Okay, this is my first review so forgive me if I make any mistakes. Also contains spoilers so don't read if you don't want to get spoiled. This novel is one of the most popular webnovels in Korea right now and after catching up to the raws, I have to say, it's incredible

First, I'll describe what the novel is about because the description doesn't really explain anything. So the MC has been reading a webnovel for the last ten years but he's the only one reading it as it... more>> is extremely unpopular. Then suddenly, when he finishes the novel, the world suddenly changes and he's thrust into the story he was reading. Because he's the only one who read the novel, he's the only one who knows what's happening. His cheat is a txt file of the entire story, so he knows everything that happens in this world Hence the description of this novel: "Only I know the end of this world. (Well, that's not exactly true.. I'll tell you guys later, down in the spoilers)

Alright, I can see you guys thinking that it's just another generic Korean novel with an overwhelming cheat but it's not. Although it is pretty OP, he's not the strongest as there are still people from the novel he was reading from, like the protagonist.

World-building: It has a unique take on the "transported to another world" theme because the MC is not transported to another world, the world is transported to the MC's universe. It also reminds me of The Tutorial Is Too Hard as they have to go through "Scenarios" and godlike beings called Celestial Lords (Constellations in Rainbow Turtle's translations but I prefer Celestial Lord, it sounds much more cooler) watch them. It's a bit more complicated than that though because there are things like Sponsors (Basically, one of the Celestial Lords become your backer and you can get their weapons or skills) and Donations. Basically, think it as a Twitch where the characters are the actors. Like Twitch, there are multiple channels and the Celestial Lords browse through them to find something interesting. Also like Twitch, there are streamers, which are called dokkaebi who run the channels. As a whole, those channels are called the Star Stream which is extremely powerful. Pretty interesting right?

Characters: Well, I'm warning you but the protagonist of the novel which the MC (I'll just call him the protagonist and the our MC of the novel the MC to not confuse you guys) was reading is an a**hole. I can already see dozens of reviews complaining that the protagonist is just cold blooded mu*dering machine and the novels sucks because of that. Well, he gets better. Not that his personality changes but he's not as much as an as*hole to his comrades. You get used to him. The side characters are well developed as well, they actually have personality, they're not just dumb cardboard cutouts that praise the MC whenever he does something. They're carefully developed and they have flaws, like real people.

Power system: The power system is something I've seen before but the author has added a little extra that makes it extremely interesting.

Spoiler

In this world, there's about three ways to gain power in this world (By the way, this is not related to the novel the MC was reading. First, as I mentioned above, is to get a Sponser to back you up. There are powerful and weak Celestial Lords with about two ranks dividing them, 위인 or 설화. I'm know what it means but I can't find the right word for them (Forgive me, I learned English by myself).

위인 ranked Celestial Lords: So 위인 (Pronounced we-in) I think means great men in google translate and what it means is the great figures in history. Someone like a famous general or a figure, they are the 위인 Celestial Lords. They are much weaker than the 설화 ranked Celestial Lords

설화 (pronounced seol-hwa) ranked Celestial Lords, they are beings from legends like the gods from Olympus (Greece), Angels and Jesus from Christianity, Veda from India, Buddha, and bunch of beings that have no affiliation with these groups but are still are extremely powerful.

If a Celestial Lord becomes your Sponser, you can get that being's possessions, weapon or their skills which are called Stigma. Obviously, the stronger, the better.

Second way to get power has to do with currency. For beating the Scenario, you can get a certain amount of Coins, the currency of Star Stream. Also, you can get donations from Celestial Lords who are watching the stream and like you. You can upgrade your stats or buy weapons.

Third way is to get the hidden pieces in each Scenario. Often, in a Scenario, there are secret dungeons or secret weapons or abilities that you can get if you know where they are. This is pretty unreliable though so this can be considered just as a add on to the two methods mentioned above.

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. The MC does get pretty OP has a incredible cheat but he doesn't seem that way because The protagonist is even more OP and has even more powerful cheats. In short, although MC is stronger than the other members in his team, the Protagonist is even more powerful

Story:

Story: The story is incredible. I'll admit that it sorta lagged at the start. Mostly because there were so many damn references to Korea's historical figures and I didn't really get it. And I'm Korean. Maybe that was because I s**ked as History. Anyways, it might be a bit boring for you too (Might not be, it was still exciting). The story is immersive, exciting and I definitely recommend it.

