Omniscient Reader’s Live-Action Movie Sparks Controversy With Fans Over Changes

by

In great excitement for enthusiasts, the popular series “Omniscient Reader” is poised to expand across multiple franchises in 2025, with Aniplex officially confirming an anime adaptation is underway at Anime Expo 2024. However, since then, there’s been little news regarding the anime. Instead, a live-action film adaptation of singNsong’s cherished series will reach fans first, aiming for a 2025 release, five years after its initial announcement. Due to the widespread acclaim of the webtoon and the extended wait, viewers have understandably built up high expectations for the movie. Nevertheless, the debut trailer for the film has stirred disappointment among fans due to notable departures from the original storyline, igniting debate about these changes.

Following a lot of anticipation, Lotte Entertainment unveiled the first trailer for “Omniscient Reader: The Prophet” on February 15th, 2025, coinciding with Kim Dokja’s birthday. However, the response from fans has been disappointing due to alterations in the weapons used by several characters, notably Yoo Joonghyuk who is now depicted with a gun instead of his traditional longsword. This shift is problematic because he is shown holding a sword in the promotional artwork and trailer thumbnail. Additionally, important elements of the plot like the dokkaebi and the constellations are missing from the trailer, with no system windows appearing at all, causing concern among fans.

Omniscient Reader Fans Are Not Thrilled About the Upcoming Live-Action Movie

Back in September 2019, Munpia, the book’s original publisher, revealed plans for a live-action version of “Omniscient Reader“. This announcement set off a lengthy wait for fans. However, with stars like Lee Min-ho, Ahn Hye-seop, and Jisoo from the K-drama and K-pop scene joining the cast, anticipation ran high. Fans were prepared to endure any delay in hopes of a faithful adaptation. Alas, when the final product was unveiled, it fell short of expectations, leaving fans feeling disheartened.

Initially, the trailer appears to overlook minute but significant story aspects, as Dokja’s phone shows 2:00 PM instead of 7:00 PM at the beginning. Although this might appear trivial, the early sections of “Omniscient Reader” emphasize an accurate sequence of events. One of the initial facts readers learn about Dokja is that he reads web novels on his way home from work, and it’s hard to believe he would be leaving his corporate job in the afternoon, given that it looks like twilight outside.

In the narrative, it’s at 6:55 PM when Dokja finishes reading the last chapter of “Three Ways to Survive the Apocalypse.” This sets the stage for the story and gives him just 5 minutes before a dokkaebi appears and initiates the initial scenario. The understanding of the sequential order of events in the first chapter, which he possesses, serves as a compass for Dokja during this early phase of the tale, allowing him to predict Yoo Joonghyuk’s arrival.

Many readers have expressed disappointment over the lack of a height difference between characters Joonghyuk and Dokja, as it is evident in the comic that Joonghyuk towers over Dokja. This discrepancy not only diminishes Joonghyuk’s imposing presence but also undermines the visual impact of establishing Dokja as the underdog during their initial meeting. However, it should be noted that actors Lee Min-ho and Ahn Hye-seop share similar heights, making it difficult to achieve this difference in reality.

Regarding Dokja’s initial encounter with Joonghyuk, the live-action movie portrays Joonghyuk seizing Dokja around his delicate tie rather than grasping him forcefully by the neck, as shown in the webtoon. This alteration is less intense and aggressive compared to other changes observed in the live-action adaptation. It’s worth noting that this modification appears to be justifiable among the various adjustments made for the live-action version.

Omniscient Reader’s Live-Action Makes Character-Contradicting Weapon Changes

In the trailer’s focal point, a moment that stirred much debate, I observed a character named Joonghyuk on a bridge. Instead of maintaining peace, he drew a gun and started shooting. Interestingly, this dramatic scene is not present in the original webtoon, leading to widespread discontent among its fans. However, the film’s producer, Won Dong-yun, addressed this alteration in a post on his official X account, stating:

In his statement, Won shared that prior to producing the movie, we consulted with the original author about the script details and adaptations, ensuring they were on board with everything. He confirmed his understanding and approval. As for the film, it features both sword-wielding characters like Yoo Joonghyuk and all the dokkaebi creatures. Although we haven’t copied the source material exactly, the core themes, characters, and world development remain consistent as they were originally conceived. We look forward to the encouragement from fans of the original work.

전담했을 때, 원작자와 시나리오를 모두 공개하고 각색된 것을 설명했으며 작가도 이해하셨습니다.

유중혁은 소드와 기관총을 모두 사용합니다. 도깨비는 전부 등장하지만, 원작을 그대로 사용하진 않으나 메시지와 캐릭터의 세계관은 변경되지 않습니다.

원작 팬들께서 많은 지지를 바라랍니다.

In advance, we showed the entire script to the original author and explained all the changes made, and the author also understood it.

Yu Jeong-hyeok uses both swords and guns. The goblins appear, but he does not strictly follow the original work; however, the message and character worldview remain unchanged.

We hope for much support from the fans of the original work.

