Case File Compendium: Bing An Ben (Novel) Vol. 1 Paperback – February 13, 2024

I really liked this book. Once I started to read it, it was hard for me to put it down. Although the attitude of the leads were giving me so much anxiety as they were very aggressive but I still couldn't stop reading it!! I was waiting for a turn of events and even attitude. Maybe on the next book.The story line is pretty good as well very interesting as it deals with mental health and acceptance of people who suffer from it.Must read

It was so freaking good. I read it all in one day. There are a few typos but it’s okay

I really enjoy this authors writing, but this one was missing something. the story is good so far hopefully it gets better as the story goes on. It was a bit boring at times I hope the story will pick up more in the next volume. It was good but not their best work.One thing I did not like at all was the art. All of the characters had the same face. The. Exact. Same. Face.Including the female characters drawn had the exact same face just bigger eyes or closed eyes. I wish they used a different artist because I couldn't get past it.

Love all the interactions between He Yu and Xie QC. I'm excited to read the second part! I know they

There's a lot of dark themes in this and is not for the faint of heart. But those who love mystery would love this. I'm excited to read the next book!

Pretty boring honestly. Not entirely sure why I kept reading. I do enjoy He Yu and Xie Qingcheng’s dynamic, especially when we get to see the darker side of He Yu’s mind. I think compared to Meatbun’s other works, the plot is thinner and the characters have far less personality

Case File Compendium is a long-awaited official translation of the Chinese webnovel Bing An Ben by Rou Bao Bu Chi Rou, a prolific author of historical danmei fantasies. Unlike their other series, this book has a contemporary Chinese setting and doesn’t have fantasy elements.He Yu is a 19-year-old university student in the imaginary city of Huzhou (basically Shanghai.) He’s recently returned from living several years abroad, and wants to reconnect with the girl he’s loved for a long time, Xie Xue. She’s teaching screenwriting at the university, so that’s what he’ll study too. She’s several years older than him though, and only sees him as a childhood friend.Xie Quingcheng is 32, a former doctor and current professor of medicine at a nearby university. He’s Xie Xue’s brother, and He Yu’s former doctor. He Yu suffers from an extremely rare (and imaginary) condition that’ll eventually drive him insane, if he doesn’t learn to control his emotions. And love, especially unrequited, isn’t good for him.The premise of the three being connected throws the men constantly together. They don’t like each other much, and don’t really understand each other either, even though Xie Quingcheng is the only person who truly knows what He Yu is like and what is required of him so that he can remain sane. Both are extremely homophobic too, so even friendship under the guise of looking after a former patient isn’t likely. The first volume only sets the stage for their relationship.Mostly, the book is a bit of a mess. A lot of things happen, a background conspiracy emerges, people come and go, and random stories pop up that have nothing to do with the characters or the plot. It takes a long time for the basic story to form and the reader to get the hang of the two men, especially since—in the manner of webnovels—their characters and backstories keep changing to fit the plot.It’s amazing how much Xie Quingcheng has done for a relatively young man (though He Yu keeps calling him middle-aged), and how sane He Yu is for a psychopath. They’re fairly likeable characters nonetheless, and oddly well-suited for one another for such different people. The age gap is pronounced, but I didn’t find it problematic.Contemporary China is an interesting setting. It remains kind of vague though, and I kept wishing there would be more of it. It’s mostly about the divide between the rich and poor, and traditional, patriarchal society and modern values—or the lack of them.Despite the slow start, the story becomes fairly compelling towards the end, lifting it from a three-star book to a four-star one. The first volume ends at a small cliffhanger that comes out of the blue. However, since it is about the background plot, it’s not terribly annoying. The game between the two men has only started, and I’m interested in reading where it’ll lead.