As for why Kim dokja is not the only one who knows about this novel... well, think about it. At the start, there were at least a few readers right?

Spoiler

Especially that plagiarizing author lol

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My personal favorite part is when

Spoiler

He becomes a demon king and sacrifices himself so that his teammates can live. His title "The Demon King of Salvation". This can be considered as the end of Part 1. Part 2 starts with a revolution in the 73th demon world (A place that has no Demon King like Asmodeus). Although there's not enough information for me to say anything about it, I have high expectations for Part 2 as well

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All I can say it that I want to read the novel that the MC was reading. I can't understand why it failed when it seems to be so interesting! <<less

Edit: I just came back to fix it after realizing a webtoon came out

Tl;dr: So basically, if you enjoyed the first 50-ish chapters, your in for the whole ride. There's a reason why there's this disconnect between the completed reviews and the ones that stop early and as someone who's finished orv, there's a reason for those "flaws" that negative reviews give so please read orv. I like to describe it as a very well-made reader's wish fulfillment with some interesting ideas on how people interact with stories, tho I... more>> might be overdoing that description

Alright, so let me preface this by saying I love this webnovel and I could not put it down for the majority of those 500 chapters.

So, basic premise is our MC (henceforth will refer to him as Kdj) is your run-of-the-mill office worker. He's not very social but loves reading an unpopular webnovel called "Three Ways to Survive in a Ruined World". Then, his world becomes that novel and he and his companions try to get through the scenarios (these quests they're forced to do by creatures called Dokkaebis).

Now, in the beginning, Kdj is actually pretty badass. He never explicitly says this, and the characters don't ever talk about this 'til the end, but Kdj is actually quite calculating and detached, spending the first 50 or so chapters trying to manipulate his way through scenarios using what he knows and his companions

Spoiler

a good example is how he tried to evolve his companions attributes

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I once read a review that said tension rises as Kdj gradually loses the ability to bullsh*t his way through the scenarios and that's hilariously accurate. In the beginning, you feel like he's in control of everything, which is cool, but as things change with his involvement you also see him lose control of everything in desperation, which is also pretty cool.

Spoiler

seeing him break down and become emotional with hsy after fighting yjh was the moment where it hit me how much kdj changed

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Characters:

Kdj is a polite, calculating, and detached character who eventually succumbs to the "found-family trope". He's not actually cold, more so unsure of how to interact because of spoilery reasons for why he was ostracized and he eventually learns how to care about life. His goal from day 1 is to get to the ending of the novel with everyone which never changes. Also, I like how his backstory is handled and how he acts about it. It slips in and hits you in the face lol

Spoiler

and that character development he goes through is beautiful. Seeing him gradually learn to value his life and want to live with his companions in that house together makes me so happy!! (But the moment he said that, all I could think is how much of a death flag it was)

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There's also the original protagonist of "Ways of Survival", Yoo Joonghyuk (Yjh). He is your average cold, yet charismatic enough to have people around him protagonist. The beginning of this novel doesn't flesh him out much, but you start to learn about him bit by bit. And the later character development for him is well worth the wait. I really liked the breakdown of his character in many chapters because they best showcase what kind of character yjh is and kdj especially helps you understand him.

Actually, let me break this up by mentioning that the character development of side characters occurs as Kdj develops, almost making it seem like he's realizing these things about these characters. It might be me reading too far into it, but Kdj is kind of an unreliable narrator... and Shing shong knows what their doing, especially seeing how cleanly everything links up in the end.

The rest of the cast starts one-note, but as you see more of the story, they grow to become more interesting and feel like they inhabit the world.

I would talk more about the cast (because there's actually a lot to say about them, I have a strong impression of all their personalities somehow despite how kdj-centered this story is), but Kdj, Yjh, and their interlocking development is something we need to talk about. Holy crap, I feel like these two are never gonna be able to understand each other, but you see how strong that bond is through how they react to being apart. As I like to think of it, you have "tsundere who's lived long enough to hide it" Yjh versus "rat who doesn't know what it means for people to like him even if it slapped him in the face" Kdj. They're never going to realize it, but there is a strong bromance going on there. They only have eyes for each other and even without the constellations who ship them you can feel the bond.

