I really enjoyed this, despite the fact that it includes a lot of things I really don't like. An Zhe, Lu Feng, and the supporting cast, the narrative, the central relationship, they all shine so strongly and are so enjoyable.

I adore An Zhe. Every time he refers to himself as a mushroom is so cute. He's sweet and lovely and the ways he learns about humans is endearing. I really love his relationship with Lu Feng, whom I also love.

I tend to avoid post-apocalyptic narratives, particularly when they're mixed with dystopias, (I find them too depressing) and body horror and giant insects, so there's a lot of things in here that just aren't for me. That being said, the writing for all this is very good, quality-wise, and the world set-up is quite good, and anyone who's into all that should have a great time. In any case, the central relationship and An Zhe himself are compelling enough to get me through the parts I didn't like very much, enough to make me read this in like two days, five star rate it, and be interested in reading the sequel.

The story is oddly gentle in some ways despite the horrifying nature of the plot and world itself. And for some reason I find the central relationship quite warm and thus endearing. I love all parts of it, but that warmth is a big part of why. The way the story emphasizes gentle physicality, a sort of form of parallel play, and the soothing nature of nearness is quite compelling. I also find the emphasis on mushrooms fascinating. I don't know much about fungi, but I know just enough to find the ways this book messes with their science really neat.

My primary quibbles are that in places, and this might be a translation issue, the writing seems a little amateurish. Probably unrelatedly, I had the Peach Flower House ebook edition, and there were a number of typos. Nothing too egregious, but more than I usually notice in other books. And quite frankly I don't mind because Peach Flower House offers DRM free ebooks, which is awesome. I'll take a few typos for that. Overall, though, the story and characters are enough that it was no barrier to enjoyment.

If you're looking for a science fiction danmei with a truly endearing protagonist, and maybe a post-apocalyptic dystopia narrative and some body horror and violence, with a central mpreg subplot, this is the thing for you, particularly since it's short and complete. ( )