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Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint Web Novel (5.5 Volumes) Series #1
Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint, Vol. 1
Prologue - Episode 36
Only I know the end of this world.
One day our MC finds himself stuck in the world of his favorite webnovel. What does he do to survive? It is a world struck by catastrophe and danger all around.
His edge? He knows the plot of the story to the end. Because he was the sole reader that stuck with it. Read his story to see how he survives!
Only I know the end of this world.
One day our MC finds himself stuck in the world of his favorite webnovel. What does he do to survive? It is a world struck by catastrophe and danger all around.
His edge? He knows the plot of the story to the end. Because he was the sole reader that stuck with it. Read his story to see how he survives!
2079 pages, ebook
Published January 6, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 882 reviews
October 20, 2021
no one:
me: *trying to figure out which volume corresponds to which chapters of this 1 million+ words webnovel so I can count the pages towards my 'year in books' summary*
me: *trying to figure out which volume corresponds to which chapters of this 1 million+ words webnovel so I can count the pages towards my 'year in books' summary*
January 7, 2022
orv ruined my life
March 23, 2020
I started reading this book thinking it would be just another power fantasy of a reader transmigrated into a book using his knowledge to become over-powered. However, this book surprised me in the best way. I love that this novel goes very heavy into the meta concept of the reader, the writer, and the story - drawing influences from history and mythology - and really digs into the cognitive dissonance of being transported into a fictional world, and what separates a character vs a person.
The absolute highlight of this book is the slow-burn rivals-to-friends interaction between the main character (Kim Dokja) and the novel's original protagonist (Yoo Jonghyuk). They start off grudgingly using each other for pragmatic reasons, while thinking very little of the other person. Over the course of the events, they eventually come to trust and admire each other (still grudgingly of course) until they would willingly die for each other. ("Only I can kill him!" is literally my favorite trope in this type of dynamic, and Yoo Jonghyuk actually declares this at one point!)
The supporting characters are a lot of fun as well, including a lot of them who fall into very complicated gray areas. (I initially had no good feelings at all about Han Sooyoung, but by the end of the book, she became a strong favorite of mine!) And the group Kim Dokja gathers behind him becomes a very dysfunctional but amusing found family.
The plot becomes increasingly more complicated as things go on with higher stakes and more terrifying large-scale fights, maybe even a little too much so, but I personally enjoyed how everything tied together through the epilogues. It's very mind-bending but satisfying.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who's looking for a really well-plotted isekai/portal fantasy with humor, really interesting and evolving relationship dynamics between the characters, and a heavy dose of meta about what it means to be a reader and a writer.
The absolute highlight of this book is the slow-burn rivals-to-friends interaction between the main character (Kim Dokja) and the novel's original protagonist (Yoo Jonghyuk). They start off grudgingly using each other for pragmatic reasons, while thinking very little of the other person. Over the course of the events, they eventually come to trust and admire each other (still grudgingly of course) until they would willingly die for each other. ("Only I can kill him!" is literally my favorite trope in this type of dynamic, and Yoo Jonghyuk actually declares this at one point!)
The supporting characters are a lot of fun as well, including a lot of them who fall into very complicated gray areas. (I initially had no good feelings at all about Han Sooyoung, but by the end of the book, she became a strong favorite of mine!) And the group Kim Dokja gathers behind him becomes a very dysfunctional but amusing found family.
The plot becomes increasingly more complicated as things go on with higher stakes and more terrifying large-scale fights, maybe even a little too much so, but I personally enjoyed how everything tied together through the epilogues. It's very mind-bending but satisfying.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who's looking for a really well-plotted isekai/portal fantasy with humor, really interesting and evolving relationship dynamics between the characters, and a heavy dose of meta about what it means to be a reader and a writer.
August 9, 2020
Rating: 6/5
ORVreview. txt (second revised edition after finishing)
Now that I am done with these books, let me tell you something: Have you ever seen a book so beautiful you started crying? Well feast your eyes and read this, because this book is a beautiful masterpiece that blends every single tvtrope being subverted or not, wisely uses everything - the characters, the setting, the modern media, the fantasy, horror, thriller... It's a huge bundle of emotions - that all comes down to one goal: survival. But, what point is there to survival if none of you are there to witness the end?
(Best of all, it's fully translated!)
At this point, I have so many feelings about this book. This is a perfect time loop, a perfect dystopia, a perfect apocalypse, and a perfect scenario. There are no plot holes because everything is so carefully written and even the smallest details can be connected to form a bigger picture. For example, chapter connections between 180+530 and so on and on.
When I started reading this book, all I thought about was this: Will everything be explained? The answer is yes. It was done so damn well that there is no doubt that this can be considered a masterpiece. You have to have 2 huge galaxy brains like ShingShong to write something like this and not fail at connecting everything.
Not just the story, but the characters in this one are stunning. Even though there are three main characters in the book, there are around 15 so called side characters - but they are all so well done that you could just straight up call them a group of deuteragonists instead. Everyone is highly developed, they have their own histories and best of all - they are all different and have huge difference in their personalities.
The female characters in this book are absolutely amazing. They are not shallow. They don't suffer from The Bechdel Test - they pass it gloriously.
Such a wide variety of characters is stunning... There are really few authors that can pull of such a feat and I have read 1000 books already, so this is saying something about the the level of writing.
Omniscient reader's viewpoint is about Kim Dokja who once read a book. And that book has always been there for him - and it saved his life. He was the only follower of that book that has over 3100 chapters for 10 years. It's always been there for him, even through his ups and downs in life.
And one day, it was completed - the last chapter of the story was finally published. But then, at the same time, same day, the world ended and the book he read about blended with the reality he was living in.
What makes this whole book this damn interesting is exactly Kim Dokja. He knows everything of the world, he knows almost all about the creatures, but his strongest point is his knowledge of characters that are suddenly real people. And he knows how to manipulate them, how to make them help him and how to survive in this world and how to turn this new world and their rulers upside down.
After all, the main runners of the show are Constellations: beings of amazing powers that chose their pawns to play with by giving them Stigma in order to survive the scenarios. They award them with coins in order to improve themselves and their abilities.
And yet, no matter how much Kim Dokja abuses his knowledge of this world, he can't change one thing: the protagonist of this world is very hard to get on his side - and very hard to work together. Yoo Jonghyuk is stuck in a time loop (regression) that starts from the beginning of the scenarios every time he dies, and at the moment where he meets Kim Dokja, he is living through his third regression. And yet, Kim Dokja knows that YJH has survived dozen of regressions and every time he does, it changes him. YJH is prideful, loner and murderous man who doesn't really trust anyone anymore, but there is still that tiny bit inside him that screams that he doesn't want to stay alone... But whenever he dies, the world ends with him and thus for him... having relationships with others is waste of time and a burden on his feelings. (But Kim Dokja changes that).
The other unknown variable are the real humans that have been dragged with him like his coworker Yoo Sangah (excellent at languages, hardworking, outstanding), one of his bosses Han Myungoh (who at first starts as a huge scum, but later changes to better), Lee Gilyoung (a child KDJ adopted and saved because he saw things and he just knew. LGY is a kid who was thrown into a really difficult situation). Kim Dokja cannot read through them and thus he needs to earn their loyalty and affections through his own actions.
Meanwhile, book characters like Jung Heewon (someone who was never saved before, someone whose potential is so high she can slaughter the heavens), Lee Hyunsung (a soldier and a man who needs encouragement but is actually really brave, but he needs to break free from following orders), Lee Jihye (who has many issues due to trauma of her own survival through the first scenario) are someone that Kim Dokja can affect.
Finally, there is also Han Sooyoung... the apparent third main character and her introduction is later in the novel so talking about her would have to go under spoilers. She's everything. She's sassy, bossy, and really smart and dedicated person who would stop at nothing to achieve her goals.
And the best of all, the relationship of all three of the main characters. Of how they all fit the soulmate trope and how they all complete each other's life. In short, if one of them was removed from the picture, the others wouldn't be alive. That's how much they depend on each other. That's how much their stories, their lives, mean to each other.
I sadly can't type everything about them because of spoilers, but... it's amazing. (I love one ugly rat with wings, one angel, one monkey king, one immature dragon, one regresso depresso sunfish bastard, one secretive bastard with a veil, one amazing author, one perfect collegue and adorable woman, one boss that becomes better, one righteous swordswoman, one soldier cutie bear, two kids I adopted (so did the rat), one Baaaht, one dokkaebi who is underestimated, one schoolgirl with wild imagination, one doctor that needs a break, one golden haired cutie, the smallest and the most powerful being in the universe, the huge half titan master, dogs, one forgotten sister, death god in love with his wife, his wife that kicks ass, one drunk god, one god with a train, and finally a 4th wall!)
Characters: 6/5 - Excellent, will make you scream and cry. One rat man especially and one sunfish.
Side characters: 6/5 - Excellent and strong point of this book. They are a support and huge help and emotional crutch in this messed up world.
Story: 6/5 - complex, unique, excellent world building.
Humor and angst: 5/5 - do you want to cry a lot and feel sad and actually be happy. there you go.
Warnings:
This tale was a story of a reader who wanted to change its conclusion.⸥
ORVreview. txt (second revised edition after finishing)
Now that I am done with these books, let me tell you something: Have you ever seen a book so beautiful you started crying? Well feast your eyes and read this, because this book is a beautiful masterpiece that blends every single tvtrope being subverted or not, wisely uses everything - the characters, the setting, the modern media, the fantasy, horror, thriller... It's a huge bundle of emotions - that all comes down to one goal: survival. But, what point is there to survival if none of you are there to witness the end?
(Best of all, it's fully translated!)
At this point, I have so many feelings about this book. This is a perfect time loop, a perfect dystopia, a perfect apocalypse, and a perfect scenario. There are no plot holes because everything is so carefully written and even the smallest details can be connected to form a bigger picture. For example, chapter connections between 180+530 and so on and on.