Spoiler

Even when Kdj almost dies in the Great war of Saints and Demons arc, he decides he doesn't want to die because of the story (Companion of life and death). And that prophecy about being killed by the one he loves most. And that conversation Yjh has with Kdj's mom while saving her. And wait there's also Kdj always comparing character looks to Yjh and that whole thing Yjh does after Kdj does the Outer World Covenant or in the revised copies of the book when Kdj dies.... Actually never mind bromance, they're hopelessly in love

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The comment section on webnovel likes to vehemently deny anything between these two but these two love each other. It's up to you whether you interpret this love as brotherhood, friendship, or romance. After all, the reader deserves to interpret as they want and this is a big theme in orv.

Story:

The plot is interesting and only gains depth with all the world-building that occurs. And as the main power source goes from coins to stories (this is borderline spoiling but it won't detract from your enjoyment), Shing Shong really just pulls out all of it. They really love big, flashy moments. Sorry, I need to be a bit vague here.

Also, the mysteries are pretty interesting. As I insinuated, not even Kdj knows everything and sometimes he just gets pulled around as things become less and less like the novel. The author also likes to hide things from the reader that Kdj knows which is fun, but kinda overdone, however, it does still leave you on the edge of your seat. And it becomes much more bearable later on.

Spoiler

My least favorite moment of this is the 49/51 moment because you know kdj is planning something and you just want to stop him ;w;

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So yeah, read it. It's constant action that will drag you in if your not careful, and the character development is breath-taking. As I said, Shing Shong knows what they're doing and the last couple chapters and epilogues will make you reinterpret so many things.

Spoiler

Before I end this, I feel like no one ever mentions how funny it is that Yjh suspects the Secretive Plotter of being Kdj in the future purely because of how much he knows and how much he "hates" Kdj (putting that in quotes because we all know he doesn't). Also Yjh and Kdj being on the same page in the final scenario way before the other characters. These husbands (life and death companions) really need to tone it down for the rest of the companions. Honestly, I just really love the companionship between these two because I want a relationship like that too. Although slightly cold, you can feel the trust and care that exists.

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<<less

Those giving it low scores should read a bit further on before doing so. I've read a fair bit of the original, and I can safely say that its incredible popularity in Korea is well deserved.

The story takes place in the modern Earth, when inexplicably, a deadly game of survival unfolds and the world falls into utter ruination. The MC of the story has a foreknowledge of the characters and the events that are about to appear, though, thanks to a certain webnovel he has been reading for the past... more>> 10 years. He also gains a several useful reading-related skills to help him out, too.

And it only gets better after that. Some people might be put off by the "slow-ish" start, but stick with it, and you will be rewarded with one hell of a ride. <<less

This novel is amazing! Amazing! AMAZING! Important things must be said thrice!

For a more in-depth summary with slight spoilers:

Our MC is an average guy that lived an average life. No relationships, no friends, and no hobbies; all he had was work and his favorite webnovel with over 1000+ chapters. His favorite webnovel wasn't very popular, so he ended up as the sole reader of the webnovel. One day, our MC found himself in a situation very similar to his favorite webnovel, and that is when the world ended. The world... more>> ended and the MC's epic journey as a prophet began! With each new scenario and plot twist that was based on his favorite webnovel, the MC soars through each and every challenge while gathering talents left and right. The original MC of his favorite webnovel became his hubby--cough cough, I mean became his companion and partner in crime in destroying all who stands in their path to glory! In order to survive in the apocalypse, one must kill and gather special abilities/equipment, which is exactly what our MC and ex-MC do. With each new adventure and massacre, our MC and ex-MC form a bond closer than no other! Now this is what I call bromance! This is what I call true lov--cough cough, I mean this is what I call comrades! It is only by relying on one another can our two MCs face off against the evil villains that destroyed Earth, the evil villains who watched Earth become a survival game for entertainment!

Characters:

MC: Changing from an average salary man to an average-face overpowered schemer, our MC is the best of the best!

Ex-MC: Changing from a handsome pro-gamer to a handsome tsundere mu*derer, our ex-MC should be sent to a mental hospital!

Other Characters: They are unnecessary! They only serve to highlight the prowess of our MC and ex-MC!

Overall:

I highly recommend this novel! With a hint of bromance that tinkles your heart and an overpowered MC (the type of person we all wish to be in reality and in dreams), what more can one wish for! Come on aboard to my famous ship, Escapism, and we shall set sail for the fictional horizons! <<less

Everything ties up in the end. It's all connected. It makes sense.

