What to Do if I Am Noticed by the Straight Guy Next Door?
By xi he qing ling, 羲和清零
173 chapters
2021
Description
Su Bin, an exchange student, moved into a shared apartment recommended by a rental agency. Among his roommates, there is a caring and considerate older teaching assistant, a self-proclaimed social prince who is also a rich second-generation, and a handsome mixed-blood aristocrat (?) who appears to be aloof and cold. As his student life gets underway, Su Bin realizes that one of his perfect roommates, who was like a protagonist in a novel to his (former) girlfriend, is gradually revealing an aspect that he cannot resist. The problem is, Su Bin also feels constantly trapped and helpless. Meanwhile, he is also trying to earn money to surprise his girlfriend back in China, but his plans are thwarted halfway through… What? Roommates must be heterosexual? (￣_￣|||) Dizzy… Do I really look like I’m gay!? (╰_╯)
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Publication Information
- Original Publisher
- jjwxc
- Original Language
- chinese
- Type
- Web Novel
What to Do if I Am Noticed by the Straight Guy Next Door? Review & Spoilers - Novel Translator
My Thoughts on What to Do if I Am Noticed by the Straight Guy Next Door?
First Impressions
Okay, so I went into What to Do if I Am Noticed by the Straight Guy Next Door? with a healthy dose of curiosity, especially given the mixed bag of reactions I'd seen. The tags alone – comedy, drama, romance, and yaoi with a side of BDSM – promised a wild ride. I was definitely intrigued by the premise of a "straight guy next door" romance, and I was hoping for some genuine character growth amidst the comedic undertones.
What Works Well
The initial draw for me was the fish-out-of-water aspect of the story. Following a Chinese student navigating life in Britain, with all the little cultural nuances and struggles, felt refreshing. I appreciated the author's attempt to portray realistic challenges faced by foreign students. Some readers really connected with the MC, finding him cute and even praising his cooking skills. The author's world-building and side characters also resonated with me, with some hoping for more content about them.
Areas of Concern
However, the relationship between the MC and the ML seems to be a point of contention. Several readers found the ML to be overly controlling and even manipulative, describing the dynamic as leaning heavily into a master-slave relationship rather than a loving partnership. The power imbalance made me uncomfortable, and I can see why some readers were turned off by what they perceived as a toxic dynamic. The MC's supposed lack of self-autonomy and the ML's controlling behavior are definite red flags for many.
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Final Verdict
Overall, What to Do if I Am Noticed by the Straight Guy Next Door? is a complex novel that seems to heavily depend on your tolerance for darker themes and power dynamics. If you enjoy stories with gray characters and aren't easily put off by potentially toxic relationships, this might be worth a try. However, if you prefer wholesome romances with healthy communication and equal footing, this might not be the story for you. Personally, I'm left feeling a bit conflicted. While there are elements I appreciate, the problematic aspects of the central relationship are hard to ignore.
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