[Author Spotlight] August: Jiang Zi Bei (酱子贝)

[geraineon]

Overview

Time for the first author's spotlight post, 酱子贝 (Jiang Zi Bei)! She's a well-known author of mostly danmei works (the rest are yanqing/BG works), all modern setting, many of them e-sports/gaming related (she will put games into her non e-sports novels anyway, and I love it) with some about the entertainment business. She has a cat.

Last I've checked, which is slightly before this post is up, her five most popular works (by points) in order are:

1. 我行让我来 (I Can Do It): Danmei, e-sports
2. 放学等我 (Wait For Me After School): Danmei, school
3. 网恋翻车指南 (Guide on How to Fail at Online Dating): Danmei, MMORPG
4. 我喜欢你男朋友很久了 (Limerence/I've Liked Your Boyfriend For A Long Time): Danmei, school
5. PUBG世纪网恋 (PUBG: Online Romance of the Century): Danmei, e-sports streaming

Then there's a huge gap to the rest of her works. As you can see, games feature quite prominently, so good news for e-sports/gaming novel fans! Many of her works have fan TL, and one even has official translation (see Limerence, above). There are references to her other novels in her novels (I Can Do It, PUBG: Online Romance of the Century, Guide on How to Fail at Online Dating, and Wait for Me After School all takes place in the same world).

My thoughts...

The novel that got me down this rabbit hole of e-sports novels, modern setting is 我行让我来 (I Can Do It). Before this, I thought I would not like e-sports at all! But this novel is popular for a reason, and I understand. She has a really good sense of comedic timing, and her MC and ML are really lovable. Since then, I've read PUBG世纪网恋 (PUBG: Online Romance of the Century), 网恋翻车指南 (Guide on How to Fail at Online Dating), and also checked out Wait for Me After School and one of her BG novel, 他是我的不接受反驳 (He’s Mine, No Objections Allowed), so while I am not a Jiang Zi Bei expert, I'm going to share some things I enjoyed from these works and some caveats.

You'd like Jiang Zi Bei's works if you like...

• Go-getter MCs who are an active party in their relationships and lives!
• MC who somehow manages to dig themselves into a pit with their lies: Don't worry, it's usually funny.
• Low conflict/Warm and fuzzy read: Not all the MCs in the novels I've read lead a nice, comfortable life (some had it rough) but they are surrounded by people who care and that makes the reading experience of reading these novels a very warm/fuzzy experience.
• Interesting side CPs and funny side characters!
• E-sports/game novels: The gaming bits are written very well imo! I enjoyed reading all of them
• ML who dotes on the MC

And most of all, her works are just funny. I had a lot of RL laugh-out-loud moments reading/listening to her works, so recommend for when you don't want something heavy!

However, because she writes modern setting, e-sports/gaming stories, there are some setting typical sexism, period typical homophobic references (internalized or expressed), and because a her MCs tend to lie, and lie a lot (sometimes really bald-faced lies, but all pretty minor stuff so they don't get embarrassed/appear soft), when these lies catch up with them, they can lead to some second hand embarrassment. I don't think the author herself subscribes to these thoughts (e.g., Guide on How to Fail at Online Dating has a GL couple who are leaders of the strongest guild in the server), but I thought I should overdo the content warnings than not.

Resources

Author links:

• Author's page on JJWXC: https://www.jjwxc.net/oneauthor.php?authorid=2042719
• Author's page on Weibo: https://weibo.com/u/6343845769

Novel specific links:

• 我行让我来 (I Can Do It) [BL]
  • English fan translation: On Tiny Salt Translation (complete)
  • Audio drama:
    • Season 1
    • Season 2


• 放学等我 (Wait For Me After School) [BL]
  • English fan translation: On KK Translates (complete)
  • Audio drama:
    • Season 1 (complete)
    • Season 2 (complete)


• 网恋翻车指南 (Guide on How to Fail at Online Dating) [BL]
  • English fan translation: On Chrysanthemum Garden (complete)
  • Audio drama:
    • Season 1 (complete)
    • Season 2 (complete)