I adore this novel, I just love it.

If something doesn't make sense early in the story, it will most likely make sense later on, when everything unfolds. Trust me.

... more>> Kim Dokja is a selfless jerk, but he also has his own pain. His hatred towards himself that is subtle yet obvious.

Who doesn't have their own pain in this precious novel? The side characters are fleshed out and real, they too feel pain. For their loss.

The ending, the conclusion, is fitting and makes sense but it's very heart-wrenching.

I have never cried so much and felt connected throughout a novel like this one. I'll cherish the moments forever.

I have fallen deep for this treasure. <<less

This is not a unique novel in the slightest. In fact it copies all of its tropes from other novels. (The Tutorial is too hard, Reincarnator etc. And somehow does them worse)

Let's start with the PLOT

It started out great at first. As I said it was nothing different, just changed up a bit. Instead of MC being reborn he's instead living a novel he real in real life. The Story is both consistent and inconsistent. Consistent in the fact that there is a goal MC has and a system... more>> in place which doesn't change. Inconsistent in the fact that the author has no idea how to progress the story. You can tell he's making the story up as he's going and hasn't given much thought into it. The Author writes in a method that he can pull any character or any scenario out of thin air in the next chapter because the MC never foreshadows it. You would think that the MC being in the vicinity of one of the major characters in the story he knows would at least gloss over it a bit to give the reader a glimpse of what might happen in the future but nope, it's made that way to allow the author room to write whatever he's thinking at that particular time. This makes for largely inconsistent writing. Especially when the next mission MC saved an exact number of coins for has somehow changed from the main storyline but MC still somehow has the perfect amount of coins for it. Or the fact that sometimes the coins he saved aren't used at all. Don't even get me started on the amount of "get item. It's suddenly very important for the next event" scenario that is constantly overplayed

WRITING

it's well written hence why I gave it two stars. You can tell it's not his first work as an author. He explains a scenario without delving too deep into tedious details which is a turn off for some. The story progresses at an appropriate pace and the translation is top notch

CHARACTERS

MC acts like a boss around everyone but a complete bootlicker to the story's "MC". I can't blame him but he's sacrificed his pride for greed. If he told the MC his hidden card I doubt the MC would want to kill him; he's however adamant about keeping his ability secret even if things have pretty much changed as far as main story goes. He'd rather just kiss ass and kneel. The side characters are a mixture of cliche/one note/ and believable. You have the hothead justice lover, the quiet insecure heroine, the trusty rock sidekick full of loyalty etc. You won't see any change from them. The villains are largely better written with more character and sometimes end up becoming friends. MC himself isn't smart. He has information and that's all he has. He doesn't know how to make the most of situations outside his knowledge so he ends up making s*upid decisions from a reader's perspective. The author may try to make him seem smart, but he's only as smart as the author. You as a reader would figure out multiple choices he could have made in particular scenarios that would have resulted in better outcomes and more advantages in the long run. And the story is written in such a way that it gives the author the ability to pull out sh*t from his ass to get the MC out of sticky situations that weren't foreshadowed. (Unless you count him saving coins as foreshadowing) and said plot devices are consequently dropped/ignored for the rest of the of the story to make room for more plot devices.

I rate this low because I hate plot armour and asspulls in stories as this MC and story has a lot of that. From this early on if the writing is this bad, I can't see it getting better in the long run. The author has also purposely left out just how many challenges are needed to complete the story because that gives him more leeway to milk this as long as possible. Unlike reincarnator with its 7 zones and TTITH with its 100 challenges, this one doesn't seem to have an end. <<less

It is a tad amusing to read comments that complain of 'common tropes being rehashed' or 'deus ex machina' being galore, precisely because, the story of ORV is essentially a tongue-in-cheek ode to these very things that are abundant in the webnovel-sphere. One could argue, does it matter if it's self-aware and trying to make a point by these--I'd say yes, because depending on the type of reader you are, that will determine how much you enjoy this novel or not.