When I started reading this book, all I thought about was this: Will everything be explained? The answer is yes. It was done so damn well that there is no doubt that this can be considered a masterpiece. You have to have 2 huge galaxy brains like ShingShong to write something like this and not fail at connecting everything.
Not just the story, but the characters in this one are stunning. Even though there are three main characters in the book, there are around 15 so called side characters - but they are all so well done that you could just straight up call them a group of deuteragonists instead. Everyone is highly developed, they have their own histories and best of all - they are all different and have huge difference in their personalities.
"The act of understanding someone started off with admitting that you didn't know anything about that person."
The female characters in this book are absolutely amazing. They are not shallow. They don't suffer from The Bechdel Test - they pass it gloriously.
Such a wide variety of characters is stunning... There are really few authors that can pull of such a feat and I have read 1000 books already, so this is saying something about the the level of writing.
STORY AND CHARACTERS:
Omniscient reader's viewpoint is about Kim Dokja who once read a book. And that book has always been there for him - and it saved his life. He was the only follower of that book that has over 3100 chapters for 10 years. It's always been there for him, even through his ups and downs in life.
And one day, it was completed - the last chapter of the story was finally published. But then, at the same time, same day, the world ended and the book he read about blended with the reality he was living in.
What makes this whole book this damn interesting is exactly Kim Dokja. He knows everything of the world, he knows almost all about the creatures, but his strongest point is his knowledge of characters that are suddenly real people. And he knows how to manipulate them, how to make them help him and how to survive in this world and how to turn this new world and their rulers upside down.
After all, the main runners of the show are Constellations: beings of amazing powers that chose their pawns to play with by giving them Stigma in order to survive the scenarios. They award them with coins in order to improve themselves and their abilities.
And yet, no matter how much Kim Dokja abuses his knowledge of this world, he can't change one thing: the protagonist of this world is very hard to get on his side - and very hard to work together. Yoo Jonghyuk is stuck in a time loop (regression) that starts from the beginning of the scenarios every time he dies, and at the moment where he meets Kim Dokja, he is living through his third regression. And yet, Kim Dokja knows that YJH has survived dozen of regressions and every time he does, it changes him. YJH is prideful, loner and murderous man who doesn't really trust anyone anymore, but there is still that tiny bit inside him that screams that he doesn't want to stay alone... But whenever he dies, the world ends with him and thus for him... having relationships with others is waste of time and a burden on his feelings. (But Kim Dokja changes that).
The other unknown variable are the real humans that have been dragged with him like his coworker Yoo Sangah (excellent at languages, hardworking, outstanding), one of his bosses Han Myungoh (who at first starts as a huge scum, but later changes to better), Lee Gilyoung (a child KDJ adopted and saved because he saw things and he just knew. LGY is a kid who was thrown into a really difficult situation). Kim Dokja cannot read through them and thus he needs to earn their loyalty and affections through his own actions.
Meanwhile, book characters like Jung Heewon (someone who was never saved before, someone whose potential is so high she can slaughter the heavens), Lee Hyunsung (a soldier and a man who needs encouragement but is actually really brave, but he needs to break free from following orders), Lee Jihye (who has many issues due to trauma of her own survival through the first scenario) are someone that Kim Dokja can affect.
Finally, there is also Han Sooyoung... the apparent third main character and her introduction is later in the novel so talking about her would have to go under spoilers. She's everything. She's sassy, bossy, and really smart and dedicated person who would stop at nothing to achieve her goals.
And the best of all, the relationship of all three of the main characters. Of how they all fit the soulmate trope and how they all complete each other's life. In short, if one of them was removed from the picture, the others wouldn't be alive. That's how much they depend on each other. That's how much their stories, their lives, mean to each other.
I sadly can't type everything about them because of spoilers, but... it's amazing. (I love one ugly rat with wings, one angel, one monkey king, one immature dragon, one regresso depresso sunfish bastard, one secretive bastard with a veil, one amazing author, one perfect collegue and adorable woman, one boss that becomes better, one righteous swordswoman, one soldier cutie bear, two kids I adopted (so did the rat), one Baaaht, one dokkaebi who is underestimated, one schoolgirl with wild imagination, one doctor that needs a break, one golden haired cutie, the smallest and the most powerful being in the universe, the huge half titan master, dogs, one forgotten sister, death god in love with his wife, his wife that kicks ass, one drunk god, one god with a train, and finally a 4th wall!)
[To someone like that, telling him that he's not alone a few times won't suddenly change anything.]
[You need to tell him, always be next to him, and reaffirm it for him.]
[Until he realizes that he's truly not alone anymore.]
OVERALL:
Characters: 6/5 - Excellent, will make you scream and cry. One rat man especially and one sunfish.
Side characters: 6/5 - Excellent and strong point of this book. They are a support and huge help and emotional crutch in this messed up world.
Story: 6/5 - complex, unique, excellent world building.
Humor and angst: 5/5 - do you want to cry a lot and feel sad and actually be happy. there you go.
Warnings:
January 28, 2024
Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint, the web novel by SingShong, embodies everything I love about reading. This isn’t the story I thought it would be—it’s so much more than I ever could have imagined.
The following is a spoiler-free review of all volumes of ORV and my attempt to express how grateful I am for this novel.
For a decade, 28-year-old Kim Dokja has been the only reader of his favorite web novel, Ways of Survival. In the novel, the apocalypse descends upon Seoul in the form of the scenarios, brutal challenges that humans are forced to endure. Immensely powerful beings of legend called Constellations watch from above, entertained by the bloodbath. The thousands of chapters of Ways of Survival follow the regressor Yoo Joonghyuk, who is transported back to the beginning of the apocalypse every time he dies. Through Yoo Joonghyuk’s story, Dokja survives his own life, comforted by the fact that the protagonist suffered worse and kept going despite it all.
Dokja’s aimless life grinds to a halt on the day when Ways of Survival is meant to end. Suddenly, the story he’s used to escape from reality for much of his life merges with the real Seoul, and Yoo Joonghyuk himself appears, along with the carnage of the scenarios. As the city descends into the apocalypse, the reader Kim Dokja is the only one who knows how to reach the epilogue of this ruined world.
Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint succeeds on every level. This story is plot-driven, character-driven, and theme-driven, and it never lets up on any front. In fact, these three aspects are inextricably intertwined in ways deeper than I could have anticipated in the beginning.
Even without delving far beneath the surface, Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint is a masterpiece. The action is exhilarating, intense, and unexpectedly clever, but balanced with plenty of memorable gentle and comedic scenes. Many of the most powerful emotional moments are placed within the choreography of an action scene, and that adrenaline elevates them to impossible new heights. The plot is so satisfying that it almost feels self-indulgent in that it kept evoking emotions I didn’t even know I wanted to feel. Looking back, I can see how every twist is connected in logical but shocking ways that reveal how deliberately the story was plotted from the very beginning.
The core of Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint lies in its themes. ORV is a love letter to the power of stories, both regenerative and destructive. The worldbuilding and power system are built on these themes. Likewise, the plot twists are imbued with incredible thematic foreshadowing. Every single scene is thoughtful on levels that aren’t fully apparent until the conclusion. This novel has scenes that are some of the most impactful moments I’ve read in a book, and that’s due in part to the impressive thematic continuity of the story.
Kim Dokja, with his motifs of sacrifice and salvation, is a complicated character. He’s cunning, always scheming and scamming, always prepared to get on someone’s nerves. He’s completely dedicated to creating the ending he’s always wanted to read. He only trusts a select few people, but he loves those companions deeply and will do anything for them. Despite this, he is always unsure of his place among them. He downplays the value of his own presence. He’s very good at some things and terrible at or oblivious about other things. In the scenarios, in his element, he’s brazenly confident and justifiably so. His knowledge gives him an edge, but he can also improvise scarily well, even under immense pressure. From a storytelling standpoint, his power is written very well. He doesn’t have the fighting skills of a regressor or the talent of a protagonist, but his ability to find loopholes is unmatched. He surprises and scares me at every turn. Dokja is an amazing character, so fun to follow, hard to understand, and easy to love.
Dokja’s first-person narration is one notable aspect of Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint. It’s unclear just how reliable he is, or if he’s more unreliable than he appears to be. The writing frequently played with my expectations and blinded me to the things to which I should have paid more attention. It’s a sneaky type of foreshadowing that I appreciate a lot upon rereading. In addition, Dokja’s narration of his interactions with the other characters is full of subtleties, especially with Joonghyuk (with whom he apparently cannot have a straightforward conversation). Their intentions are not always written out, and on top of that, Dokja often misunderstands their meaning. Trying to understand these characters’ true feelings based on context and knowledge from the amount of time we’ve spent with them is fascinating.
The more I read ORV, the more I appreciate Yoo Joonghyuk. He’s cold and ruthless but probably the biggest idealist of the book, and he cares more profoundly than is immediately apparent. He’s very proud but also honest with himself; he’s willing to work behind-the-scenes if he believes he isn’t the best person for a task. He fights ceaselessly to save the world, even though he feels less and less like a part of that world as he falls into the regressor’s mindset of being the only human in a landscape that continually resets around him. It’s easy to pass him off as a killing machine who’s lost his humanity, especially in the beginning, but there’s much more to him than that. He’s written exactly like a protagonist—stoic, undaunted, stubborn, blunt, somehow still heroic—although he isn’t really the protagonist anymore. We only get glimpses of Joonghyuk in his element, but I think I can understand why Dokja read about him for a decade. In other words, the character work in ORV is outstanding.
There’s a great cast of complex side characters, including many incredible female characters whom I could go on and on about, as well as powerful young and elderly characters. The ways in which they interact with each other are all distinct. Each gets their time to shine and their own driving philosophy; even if they’re not always in the spotlight like Dokja is, they feel like real people with essential roles in the story. Together, they make up my favorite part of ORV, the found family at its heart. I really love them. They’re unlikely companions who would never have befriended each other before the scenarios, but they fit together so well regardless. The growth of that bond of trust is both softly and incisively beautiful.
