If I could, I would give this a 0.
It’s heartbreaking to see a novel that moved so many get an adaptation that completely strips away its soul. The depth, meaning, and nuance are all gone. Author Sing N Song must be devastated. Imagine watching characters you created with love get flattened, mischaracterized, and turned into people they are not. It’s insulting.Was this review helpful to you?
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Too much changes
That's not an adaptation if you only take the names and change everything elseHow can you justify the title Omniscient Reader if Kim DokJa doesn't get the skill ?
Where are the constellations ? What is the Star Stream for if we don't see their interactions?
Yoo SangAh is supposed to be viewed as the protagonist of a non-fiction novel, and later we discover that she is the most "normal" person (and not referred to as a character), so her quitting her job doesn't fit her personality. Plus, if she's not learning any languages, then she can't have the multilingual skill, which was important in the Disasters arc.
And honestly, does the director really think that swords are too unrealistic when fighting against FANTASY MONSTERS???
How is a bullet more useful when even a blade can slash through an itchyosaur???
And how come every backstory is just pure nonsense now? They don't even make good obstacles to overcome or a good plot twist. It just feels like someone had to add words for an essay and just wrote whatever to match the word count.
There's so much more problem with the storytelling and all the scenes and characters that were deleted, but you should probably just go read the novel or manhwa because it'll be more enjoyable that way than knowing about it through a comment.
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There’s something nostalgic about But Always. Because the main story is set in the ’90s, the moments the characters lived through felt strangely familiar. It's a simple love story about two childhood sweethearts falling in love again, and I really adored both the younger and older cast.It’s been a while since I’ve watched anything with Nicholas Tse, so I was surprised—and really enjoyed—his performance here. I remember him from the early 2000s, where he often played the "bad boy" or characters with a tough attitude. But in this film, he plays a bit of a fool who’s just deeply in love and keeps searching for the girl he can’t forget—whether in Beijing or New York.
What I loved most was that she was always his choice. That consistency in his love is one of the main reasons I adored his character. The story moves quickly, but that’s pretty common in older movies, especially with so much packed into just an hour and a half. I also loved the timeline—it brought back a lot of historical memories, which made it feel like I was back in high school.
One thing I personally would’ve loved to see more of was stronger chemistry and emotional connection between the leads. But I get that with so much happening, it was easy for some moments to slip by. I also secretly hoped that he survived the Twin Towers crash—that maybe he was back in Beijing, waiting for her at their childhood spot.
Things I loved about this movie:
The attention to detail with the time changes. There’s something beautiful about showing how the world changes over time—like the street sign where they used to wait for the bus. It really made me miss the feeling of older films.
I already mentioned it, but I absolutely adored Nicholas’s character.
The ending, where it’s revealed that he was always there, even noticing her during her happiest time at the earthquake camp—that really got to me.
I’m giving this a 7/10 because it was genuinely nice to watch something that felt familiar.
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One Man's Greed and His Attempt to Destroy A Beloved Work
This movie could have easily been one of the top ranking and most profitable movies but the director's greed destroyed it and made it into one of the Unspeakables right up there with ATLA Live Action, Dragonball-Z LA & AOT LA that we have all done our best to erase (if you don't know what I am talking about, GOOD! Let's do our best to forget this too).They made a movie from a very popular and beloved novel with a huge fan base that was very much ready to support this and completely screwed them over. They completely destroyed beloved characters and twisted the original work into something nearly unrecognizable.
To be frank this isn't an adaptation, it is more accurate to say this is someone's badly written self-indulgent misogynistic fanfiction or a badly plagiarized attempt of the original work.
Let me try to paint a picture of what they did with some analogies:
**Please note that the following are made up scenarios are not a reflection or opinion of how I feel about the following works or characters. It is not a critic on other works, I am just trying to explain what this movie has done and changed from the original work**
1) Why are fans mad about the guns?
-For anime fans: This would be like if they made a Bleach Live Action and gave everyone a gun. Ichigo now has a handgun and his bankai changes it to a machine gun. Sounding ridiculous?
-For Chinese wuxia/xianxia fans: Instead of flying swords, they all now have flying guns.
-For Harry Potter fans: You guessed it! Wizards get guns! But not the purebloods because guns are muggle and too high tech, no they get swords and no wands for anyone! Good luck deflecting a bullet with your sword Voldy.
