Danmei is Chinese romance fiction between men, usually serialised online first and collected into print later. Over the last few years the English editions have gone from impossible to find to sitting on general bookshop shelves, and the print runs are properly made objects.
Heaven Official’s Blessing
Mo Xiang Tong Xiu’s series follows a god who has been banished from heaven twice and is on his third attempt. It is long, funny, and structurally closer to a wuxia epic than to a romance novel — the relationship is the spine, but there is a great deal of plot hanging off it.
Astrozon lists two configurations: the Vol. 1–5 set at $54.71 and the complete Vol. 1–8 set at $111.99.
The eight-volume set is the whole story. The five-volume set stops mid-arc, which is worth knowing before you buy it as a gift.
The Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System
Shorter, sharper, and the easiest entry point of the author’s three series. A reader is transported into the badly-written web novel he spent years complaining about, cast as its villain, and has to survive a plot he has already read. The set is $57.78.
Start here if you are unsure. Four volumes is a much smaller commitment than eight, and the comedy is broad enough to tell quickly whether the register suits you.
What to expect from the print editions
- Illustrations. Most English danmei editions include colour plates and interior art. They are part of what you are paying for.
- Extras. Bonus chapters, character guides, sometimes a poster or bookmarks.
- Translated names and titles. There are a lot of them, and the books include glossaries for a reason.
A word on sets that stop early
Because these were serialised, English releases are often sold in partial sets. A five-book set of an eight-book series is not a complete story. Check the volume range on the listing rather than the word “set”.
The rest is on the Light Novels shelf.
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