ORV works because it makes the reader feel everything it expresses, all the emotions around which it revolves: love for a story, desire to see the ending, imagining past the conclusion. This full immersion is possible because the novel is about someone who loves reading. The resonance between Dokja’s feelings and ours as his readers makes the world come to life in electrifying and heartbreaking ways.
As excellent as this web novel is, it’s definitely a commitment. It has 551 chapters and is well over one million words long. I can’t call it anything less than an epic. The epilogues alone are the length of an average book. It’s so long that I feel like I’ve been living it. However, despite its length, this is the only story I’ve started to reread immediately upon finishing. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of it. Whenever I think about this book (which is often), I realize something else about it that amazes me once more. Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint gives my imagination limitless fuel in a way that nothing else has before. It calls out to be read.
Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint by SingShong is a story that means everything to me and so many other readers. Filled with an invigorating sense of defiance, optimism, and fearlessness, it’s often tragic but also unwaveringly hopeful. When I reached the ending for the first time, I was devastated, overflowing with wonder, and overwhelmed by appreciation for the care put into this work. There’s nothing more I could say, except that ORV is truly meant for everyone who’s ever seen themselves in a story. It completely changed the way I consider storytelling itself. I think it will always linger with me.
5/5
The following is a spoiler-free review of all volumes of ORV and my attempt to express how grateful I am for this novel.
For a decade, 28-year-old Kim Dokja has been the only reader of his favorite web novel, Ways of Survival. In the novel, the apocalypse descends upon Seoul in the form of the scenarios, brutal challenges that humans are forced to endure. Immensely powerful beings of legend called Constellations watch from above, entertained by the bloodbath. The thousands of chapters of Ways of Survival follow the regressor Yoo Joonghyuk, who is transported back to the beginning of the apocalypse every time he dies. Through Yoo Joonghyuk’s story, Dokja survives his own life, comforted by the fact that the protagonist suffered worse and kept going despite it all.
Dokja’s aimless life grinds to a halt on the day when Ways of Survival is meant to end. Suddenly, the story he’s used to escape from reality for much of his life merges with the real Seoul, and Yoo Joonghyuk himself appears, along with the carnage of the scenarios. As the city descends into the apocalypse, the reader Kim Dokja is the only one who knows how to reach the epilogue of this ruined world.
Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint succeeds on every level. This story is plot-driven, character-driven, and theme-driven, and it never lets up on any front. In fact, these three aspects are inextricably intertwined in ways deeper than I could have anticipated in the beginning.
Even without delving far beneath the surface, Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint is a masterpiece. The action is exhilarating, intense, and unexpectedly clever, but balanced with plenty of memorable gentle and comedic scenes. Many of the most powerful emotional moments are placed within the choreography of an action scene, and that adrenaline elevates them to impossible new heights. The plot is so satisfying that it almost feels self-indulgent in that it kept evoking emotions I didn’t even know I wanted to feel. Looking back, I can see how every twist is connected in logical but shocking ways that reveal how deliberately the story was plotted from the very beginning.
The core of Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint lies in its themes. ORV is a love letter to the power of stories, both regenerative and destructive. The worldbuilding and power system are built on these themes. Likewise, the plot twists are imbued with incredible thematic foreshadowing. Every single scene is thoughtful on levels that aren’t fully apparent until the conclusion. This novel has scenes that are some of the most impactful moments I’ve read in a book, and that’s due in part to the impressive thematic continuity of the story.
Kim Dokja, with his motifs of sacrifice and salvation, is a complicated character. He’s cunning, always scheming and scamming, always prepared to get on someone’s nerves. He’s completely dedicated to creating the ending he’s always wanted to read. He only trusts a select few people, but he loves those companions deeply and will do anything for them. Despite this, he is always unsure of his place among them. He downplays the value of his own presence. He’s very good at some things and terrible at or oblivious about other things. In the scenarios, in his element, he’s brazenly confident and justifiably so. His knowledge gives him an edge, but he can also improvise scarily well, even under immense pressure. From a storytelling standpoint, his power is written very well. He doesn’t have the fighting skills of a regressor or the talent of a protagonist, but his ability to find loopholes is unmatched. He surprises and scares me at every turn. Dokja is an amazing character, so fun to follow, hard to understand, and easy to love.
Dokja’s first-person narration is one notable aspect of Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint. It’s unclear just how reliable he is, or if he’s more unreliable than he appears to be. The writing frequently played with my expectations and blinded me to the things to which I should have paid more attention. It’s a sneaky type of foreshadowing that I appreciate a lot upon rereading. In addition, Dokja’s narration of his interactions with the other characters is full of subtleties, especially with Joonghyuk (with whom he apparently cannot have a straightforward conversation). Their intentions are not always written out, and on top of that, Dokja often misunderstands their meaning. Trying to understand these characters’ true feelings based on context and knowledge from the amount of time we’ve spent with them is fascinating.
The more I read ORV, the more I appreciate Yoo Joonghyuk. He’s cold and ruthless but probably the biggest idealist of the book, and he cares more profoundly than is immediately apparent. He’s very proud but also honest with himself; he’s willing to work behind-the-scenes if he believes he isn’t the best person for a task. He fights ceaselessly to save the world, even though he feels less and less like a part of that world as he falls into the regressor’s mindset of being the only human in a landscape that continually resets around him. It’s easy to pass him off as a killing machine who’s lost his humanity, especially in the beginning, but there’s much more to him than that. He’s written exactly like a protagonist—stoic, undaunted, stubborn, blunt, somehow still heroic—although he isn’t really the protagonist anymore. We only get glimpses of Joonghyuk in his element, but I think I can understand why Dokja read about him for a decade. In other words, the character work in ORV is outstanding.
There’s a great cast of complex side characters, including many incredible female characters whom I could go on and on about, as well as powerful young and elderly characters. The ways in which they interact with each other are all distinct. Each gets their time to shine and their own driving philosophy; even if they’re not always in the spotlight like Dokja is, they feel like real people with essential roles in the story. Together, they make up my favorite part of ORV, the found family at its heart. I really love them. They’re unlikely companions who would never have befriended each other before the scenarios, but they fit together so well regardless. The growth of that bond of trust is both softly and incisively beautiful.
ORV works because it makes the reader feel everything it expresses, all the emotions around which it revolves: love for a story, desire to see the ending, imagining past the conclusion. This full immersion is possible because the novel is about someone who loves reading. The resonance between Dokja’s feelings and ours as his readers makes the world come to life in electrifying and heartbreaking ways.
As excellent as this web novel is, it’s definitely a commitment. It has 551 chapters and is well over one million words long. I can’t call it anything less than an epic. The epilogues alone are the length of an average book. It’s so long that I feel like I’ve been living it. However, despite its length, this is the only story I’ve started to reread immediately upon finishing. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of it. Whenever I think about this book (which is often), I realize something else about it that amazes me once more. Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint gives my imagination limitless fuel in a way that nothing else has before. It calls out to be read.
Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint by SingShong is a story that means everything to me and so many other readers. Filled with an invigorating sense of defiance, optimism, and fearlessness, it’s often tragic but also unwaveringly hopeful. When I reached the ending for the first time, I was devastated, overflowing with wonder, and overwhelmed by appreciation for the care put into this work. There’s nothing more I could say, except that ORV is truly meant for everyone who’s ever seen themselves in a story. It completely changed the way I consider storytelling itself. I think it will always linger with me.
5/5
February 22, 2022
this book is basically about kdj being lost in the sauce of reading and essentially it’s just reader x character as well. i love it.
anyways orv is written to be loved. it’s a story about stories and storytelling.
the ultimate theme of 'to whom the agency of a story belongs to' is a big ouroboros of a reader, writer and the character that is presented in a very grandiose manner in this novel. it really takes its core themes seriously by hinging onto the relationship of a character, reader and the author till the end. it’s like they all are co-dependent bastards and u know what? good for them.
i love every aspect the novel manages to touch in its (meta) narrative; when u warp the distinction between reality and a novel, on what principle are u familiar with the people around u – character or a real person? when do the lines start blurring between the two exactly when ur reality starts overlapping with a novel? grief, salvation, voyeurism, time paradoxes– it manages to have its take on everything. and tbh, personally i enjoy how it explores it all.
esp the voyeurism bit. it's a common motif that u, as a reader, are made to accept in a very blunt and cruel manner. the plot is a rinse and repeat of a survival game kind of setting with a streaming system where the sponsorship from certain beings and selling ur own tragedy is the focal point to survive.
on top of that, the genre awareness of an unreliable reader (both the character and us in a way) really kind of elevates a lot of narrative choices taken here. its repetitive nature is a turn off? guess what it makes thematic sense. the world building has loopholes and the deus ex machina moments are a turn off? guess what they serve a thematic purpose as well.
orv is a long, slow paced deconstructive narrative and yes to achieve the transcendent understanding of its execution, u do need to sit through the tragedy and blink on some really bizarre things, put efforts to sit through the plot armor and wait to be spoon fed the coherence of the epilogue – it depends on u whether u enjoy putting in the efforts while also not putting in the efforts.
personally i genuinely feel bitter after finishing this, i wouldnt not read this novel, i wouldnt not recommend it bc i do hold this novel very dear. it’s a very special piece of literature that one should definitely experience. i admire the way the authors executed everything but i also have a lot of gripe with it. it's just how life of a reader works i guess, demonstrated by the theme of the novel itself.
it does a good job presenting what it feels like to read utter shit and love the fuck out of it. the choices that kdj makes are batshit insane and utterly vague. no one enjoys being dragged around for 550 chapters with ‘i am a reader so i know just follow me’. the characters in the novel feel the exact same way, their resentment is my exact resentment with this novel but at the same time their love for being dragged around bc it’s kdj is exactly how i feel too.
