Webtoon review: Omniscient reader

 

AN OTAKU GIRL'S PROPOSAL: A WEBTOON EVERY YOUNGSTER SHOULD READ

What is webtoon?

Webtoons are a digital type of comics that first originated in Korea. Due to its availability online, it can be easily read anytime and anywhere from devices. However, webtoons were unknown outside of Korea since its inauguration, as a consequence of official English translations of original Korean webtoons being published online internationally, there has been a stream in popularity internationally. Moreover, it is a home to thousands of stories with several genres including romance, horror, thriller, slice of life, comedy, action, fantasy making it a well-known source of entertainment as well as an escape from boredom for the younger generations, including myself. Similar to all other webtoons, Omniscient reader is a Korean webtoon which was published officially with English translations on September 22, 2022.

Introduction

The story follows a man named Kim Dokja; an average office worker whose sole interest was reading his favourite web novel 'Three Ways to Survive the Apocalypse.' However, when the novel suddenly becomes reality, he is the only person who knows how the world will end. Armed with realisation, Dokja uses his comprehension skills to change the course of the story, and the world, as he knows it.

Why Should Everyone Read This? 

By reading the introduction, you can assume that the genre is fantasy, as many people prefer reading stories that contains interesting plot twists which requires thinking, this webtoon is just the perfect mixture of both, with a tint of comedy as well. When one starts to read this webtoon, they will find themselves enjoying it more than they thought because it contains relatable characters, comical characters along with powerful characters possessing unique abilities making the story more amusing. Furthermore, the inner thoughts of the characters conveyed to the readers through monologue, plus their backstories unravelling will make you immensely invested in understanding different perspectives of life and people; meaning it also gives you a insight on life. 

Moving onto the main story which focuses on the obstacles faced by the main character and how he manages to navigate his way using his memory of the web novel 'Three Ways to Survive the Apocalypse' and finds reliable companions throughout his survival. Even though it is a fantasy genre, the theme tells us more of the real world, for instance, people turn into monsters due to their greed and live disregarding their humanity in order to become powerful.

The most fascinating part of this webtoon is that the original writer of the web novel is unknown, even to Dokja himself. Another intriguing factor is that there is already a powerful main character in the world of the web novel named Yoo Junghyuk, who has failed to save

the world from doom through several resurrections and his identity

is only known to Dokja. Lastly, there are unknown figures sponsoring certain survivors and giving them super abilities; some use it sensibly, whereas some get clouded with superiority and end up losing their lives. It is placid of humans to think highly of themselves if they are better than others at something, however, the main character maintains a low profile in order to avoid others' suspicion and never once tries to expose that he is aware of how the story ends, even though there are many players who have only read a small part of the novel and preaches it to the people pridefully. To me, this trait of him is very admirable and helps subside my own over confidence.

As I mentioned earlier, The Omniscient reader has multiple characters, playing major roles, such as Huiwon; Dokja's trusted companion and sponsored by a powerful figure. Then, Anna Croft; a powerful prophet who can see the future, along with Yoo Junghyuk who is considered to be the most powerful character. All these characters develop as the story unfolds, giving us a wider view of themselves so we can relate better. What's more is we get to see flashbacks of the main character Dokja's previous life and learn how he was bullied for reading online comics, but at the end it only shaped him into an invincible one in this world.

Conclusion

Personally speaking, I have been reading all sorts of online comics since my school days and have come across amazing stories since then. The reason I chose this one is because in this comic, elements of fantasy, mystery and comedy were used efficiently which helped in understanding the plot and characters effortlessly. I hope I was able to make this presentable enough for the readers to be interested in checking out this webtoon. Thank you. 

Noorjahan Amin (22303039)

Lamia Rouf (22299064)