— 원동연 (@Shywdy) February 16, 2025

In the live-action adaption of Omniscient Reader, it’s not just Joonghyuk who switches weapons; Yoo Sangah, portrayed by Cha Soo-bin, seems to wield a sword instead of her usual twin daggers in the trailer. This could be the bone weapon used during the group’s initial monster hunting expedition, as evidenced by the presence of subterranean ground rats in the background, which suggests that scene takes place early in the story.

In the trailer, it appears that Lee Jihye, portrayed by BLACKPINK’s Jisoo, is using a sniper rifle instead of her trademark swordsmanship and close combat. Interestingly, her character is associated with Constellation Maritime War God or Yi Sun-sin, a historical Korean figure known for his naval exploits during the Joseon dynasty and who is closely connected to Jihye in the storyline.

Essentially, what’s significant here is that Yi Sun-sin’s patronage bestows upon Jihye a unique skill, called Song of the Sword, which empowers her to temporarily charge her sword with a specific power drawn from an entry in Yi Sun-sin’s diary. This ability can only be utilized by someone like Jihye who uses a sword. However, equipping Jihye with a gun, particularly a rifle, would not align with the narrative and contradict both Jihye’s character and her abilities, given that historically Yi Sun-sin perished from a gunshot wound.

Omniscient Reader: The Prophet‘s First Trailer is Missing Key Characters and Story Aspects

Apart from showing scenes of characters exchanging weapons, the trailer appears to be incomplete with respect to crucial plot elements. It lacks important figures such as the dokkaebi, system windows, and characters like Han Myung-oh, portrayed by Choi Young-joon. Among these absences, Han Myung-oh’s is particularly troubling since the trailer features several shots of Dokja and the other cabin 3807 survivors crossing the bridge, but Han Myung-oh himself does not appear anywhere in the footage. In the original comic, it is clearly mentioned that there were five survivors from cabin 3807, including both Dokja and Han Myung-oh, who all try to cross the bridge together after the primary storyline concludes.

In this segment of the narrative, Han Myung-oh plays a crucial role as he accompanies Sangah and traverses the Deus Ex Machina, effectively leaving Dokja to confront Joonghyuk and the zombies. If Myung-oh were absent on the bridge, it would create a significant plot inconsistency because his absence would mean that Dokja’s group, now evenly numbered, could pass through the Deus Ex Machina without encountering any problems. However, it’s plausible that the trailer may have shown scenes where Myung-oh is off-screen, although this seems unlikely.

In the trailer, it’s noticeable that characters like Bihyung and the game UI-like system are missing, key aspects that contribute significantly to the charm of Omniscient Reader, similar to Solo Leveling, other manhwa, and many isekai anime. Surprisingly, Bihyung, who plays a significant role in the story, doesn’t make an appearance in any frame of the trailer, raising questions about the quality of the CGI in the upcoming movie. Although an ichthyosaur briefly appears during a scene where Dokja and others are crossing a bridge, and the CGI seems acceptable, the complexity of rendering the dokkaebi and status windows, which feature prominently in almost every scene, has fans concerned about whether the live-action film will successfully replicate these post-production elements. However, producer Won Dong-yun has reassured fans that the dokkaebi are still part of the movie.

Omniscient Reader’s Live-Action Producer Has Addressed the Changes

Following the reception of criticism, a follow-up post from Producer Won Dong-yun has since explained the alterations made in X, arguing that “cinematic adjustments” are essential when transforming a work into a movie. In this statement, Producer Won seeks to comfort fans by referencing changes made in another 2017 webtoon-turned-live-action film, Along with the Gods, which was positively received both by the webtoon’s enthusiasts and its original creator, with whom they continue to have a good rapport. The post essentially conveys that similar changes were made in the past, resulting in a well-liked film adaptation.

In his statement, Won explains that when transforming an original piece into a film, adjustments for cinematic purposes are inevitable. Speaking specifically about “Along with the Gods,” he notes that they made substantial changes, yet these adaptations were well-received by both the author and the audience after viewing the movie. Today, they still maintain a positive relationship with the author.

This is the version by Yu Jeong-hyeok with a pen.

Color grading is essential when adapting the original work into a movie.

When creating Sin and Punishment, we put in a lot of effort to color grade it. The author and fans understood it when they watched the movie, and we’re still doing well.
Fans who love reading Passionate Times will understand this if they watch the movie.
We love the original work, Muji.

This is a version created by Yu Jeong-hyeok using a pen. When turning the original work into a movie, color grading is crucial. We worked hard to get the color grading right when creating Sin and Punishment, and both the author and fans understood it when they watched the movie. Fans of Passionate Times will understand this if they watch the movie too. We love the original work, Muji.

— 원동연 (@Shywdy) February 16, 2025

Dong-yun Won continues to encourage fans of “Omniscient Reader” with the comment, “Those who cherish ‘Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint’ will grasp my intentions when they watch the movie. We deeply admire the original work.” However, it remains unclear whether the upcoming live-action film of “Omniscient Reader” will be warmly received by fans or if it will become a regrettable chapter in the beloved series’ chronicles. Time will ultimately decide its fate.

Read More

2025-02-28 20:11