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Warning: Spoilers Ahead for Solo Leveling and Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint!
I’ve enjoyedSolo Levelingsince it was introduced to me, just as the series ramped up for its anime adaptation. I was swayed by the gorgeous visuals thanks to Dubu and REDICE Studio’s signature artwork and Chugong’s visionary output, first as a novel and then to webtoon and manhwa.Solo Levelingis an institution, but in a market hungry for the latest hot manhwa to consume, there’s always a potential successor, and for me, that wasOmniscient Reader’s Viewpoint,known originally and colloquially asOmniscient Reader.
Each series is reasonably different enough so thatOmniscient Reader’s Viewpointdoes not feel derivative ofSolo Leveling.However, it’s easy to transition between the two thanks tooverlapping qualities such as REDICE Studio’s artwork and RPG overlaysinfluencing much of the narrative and manhwa presentation.
These similarities become more superficial and lack substance when their stories, as a whole, are laid out for the reader to see, withOmniscient Readerbeing a worthy successor to mainstream popularity as a manhwa icon.
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Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint’s Power Fantasy Differs from Solo Leveling
The Enlightenment Fantasy Is Focused on Knowledge Rather Than Strength
Solo Levelingcrafts its narrative strategically to get its readers hooked, generating hype and exciting water-cooler discussion of the series. It means the anime adaptation is a natural step, and a major appeal for the series as it addresses an unfolding power fantasy in which a meek protagonist attains untold power thanks to a nebulous “system” looking out for him.
This hasSolo Levelingexemplifying a typical shonen power fantasy, butOmniscient Reader’s Viewpoint, as the title suggests, empowers its protagonist, Dokja Kim,based on the knowledge gained from reading an obscure webnovel.
Dokja is a dork with unbelievable potential due to his obsessive reading habits of an obscure series, making this manhwa far more relatable as a fellow dork.
This was the type of power fantasy I craved in a manhwa, where a character demonstrably exercises cunning and expertise, asOmniscient Reader’s Viewpointconveys an enlightenment fantasy to its readers.Dokja builds up his abilities at a reasonable paceand finds himself threatened by other people who appear from the mysterious novel,Three Ways to Survive the Apocalypse (TWSA).Essentially, Dokja is a dork with unbelievable potential due to his obsessive reading habits of an obscure series, making this manhwa far more relatable as a fellow dork.
Dokja Kim Makes a More Compelling Protagonist Than Jinwoo Sung
The Reader vs. the Player
Comparing Dokja to Jinwoo is inherently more subtle and tougher to argue if you’ve only watched theSolo Levelinganime. Still, Jinwoo’s personality quickly becomes less interesting asSolo Levelingcontinues compared toOmniscient Reader. Jinwoo’s reaction to his resurrection from his death as the weakest, most infamous hunter alive to become “the one who overcame adversity” sadly feels more one-note, which is predictable for a power fantasy.There is practically no shred left of Jinwoo’s meek former self, seemingly as though there is no memory of the adversity he encountered.
Jinwoo quickly makes up for lost time, which is entertaining, as he becomes a superior fighter, works his body to peak condition as a total thirst trap, and his immense range of abilities quickly topples any adversity or challenges he encounters.By the middle point of the story, not even S-Rank hunters can compare to Jinwoo, andthe power fantasy falls flat beyond the Jeju Island Raid Arc. Jinwoo feels, aptly, like any gamer would feel after completing a modern open-world power fantasy game, getting all the abilities and power-ups, and with no craving to return to that world.
Dokja, meanwhile, is aware of his metastory, theTWSAnovel, which suddenly becomes the plot of the world around him. He’s not a player protected by the system.Instead, he’s the reader who defies it and manipulates it. You soon see how the events of his world are essentially streamed by goblins to higher beings or “Constellations” bearing global mythological names and different stakes in this apocalyptic world.
Thanks to his obsessive knowledge of the novel, Dokja shrewdly manipulates his circumstances, knows when to empower his allies, and does this all within the first arc and beyond, makingtheOmniscient Readeranime adaptationan enticing prospect.