it takes a lot of creative liberties, the characters enjoy it bc they get to experience the world with kdj and so do i. they question the absolute unbelievable bullshit their world drops on them, they question their reality and their decisions and their agency in their stories and in the novel. and that is exactly why i love this novel, their questions abt their own reality and the suspension of disbelief i am supposed to exercise goes hand in hand to claim my love.
the plot is compelling, the interpersonal relationships of kim dokja’s company are well written and they are literally what makes orv orv. id also almost call this novel a compilation of cathartic acts consecutively that just expands its stakes more and more as it unfolds. and things are just being scaled more and more. it never stops until it does.
it’s a long novel. it's kind of a masterpiece. it has a lot of flaws. and it’s a masterpiece because of those flaws i guess.
anyways orv is written to be loved. it’s a story about stories and storytelling.
the ultimate theme of 'to whom the agency of a story belongs to' is a big ouroboros of a reader, writer and the character that is presented in a very grandiose manner in this novel. it really takes its core themes seriously by hinging onto the relationship of a character, reader and the author till the end. it’s like they all are co-dependent bastards and u know what? good for them.
i love every aspect the novel manages to touch in its (meta) narrative; when u warp the distinction between reality and a novel, on what principle are u familiar with the people around u – character or a real person? when do the lines start blurring between the two exactly when ur reality starts overlapping with a novel? grief, salvation, voyeurism, time paradoxes– it manages to have its take on everything. and tbh, personally i enjoy how it explores it all.
esp the voyeurism bit. it's a common motif that u, as a reader, are made to accept in a very blunt and cruel manner. the plot is a rinse and repeat of a survival game kind of setting with a streaming system where the sponsorship from certain beings and selling ur own tragedy is the focal point to survive.
on top of that, the genre awareness of an unreliable reader (both the character and us in a way) really kind of elevates a lot of narrative choices taken here. its repetitive nature is a turn off? guess what it makes thematic sense. the world building has loopholes and the deus ex machina moments are a turn off? guess what they serve a thematic purpose as well.
orv is a long, slow paced deconstructive narrative and yes to achieve the transcendent understanding of its execution, u do need to sit through the tragedy and blink on some really bizarre things, put efforts to sit through the plot armor and wait to be spoon fed the coherence of the epilogue – it depends on u whether u enjoy putting in the efforts while also not putting in the efforts.
personally i genuinely feel bitter after finishing this, i wouldnt not read this novel, i wouldnt not recommend it bc i do hold this novel very dear. it’s a very special piece of literature that one should definitely experience. i admire the way the authors executed everything but i also have a lot of gripe with it. it's just how life of a reader works i guess, demonstrated by the theme of the novel itself.
it does a good job presenting what it feels like to read utter shit and love the fuck out of it. the choices that kdj makes are batshit insane and utterly vague. no one enjoys being dragged around for 550 chapters with ‘i am a reader so i know just follow me’. the characters in the novel feel the exact same way, their resentment is my exact resentment with this novel but at the same time their love for being dragged around bc it’s kdj is exactly how i feel too.
it takes a lot of creative liberties, the characters enjoy it bc they get to experience the world with kdj and so do i. they question the absolute unbelievable bullshit their world drops on them, they question their reality and their decisions and their agency in their stories and in the novel. and that is exactly why i love this novel, their questions abt their own reality and the suspension of disbelief i am supposed to exercise goes hand in hand to claim my love.
the plot is compelling, the interpersonal relationships of kim dokja’s company are well written and they are literally what makes orv orv. id also almost call this novel a compilation of cathartic acts consecutively that just expands its stakes more and more as it unfolds. and things are just being scaled more and more. it never stops until it does.
it’s a long novel. it's kind of a masterpiece. it has a lot of flaws. and it’s a masterpiece because of those flaws i guess.
November 25, 2022
Its as though I'm watching a Kdrama while at the same time playing a Video Game.
Its Fucking Awesome.
Its Fucking Awesome.
October 5, 2023
5/5 💫
Definitely one of the most unique world building. I'm so crushed. 💔 rtc once I make through the rest of the series !
Definitely one of the most unique world building. I'm so crushed. 💔 rtc once I make through the rest of the series !
June 28, 2020
I read a lot of books about transmigration that that theme had begun to feel generic and cliché. I happened to stumble on this book's webtoon. I have to say I don't regret reading 551+ chapters. This book was different, unpredictable and above expectations. The characters were refreshing, this book had its own rhythm unlike many transmigration books. The book basically screamed, "To hell with the handsome unfortunate male lead and ditsy, far from reality female lead. I am going to give you a real story."
The bromance between Kim Dokja and Yoo Joonhyuk was just exhilarating. No character was underplayed. It was so realistic.
In summary: This book was what made me stay up for a week. 551 + chapters actually isn't a lot.
Edit: The ending got me shook, it was satisfying but made me want more yet made me realise that wanting more would ruin story. I felt like this book was a wonderful piece art. My heart is still crying, I will never see Han Sooyoung and Kim Dokja budding relationship but the ending made me realise that some books just have to end. It really drags readers into the story. Honestly, I would not care if Shin Song added 500 more chapters just for relationship focus. I love all the characters.
The bromance between Kim Dokja and Yoo Joonhyuk was just exhilarating. No character was underplayed. It was so realistic.
In summary: This book was what made me stay up for a week. 551 + chapters actually isn't a lot.
Edit: The ending got me shook, it was satisfying but made me want more yet made me realise that wanting more would ruin story. I felt like this book was a wonderful piece art. My heart is still crying, I will never see Han Sooyoung and Kim Dokja budding relationship but the ending made me realise that some books just have to end. It really drags readers into the story. Honestly, I would not care if Shin Song added 500 more chapters just for relationship focus. I love all the characters.
![Profile Image for emme [or ems | hiatus].](https://cdn.statically.io/img/i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/users/1726245942i/173599997._UX200_CR0,0,200,200_.jpg)
Want to read
September 14, 2024yk i wonder how sneakily i can add this to my currently reading…(this is not me starting it i’m js saying when the time comes..)
@dreamcatcher’s daydream swears by this book so here we are
@dreamcatcher’s daydream swears by this book so here we are
July 27, 2022
این رمان واقعا قوی شروع شد ایده داستان تو ژانر بقا، اکشن، فانتزی خیلی جذابه ولی اواسط داستان به شدت طرحها و مبارزات تکراری میشه و قهرمان داستان و سایر شخصیتها هیچ کدوم دوست داشتنی نیستن و هیچ رشد شخصیتی ندارن. با اینکه نویسنده از شخصیتهای تاریخی کره، چین، خدایان المپ و اسطورهای زیادی برای طرح داستان است��اده کرده ولی اینم مثل بقیه ایدهها تکراری و خسته کننده میشه.
August 24, 2024
If you haven't read the best story ever written, then is your life even worth living?
November 12, 2022
I am not objective in the slightest. Did you really think I would give this book anything less than 5 stars?
Round 2: I am ready to ugly cry once more.
*Note: I am reading the [Fan Translated] Epub version with the original names; This version is based off the original novel and not the revised version.
**Yes, this is a pretty hefty review. It's not like most of you are actually going to pick up this series, which is a shame. The least you can do to ease my heartbreak is trudge through the entirety of my wordy review :(
---
Christian/Conservative Content Advisory;
*Preface: I've noticed a lot of Eastern to Western translated mediums end up translating informal (rude) phrases (or express a more angry emotion) into expletives when it's not necessarily the case in the original text (looking at you, 'Inuyasha'); Then again, I've heard that Koreans also cuss A LOT, so there's that.
For a 3700ish page Volume, it boasts of around 648 expletives.
-248 uses of "d*mn" and it's variants
-6 uses of "a**" and it's variants
-85ish uses of "h*ll"
-108 uses of "sh*t"
-26 uses of "b***h"
-138 uses of "b*****d"
-35 uses of "f**k"
-2 uses of "c**p"
It will take too long to write an exhaustive list, but, as far as scenes go, this is an apocalyptic kill-to-survive (i.e. Hunger Games) type story, so there are people killing people, a few brief mentions of rape (off-handedly observed, nothing vulgar), and one mention of characters participating in cannibalism. The worst scenes that occur are in *Episode 1 [listed below].
Many of the MCs are depressed/have been depressed and struggle/d with suicidal thoughts. A handful of the MCs have traumatic backgrounds.
It sounds like a lot, but I would recommend this book probably for ages 15+ [PG 13 movie rating equivalent].
*Episode 1:
-Characters' head's exploading
-Characters are forced to kill ["one or more creatures"] in order to not be killed
-Characters watch a live stream video of high school girl strangling her friend
-MC witnesses an elderly woman slapped repeatedly; she is then punched, kicked
TW: This is a Korean novel, so obviously most Japanese characters are depicted in an unfavorable light.
---
Thoughts and MAJOR Spoilers Below:
Where do I even start? This Volume is fantastic. We have an MC who's world becomes his favorite apocalyptic novel, and, with his knowledge of the book, connects with the novel's characters and outwits the book's antagonists and events.
The main characters are absolutely fantastic, and their dynamic with one another is done just... so well. The MC's relationships with his side characters are touching, filled with a lot of growth; I'm an absolute sucker for any book that writes great Characters and Character Relationships, and this book [with the characters it focuses on] excels. The relationships the characters have with one another and the relationship you have with the characters are earned pays off, near the end of this Volume especially. I won't say these are the most multifaceted characters every written and there are a handful of characters who are part of the MC's circle that doesn't get a lot of 'screen time', but, man, our MC's main circle is the best.
It's hard to 100% give the writing any sort of score since this is a translation, but I can't properly explain how well the tone is balanced- everything from tension to humor to heartwarming scenes. The humor in this book is executed possibly close to the best I've seen done; It's not overbearing, but it's enough to take away from the sting of what's truly going on in this book. And, did I mention clever? This author is 100% clever in just the little twists and turns and breadcrumbs they give along the way.
