The Manga Pariah’s Guide to Self-Salvation

(The print edition has been published under the title A Comic Heroine's Guide to Self-Rescue. If you're interested, follow Weibo account Jinjiang - Milk Tea With Just a Little Sugar.)

(Please don't start shipping wars or drama. Let's all get along.)

After the healing Saintess Ye Zheng saves a team of superpowered fighters, the System suddenly informs her that this world is a comic.

Good news: She's the comic's heroine.

Bad news: She's a universally hated heroine whom countless readers have petitioned the author to remove!

All she has are her beauty and healing powers. Her excessive compassion has repeatedly endangered the main cast, and she's a universally hated character who keeps causing trouble for the male lead.

Even the male lead's ship with the villain is far more popular than her official pairing.

[Another standard accessory heroine, just a plot device to get past censorship.]

[This comic has a heroine? Dropped!]

[The character design is pretty good, though. Author, give us more fanservice, hehe~]

[Ugh, I just want to watch the guys fight! Why does a hot-blooded shonen manga need a girl?]

System: “The comic artist is planning to give up on you. Around the middle of the story, you'll be made to take a hit for the male lead and make a tragic exit.”

“Only a comeback in popularity can change the author and readers' minds and prevent your story from ending abruptly!”

The fragile, beautiful healing Saintess lowered her tear-filled eyes. “So everyone really does… hate me this much.”

“But that's okay. I'll do my best.”

*

The Uncanny Realm King is currently the hottest action shonen comic around.

Its fascinating, eerie setting, thrilling fights, and richly drawn characters have created a whole cast of immensely popular fictional characters.

The upright, cool-headed male lead, the morally ambiguous, unhinged second male lead, the righteous third male lead…

Yet in this power fantasy comic aimed at boys, the person who always gets the most attention on the forums is that woman

At first, she was a self-righteous do-gooder who endangered the entire team by trying to save a cat, and she even became the most hated character.

Later, readers discovered she was a mad Saintess oppressed by the Superpower Church, a witch whose kindness had become an obsession, and they couldn't help feeling for her.

Then readers were stunned to realize: this woman is just like me!

She unleashed a world-ending flood, stole the dragon bones meant to protect the world, and brought disaster down upon everyone equally

Beneath Ye Zheng's gentle, saintly exterior was an ambition and ruthlessness beyond question!

*

[Did Ye Zheng appear today? I love this villainous female lead!]

[Sister Zheng, go easy on the main cast. Don't hurt my precious babies, sob]

[Guys, I've defected. Ye Zheng is so cool!]

[I'm trembling. Does anyone remember when she first appeared and we all thought she was just a healing tool character…]

[Enough talk, I'm off to fight for merch. This dangerously captivating woman is terrifying!]

Even the System was dumbfounded. Wake up! Your character setup is that of a kind and gentle heroine in a boys' comic!

Ye Zheng smiled sweetly. “Why can't a villainous female lead still be the heroine?”

Reader's guide: 1. The heroine is the kind of villain who is so righteous she's practically evil.

2. I couldn't stand how female characters are treated in some action shonen comics. That's what inspired this story.

3. The heroine starts off weak, but will gradually become the strongest person in the world.

Theme: Be strong and self-reliant