Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System is a novel written by well known Chinese author, Mo Xiang Tong Xiu. It’s unusual for a Chinese novel to gain great popularity in America, which puts Tong Xiu up to high standards. Tong Xiu’s flawless writing captured even the minds of overseas readers. Originally published in Chinese, Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System, or SVSSS, had been translated crudely on the internet into English for the first time in 2017. Many things had been off about this translation, whether it be strangely translated proverbs, or jokes that are only really understood in Chinese. Despite it all, Tong Xiu’s books still managed to rake in a fair amount of readers. All of Tong Xiu’s books had officially been published in English on Dec. 14, 2021, finally providing an accurate translation for English speakers to enjoy. 

Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System is the type of book known as a Xianxia novel, which is a name that categorizes the world of cultivation in a historical setting filled with demons and gods. What comes hand-in-hand with historical Chinese settings is, of course, flowery words in the form of proverbs. Like previously mentioned, the original translations of such proverbs were nothing short of nonsensical, but in the newest translation they manage to translate and provide explanations that make sense. Adding in these features is a huge step up for this book because it becomes easier to understand the monologs of characters in moments that could be important. Words that only exist in the Chinese language are explained in sidenotes during the story. These sidenotes better expand on the true meaning of certain scenes, and even add a little insight on humor that only exists outside of America.

There are a few things included in the book that are exclusive to the physical copy, things you cannot see online. For one, there is a well needed glossary of characters and items, with an additional add-on of how you pronounce certain names and words. Another feature that is included is illustrations by an artist on Twitter called Velinxi who is well known for the web comics they produce. Dramatic scenes are depicted in extreme beauty by this artist to really submerge readers into the experience that the book provides. 

Overall the adaptation of Tong Xiu’s “Scum Villain’s Self Saving System” is a major success with fans, new and old. With the accurate translation and beautiful new illustrations. it’s a worthy buy that accurately upholds the original book’s name.