Worldbuilding is just great.
If I was to give just one Nitpick, it would be that I wish this Volume ended on Episode 35 and not Episode 36. Otherwise, I 100% just Enjoy this book to the max and with their was an official English release just so I could put this permanently on my bookshelf.
Plot: 5
Worldbuilding: 5
Writing: 5
Characters: 5
Enjoyment: 5
-----
Because this review is really extensive, I will add Plot, Basic Worldbuilding, Basic Characters, and 'Enjoyment Notes' in additional comments below.
----
Notable Quotes:
-There are three ways to survive in a ruined world. I have forgotten some of them now. However, one thing is certain: you who are currently reading these words will survive.
-My face could be seen on the darkened window of the carriage.
It was a face I had never seen before, despite looking into the mirror countless times in my life. I wiped at the blood on my cheeks. The blood wasn't erased. It turned out to be blood on the window.
-"Will I let go of this hand or won't I?"
For the first time, I started sweating. Let me think. Even without his thoughts, I knew this guy more than anyone else. I closed my eyes and thought about Yoo Joonghyuk.
[There are 20 seconds left to the end of the scenario.]
Then I came to a conclusion.
"Yoo Joonghyuk."
I was certain about what he would do. No matter how I thought about it, there was no other ending when it came to Yoo Joonghyuk. I talked as I watched a sea commander approaching in the water. "I will tell you two things first."
"…What?"
"One, I'm not your subordinate. So I hope you will treat me fairly from now on."
"…"
"Two, I will cooperate with you but you also have to promise to cooperate with me."
Yoo Joonghyuk looked at me with interest and nodded. "Well, what is your answer?"
I replied with a smile, "Release your hand and get lost, you d*** son of a b****."
Then the power holding me disappeared. I was grabbed by the force of gravity. I saw Yoo Joonghyuk's face as I was falling. Yoo Joonghyuk was smiling brightly like something made him happy.
Son of a b****.
"I believe you. You are definitely a prophet."
-"I really don't understand it. Why are you helping me, Hyunsung hyung and the noonas? If you are alone… you would be able to survive better."
He could calmly speak such words before his death. Maybe this kid's mind was already dead.
"Yes, you are right." Another ground rat fell to the ground with its head cut off. "It is comfortable to live alone, eat alone and survive alone. But…"
Why was I acting this way? If anyone asked me, I couldn't exactly explain. But I could say one thing with certainty.
"I know one novel that developed in such a way and was ruined."
-"Representative-nim, aren't you scared?"
"I'm afraid."
It wasn't a lie. I was obviously scared. To be honest, I often felt that way. Even if I read Ways of Survival, I was still a regular office worker. I didn't express it but I often wondered if I could survive.
Of course, my worries didn't last long. It was because it was useless to think about it. It was the same in any world.
Kim Dokja who worked at Mino Soft was now Kim Dokja who lived in the world of Ways of Survival. Death would come whether I wanted it to or not. The most important thing was…
"At least I feel like I am living right now."
-"It was a thought that I had. Didn't Yoo Joonghyuk save a lot of people and do good deeds? Of course, he is like a psychopath but isn't he moving for the people? He is fighting to save the world. I don't want to admit it because I am a bad person."
When I thought about it, Han Sooyoung's words weren't completely wrong. I laughed and said, "Your defense of Yoo Joonghyuk is energetic because you haven't read as far as me."
"But that is that and this is this. You can't judge people by only looking at one side."
-"A writer doesn't have complete mastery of the novel. There are many holes whenever I look back. In the end, reading is the process of keeping the irregular holes in place."
"I really don't know what you're talking about."
"…It means that after some time, I can see it as someone else's writing. Ultimately, every human is their own writer."
-"I believe in you more than the future that hasn't come yet."
-「 Reading a book doesn't mean you will understand people. 」
-I stared at them and slowly opened my mouth. "Everyone, you have suffered."
The moment when nothing was decided only remained for a moment. Sadness was sadness and happiness was happiness. If we made decisions then at least these moments would remain meaningful.
-"Do you still think that I should forgive my mother?"
I didn't want an answer. I didn't want her to understand in the first place. Maybe this was the ugliest form of violence I could do against Yoo Sangah, who grew up in a well-off family. It was an arbitrary display of unhappiness forced onto someone who would never understand.
-I remembered the moment I read a novel for the first time.
The texture of the soft paper touching my fingertips. The black letters blooming on a white field. The texture of the page I folded with my hands.
「 It isn't important to read the letters. The important thing is where the letters lead you. 」
My mother, who loved books, used to say this. At least for me, it wasn't just a saying.
The gaps in the black print. My own little snow garden lay in between the letters. This space, which was too small for someone to go into, was a perfect place for a child who liked to hide. Every time a pleasant sound was heard, the letters stacked up like snow.
In it, I became a hero. I had adventures, loved and dreamt. Thus, I read, read and read again.
I remembered the first time I was about to finish a book. It was like being deprived of the world.
The protagonist and supporting characters walked off with the sentence 'They lived happily ever after' and I was left alone at the end of the story. In my vanity and sense of betrayal, my young self struggled because I couldn't stand the loneliness.
「This… is the end? 」
Perhaps it was similar to learning about death. For the first time, I realized that something was finite.
My mother said, 「This is the end. 」
「There isn't anything that comes next? 」
「There is no 'next'. 」
My mother was cold as she told me a brutal truth.
「 However, just because it is the end doesn't mean you've seen the whole story. 」
Then she gave me wise advice.
「 Yes? 」
「 Read it again. 」
Reread the finished story. As a child, I didn't know what this meant.
「 Why read a story I already know? 」
「 If you read it again, it will definitely be a different story. 」
「…I don't want to. 」
I was stubborn because I was afraid of feeling the deprivation again. Then my mother said, 「 Do you want to read it together? 」
Thus, I learnt to read again.
At first, I only saw the main character's position. The second reading showed the position of the supporting character and the third reading showed the position of the enemy.
The story changed every time I read it. The story was over but it wasn't over. The story wouldn't end unless the reader gave up on the story.
Round 2: I am ready to ugly cry once more.
*Note: I am reading the [Fan Translated] Epub version with the original names; This version is based off the original novel and not the revised version.
**Yes, this is a pretty hefty review. It's not like most of you are actually going to pick up this series, which is a shame. The least you can do to ease my heartbreak is trudge through the entirety of my wordy review :(
---
Christian/Conservative Content Advisory;
*Preface: I've noticed a lot of Eastern to Western translated mediums end up translating informal (rude) phrases (or express a more angry emotion) into expletives when it's not necessarily the case in the original text (looking at you, 'Inuyasha'); Then again, I've heard that Koreans also cuss A LOT, so there's that.
For a 3700ish page Volume, it boasts of around 648 expletives.
-248 uses of "d*mn" and it's variants
-6 uses of "a**" and it's variants
-85ish uses of "h*ll"
-108 uses of "sh*t"
-26 uses of "b***h"
-138 uses of "b*****d"
-35 uses of "f**k"
-2 uses of "c**p"
It will take too long to write an exhaustive list, but, as far as scenes go, this is an apocalyptic kill-to-survive (i.e. Hunger Games) type story, so there are people killing people, a few brief mentions of rape (off-handedly observed, nothing vulgar), and one mention of characters participating in cannibalism. The worst scenes that occur are in *Episode 1 [listed below].
Many of the MCs are depressed/have been depressed and struggle/d with suicidal thoughts. A handful of the MCs have traumatic backgrounds.
It sounds like a lot, but I would recommend this book probably for ages 15+ [PG 13 movie rating equivalent].
*Episode 1:
-Characters' head's exploading
-Characters are forced to kill ["one or more creatures"] in order to not be killed
-Characters watch a live stream video of high school girl strangling her friend
-MC witnesses an elderly woman slapped repeatedly; she is then punched, kicked
TW: This is a Korean novel, so obviously most Japanese characters are depicted in an unfavorable light.
---
Thoughts and MAJOR Spoilers Below:
Where do I even start? This Volume is fantastic. We have an MC who's world becomes his favorite apocalyptic novel, and, with his knowledge of the book, connects with the novel's characters and outwits the book's antagonists and events.
The main characters are absolutely fantastic, and their dynamic with one another is done just... so well. The MC's relationships with his side characters are touching, filled with a lot of growth; I'm an absolute sucker for any book that writes great Characters and Character Relationships, and this book [with the characters it focuses on] excels. The relationships the characters have with one another and the relationship you have with the characters are earned pays off, near the end of this Volume especially. I won't say these are the most multifaceted characters every written and there are a handful of characters who are part of the MC's circle that doesn't get a lot of 'screen time', but, man, our MC's main circle is the best.
It's hard to 100% give the writing any sort of score since this is a translation, but I can't properly explain how well the tone is balanced- everything from tension to humor to heartwarming scenes. The humor in this book is executed possibly close to the best I've seen done; It's not overbearing, but it's enough to take away from the sting of what's truly going on in this book. And, did I mention clever? This author is 100% clever in just the little twists and turns and breadcrumbs they give along the way.
Worldbuilding is just great.
If I was to give just one Nitpick, it would be that I wish this Volume ended on Episode 35 and not Episode 36. Otherwise, I 100% just Enjoy this book to the max and with their was an official English release just so I could put this permanently on my bookshelf.
Plot: 5
Worldbuilding: 5
Writing: 5
Characters: 5
Enjoyment: 5
-----
Because this review is really extensive, I will add Plot, Basic Worldbuilding, Basic Characters, and 'Enjoyment Notes' in additional comments below.
----
Notable Quotes:
-There are three ways to survive in a ruined world. I have forgotten some of them now. However, one thing is certain: you who are currently reading these words will survive.
-My face could be seen on the darkened window of the carriage.
