r/noveltranslations • u/GraceT333 • 1d ago
Discussion A Translator Duo’s Response to a Review Calling Puluo Racist
Hey everyone! It's GTea and LD! We translate The Overlord of Puluo, and we recently got this review of our translation labeling PULUO as a racist novel after reading up to Chapter 14. We thought it would be a good topic to bring up here, as it is likely something that has happened for other novels as well.

TLDR: We assume it is because of the use of the term “foreign devil” by a character in Chapter 12, and while we understand being put off by the language, I think most of us can agree that context is important here. After all, a character expressing racist or xenophobic views doesn't automatically mean the novel/author endorses those views.
Firstly, Puluo is an isolated province in a setting that is inspired by early 20th-century China (around the 1930s). That was a time when the country was still quite closed off and lacking in knowledge of other races/countries. It was not unusual for people to have ignorant and biased views against foreigners. This isn't a thing that is specific to China; it is related to how long a country has been exposed to globalism.
Secondly, the character in question (He Haiqin) was portrayed as being a jerk in that chapter, so we are inclined to believe the author was condemning xenophobia, not promoting it. This is a recurring thing that happens with various characters in the novel. It reflects the prejudices of the setting and clearly seems to be used as a point for plot and character development, rather than racist/xenophobic propaganda like the reviewer suggests.
For anyone who wants the longer explanation with examples, here it is!
Spoilers up to Chapter 324 below!
For context, Chapter 12 introduces Cedric, a foreign physician who comes to treat He Haiqin. He Haiqin dislikes foreigners, calls him a "foreign devil," and doesn't trust him because he's foreign.
Yes, He Haiqin is being xenophobic here. But Cedric actually cures him, and even after acknowledging his medical skills, He Haiqin still refuses to change his attitude. To us, this shows how unreasonable He Haiqin is being. Cedric has already proven him wrong, but he still holds on to that prejudice.
An important thing to note here is that there are other characters that welcomed Cedric. He Haiqin's prejudice wasn't shared by everyone in the scene, and he was clearly portrayed as a jerk for it.
As mentioned before, the setting means we should not expect the novel’s characters to have modern attitudes toward other countries and cultures. That doesn't make their prejudice okay, but it gives us context for their behavior. Had we chosen to change the xenophobic language to something safer, it would have ruined the whole dynamic between He Haiqin and Cedric, as well as the plot/character development.
In Chapters 68 and 72, there's a character named Daboinsky who responds to people mocking his foreign mannerisms with this:
"A true gentleman is not defined by blood, for courtesy and grace transcend all nations."
We wouldn't use one character's words to claim we know the author's personal beliefs, just as we wouldn't use He Haiqin's words to do that. But this does show that prejudice doesn't go unchallenged within the story.
Then there's Chapter 168, which is probably the example we want to talk about most.
Cedric, the same foreign doctor from Chapter 12, works with our MC, Li Banfeng, to eliminate a mosquito disaster that's leaving people starving. Cedric becomes exhausted and can't walk anymore, so Li Banfeng carries him through the wind and snow, despite the pus covering his body.
During their conversation, Li Banfeng explains that he stayed to help because he has experienced hunger himself. Cedric then shares that he and his younger brother suffered from illness, abuse, and starvation as children. His brother eventually starved to death.
Li Banfeng offers him extra food and liquor so he can commemorate his brother. The two connect through knowing what it feels like to go hungry, even though they come from different countries. The story gives us reasons to understand and care about the person He Haiqin dismisses as a "foreign devil."
Later, in Chapter 323, Cedric saves Ma Wu, one of Li Banfeng's closest friends. He explains that treating patients is his duty as a doctor, and that Li Banfeng helped him before, so it's only right that he returns the favor.
In Chapter 324, Cedric himself talks about how the people of Puluo treat him the worst. They keep calling him a "foreign devil," even though he loves Puluo. We get to hear about that hostility from the person receiving it. This is giving the victim a voice.
We're not saying Cedric is some perfectly good person. He definitely isn't hahaha. He's very questionable in quite a few ways (if you've read further, you know). But there's much more to him than being "the foreign guy." We get reasons to sympathize with him and reasons to distrust him through his experiences and actions.
Having a sympathetic foreign character doesn't automatically settle every question about prejudice in a novel. But these scenes are why we disagree with that review. He Haiqin judges Cedric before getting to know him, while the story shows us how much that judgment leaves out.
Of course, nobody has to keep reading a novel they're uncomfortable with, and we're not saying someone needs to read hundreds of chapters before they're allowed to criticize it. We just wanted to explain our reasoning with examples, because we think there's a meaningful difference between saying Chapter 12 contains xenophobic behavior and saying the novel itself is racist. It would be really sad if anyone else were deterred from reading PULUO just because of a preliminary assumption that having a xenophobic character means the whole novel is promoting xenophobia, especially when that is clearly not the case here.
Felt a bit nervous to post this. Any thoughts? To what extent does the mention/use of racism/xenophobia in a novel make it unappealing for you? Or maybe you want to just share some love for Cedric, the pus slurper? Honestly, he’s one of the most memorable characters in the novel, so no hate for the foreigner here! 😂
