Do Your Own Revolution니들끼리 혁명해라

Real Score: 8/10
Note: I've read this RAW on Booktoki468 dot com

Okay. I kinda liked this novel, even tho the side story somewhat ruined the ending of the main story.

This novel tells the story of a gamer who was extremely frustrated when the game he had been waiting for ended with a bad ending (not because he made the wrong choice, but because the canon ending was just bad). He was so mad, in fact, that YuJin suffered a heart attack. And when he woke up, he found himself transmigrated into the body of the main character of the game itself. Knowing that this is a war game—meaning as a normal human without power, he's fcked—he decided to survive by any means necessary and find a way to finally get a happy ending this time.

The story was tense from start to finish. Because the setting of this game is a world stuck in a never-ending war, Eugene never took a break; he was always fighting, fighting, and fighting. Eugene had to fight the enemies from the outside, he had to stop the sabotage coming from the inside. It was very hard to find someone trustworthy because most of the people around him were corrupt. The atmosphere was oppressive, and they maintained this feeling throughout 176 chapters. There were no filler chapters at all.

Well, there were a few scenes that made me laugh. For example, when Eugene attacked his own men because he was tired of eating the bad rations he got from the enemy territory. That was so funny, ahahah. Their base was just a 5-minute walk away, but nope, "I'm too hungry right now, and I will plunder my own men if I have to!!!" These funny scenes occasionally popped up like an oasis in the middle of a desert; a brief break from the tension of the war, but never to the point of ruining the pacing of the story.

The novel might have magical elements in it, as some selected soldiers can use magic to help with their fight. Yet it still felt grounded because the battles they have fought weren't always one-on-one but were more focused on army-to-army conflicts. I preferred these kinds of battles, honestly, rather than seeing OP characters nuke a bunch of people with just one spell. Because battles that involved hundreds of people like this will show the intelligence of each character; how they manage large groups of people to achieve optimal results, what strategies they will use to break through the enemy's defences, and what movements they will make to protect the fort they've obtained. It was like playing chess. It made the characters look smart. 😌

I also loved the main character's personality. He was ruthless and merciless, but at the same time, he wouldn't just discard anyone like a mere pawn. He wanted to survive, but he also wouldn't forget his subordinates' contributions. In fact, one of his subordinates' evaluations of Eugene portrayed him very well: "He punished without exception, thorough and cruel. But equally merciful to those who follow and comply." That's why he would bring them along with him, paving the safe road even if it would be stained with blood. Eugene was very human and I liked that.
(That part where he announced the traitors' deaths in a monotone voice and articulate words really gave me chills. That was soooo cold 🥶🥶🥶)

Actually, now that I think about it, all of the characters in this story truly felt like real humans. Tbh with you, every time I see a main character in a story who powered-up in the nick of time just to save his friends, I think... it's kind of too idealistic. If it's for your family's sake or for someone you really reaaaalllyy love, maybe. But for strangers? Co-workers? You become stronger just to protect them? I don't know. It sounds kinda fake.

The reason why I say the characters in this novel felt more human is that they could get angry. They could feel depressed. If their family or loved ones were killed, they wouldn't just forgive the perpetrators. "Forget the past and face the future? Well, fck that. I want revenge. I want the killer to die. I want them to suffer. I want them to feel what my family/loved one felt when they killed them mercilessly." This kind of thinking is not the typical mindset of heroes in mainstream stories because this ISN'T a hero's mindset. THIS is the mindset of an ordinary human being—someone with emotions, who can hate and rage for the injustice they faced in life. They were very relatable and that's what I liked about this novel.

But that doesn't mean I didn't have some complaints, tho.

First: The school arc had too many time skips. They skipped the first two months of their learning, then skipped to the first-year exams, and then suddenly in the next chapter, they were already in their fourth year? I get that school arcs are usually the most boring part of an action story (there were already a bunch of manga/manhwa that I dropped because of the school arc), but that doesn't mean the pacing should be rushed like this 🫠.

Second: Leopold, who was supposed to be an important character from the original game, had very little screentime. In fact, it seemed like the author forgot about this character because after the middle of the novel, he completely disappeared! Even the three original characters (a.k.a background characters who used to be 'nameless characters' in the game) appeared more often than Leopold. They were appointed as leaders of each platoon too! If it ended like this, what was the point of Eugene insisting on making Leopold one of his subordinates? It wouldn't have affected the story if he wasn't there. Dude, where the freak is he? Did he die and I just didn't notice? Don't create a character just to check off a box in a checklist. That's not good :/