(It should also be noted that the other issue with giving a master SWORDSman guns is that guns are the WEAKEST weapon in ORV)
2) On the subject of Kim Dokja (the main character):
-For Marvel fans: This would be like taking away Captain America's iconic shield and giving him a gun NOT to shoot nazis but so he can go and kill all the people who didn't believe in him pre-serum.
-For anime fans: If Naruto didn't bother with talk-no-jutsu and friendship & just destroyed the entire Hidden Leaf so no one would ever think he was weak.
3) Misogyny? Where? (In the case of Yoo Sang Ah (played by Chae Soo Bin):
-For anime fans: This is like if in FMA Hawkeye was made Mustang's secretary instead of his Lieutenant OR if she quit all together because she couldn't handle the horrors of war. You get the picture. The destruction of a strong and amazing female character into someone who just fades into the background because only male characters can be in the spotlight.
Again these analogies are just for a comparison of what this movie has done and how it has changed the source material.
If these all sound insane or ridiculous to you then you now know exactly how ORV fans felt every time they learned something new about this dumpster fire they call a movie.
Do not waste your time OR money on this. Don't even waste your thoughts.
If you have any interest at all then go read the original novel or even the webtoon.
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hope yall cant make a second one
i genuinely don't think i know enough words in the english lexicon to explain how bad this movie is and how angry it made me to see such a good novel, a literal masterclass in writing trauma, character bonds and character growth, be turn into such a... i don't even know what this is, an attempt at a cashgrab? an "experimental take"?, they turned down the potential of one of the best shows that could be made into such a disrespectful movie. if i could rate this a 0, i would.Was this review helpful to you?
As a precious fragment of dokja i will never accept this monstrosity
Kim dokja would rather give SSSSSS-grade Infinite Regressor a chance than watch this. Han sooyoung didn't sacrifice 13 years of her life to write TWSA to save dokja's life for this either. We don't need LA or even anime adaptation just leave orv alone, i rather sacrifice orv popularity than see my beloved fiction gets ruined by someone who never made an effort to check the og work, no respect for neither fan nor author. I will never acknowledge this LA as ORV, the disrespect is hurtful for us dokja's fragments. And yes i will rate it 1 star even though i will never watch it. Why should i when dokja defended his most beloved novel from haters, i also have the right to do so by bashing the poorest execution of my favorite novel.Was this review helpful to you?
The WORST fanfic I have ever seen
You didn't really expect this to be Orv's LA, did you? Come on, nothing is correct except the character names. It should have been released under a different name, you didn't need to dirty ORV.Please don't make a la again and learn to read books.
What I mean is, hello?? This can't be Kim Dokja. Biyeong, what did they do to you?? Yjh why are you a side character? Heewon, are you tired of being a nameless NPC? WHAT ARE THESE GUNS?? YOO SANGAH, WEREN'T YOU THE OPPOSITE OF A HEALER??
You know? It's not worth saying more. Because they managed to get not a single thing right throughout the entire la. Adapting is really not difficult.. YOU HAD ONLY ONE JOB. AND THAT WAS NOT TO RUIN THE STORY. No one was expecting anything legendary from you, BECAUSE YOU HAD ONLY ONE JOB??
Learn to read these books.
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Kagubata
It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a horror movie that feels like a true horror movie. It strikes a perfect balance between the supernatural and the gory, with a vintage feel, a chilling atmosphere, and effective jumpscares. Unlike many modern films that boast about being "horror that doesn't rely on jumpscares," I actually prefer films like this. For me, the point of watching a horror movie is to feel scared, to be startled, to be on the edge of my seat, never knowing when the "scary things" will pop out. It's a way to challenge myself, which is why I'll always appreciate horror films that can effectively create a sense of fear.The plot isn't overly cerebral, nor is it insultingly simple or predictable. It's a film that keeps you tense, wondering what will happen next, filled with bizarre actions and sudden developments. Although the core of the story is still a demon, the journey of unveiling the mystery, of searching for a way to exorcise it, only to discover that this demonic force has sunk its roots so deep into the human world that it's beyond saving—that's what needs to be constantly refreshed with new, unique, and diverse elements. And to think this film was made in 2005... it truly surpasses most of the horror I've seen recently.