• 我喜欢你男朋友很久了 (I've Liked Your Boyfriend For A Long Time) [BL]
  • Official translation: Licensed as Limerence, by Via Lactea
  • Audio drama: Season 1


• PUBG世纪网恋 (PUBG: Online Romance of the Century) [BL]
  • English fan translation: On Chrysanthemum Garden (complete)
  • Audio drama: Season 1 (incomplete)


• 我死对头终于破产了 (My Nemesis Has Finally Gone Bankrupt) [BL]
  • English translation: On DummyNovels (ch. 1-70, ongoing)
  • Audio drama: Season 1 (complete)


• 顾先生与陆恶犬 (Mr. Gu and the Evil Dog Lu) [BL]
  • English translation: On SleepyTranslations (ch. 1-5, likely dropped)
  • Audio drama: Season 1 (complete)


• 他是我的不接受反驳 (He’s Mine, No Objections Allowed) [BG]
  • English fan translation: On Plumlizi (complete)


• 你和人头都归我 (Both the Kills and You Are Mine) [BG]
• English fan translation: On KindaSleepDeprived (ch. 1-24, ongoing)

Note: For the JJWXC links, you can navigate from her author's page. Only novels that has an English translation has been included in this list.

My reviews/thoughts

我行让我来 (I Can Do It)
网恋翻车指南 (Guide on How to Fail at Online Dating)
PUBG世纪网恋 (PUBG: Online Romance of the Century)

EDITED TO ADD: Please let me know if you'd like to do an Author's Spotlight post on any authors! Check out this post for more information.

Comments

[geraineon]

lmk if you see anything that's inaccurate/linked wrongly/etc.

I sat on this long enough. time to release it into the wild

oh, and let me know if there are specific things you need warnings for, and i'll try to remember and add them to the novels i've read

[alias_sqbr]

I *adored* How to Fail At Online Dating, but while PUBG: Online Romance of the Century and I Can Do It were really cute and funny they were a little too fluffy for my personal tastes. Still, I've been meaning to check out her other stuff when I'm in the right mood for fluff.

[geraineon]

How to Fail at Online Dating was *hilarious*. I love it so much too. I Can Do It has a special place because it's my first Jiang Zi Bei and I liked the e-sports part which is a huge part of the story. PUBG: Online Romance of the Century, I had a lot less impressions though I still liked it well enough. Always a safe bet for fluff!

[shipperslist]

This was interesting to read! They don't sound like my thing but I've been seeing people (especially you 😁) enjoy her works a lot.

[geraineon]

Thanks for reading (here and my Fedi comments xD)

[snowynight]

I really love her work. I love I Can Do It best, but also adore Guide on How to Fail at Online Dating, PUBG: Online Romance of the Century and My Nemesis Has Finally Gone Bankrupt. She hasn't posted anything after Wait For Me After School (2022). I wonder if she has quitted writing. :(

[geraineon]

Mm I am hoping this means maybe she's busy writing the novel listed as upcoming... Crossing fingers!

[duckprintspress]

all of those Jiang Zi Bei standards definitely apply to the one I've read, which is 我喜欢你的男朋友很久了. This definitely makes me want to check out more.

[geraineon]

Mrgh I want to buy that but I also don't want to reward shoddy job...

Yes, check out others when you want something fluffy/funny! (Guide on How to Fail at Online Dating! It's particularly funny imo)

[douqi]

Thanks for this intro to Jiang Zi Bei (even her name is a pun). I do enjoy authors who have a sense of humour!

[geraineon]

Thank you for reading~ (oh? the pun escapes me, explain?). I laughed died reading some parts XD

[douqi]

Oh, I read it as being 这样子呗, but with the first two words slurred together the way we do it in Malaysia (and I think Taiwan) to produce 'jiang'. In Manglish: 'like that, bei'.

[geraineon]

Ahh, I see it now XD