It was a face I had never seen before, despite looking into the mirror countless times in my life. I wiped at the blood on my cheeks. The blood wasn't erased. It turned out to be blood on the window.
-"Will I let go of this hand or won't I?"
For the first time, I started sweating. Let me think. Even without his thoughts, I knew this guy more than anyone else. I closed my eyes and thought about Yoo Joonghyuk.
[There are 20 seconds left to the end of the scenario.]
Then I came to a conclusion.
"Yoo Joonghyuk."
I was certain about what he would do. No matter how I thought about it, there was no other ending when it came to Yoo Joonghyuk. I talked as I watched a sea commander approaching in the water. "I will tell you two things first."
"…What?"
"One, I'm not your subordinate. So I hope you will treat me fairly from now on."
"…"
"Two, I will cooperate with you but you also have to promise to cooperate with me."
Yoo Joonghyuk looked at me with interest and nodded. "Well, what is your answer?"
I replied with a smile, "Release your hand and get lost, you d*** son of a b****."
Then the power holding me disappeared. I was grabbed by the force of gravity. I saw Yoo Joonghyuk's face as I was falling. Yoo Joonghyuk was smiling brightly like something made him happy.
Son of a b****.
"I believe you. You are definitely a prophet."
-"I really don't understand it. Why are you helping me, Hyunsung hyung and the noonas? If you are alone… you would be able to survive better."
He could calmly speak such words before his death. Maybe this kid's mind was already dead.
"Yes, you are right." Another ground rat fell to the ground with its head cut off. "It is comfortable to live alone, eat alone and survive alone. But…"
Why was I acting this way? If anyone asked me, I couldn't exactly explain. But I could say one thing with certainty.
"I know one novel that developed in such a way and was ruined."
-"Representative-nim, aren't you scared?"
"I'm afraid."
It wasn't a lie. I was obviously scared. To be honest, I often felt that way. Even if I read Ways of Survival, I was still a regular office worker. I didn't express it but I often wondered if I could survive.
Of course, my worries didn't last long. It was because it was useless to think about it. It was the same in any world.
Kim Dokja who worked at Mino Soft was now Kim Dokja who lived in the world of Ways of Survival. Death would come whether I wanted it to or not. The most important thing was…
"At least I feel like I am living right now."
-"It was a thought that I had. Didn't Yoo Joonghyuk save a lot of people and do good deeds? Of course, he is like a psychopath but isn't he moving for the people? He is fighting to save the world. I don't want to admit it because I am a bad person."
When I thought about it, Han Sooyoung's words weren't completely wrong. I laughed and said, "Your defense of Yoo Joonghyuk is energetic because you haven't read as far as me."
"But that is that and this is this. You can't judge people by only looking at one side."
-"A writer doesn't have complete mastery of the novel. There are many holes whenever I look back. In the end, reading is the process of keeping the irregular holes in place."
"I really don't know what you're talking about."
"…It means that after some time, I can see it as someone else's writing. Ultimately, every human is their own writer."
-"I believe in you more than the future that hasn't come yet."
-「 Reading a book doesn't mean you will understand people. 」
-I stared at them and slowly opened my mouth. "Everyone, you have suffered."
The moment when nothing was decided only remained for a moment. Sadness was sadness and happiness was happiness. If we made decisions then at least these moments would remain meaningful.
-"Do you still think that I should forgive my mother?"
I didn't want an answer. I didn't want her to understand in the first place. Maybe this was the ugliest form of violence I could do against Yoo Sangah, who grew up in a well-off family. It was an arbitrary display of unhappiness forced onto someone who would never understand.
-I remembered the moment I read a novel for the first time.
The texture of the soft paper touching my fingertips. The black letters blooming on a white field. The texture of the page I folded with my hands.
「 It isn't important to read the letters. The important thing is where the letters lead you. 」
My mother, who loved books, used to say this. At least for me, it wasn't just a saying.
The gaps in the black print. My own little snow garden lay in between the letters. This space, which was too small for someone to go into, was a perfect place for a child who liked to hide. Every time a pleasant sound was heard, the letters stacked up like snow.
In it, I became a hero. I had adventures, loved and dreamt. Thus, I read, read and read again.
I remembered the first time I was about to finish a book. It was like being deprived of the world.
The protagonist and supporting characters walked off with the sentence 'They lived happily ever after' and I was left alone at the end of the story. In my vanity and sense of betrayal, my young self struggled because I couldn't stand the loneliness.
「This… is the end? 」
Perhaps it was similar to learning about death. For the first time, I realized that something was finite.
My mother said, 「This is the end. 」
「There isn't anything that comes next? 」
「There is no 'next'. 」
My mother was cold as she told me a brutal truth.
「 However, just because it is the end doesn't mean you've seen the whole story. 」
Then she gave me wise advice.
「 Yes? 」
「 Read it again. 」
Reread the finished story. As a child, I didn't know what this meant.
「 Why read a story I already know? 」
「 If you read it again, it will definitely be a different story. 」
「…I don't want to. 」
I was stubborn because I was afraid of feeling the deprivation again. Then my mother said, 「 Do you want to read it together? 」
Thus, I learnt to read again.
At first, I only saw the main character's position. The second reading showed the position of the supporting character and the third reading showed the position of the enemy.
The story changed every time I read it. The story was over but it wasn't over. The story wouldn't end unless the reader gave up on the story.
May 21, 2021
هیچ فکر نمیکردم اینقدر از چنین کتابی خوشم بیاد. هیچ جاییش پیش نیومد که بخوام به نویسنده بدوبیراه بگم که این چه بساطیه و چرا روند داستان اینقدر آبکی و مسخره جلو رفته.
آشنایی با اساطیر و شخصیتهای تاریخی کره هم جالب بود، در کنار بقیه اساطیر و افسانههای ملل نقش جالبی داشتن
آشنایی با اساطیر و شخصیتهای تاریخی کره هم جالب بود، در کنار بقیه اساطیر و افسانههای ملل نقش جالبی داشتن
May 25, 2020
part of me wants to detract this stars because it ATE MY BRAIN for two days like wtf sing-shong, i have a life that needs attending to!!
4.5 stars
4.5 stars
August 16, 2021
dont even remember much from it thats how fast i was reading through this exquisite work of art, might be my goat webtoon. 7/5
June 2, 2020
This is a jewel of a book. The protagonist Kim is a very smart guy and it's wonderful to see him plan out a long term strategy and slowly work towards his goal - to get to see the end of the story.
Knowledge is power. We can see it action here. Our dear MC was a normal office worker who read an online novel in order to escape his reality. He was the only reader who stuck to the incredibly descriptive book even as others abandoned the book. He stayed with the author till the end.
Now what happens is, the story in the book he followed for years, becomes reality. You could say that the actual humans in earth take up various roles from the book and the flow of fate aligns with the story. Or in a sense it is revealed that earth was part of the story world all along? Or that the story world was deployed? The book is ongoing and I hope we get clarity on that.
The author rewards his faithful, patient, only surviving reader with a copy of the book which is invaluable to survive in the hell that Earth has turned into.
The book is fascinating because they have ideas of probability, that nature prevents implausible things from happening, that there are limits to how much Gods can interfere.
God's (constellations) are characters who collects stories, in the sense that they build fame for themselves. We see the famous myths that thrive in earth have owners, the Vedas, the Abrahamic religions, the Olympus gods. They all observe the stories playing out, looking for incarnations through with to spread their fame by appointing them as avatars. You earn coins from the Star Stream (Nature) as your fame increases and your stories are passed on.
The ideas are super deep, the idea of how you can read a book multiple times and come away feeling like it was a different book each time. You only die when your story dies, when you are no longer talked about. You have people using coins to create the stories they want, living vicariously through the characters (incarnations). These stories are streamed by the bureau throughout the universe. So this is a commentary on how the incentives for the bureau is to increase viewership count by forcing things to get "exciting". (I see a parallel with how TV is trying to sensationalise the news) There are lots of references to folktales which I haven't gotten to unpack yet.
We also have the original protagonist of the book which Kim had read playing an important role in the story. A regressor who will go back in time if he dies and has accumulated a lot of experience already. There are many other fascinating characters.
My favourite, our protagonist Kim Dojka, his ability is that of a reader, he can create bookmarks of characters he understands and become them and use their abilities for a short while! He has a personal fourth wall that keeps him objective and protects his mind from the story, ensures he doesn't become part of the story, lets him stay a reader. He has the ability to read the minds of people he understands, act through them in real time. I could keep going on, but the story is fascinating and I highly recommend this novel.
It is still in translation and sadly the translators have changed. The old TL was super good, did the work in her free time. It breaks my heart to see how the new TL went back and changed the terms. Qidan is really evil 😭😭
https://www.reddit.com/r/noveltransla...
I'll finish the book when it's complete and update the review. But if you can try to get the chapters translated by Rainbowturtle.
Knowledge is power. We can see it action here. Our dear MC was a normal office worker who read an online novel in order to escape his reality. He was the only reader who stuck to the incredibly descriptive book even as others abandoned the book. He stayed with the author till the end.
Now what happens is, the story in the book he followed for years, becomes reality. You could say that the actual humans in earth take up various roles from the book and the flow of fate aligns with the story. Or in a sense it is revealed that earth was part of the story world all along? Or that the story world was deployed? The book is ongoing and I hope we get clarity on that.
The author rewards his faithful, patient, only surviving reader with a copy of the book which is invaluable to survive in the hell that Earth has turned into.
The book is fascinating because they have ideas of probability, that nature prevents implausible things from happening, that there are limits to how much Gods can interfere.
God's (constellations) are characters who collects stories, in the sense that they build fame for themselves. We see the famous myths that thrive in earth have owners, the Vedas, the Abrahamic religions, the Olympus gods. They all observe the stories playing out, looking for incarnations through with to spread their fame by appointing them as avatars. You earn coins from the Star Stream (Nature) as your fame increases and your stories are passed on.