One thing is for certain though: if you are not... more>> a patient reader and you do not like a complicated plot with an unreliable narrator that will unfold very, very slowly, in a universe of self-aware inconsistencies that make fun of them, breaks the 4th wall in manners that don't break the 4th wall, and filled up to the brim with every single classical, historical, and pop culture reference and motif out there... you will not like this webnovel. Mecha fights to Eldritch horrors, Greek mythology to Hindu gods, Wuxia to Wizard of Oz; Sing-Shong, it seems, has added every single cultural object that like to this story in a chaotic but self-compliant and complementary way. Does it become a cacophony of images and folklore at times? For certain, but being a fan of many of these cultural iconography, I've actually enjoyed this merry chaos and the interesting ways the author has connected them together and made use of them.

The story, as it unfolds, especially beyond the first 200 chapters, is one of storytelling. We surely understand this from the name of the novel (and its protagonist's name) but this is not simply a transmigration-into-novel story; it's a story about stories and storytelling; does a story belong to the writer, reader, or its characters? Do characters become their own existences irrelevant of author's initial intentions? What is the difference in between how a reader approaches to a story versus an author? What is the line between fiction and reality and how can they impact each other? What are some of the most fundamental aspects of our daily and social lives, our greatest concepts from democracy or nationalism, but merely stories we tell to ourselves, social and cultural constructs? Beyond these core themes, there is also a heavy theme of 'salvation', 'good and bad', and ethics and psychology of suffering and surviving. What does it mean to survive? How can survivor's guilt shape us? Is the action of self-sacrifice truly benevolent or perhaps a curse onto those who are left behind, forced to survive and endure the guilt that someone has sacrificed for their survival? Does the mundane, daily sufferings of an individual ever comparable to great catastrophes? Is it okay to sacrifice a single innocent soul if it will prevent a great calamity?

Are these the most unique questions to have ever been asked in fiction? Obviously not. Does the author do a good job exploring these in a very self-aware format of storytelling with postmodern narrative choices, absurd landscapes, instances of 200-chapters-into-future foreshadowing, a potpourri of not-at-all similar cultural artefacts from a hundred different cultures, and sometimes unexpected but sometimes too-obvious plot devices? Yep, I think they do.

Overall, I loved this webnovel. I love how it has multiple epilogues that dive and question "what does an author expect from an epilogue versus what does a reader expect from an epiloque". I love how it has this crazy diverse array of cultural hash remix. I love how its unreliable narrator is such a simple, ban*l individual yet is also not at all, very unique in the simplest ways, very likable and dislikable both. I love how it has queer subtext and found family and a thousand other tropes that make the journey fun and whimsical in different ways than some of the heavier plot points. <<less

Rating: 6/5

⸢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 ab*ses 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 mu*derous 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.

This is actually pretty good storytelling without a lot of that 'cohesive world cannon' or 'dynamic plotting'. I don't want to suggest there is no plotting- there is a framework and roster of characters which interact, etc- but for the most part it's undisguised pop-up events, and actually (for what this is) that's alright.

The GOOD:

• Reasonably interesting MC
• Fast developing, somewhat interesting plotting.
• Lots of action, challenges, cliffhangers, and 'surprising' resolutions... kinda
• A bit of mystery which is actually semi-justified.

The BAD:

• So much deus ex machina, plot armor & forced plotting. The structure of the surrounding story vehicle 'excuses' it, but it's still there. Some implementations are actually 'clever', but mostly, it's 'magic'.
• Plot puppet characters abound. To be fair, a slight amount of attention is given to some characters in developing their personalities- but don't expect too much, or anything but factors convenient to the plot/current scenario.
• The story framework (foreknowledge via time travel, magical development, influencable magical beings, earnable, spendable 'points', magical auction, etc) is pretty much a (rehashed) farce which is a lazy writer's dream of 'anything can be enabled' pseudo-legitimately.
• Lots of mystery which is really 'only you, the reader don't have a clue' (the MC knows all).
• The occasional interjection of retcon 'convenient knowledge', and 'pseudo politics' of behind the scenes characters or history. All of it is 'on demand' & used to justify the immediate plot.

The DIFFERENT:

• I don't know if (at this point) 'Calamity as televised entertainment' should be considered 'different'- but it's not a frequent story focus, so for those that like this infrequent theme, 'here you go'.

All in all, it'll depend on your taste if you find this likeable, but I think in most cases it'll still pass as interesting.

Review as of c15

Holy Crap!

I must say I’m surprised with this one. I wasn’t expecting it to be this good! Rainbow Turtle strikes again!