I'm not a die-hard horror fan; I haven't seen that many, mainly because the pacing of the genre (especially in Western films) often doesn't click with me. The beginning is almost always a slow burn, the color palette is dark from start to finish, a ghost possesses some object, wreaks havoc, and kills people. Then, the main character finds an exorcist, uncovers some secret (usually about a restless spirit with lingering resentment or attachment), and in the end, the blame is pinned on human wrongdoing. This is a common formula in many horror films I've seen from various countries. And honestly, for me, what makes a horror film genuinely terrifying comes from things that have depth and layers—things that are unknown and ambiguous. People fear what they don't understand.
This time, the demon in Noroi is a real demon, an evil from the underworld. Although it was summoned by humans, it doesn't exist merely as a vessel to preach a moral lesson. Evil is just evil; it isn't reduced to the socially-conscious, philosophical mantra that "man is the real monster." This time, the supernatural force that humans have always feared is real: an ancient "demon worm" we know nothing about. We are completely in the dark about its origins, methods, form, and rituals. And above all, this unimaginable entity is presented as "existing" in a very real way through documentary-style footage featuring real people. This is the element that makes Noroi one of the most frightening films I've ever seen.
I've always loved this kind of old-school aesthetic. It feels like in our sleek, modern world, there's no place left for ghosts and demons. In a life that's become so mechanical, pragmatic, and reliant on science and technology, people just don't care about the supernatural anymore. Humans seem to think there's almost nothing left that they don't know or haven't figured out, so the value of a good ghost story has been reduced to a trivial joke. That's why I love the chilling sensation of watching something "outdated" in low-resolution footage that is nonetheless direct, bloody, gruesome, raw, and real. The fragmented editing, rather than making the film feel disjointed, creates the sense that the viewer is the one slowly piecing together the hidden story.
In its role as a horror film, Noroi delivers on all fronts. I believe it truly set a benchmark, a standard, and a foundation for the films that followed (from its premise and scare tactics to its ending and narrative style).
However, I have to admit that the beginning is a bit difficult to get through and it's easy to lose focus, so I can't give the film a perfect score. But if you can push through the initial part and truly immerse yourself in the movie, the ending will not disappoint you.
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This is a horror film, disguised as a romance.
This felt disturbing to watch, from the church setting, the subtle music, the cinematography and self-harm depictions, there was no time to breathe in between and actually feel happy for the romantic moments.Never once in my lifetime have I ever thought it as wrong for a girl to enter a relationship with another girl, but this film just gave me that feeling firsthand, and I hate that feeling. Is this what real lesbian girls have to go through in a religious household? Just the thought of it makes me sick to my stomach. I physically could not get myself to watch the ending to this film, because I already saw what it was leading to.
The main girls aren't at fault for anything, they did absolutely nothing wrong. I feel so bad for both of them! Their one comfort and escape (their relationship) is seen as problematic by their parents and the church.
The film itself was done really well, I think it probably did exactly what it intended to. To explore a disturbing reality and bring more attention to this issue. But now I'm conflicted if I should recommend this film, as much as I love it for bringing my attention to the issue, I don't like how disturbed it left me.
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This is like a Spinoff, but even failed as a spinoff of ORV
Do NOT watch, it’s horrible at trying to represent ORV. Even if you’re ignorant because you’re a fan of the actors or just unaware of what this monstrosity did wrong, it doesn’t completely justify watching or defending this THING. There’s so much wrong with this that I might implode just listing it all here. But just know that this “movie” botched so many deep themes of ORV by censoring them out and/or doing a complete 180 of what ORV is conveying.Was this review helpful to you?
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Utterly Disappointing
As I leave my review here I'm still thinking that 1 star review is such a waste If there is a 0 star review then that's what I'm picking!
Why this LA is disappointing I have 49/51 of reason to say this is disappointing but let me just state the 11 things why this is trash LA.
1. The background of the story - what do you mean kdj wants to save the world this guy doesn't give a quack about others, he just wants to reach the end of the scenario with his companions.
2. The Title - what prophecy disappointment is this? This guy is not a prophet he does not care about others and do not share his knowledge about TWSA that he read I don't see any prophecy in the ORV manwha or Novel mayber you're talking about lee seolhwa but kdj what a jk.