The ideas are super deep, the idea of how you can read a book multiple times and come away feeling like it was a different book each time. You only die when your story dies, when you are no longer talked about. You have people using coins to create the stories they want, living vicariously through the characters (incarnations). These stories are streamed by the bureau throughout the universe. So this is a commentary on how the incentives for the bureau is to increase viewership count by forcing things to get "exciting". (I see a parallel with how TV is trying to sensationalise the news) There are lots of references to folktales which I haven't gotten to unpack yet.
We also have the original protagonist of the book which Kim had read playing an important role in the story. A regressor who will go back in time if he dies and has accumulated a lot of experience already. There are many other fascinating characters.
My favourite, our protagonist Kim Dojka, his ability is that of a reader, he can create bookmarks of characters he understands and become them and use their abilities for a short while! He has a personal fourth wall that keeps him objective and protects his mind from the story, ensures he doesn't become part of the story, lets him stay a reader. He has the ability to read the minds of people he understands, act through them in real time. I could keep going on, but the story is fascinating and I highly recommend this novel.
It is still in translation and sadly the translators have changed. The old TL was super good, did the work in her free time. It breaks my heart to see how the new TL went back and changed the terms. Qidan is really evil 😭😭
https://www.reddit.com/r/noveltransla...
I'll finish the book when it's complete and update the review. But if you can try to get the chapters translated by Rainbowturtle.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Want to read
August 22, 2024it'll happen one day. i promise. probably. when if i ever read it, it'll be only because of @dream @aaiza & @aliya's updates
August 26, 2021
Usually I would read all the volumes and write one review but this is an absolute monster of a novel so I had to split them up by volumes.
Plot-wise, I've never read anything like ORV and it's not your regular 'MC starts off as a weakling and eventually becomes ridiculously overpowered' kind of story. Mostly because Kim Dokja (MC) started out with a huge advantage because he was the only one who knew how the world would end. Compared to other powerful MCs, I think KDJ's characterisation had more depth and he was more fleshed out. He was strong but weak in certain ways too, he wasn't a perfect character that could do no wrong and I really liked that about him.
I know this isn't a BL novel but I have to acknowledge that there was definitely /something/ between KDJ and Yoo Joonghyuk, who was the protagonist of the novel that KDJ read. Like? The hints weren't really subtle 😂 but then again, I've only finished Volume 1 so I can't say much about their relationship but I'm really looking forward to seeing how it develops. But based on what happened in Vol 1 so far, KDJ was doing a pretty good job at making YJH grow a heart and live in the present.
And oh man, I loved the main side characters in ORV and even though at first, it seemed like there were a lot of them (more than five) but because they were so different from each other and added different dimensions to the story, I could remember them easily. Also, I'm a huge sucker for the found family trope and when the characters have no one else but each other, that's when things start hurting when they're put in difficult situations.
Anyway, Vol 2 here I come!
Plot-wise, I've never read anything like ORV and it's not your regular 'MC starts off as a weakling and eventually becomes ridiculously overpowered' kind of story. Mostly because Kim Dokja (MC) started out with a huge advantage because he was the only one who knew how the world would end. Compared to other powerful MCs, I think KDJ's characterisation had more depth and he was more fleshed out. He was strong but weak in certain ways too, he wasn't a perfect character that could do no wrong and I really liked that about him.
I know this isn't a BL novel but I have to acknowledge that there was definitely /something/ between KDJ and Yoo Joonghyuk, who was the protagonist of the novel that KDJ read. Like? The hints weren't really subtle 😂 but then again, I've only finished Volume 1 so I can't say much about their relationship but I'm really looking forward to seeing how it develops. But based on what happened in Vol 1 so far, KDJ was doing a pretty good job at making YJH grow a heart and live in the present.
And oh man, I loved the main side characters in ORV and even though at first, it seemed like there were a lot of them (more than five) but because they were so different from each other and added different dimensions to the story, I could remember them easily. Also, I'm a huge sucker for the found family trope and when the characters have no one else but each other, that's when things start hurting when they're put in difficult situations.
Anyway, Vol 2 here I come!
April 18, 2022
this is bigger than the entire harry potter series combined BUT ITS STILL NOT BIG ENOUGH. i didn’t think this would be on good reads since it’s not exactly a novel? like it is but it’s also not??? anyway i’m currently obsessed, i’ve set all my wallpapers and profile pics to fanart of this book.
i love that it’s MEANT for a reader and it’s honestly really relatable.
yk when you love something so much it’s hard to describe it cause there’s so much to say but at the same time nothing comes to mind? yea that’s how i feel writing this review. technically i haven’t finished it yet (i’m on chapter 503 out of 551) but i don’t want to continue cause ive heard the ending is really sad and ive already been partially spoiled. i’ll finish it eventually just not too quickly
i love that it’s MEANT for a reader and it’s honestly really relatable.
yk when you love something so much it’s hard to describe it cause there’s so much to say but at the same time nothing comes to mind? yea that’s how i feel writing this review. technically i haven’t finished it yet (i’m on chapter 503 out of 551) but i don’t want to continue cause ive heard the ending is really sad and ive already been partially spoiled. i’ll finish it eventually just not too quickly
May 22, 2023
i love this story sm i wish i could read this for the first time.
December 31, 2022
982827277383 stars
September 4, 2021
Got to chapter 65/~550 before stopping.
This book tells a fun, interesting story, but it tells it in the most boring way possible, leading to a painful reading experience.
Characters:
The characters here are not as fully human as in many other books. What I mean by that is that character presentation does not follow the “show don’t tell“ philosophy. I believe the good books give you a sense of the character through the actions of the character and their dialogue, instead of descriptions. However, the most you hear about people in this book is through descriptions of how they are and what they’re feeling. This is tied into the concept of the main character being omniscient, so it’s supported by the story. However, story support doesn’t make it any better of a storytelling mechanic. The characters are fundamentally boring and hard to care about, because they are words on a screen as opposed to people that I can imagine in my head. The extent of most of their actions, even the core supporting characters, is robotically helping the main character do stuff and kill people and being manipulated by him, which isn’t exactly the most fleshed out existence. The main character himself is also surprisingly a blank slate. Everything he does is robotically toward increased survival chances, to the point where he winds up seeming like a bland robot. He is shown to have certain doubts about things he does, but those are just narrations of his feelings, as opposed to anything visual, once again supporting the idea that this book tells instead of shows. If you’re reading this, you are 100% not doing it for the characters.
World:
The world building in this book is rather lacking. They tell you exactly what you need to know and when, with zero foreshadowing or integration into a larger context. The character will randomly buy nonsense and do things that make no sense until it is revealed in the next chapter that it was all part of some master plan, a plan that relied on concepts of equipment or interactions that the reader was not aware of. Personally, I hate this kind of storytelling, because every little thing seems to come out of the blue and thus breaks immersion and realism. It’s comparable to a never ending stream of deus ex, but not even, since the random stuff isn’t even being introduced to solve a problem. His way of powering up is doing random nonsense which is then retroactively world-built into making sense.
Story:
This is where the series is redeemed from one star to two stars. It tells a very unique story, at least to me (as in I haven’t read anything like it before). It’s about a boy who read a novel, but then the novel becomes true. However, the continuity of the novel is greatly affected due to his and other readers’ existences.
Honestly, reevaluating it, it winds up being similar in situation to my all time favorite Reverend insanity, in which a 500-year-old person returns to being born, and now knows the history of the next 500 years.
Because of the interesting mechanics, the story winds up being rather interesting. However, the actual telling is incredibly lackluster, due to the aforementioned telling not showing, and lack of telling to begin with, at least when it comes to understanding the world and actions of the main character. The story also likes to go into random tangents about history and other things that are frankly pretty boring. To exacerbate the already bad writing style, due to the nature of the book, the author is often describing the main character who is describing the occurrences of the book that he read, which leads to an unbearably painful read, since absolutely none of the words are actually visual or interesting in anyway. This leaves the book seeming like a bad summary of a sports season.
On the whole, I would only read this book if I was particularly interested in the premise. If you’re just interested in somebody who knows what’s gonna happen, go read Reverend insanity.
And if you like a good writing, good characters, and a world that always makes sense, then look elsewhere.
This book tells a fun, interesting story, but it tells it in the most boring way possible, leading to a painful reading experience.
Characters:
The characters here are not as fully human as in many other books. What I mean by that is that character presentation does not follow the “show don’t tell“ philosophy. I believe the good books give you a sense of the character through the actions of the character and their dialogue, instead of descriptions. However, the most you hear about people in this book is through descriptions of how they are and what they’re feeling. This is tied into the concept of the main character being omniscient, so it’s supported by the story. However, story support doesn’t make it any better of a storytelling mechanic. The characters are fundamentally boring and hard to care about, because they are words on a screen as opposed to people that I can imagine in my head. The extent of most of their actions, even the core supporting characters, is robotically helping the main character do stuff and kill people and being manipulated by him, which isn’t exactly the most fleshed out existence. The main character himself is also surprisingly a blank slate. Everything he does is robotically toward increased survival chances, to the point where he winds up seeming like a bland robot. He is shown to have certain doubts about things he does, but those are just narrations of his feelings, as opposed to anything visual, once again supporting the idea that this book tells instead of shows. If you’re reading this, you are 100% not doing it for the characters.
World:
The world building in this book is rather lacking. They tell you exactly what you need to know and when, with zero foreshadowing or integration into a larger context. The character will randomly buy nonsense and do things that make no sense until it is revealed in the next chapter that it was all part of some master plan, a plan that relied on concepts of equipment or interactions that the reader was not aware of. Personally, I hate this kind of storytelling, because every little thing seems to come out of the blue and thus breaks immersion and realism. It’s comparable to a never ending stream of deus ex, but not even, since the random stuff isn’t even being introduced to solve a problem. His way of powering up is doing random nonsense which is then retroactively world-built into making sense.