... more>> Plot: 5/5

Story of a reader living in the plot of his favourite novel. Sounds generic right? But when you add the terms channels, suscribers, donators, sponsors, and on, does it make you curious? And you add fantasy-apocalypse-gamelike settings genre? And an MC leaning to rational side, but not planning to solo-mode the whole thing? Ahhh I must say, I am hooked!

Characters: 4/5

Mostly MC for now, but overviewed other important characters as well. Can’t say much since it just started, but I’m liking everything I saw so far. Especially the said novel’s protagonist. He’s a douchebag, but I like it. Somehow, I could picture the novel MC read, and could sympathize why he liked it.

Translations: 5/5

Damn, it’s the almighty Rainbow Turtle, ‘nuff said.

Narration/Delivery: 4/5

So far the story had been very immersive. The pacing is great, diction and paragraphs flows amazing. Though, do not expect the western style descriptions that takes a whole paragraph. This novel is action packed and fast paced, not flower prose cake.

Recommend?

No, people, wait for a few more chapters because you will experience withdrawals otherwise.

You had been warned. Have a good day. <<less

From the author of The World After The Fall, this novel is as good as it gets. The sudden change in translator halfway through the novel might confuse you a bit but other than that, it is a darn good novel. Main and a handful of supporting characters are well-developed and I feel that it has a good balance between fighting scenes and story progression.

You can expect close to 0 romance but that does not take away anything from this novel because a lot of aspects of this novel, including... more>> the romance and ending, hinges on how you perceive the story. Also, this is probably one of the novels where the ending is actually satisfying. This is definitely one of the novels which you just need to read till the end to appreciate and understand how good it is. <<less

'Aight, it looks like it's over so review time.

Not entirely sure if 516 is the end, but it sure looks like it.

ORV is extremely well written. There isn't excessive fluff or filler, and at times the pace might seem too fast for some. Inspite of this, the story covers what it should, and doesn't seem rushed either.

If 516 is the last chapter, it's ended superbly although there's certainly room for more exposition. It's ended a helluva lot better than most novels I've read, so it's dodged what I've taken to... more>> calling the KR ending syndrome.

If I was the kind of person to cry, I feel like I'd have been sobbing at points alright? It's a good story, read it. <<less

It's hidden gem.

Just read first 5 chapters (episode 1) and you would know what I mean. It starts like normal novel and not like light novel. And although after episode 1 action becomes more important than writing style, still it's really well written and translated. This is not work of some lazy author who just wants to make easy money on readers. You can actually see that this story is well thought out and author has idea for whole, not only beginning. There could be some spoilers in the review.

Our... more>> main MC is Kim Dokja and Dokja can also mean reader in Korean. And that's exactly who he is. He is the only person who finished unpopular light novel (this is the only thing which is a little far-fetched although after some time we got to know why this novel was so unpopular) which he was reading for 10 years. And this light novel, "Three Ways to Survive in a Ruined World" becomes reality. Humans become part of survival game which is watched by constellation and hosted by beings called Dokkaebis (streamers). He adapts to situation very fast and even he feels some kind of joy of becoming part of the story which he loves so much. But it doesn't mean that he is psychopath. He is just die hard fan of novel but he has his own reflection about it. Have you ever read book and thought "I would do this differently if I were main protagonist". That's exactly what MC wants to do. Author really well grasps character of "reader"

Spoiler

also other readers and even writer-plagiarist.

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Other characters in the story are pretty well developed and we can divide them into 2 categories:

1. Characters of original "Three Ways to Survive in a Ruined World": MC knows them well: their past, future, goals, needs, character and skills. But it doesn't mean that they can't suprise him somehow and that's because author come up with very good setup of "original" novel.
   Spoiler

   Protagonist of original story is regressor. He starts "game" multiple times so there were different kind scenarios of many situations. There are also other readers who eventhough didn't finish novel, they still changed story because of their knowledge just like MC.

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   Also MC doesn't only know humans, he also understand very well constellation and Dokkaebis. And of course he uses that knowledge.
   The most important character of this category is main protagonist of "Three Ways to Survive in a Ruined World":Yoo Jonghyuk. He is ex-professional player who is OP and very dangerous man. MC describes his attitude to him as "Love-Hate". But he knows that he absolutely needs him because of his strength
   Spoiler

   and because he is regressor. He doesn't know what happen with him if Yoo Jonghyuk decides to start everything again. He could just disappear from the story because he wasn't in original novel.

