆A really awesome factor that the author was able to include was the flashbacks from when Mo Ran hadn’t been reborn yet and was still an emperor. Knowing how he felt, what he did, and his association with Chu wanning at that time was pretty interesting. This book was pretty lighthearted and funny but you can take it to way deeper level if you think about it. How Mo Ran was constantly going on about how much he despised such a disgusting person as Chu Wanning, but also held this massive obsession and possessiveness over him. He wanted to be the only one that touched Chu Wanning, the only person that talked to him, he thought of Chu Wanning as HIS. Especially because of the events that took place when he became emperor.

This was Chu Wanning! Who had touched this person who belonged to him?! This person was his—

He was so obsessed with Chu Wanning on such a deep scale that his soul was imprinted on his own!
The unspoken relationship between the students and their shizun was so heartwarming. When he was being punished they kneeled and waited with him. Mo Ran had stayed awake with him all night. Chu Wanning protected Mo Ran with his whole life, like the end of the world was on the line. 💓

He obviously disliked Chu Wanning. So why was it that sometimes, when he looked at him, he felt so at peace—so warm?

~ I swear he is like if Kaz Brekker were constantly insisting in his mind that he didn’t like Inej. Like bro. It’s kind of obvious. I loved this book because it was very different from what I normally read and I enjoyed the ride. I think that’s it for the commentary, here are a few more quotes that I liked:

How could he let anyone know that he loathed him on one hand but secretly wanted to fuck him on the other? If that wasn’t crazy, then what was?

~we delulu readers like to call that enemies to lovers lmao 🫶😭

”Yeah. But Xue Ming, did you know?” Mo Ran was clearly exhausted. “He also ended the life of the only person I ever loved. The only one.”

~ This hit hard 😔

and lastly my favorite : Fuck all eighteen generations of your ancestors!


Review By :
- 𝙼𝚊𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚊 ⊛

[Linh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, my… Now my eyes are finally opened to the fantastical works of ✨MEATBUN✨!!! And what an experience this book was.

I did not know that I desperately needed to gobble up…

💖 Love & relationship that are purer than the soul of baby Jesus
☣️ Love & relationship that are more toxic than Deepwater Horizon oil spill

All centered around Mo Ran and Chu Wanning, the two male leads that somehow have already stolen a piece of my heart… Damn big-dummy Husky and His White Cat Shizun 😂

I know this series is gonna be long, so I'll try to pace myself. But I already know.. this year's gonna be my Meatbun year~!!

[ada ✮ · Rating 5 out of 5]

⁀➴ 𝟒.𝟖 ✩

this is all far too tragic.

WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT ENDING. who allowed the author to end the novel like that? jail.

so this was one of the most beautifully written books i’ve read wth. bc it was my first cnovel i was a lil confused at times but the guide at the end helped. this was so touching, deep, soul-crushing and it left me emptyyyy

oh well, the characters were…complicated. a lot to take in. i really liked the fact that both mo ran and chu wanning had flaws, so there was no “perfect and likeable mc”. i still have a hard time completely liking mo ran because he did all those horrendous things in the past, but i have to say i have successfully grown attached to both chu wanning and mo ran so please i beg make their story just a little bit less unfortunate.

okay.

such a stirring masterpiece.
will be forever moved.
may or may not buy the next one and finish it tomorrow bcs i’ve just landed .🤝

[mery☆ · Rating 5 out of 5]

the ending. THE ENDING!!!
this book was the best way to start this year, hands down.
...that ending tho

[fish]

I want everyone to know that this novel is a masterpiece and it will hurt you beyond repair. Don't be fooled by the title and the cover. When I said it will break you, it will tear your soul apart and make you hold on to your dear life while you're sobbing and scratching your walls.

The Husky and His White Cat Shizun is a painful read that tackles about the morality of us human beings, what makes humans more monstrous than the monster themselves, how a food and clothing can relate to ones identity, the pain of sacrificing our beloved only for the fruition of the cause only became a rotten flower, and the selfish act that bloomed into two lifetimes of hatred and the end of the world. Meatbun, the author has crafted this complex novel that would make you feel conflicted whether you would love the protagonist along the way. Would it make you feel sympathy towards Mo Ran? Would it make you hate him? The only way we could determine and conclude about what to feel towards this character is to read about his sufferings and Meatbun showed us all of that only for us to be in such despair and have us feel nothing but... emptiness afterwards.

I hope this English translation would accurately deliver Meatbun’s storytelling and hope that this edition would allow her to gain the fame that she deserves.

[kay! ☾ · Rating 5 out of 5]

⋆｡ ﾟ☁︎︎ ｡ ✧ ⋆ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 🍓｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡ ⋆

i never wanted to read ‘the husky & his white cat shizun’, not because of the tws that are as long as the book itself or because i thought the plot or characters wouldn’t be interesting.

i never wanted to read erha because i knew for a fact that i would not be able to consume this piece of media in a normal sane way.

and. yeah i was right. all i’ve thought abt since starting erha is chu wanning & chu wanning & mo ran & CHU wanning & xue meng & CHU !!!! WANNING

ranwan already makes me feel so unhinged and i’m very worried considering this volume barely scratches the surface.

it’s not even a brain rot at this point, erha has completely hijacked my mind & refuses to let me spend a single moment of my day not thinking about chu wanning & meatbun’s writing that is absolutely deranged because of how she effortlessly jumps from comedy to stomach churning angst

[Tan✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

CONGRATULATIONS ERHA ON GETTING PUBLISHED IN ENGLISH. THIS BOOK ABSOLUTELY DESTROYED ME.