Story:
This is where the series is redeemed from one star to two stars. It tells a very unique story, at least to me (as in I haven’t read anything like it before). It’s about a boy who read a novel, but then the novel becomes true. However, the continuity of the novel is greatly affected due to his and other readers’ existences.
Honestly, reevaluating it, it winds up being similar in situation to my all time favorite Reverend insanity, in which a 500-year-old person returns to being born, and now knows the history of the next 500 years.
Because of the interesting mechanics, the story winds up being rather interesting. However, the actual telling is incredibly lackluster, due to the aforementioned telling not showing, and lack of telling to begin with, at least when it comes to understanding the world and actions of the main character. The story also likes to go into random tangents about history and other things that are frankly pretty boring. To exacerbate the already bad writing style, due to the nature of the book, the author is often describing the main character who is describing the occurrences of the book that he read, which leads to an unbearably painful read, since absolutely none of the words are actually visual or interesting in anyway. This leaves the book seeming like a bad summary of a sports season.
On the whole, I would only read this book if I was particularly interested in the premise. If you’re just interested in somebody who knows what’s gonna happen, go read Reverend insanity.
And if you like a good writing, good characters, and a world that always makes sense, then look elsewhere.
Want to read
March 19, 2024ready for this to change my life this year
July 10, 2024
"ЧИТАЙТЕ ВСЕВЕДУЩЕГО ЧИТАТЕЛЯ!" кричу я, кидая книгу во всех прохожих, и убегаю в закат
А если серьезно, то я не думала, что получу столько эмоций от оригинальной новеллы после прочтения манхвы. Если я раньше просто любила ORV, то сейчас нахожусь в стадии обсессии, которой не видно конца, ведь впереди еще 4 тома, куча сайд-сториз, манхва в онгоинге,проклятый корейский фильм и долгожданное аниме. Эта гиперфиксация сродни моей одержимости Лисьей норой, а это уже тревожный звоночек.
Если вам хочется с головой упасть в какой-то фандом, то ORV - один из самых лучших вариантов сейчас.
Чего ждать от ORV:
* гг - ненадежный рассказчик
* каст потрясающих персонажей
* троп found family
* рояль(и) в кустах как часть сюжета
* персонажи из мифов и истории разных народов
* смешанное повествование в новелле (гг от 1-го лица, все остальные персонажи от 3-го)
* отличный юмор
* у гг все всегда идет по плану, даже если читатель об этом узнает постфактум
Похоже на: Шоу Трумана, Поднятие уровня в одиночку
Одно скажу, ORV подводит слабый перевод первых глав, из-за чего трудно влиться в повествование, да и в целом для незнакомых с вебновелами, начать читать может быть трудновато. Особого стиля письма у автора нет, в начале слог даже слишком простой. Но история затягивает не из-за слога, а из-за персонажей и разворачивающихся вокруг них событий, а также дикого желания узнать, что же будет дальше.
Как по мне, знакомство легче начать с манхвы, а уже потом перейти на новеллу. Факт, что адаптация выходит очень хорошей, и ORV - та история, которая идеально переносится на визуальный медиум, но в новелле все-таки больше глубины и эмоций.
На первом томе почти заканчивается выход текущих глав манхвы, так что самое время начать что-то из этого читать!
!! Ору про ORV в своем телеграм канале
А если серьезно, то я не думала, что получу столько эмоций от оригинальной новеллы после прочтения манхвы. Если я раньше просто любила ORV, то сейчас нахожусь в стадии обсессии, которой не видно конца, ведь впереди еще 4 тома, куча сайд-сториз, манхва в онгоинге,
Если вам хочется с головой упасть в какой-то фандом, то ORV - один из самых лучших вариантов сейчас.
Чего ждать от ORV:
* гг - ненадежный рассказчик
* каст потрясающих персонажей
* троп found family
* рояль(и) в кустах как часть сюжета
* персонажи из мифов и истории разных народов
* смешанное повествование в новелле (гг от 1-го лица, все остальные персонажи от 3-го)
* отличный юмор
* у гг все всегда идет по плану, даже если читатель об этом узнает постфактум
Похоже на: Шоу Трумана, Поднятие уровня в одиночку
Одно скажу, ORV подводит слабый перевод первых глав, из-за чего трудно влиться в повествование, да и в целом для незнакомых с вебновелами, начать читать может быть трудновато. Особого стиля письма у автора нет, в начале слог даже слишком простой. Но история затягивает не из-за слога, а из-за персонажей и разворачивающихся вокруг них событий, а также дикого желания узнать, что же будет дальше.
Как по мне, знакомство легче начать с манхвы, а уже потом перейти на новеллу. Факт, что адаптация выходит очень хорошей, и ORV - та история, которая идеально переносится на визуальный медиум, но в новелле все-таки больше глубины и эмоций.
На первом томе почти заканчивается выход текущих глав манхвы, так что самое время начать что-то из этого читать!
!! Ору про ORV в своем телеграм канале
April 28, 2022
First of all, I think the strongest point of this novel resides in it's protagonist. Kim DokJa is such a charismatic MC: he's smart, cunning, a true strategists but so human, lovable and dense as a brick. It was nice, for a change, to experience a male lead who is actually... Well, interesting, full of flaws and not so linear.
And not to be rude to @ all the other male leads, but reading through DokJa's point of view is such a fun experience: having a character that isn't attached to an absolute moral code and that isn't afraid to appear evil at times (all for the sake of staying truthful to themselves, the people they care about and their goal) is refreshing, to say the least. I also found him incredible relatable, so ready to fight constellations and outer gods face to face, but still being hesitant and unsure when human emotions and a heart to heart conversation were on the table.
Second, the female characters in this novel are well-written. And there are actually a lot of them, which is such a nice surprise. I love action, I really do, but one of my pet peeves with the genre revolves in the female characters being there just as a mere love interest for the ML. Here? In ORV the female cast actually help with the plot, they're powerful and well-rounded characters, with complex feelings and backstories.
Third, it's apocalypse time boys, there's no time for romance, we got answers to find, scenarios to complete and a whole lot of bad guys to fight. Although I do enjoy a good love story, sometimes in this kind of settings where the stakes are so high, any attempt at romance comes across as half-assed. Usually, the rest of the plot ends up swallowing the love story and therefore the development seems forced and artificial. Not with ORV tho: there's no time for any of that. Although I can assure you the book explores different types of human conections, romantic love isn't the main focus at all.
I could go on and on, but ORV is indisputably a roller coaster of a novel that you need to experience for yourself. The amount of times I laughed, cried and raged while reading... I signed up for an action book, but I got that and so much more. This novel has a certain depth to it: it doesn't stop at great arcs, figthing scenes and mythological creatures, but it goes beyond that and explores the bond that binds character, author and reader together, and the symbiotic relationship between them.
5/5 on goodreads AND on my heart. 100000000 coins for Kim DokJa company.
And not to be rude to @ all the other male leads, but reading through DokJa's point of view is such a fun experience: having a character that isn't attached to an absolute moral code and that isn't afraid to appear evil at times (all for the sake of staying truthful to themselves, the people they care about and their goal) is refreshing, to say the least. I also found him incredible relatable, so ready to fight constellations and outer gods face to face, but still being hesitant and unsure when human emotions and a heart to heart conversation were on the table.
Second, the female characters in this novel are well-written. And there are actually a lot of them, which is such a nice surprise. I love action, I really do, but one of my pet peeves with the genre revolves in the female characters being there just as a mere love interest for the ML. Here? In ORV the female cast actually help with the plot, they're powerful and well-rounded characters, with complex feelings and backstories.
Third, it's apocalypse time boys, there's no time for romance, we got answers to find, scenarios to complete and a whole lot of bad guys to fight. Although I do enjoy a good love story, sometimes in this kind of settings where the stakes are so high, any attempt at romance comes across as half-assed. Usually, the rest of the plot ends up swallowing the love story and therefore the development seems forced and artificial. Not with ORV tho: there's no time for any of that. Although I can assure you the book explores different types of human conections, romantic love isn't the main focus at all.
I could go on and on, but ORV is indisputably a roller coaster of a novel that you need to experience for yourself. The amount of times I laughed, cried and raged while reading... I signed up for an action book, but I got that and so much more. This novel has a certain depth to it: it doesn't stop at great arcs, figthing scenes and mythological creatures, but it goes beyond that and explores the bond that binds character, author and reader together, and the symbiotic relationship between them.
5/5 on goodreads AND on my heart. 100000000 coins for Kim DokJa company.
March 11, 2023
I read the manhwa, and then the fan translated webnovel. The opening of the novel reminded me a lot of infinite flow cnovels like The Earth is Online but the core themes of ORV, the commentary on people as stories and a reader's relationship with the work that they read, start to emerge near the end of volume 1. The manhwa is superb!!! I really appreciate the fan translator for bringing this story to everyone for free when it's a whopping 500+ chapters.
Anyway, I loved the core themes of the novel, and I also LOVE that there is no romance, because all the platonic relationships are so important and compelling. The love between a reader and his favorite novel, and comfort read/coping mechanism that got him through horrible, traumatic times (I'm also thinking of Idol, Burning), the love a reader has for his favorite characters, the love between the main character and his adopted child are all so touching 😭
Anyway, I loved the core themes of the novel, and I also LOVE that there is no romance, because all the platonic relationships are so important and compelling. The love between a reader and his favorite novel, and comfort read/coping mechanism that got him through horrible, traumatic times (I'm also thinking of Idol, Burning), the love a reader has for his favorite characters, the love between the main character and his adopted child are all so touching 😭
January 26, 2022
When Bo Burnham said "It's almost over, it's just begun" I believe he was talking about Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint Volume 1.
February 2, 2022
SOLID 5 STAR!!! IT REALLY FELT LIKE A ROLLERCOASTER 😭
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