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   Yoo Jonghyuk is typical main character of ligh novel, lonely wolf who wants to achieve everything alone and use people only as his tools. Definitely his behaviour is somehow related to his past (probably something a la Kirito from SAO). He isn't easy person to manipulate and he has his own rules. But his mind is very fragile.
2. Characters who weren't in original novel: they weren't because they would somehow die but they were saved by MC
   Spoiler

   or other readers

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   and his actions. Especially characters who were saved by MC in first scenario trust him blindly but it's understandable. He is their savior who guided them through deadly situations. But it doesn't mean that they are just MC's puppets who are forgotten as the story goes on. They're distinguished and have different values. MC doesn't completely understand them and their skills. He sometimes manipulate them but it is not always easy like in other novels.

Game system: typical, there are levels and skills which you can get naturally (predisposition) or thanks to your own main sponsor (constellation). Main sponsor can manipulate your behaviour or order you. You level up thanks to coins which you get from rewards from scenarios or thanks to constellations who like your behaviour (like in typical streaming broadcast). You can also buy items from Dokkaebis.

Spoiler

Lack of coins can sometimes means death.

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For now one of the best part of this story is pretty well and realistic analyse of people and crowd's behaviour during crisis situation. There are people who lose their hope and lack of initiative. There are also such who try to gain benefit of this situation. MC doesn't behave like saint and saves everyone. He knows that only those who accept reality and take matters into their own hands will stay alive. That's why he can be harsh but it's true help for others.

Setup is not only well thought out but also author makes fullest use of it. This is not a case when at the beginning there is interesting setup but at the end everything is about MC being OP and leveling up or earning. Knowing future and being a reader are important part of the story and it looks like it doesn't change to the end. Great thing is that MC also uses skills of other characters of origin novel and he knows that he needs them to get through other scenarios. And there are others characters who actually think and try to mess up his plans.

This is not completly funny story but there are some situation which make you laugh out loud.

Spoiler

Night of the prophets was great fun

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Overall humour is on good level. There is also pretty good parody of streaming broadcast and readers behaviours.

I know that there are positive review and great ratings of crappy novels on this site. But believe me, this is not the case. This is one of these light novels which become classic. I even suspect that actually "Novel's extra" ripped it off a little.

Spoiler

Probably author of Novel's extra is the same who wrote SSSSS grade infinite regressor.

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Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint is really something worth of your time and you would not regret reading it. <<less

"World of pure contradictions where the result gives birth to the cause, and the cause becomes the result"

I normally despise paradox in a story.

But this time, rather than covering this hole with some mumble jumble quantum theory the author instead exploit it and make it an interesting part of it without much need to explain.

... more>> Also, that's some extensive research on myths, though I doubt some of the accuracy with the real thing, that's still a lot of deities and gods.

You could tell this novel is "planned", author actually know what's up, instead of just "leave this empty for now and cover up later with some big BS...",

it is very well written, and most importantly very pleasing to the eyes. <<less

Ok first of all the series now is being translated on the Qidian platform, and we can all enjoy this beauty there!

A reason to read this is.... DAMN THIS IS LIKE A K-DRAMA!!!

The novel version of viki!

No seriously! This story starts off like ok, pretty nice, I would totally go gay for you, I mean- *cought cought* Let's resume. We learn about the MC's past, and boy if he had a past! The things he says will have a totally different meaning and his interactions with the main protagonist of... more>> the story!!! No spoiler! No spoiler! But... I want to share the LOOOOVE!!!!!

Returning back to the K-Drama discussion. The novel will keep your heart on a leash with its cliffs and when you read another chapter and satisfy yourself just to find out there was another bigger cliff waiting for your arrival! And the story totally unfolds in an unpredictable manner! You know when you read a story, you always kinda "know the future" because you can almost guess all the tropes, right? WELL YOU CAN'T HERE!

This novel is a total rollercoaster of emotions! You will scream! Shriek like a damn fangirl you are! CRY YOUR SOUL OUT! HEARTWRENCHING PAIN! HERE I GO! *insert Mario sound*

∞/10 will recommend!

I don't really want to delete my previous review to write a new one so I will write it down here.

I simply cannot use coherent words to describe how I was feeling... Broken? Hurt? Miserable? Yes.