Much of the plot ofOmniscient Reader’s Viewpointdoes a better job of reincorporating story elements and clues thanSolo Leveling, with Dokja making choices and interacting with the Constellations. While Jinwoo becomes the power gamer who upstages everyone around him,Dokja is quite likable, a pleasant personality who unites fellow survivors in increasingly elaborate, dangerous scenarios of the apocalypse. Dokja’s understanding of theTWSAplot allows him to becomethe most likable rules lawyer, from crushing insect eggs instead of taking human lives, to bargaining with gods.
Omniscient Reader Has Better Supporting Characters Than Solo Leveling
Allies Over Fodder for Power-Scaling
One of my biggest complaints aboutSolo Levelingis how often it introduces fascinating characters like Jong-in Choi or Hae-in Cha, only to be nearly annihilated soon after their introduction, lacking the comparable charm ofhowOne-Punch Manhandles its side cast.B-Rank Joohee acts as a protector to Jinwoo at the beginning, but once he starts leveling up,Joohee’s role disappears as she fades into the background.But it’s not just allies that are frustrating to watch inSolo Leveling.
Solo Levelingoften discards or debuffs allies and enemies, whileOmniscient Reader’s Viewpointincorporates them throughout its story.
Solo Levelingintroduces multiple human adversaries to Jinwoo, such as Taeshik Kang or Dongsoo Hwang. These adversaries are compelling and dangerous, yet they always fall far short of Jinwoo’s power.Solo Levelingoften discards or debuffs allies and enemies, whileOmniscient Reader’s Viewpointincorporates them throughout its story.
Omniscient Readerhas interesting cases for enemies compared toSolo Levelingin that, unlike how Jinwoo resurrects former adversaries as obedient soldiers, Dokja plays on the desperation of the patron Constellations watching the Star Stream feeds. This allows him to avoid killing adversaries like the oppressive landlord Pildu Gong, placing him instead in his service by appealing to the Constellations' instinct for self-preservation. But this manipulation is only for enemies, asDokja is far kinder to his supporters inOmniscient Reader’s Viewpoint.
I could do everything alone, survive alone…and make a cozy living for myself. That would certainly be easier, but I once read a novel that flopped because the main character did just that.
-Dokja Kim, Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint Volume #4
Dokja Kim’s role as the reader inORVmeans that he is, by definition,not the main character ofTWSAbut a supporting character at bestwhen encountering the intended hero, Junghyeok Yu. It feels appropriate that Dokja can function well with his allies asORVintroduces a much more complicated RPG mechanic, let alone Dokja’s “Fourth Wall” abilities, where each character has a distinct role while being drawn to Dokja. Hyeonseong is a lovable tank and “himbo,” Gilyeong has a fantastic dynamic as Dokja’s surrogate son, and Huiwon emerges as an incredible warrior;nobody is fodder.
Other Would-Be Solo Leveling Successors Imitate, Omniscient Reader Innovates
Few Manhwa Come Close
Each story is well-received but merely scratchesSolo Leveling’sitch;Omniscient Readerremixes the formula.
Part of the prevailing issue with otherSolo Levelingsuccessors, when weighed againstOmniscient Reader’s Viewpoint,is that they’re arguably too much likeSL.Successor candidates includeThe Beginning After the EndandSSS-Class Revival Hunter,with readers in Japan also latching ontoSavior of Divine Blood.
Arthur fromTBATEhas shades of Jinwoo’s character, but as a mage; Confucius Kim fromSSS-Classwas an F-Class hunter; Subaru fromSavior of Divine Bloodbecomes a player like Jinwoo to escape his former life.Each story is well-received but merely scratchesSolo Leveling’sitch;Omniscient Readerremixes the formula.
I still quite enjoy myself whenever I readSolo Leveling. Dubu’s art and the REDICE style made a good reading experience. But seeingSolo Leveling’svarious flaws, such as how it treats supporting characters, how it paces its power fantasy, and the somewhat flat personality of Jinwoo, I can’t help but notice thatOmniscient Reader’s Viewpointcorrects these.Omniscient Reader’s Viewpointhas traces of theSolo Levelingformula, refining it to a much greater state and becoming fresher, by comparison, as the true successor for Western readers.
Solo Leveling
Cast
Solo Leveling follows Sung Jin-woo, the world’s weakest hunter, who gains extraordinary powers through a mysterious program after surviving a brutal monster attack. As he navigates his newfound abilities, Jinwoo embarks on a quest to uncover the secrets of his powers and the dungeon that altered his fate.