THIS BOOK HAS AN EXTENSIVE LIST OF BRUTAL TRIGGER WARNING!! PLEASE BEWARE!! it is NOT for the faint of heart. 2HA is an R18 novel. This work includes, but is not limited to, explicit content, rape, underage sex, gore, corporal punishment, torture, and mass murder.

It will rip your heart out, step on it and spit on your grave. When I tell you I shook, cried, and sobbed like I thought I was dying,,,,,

I couldn’t breathe. That’s how hard I cried.

I feared I would never recover. And then I proceeded to reread this book.

It’s that good.

The WHOLE webnovel took me two weeks to read and it didn’t slow down at all. Everything progressed at a breakneck pace and something that happened a few chapters galt like it happened days ago in reality. You know the feeling.

I’m so happy it got its English publication. I’ll finally get to read the second half of this book with proper translation and not MTL 😮‍💨

[Justyna · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author knew what needed to be done to build up the characters and the tension between them and did it so masterfully I have nothing but praise

[daph pink ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars!!!

Sometimes I wonder how simple it is for me to fall in love with a morally repugnant character who is well conscious of their evilness and ready to reform, but things are getting a little more complicated. That concludes volume 1 of the book, which has almost 3000 pages.

Chu Wanning, on the other hand, is a fascinating character who is self-centered, morally dubious, and haughty. I adore it. Although the setting is nice, the characters are what really make this novel worth reading.

I gave it three stars because, to put it mildly, I wasn't very interested in or intrigued by the tale. The MCs are what kept me going.

Still, I plan to read the remaining books as well.

[... · Rating 5 out of 5]

no thoughts, just ranwan

[avni · Rating 5 out of 5]

chu wanning let me give you a big fat hug

[Annique · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book has me conflicted. On one hand, the story is very interesting, and I of course love the setting around it. On the other hand, the themes in this book are ranging from morally questionable to downright disturbing.

But still, the way it is written I can‘t help but be intrigued. It is interesting to read about a protagonist who is really just evil and vile. And also very aware of it. Mo Ran doesn‘t even try to justify his actions, he immediately admits to his selfish reasons, or he just doesn‘t care. And in the case of his romantic feelings, he refuses to aknowledge them and instead turns them into pure hatred because he can‘t fathom not being in love with Shi Mei.

Chu Wanning is a morally grey character but written in a very interesting way. He is neither fully good but also not evil. He recognizes his actions as bad but still does them, and then punishes himself as he sees fit. He is arrogant and thinks himself above anyone else, but still, I can‘t bring myself to hate him. In the end he is just very, very lonely.

So, to conclude; this book was interesting. Would I recommend it to just anyone? No, definitely not. The writing style makes it out to be a comedic romance drama, when it is much darker than the many unexpected dick jokes would make you assume.

I will definitely read the second volume, but not right away. This book needs a little bit of digesting before I can continue with the story.

Edit: I had to come back to adjust my rating purely based on the translation. I am now reading the second novel and comparing it I can‘t help but feel I was too lax and ignored many issues in the writing style. The way dialects and slang is written is at best cringe-worthy and at worst just offensive. It is obviously only barely edited which affects the story flow as well as the readers comfort. I will give it the benefit of the doubt as I believe the translation was done by a non-professional, but seeing as this is a published book, this is really not justifiable.

[Madeleine · Rating 5 out of 5]

buddy read with gigi bc this series is apparently really tragic




THAT ENDING 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 I SWEAR IF ANYTHING HAPPENS TO XUE MENG OR CHU WANNING OR MO RAN OR SHI MEI I WILL CRASH OUT 😭😭😭😭😭

[DesertSkyCacti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Does anyone else love the look on people's faces when they ask, "What are you reading?" And you get to respond with the amazing masterpiece known as "Dumb Husky and His White Cat Shizun... also known as 2Ha" TRUST ME ITS NOT WHAT YOU THINK... but at the same time it's 100 times more f'ed up XD

[V.ya · Rating 5 out of 5]

This installment is still as heartbreaking as I remember it. Chu Wanning. The amount of suffering you’re going through. T^T

I was, however, pleasantly surprised by the amount of comedy sprinkled in between the knives. I didn’t recall that at all. (How could I, when Chu Wanning is there, getting injured again and again and again while no one appreciates him!)

Also, for those still planning to read or those who have dropped it: Please, don’t judge an 11-book series by 1 installment only. This is a complex story, and everything will make sense in the end. It’s gonna be worth it!!

[L Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't even know how to process this ending. There are too many emotions running through my mind right now. Heartache and rage seem to be competing for dominance. Oh my God. Do I even want to read the next book?

[astraea astronomica · Rating 5 out of 5]

peak fiction, sobbed at least 7 times.

[süki · Rating 5 out of 5]

what the fuck. this was simultaneously the best and worst experience of my entire life.