ORV is the first novel I felt so kindred to. Maybe it was Kim Dokja and his reader status, or maybe it was his fragility hidden behind the 4th wall. Overall, Kim Dokja felt like someone I know. And it hurt. It hurt when you see them making that choice. That s t u p I d choice! I... I.. I don't know what to feel anymore, sad or hollow... Because happiness was never an option apparently...

Spoiler

Edit: I finished the novel. I feel broken, filled with pain and misery. No one deserves happiness more than that damn squid! Why Sing Shong! *waiting for the epilogue* I hope it will get better for him... he doesn't deserve to be alone.

His life created this tragedy.

He then used this life to mend it. He sacrificed himself and he saved others. And in the end... Only his younger self was saved. But Kim Dokja, what about YOU! WHAT ABOUT YOU PABO SQUID?! YOU DESERVE THIS HAPPY ENDING MORE THAN ANYONE ELSE! Why- Why- WHY!

You promised to see the epilogue together... Liar.

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Epilogue:

Spoiler

Sike! I won't spoil it!

I just want to say that Kim Dokja deserves happiness and that's a statement.

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<<less

It was a five early on for the first few hundred chapters. Later on a bunch of time skips happen and the death and struggle if the novel loses meaning. Earth itself, it's people and the emergence of the star stream and the changes it brought to the world don't matter. Story could have just taken place in South Korea, with the three or so foreign characters mentioned being Korean and the story would have been the same past the 10th senerio. The system, stats, skills, attributes, and the individual effects stories had don't matter much. It's just power level=status. The fights become dull, just battles of status. Its DBZ with power levels born from your stories. Senerios hardly mattered past the 10th with little weight behind them. You won't realize it at first, but novel gradually turns from a interesting apocalypse novel to a drama and a thesis of story telling.

Story becomes dull and as well as characters. Rinse and repeat of the MC disappearing and reappearing feeling guilty. And way to many time skips. Too much narration later on if that's the world for it and self examination. MC pretty much loses everything that made him interesting as a Reader, half denying his reader powers towards the end and feeling guilty about everything. He feels guilt for just existing in the second half and fights to not kill himself immediately. All good that comes his way makes him hate himself and feel unworthy. All bad that comes his way he accepts as a punishment . He's far past the point of logic and far as the story has said his salvation is to have been either saved as a child, or die after sacrificing himself for his friends. There's no middle ground and the readers care for this depressing mess of a MC far more than he deserves since at some point you don't just deserve to be saved to he saved, you also need to want to be saved. And his unwillingness to be saved leads to his important people falling into the dark pit he dug for himself.

I'm still reading to know how it ends rather than still enjoying the novel. If the author didn't hide the true nature of the novel so well I and probably others would have dropped it, but he gets you hooked and wanting to learn the secrets of WTF is going on you will most likely stick to the end.

Excellent story. Very interesting setting. Developed side-characters. Creative. Good worldbuilding. And the MC is especially unusual for a KN in the sense that he still retains much of his humanity. Overall, it's been very satisfying and exciting so far. 5/5

Great story. What ruins an story with an overpowered character to me, especially in korean novels, is when they are too cold hearted. This main character is relateable, smart and not, frankly, a psycopath.

So far so good, it's one of those novels that you could finish reading in sitting due to the fact that you'll be too immerse in reading. Well the novel story is quite interesting and no over dramatic plots that would put you into table flipping mode or the likes.

Also I could really say that most of the high ratings review and rating is really well deserved by this novel that's all

Edit: Btw since the Synopsis didn't tell much 'bout the novel: The novel is 'bout a man who reads... more>> a novel and that said novel turned into reality. So he became a part of the said novel knowing most of the things that would happen in it, aside from the epilogue since it wasn't released when the event happened. <<less

I felt I had to say something because the recent reviewers before me hate this novel XD.

Personally, I enjoyed reading it. I've read a lot of novels and the unpredictability of the story and the originality of the character concepts appealed to me the most. I like being unable to predict what would happen next. Despite being the Omniscient Reader himself, our MC doesn't give us the same satisfaction! It's also the first time I read a story that made historical/mythical existences into constellations. I don't think I'm alone in... more>> thinking that these constellations are like us readers in real life: always looking for excitement in a story.

I hope you give this story a chance. <<less