So I'm not fully caught up with Omniscient Reader, nor have I read either versions of the web novels. But I really got to get this off my chest before I explode.
Omnisicent Reader is really fucking good, and really fun to read.
I used to read a lot of manhwa, but I stopped after I came across too many bad ones. All around me I started to only see the worst of the genre, creating this unfair image I had towards manhwa that it was either all Solo Leveling clones or poorly written romance stories that liked their shock value. I knew that this prejudice could be solved by reading actual good manhwa, but my motivation wasn't very high. Not until a friend of mine forced me to read this manhwa, one of his favourites and it seems to be really popular too. I didn't have the highest of expectations, but I figured I would give this a shot. Something I'm really glad I did.
What lied before me was a celebration of storytelling and humanity's experiences with such tales. As a kid, I was a big fan of Greek mythology. Something about how all these tales were spoken by word, evolving and changing with new takes on them was amazing. In a world that is always changing, these stories persevered and remain stories that we tell each generation. Then you have every culture having their own myths and how they have impacted that region. These stories become more than bed time tales, but legends that speak of humanity's struggles and victories. Good and bad mix into one another, and it's up to the reader to decide what they make of it.
Omnisicent Reader places you with a protagonist like us. He is a reader. He grew up with pain and loss, but one story kept him going, kept struggling along with him until the day that his world fell to ruin. You're then shown this incredible system of powers, stats and scenarios that our characters have to face against. Morals become questionable and chaos roams around us. But that is when humanity can push forward and break forward. And Kim Dokja knows this very well as a reader of this story. Since he has read this story, he knows its rules and what he can do to survive, but as the protagonists of the stories that are within this world, he isn't the best, morally speaking. He uses people and lies a lot to get in this way. Yet that cockiness he has is endearing and the bonds he makes are the truth of the matter. Throughout all these chapters, he becomes more than a lucky survivor hat happened to read a fairly unpopular web novel, or a hero to some and a villain to others, but his own unique story in a world that needs one. A fable if you will.
If the main character doesn't sell you on it, perhaps the cast of really fun characters will. The original main character is a broody man, that you can understand very quickly why he acts so rude and selfish. His relationship with Dokja is akin to a younger brother butting heads with his older brother, for how much they argue and fight, they stil care for each other (Though they'll never show it). Then you got Dokja's squad, as I call them: Hyun-Sung Lee, a kind solider, aJi-Hye, Lee, an ex student/navy expert, Hee-Won Jung, the "sword" of the group, Gil-Young Lee, an insect loving child, and many more members that get involved later on that I also love deeply. This team is like an JRPG, people with their own stories that you want to learn about with rich personalities that make you love them whenever they show. I'm always sad when the story has them split up. Then when they reunite, I have the dumbest smile ever.
Spoilers:
Spoiler, click to view
If you're curious on my favourite characters, my main one is Su-Yeong Han. The whole idea of someone plagiarizing the story of TSWA never occurred to me, and the whole arc of people who knew stuff about his world was so fun. Then you get the reveal of who she is, and she's so funny and hot.
Then I like Hee-Won Jung, who is a tomboy and I love tomboys. I also admire her sense of justice and what she's willing to do for her friends.
Of course Dokja is a pleasure to have as the main character. Always flipping things on their head, and every scenario is never as you might think it will go.
And let me tell you, the art style of this story is great. I never understood the style of paneling that Manwha had until I read this. It uses that scroll and the format of being on a phone to its full potential. Sometimes you scroll down and see the chaos or epic battles occurring, seeing each layer like these old paintings I used to see where they didn't know perspective yet. It's like everything pops out, and it allows you to breath each element in as you go down. When the page goes sideway, it's showing you how brief these amazing moments are to the characters that they are easily missed in everything that's going on. This one story makes me feel awful that I complained about it, because these moments are stuck in my head at all times now.
The layers of power systems and sponsors becomes a puzzle that are slowly told but I get this sense there's a lot more to unpack with every new arc. All of the possible sponsors are this treasure trove of references from history and myths. You might get some of them, and you might not get others. With the Greek stuff, I get all excited seeing them but the Korean figures go over my head. That isn't a bad thing at all though. It makes me want to research more of these myths, really learn about them because doing so, I believe, is learning about humanity and what we have to offer. They give this great pride in myself as a human being. Throughout all the wars, the sins mankind has done, these stories of people trying to live in peace and explore, doing what they want. It brings me an indescribable joy to discover them.
I write all of this without having caught up to the story. I want you to understand how much fun this story is.
Every arc is filled with side characters, different abilities for our characters to use, and a storyline that gets every bit more thrilling than the last.
From what I know of the length of the webnovel, this story isn't anywhere near the end and is only getting started. Which fills me with a thrill to know what's going to happen next. Like Dokja, I don't care if it takes 10 years to reach the end because I'll be there every step of the way as a loyal reader from now on.
This adventure is what humanity's storytelling is all about. People like you and I, trying to surivive in a cruel but wonderful world where every day can be the last. Even so, it gives all the more reason why we push forward.
