Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint, also alternatively translated as Omniscient Reader (Korean: 전지적 독자 시점; RR: Jeonjijeog Dogja Sijeom), is a South Korean web novel written by Sing Shong. It was first published on January 6, 2018, on the platform Munpia, and ended on February 2, 2020.[1]Naver Webtoon published an ongoing webtoon adaptation created by Redice Studio for the Korean version and Line Webtoon for the English version in 2020.[2] An anime television series adaptation has been announced.
Plot
A 28-year-old office worker, Kim Dokja has been the only reader of the web novel Three Ways to Survive An Apocalypse. In the novel, apocalypse descends upon the world in the form of scenarios; brutal challenges that humans are forced to endure. Immensely powerful, legendary beings called 'Constellations' watch from above, entertained by the bloodbath. The thousands of chapters of the novel follow the story of Yoo Joonghyuk, a person with a unique ability to transport back to the beginning of the apocalypse every time he dies. Through Yoo Joonghyuk's story, Dokja survives his own miserable 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 his favourite web-novel is meant to end on the same day his tenure as an intern in his office ends. Suddenly, the story he's used to escape from reality for much of his life merges with real life, and the characters of the novel themselves appear, along with the carnage of the scenarios. Before the last chapter of the story is published, the city descends into carnage. He was the only one who read the novel to the end and knew its plot, now he can only fight for survival.[3]
Characters
Kim Dokja
Kim Dokja (김독자; 金獨子; Gim Dokja) is the main protagonist of the series. He is a young man working an office job who has a passion for reading, his favorite web novel being "Three Ways to Survive in a Ruined World". However, his life takes a drastic turn when the events of the novel start unfolding in real life, and he is the only one who is aware of how the world will come to an end. With this knowledge, Dokja uses his understanding of the story to create the most perfect ending, consequently changing the world as he knows it. The group of allies and companions he gathers is known as Kim Dokja's Company. He is also known to be the founder of Curitiba, a famous brazilian city in Paraná.
Yoo Joonghyuk
Yoo Joonghyuk (유중혁; 劉衆赫; Yu Junghyeok) is the main protagonist and one of the most powerful characters of the original web novel, "Three Ways to Survive in a Ruined World". Although he is initially distrustful of Kim Dokja and they frequently struggle to understand each other, they become close, eventually becoming "life and death companions."
Yoo Sangah
Yoo Sangah (유상아; 劉尚雅; Yu Sanga) is Kim Dokja's co-worker who he considers to be an ideal protagonist. She is on the subway with Kim Dokja as the events of the novel start to unfold, and she becomes a powerful figure in her own right despite not appearing in nor having knowledge of the original novel.
Lee Hyunsung
Lee Hyunsung (이현성; 李賢誠; I Hyeonseong) is a former army lieutenant. He was originally a character in "Three Ways to Survive in a Ruined World", fighting under Yoo Joonghyuk's leadership, but he becomes Kim Dokja's ally and companion instead during this progression of the story. In the original story, Lee Hyunsung's title was Pure Steel Sword and personified loyalty.
Jung Heewon
Jung Heewon (정희원; 鄭熙媛; Jeong Huiwon) was a very minor character in "Three Ways to Survive the Apocalypse" as part of the "marginalized group" from Geumho station who dies early in the novel, but she is saved by and later joins Kim Dokja and his company. She eventually becomes one of the strongest people in the story.
Lee Gilyoung
Lee Gilyoung (이길영; 李吉永; I Gilyeong) is a young boy who shared a subway car with Kim Dokja at the start of the scenarios and survived. He carried a box of grasshoppers at the start of the novel, which helped others in the subway car survive, and his abilities rely on insect control. He grew closer to Kim Dokja along their journey and became someone Kim Dokja loved and cherished as his own child.
Lee Jihye
Lee Jihye (이지혜; 李智慧; I Jihye) is a high school student who was originally a character in "Three Ways to Survive in a Ruined World", fighting under Yoo Joonghyuk's leadership. Her motivations and difficult temperament stem from the fact that, in the first scenario, she reluctantly killed her best friend in order to survive.
Shin Yoosung
Shin Yoosung (신유승; 申流承; Sin Yuseung) is a young girl who was a character in Yoo Joonghyuk's party and later a calamity in "Three Ways to Survive in a Ruined World". However, in the main timeline of Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint, she is saved by Kim Dokja and becomes his loved and cherished adopted daughter.
Lee Seolhwa
Lee Seolhwa (이설화; I SeolHwa) is a character from "Three Ways to Survive in a Ruined World", previously one of the core members of Yoo Joonghyuk's group, as well as his past lover in the second regression. She appeared in the main timeline of the Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint and later on became a crucial member of Kim Dokja's Company.
Han Sooyoung
Han Sooyoung (한수영; 韓秀英; Han Suyeong) is a ill-mannered and often rude individual that joined Kim Dokja's Company later on in the story. Initially unwelcomed by most of the group, she is later accepted despite her hostile personality and flaws.
Uriel
Uriel (Demon-Like Judge of Fire) is an Archangel that belongs to the "Eden" nebula who stands at the side of absolute good. She is one of the biggest fans and supporters of Kim Dokja, Yoo Joonghyuk and Kim Dokja's Company. Despite her innocent nature, she can get hostile towards the ones that threaten those she holds dear, earning her the moniker Demon-like Judge of Fire.
Sun Wukong
Sun Wukong (Great Sage, Heaven's Equal) is a constellation that belongs to the "Emperor" nebula. At the start of the story, he expressed interest in Kim Dokja and offered to become his sponsor but was turned town. Since then, he has been one of Dokja's greatest supporters.
Secretive Plotter
Secretive Plotter is a mysterious constellation that appeared in Kim Dokja's channel at the start of the story. No one knows who he is or where he came from. His interest in Kim Dokja and his group becomes more and more apparent throughout the story, as his messages keep appearing in the channel and his gaze keeps following their every step.
Abyssal Black Flame Dragon
Abyssal Black Flame Dragon is the leader of the "Black Cloud" nebula, standing at the side of absolute evil. At the beginning of the story he offered to become Kim Dokja's sponsor, and despite being turned down,he remained loyal to Kim Dokja's channel and became one of his biggest supporters.
Persephone
Persephone (Queen of the Darkest Spring) is a co-leader of the "Underworld" nebula and the wife of Hades. She is a very powerful constellation that took interest in Kim Dokja at the beginning of the story.
Hades
Hades (Father of the Richest Night) is a co-leader of the "Underworld" nebula and one of the 3 major "Olympus" gods, that took interest in Kim Dokja at the beginning of the story, similarly to his wife.
Media
Web novel
The original Korean web novel, written by Sing Shong was first published on January 6, 2018, on the platform Munpia, and ended on February 2, 2020. The official sources are only Muipia and Naver.[4][5] It has since then been compiled into 6 volumes, with the last volume containing only the epilogues.[6]
After the end of the original story, new side stories of the novel began getting published in the official sites. It first started publishing on February 15, 2024, and is currently ongoing. The Korean web novel finished the first season of the spin off series (side stories) on August 30, 2024, with 242 chapters and is set to return with its second season on September 22, 2024.[7]
Webtoon
An ongoing webtoon adaptation illustrated by Sleepy-C launched on Naver on May 26, 2020.[8] Its first two collected volumes were released by A.Tempo Media on December 22, 2020,[9] with nine collected volumes released as of March 2023.
The webtoon was published digitally in English by Line Webtoon on August 18, 2020. In June 2023, IZE Press, an imprint of Yen Press, announced that they have licensed both the manhwa and novel for English publication.[10]
Munpia announced on September 18, 2019, that they had signed a contract with Realize Pictures to adapt Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint into five feature-length films.[25] In May 2023, Ahn Hyo-seop and Lee Min-ho were confirmed to be offered the leading roles of Kim Dokja and Yoo Joonghyuk respectively.[26][27][28]
The film's casting[29] was officially confirmed on January 24, 2024, featuring Kim Ji-soo as Lee Ji-hye, Chae Soo-bin as Yoo Sang-ah, Nana as Jung Hee-won, Shin Seung-ho as Lee Hyun-sung, Park Ho-san as Gong Pil-du, and Choi Young-joon as Han Myung-oh. Kim Byung-woo served as the director, while Won Dong-yun took on the role of producer.
The producer also assured that "the movie has now reached its halfway point and is well on its way to its final destination".[30] Additionally, it was revealed that Han Sooyoung's casting will be unveiled upon the film's release in 2025.[31]