3. The Guns - IT'S A FREAKING HISTORY RELATED MANWHA ABOUT YOUR HISTORICAL CONSTELLATIONS?! Maybe Gong Pildu uses machine guns etc but the others are using swords specially Lee Jihye and Yjh. Just what the heck
4. YJH attire and hair style - Yjh has a black long trench coat with leather shoes and beneath this long coat is a black shirt with this unique design of white buckle in the middle that almost looks like a priest uniform, but the LA has this dusty and dirty looking costumes like he was rolling in the dust and dirt all the time. He also has short black slightly curly hair, but the YJH LA looks like he is out of the salon after a rebond. And his freaking using gun just wtquack 😭 what's wrong with you?!!!
5. Pildu is a grandpa now - really LA? What the heck Pildu is a Middle age man like a fat gangster not like this old man he looks like a grandpa not a mister or an uncle.
6. Lee Gilyoung - has this fearless look and always ready, not this kid that looks like he needed his mom all the time
7. Bihyung looks like a labubu - what the quack did you do to our dokkaibei you make him looks like a labubu with cape😭 our Bihyung has this scary look but cute and fluffy and he wears a looks like a rug clothes and his a freaking white not this blue labubu flying labubu with a cape. Just wtquack I'm really shocked is your budget this tight?
8. Yoo sang-ah doesn't heal - she doesn't heal she kills
9. Jung Heewon using a Dagger instead of a sword - really a Dagger? What is this solo leveling? She's a freaking sword user not a dagger!!!! And coins instead of blood that's where the hype came from and you just take it all.
10. Lee hyunsung - I just don't see him the big brown bear look the LA version doesn't come close to the Manwha version he looks like he can crash you with his palm without second thought while the manwha and novel is such a big sweet bear.
11. KIM DOKJA - Kim dokja is shorter than yjh, his body is slender and skinny because he was severely malnutritious when he was a kid, not this bulky guy in LA, kdj did not shout like that when yjh choked him and throw him to feed to the monster infact his even smiling to get on yjh nerves
This is really disappointing I can write more but I should stop now! Pls don't watch this.
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do NOT watch
Read the novel. Live action is terrible and absolutely butchers the core themes and characters.Read the novel instead. Read the novel instead. Read the novel instead. Read the novel instead. Read the novel instead. Read the novel instead. Read the novel instead. Read the novel. Live action is terrible and absolutely butchers the core themes and characters.
Read the novel instead. Read the novel instead. Read the novel instead. Read the novel instead. Read the novel instead. Read the novel instead. Read the novel instead. Read the novel instead. Read the novel instead. Read the novel instead. Read the novel instead. Read the novel instead. Read the novel instead. Read the novel instead. Read the novel. Live action is terrible and absolutely butchers the core themes and characters.
Read the novel instead. Read the novel instead. Read the novel instead. Read the novel instead. Read the novel instead. Read the novel instead. Read the novel instead. Read the novel instead. Read the novel instead. Read the novel instead. Read the novel instead. Read the novel instead. Read the novel instead. Read the novel instead. Read the novel. Live action is terrible and absolutely butchers the core themes and characters.
Read the novel instead. Read the novel instead. Read the novel instead. Read the novel instead. Read the novel instead. Read the novel instead. Read the novel instead.
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serious skills to make the perfectly good novel to an abomination
No matter how much effort you put in the process, if they deliberately fucked the first process which is the writing, then everything would turn into a waste. They're not even short on money so I dont get why the la ended up like that. Were they given a tight pre-prod schedule? Not given enough time to write and brainstorm everything? Not given enough time to read the whole original novel? Or not given enough freedom by the executive producers to make the la as close to the original as possible to cater to a wider audience for money? Either way, that doesn't change the fact that they fucked this up big time and they wasted a lot of money to create this abomination. Bad writing is always a huge turn off in a film no matter how good the visual is, but damn, even the cinematography is bad I couldn't stand watching the whole thing. This is obviously created to farm money from the actors fans, not for film enthusiasts nor novel fans. HIGHLY NOT RECOMMENDED TO WATCH. JUST PIRATE IT IF YOU'RE CURIOUS.Was this review helpful to you?
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It cant be called ORV LA
How it can be an adaption when it changes nearly the whole plot?!?!?Some people say we're overreacting, but honestly, I think the director just has skill issues. The original work was written in their own language, so I can't tell if they're deliberately distorting the content or if they truly just don't get it. Some of the changed plot points even involve their own country's history. Watching the movie, it looks like the director hasn't even read it once.
Even fanfics wouldn't dare to write stuff like this, seriously 🙏. No shame at all, just riding on the novel's millions of reads and then easily spitting all over someone else's hard work. So proud of yourselves, huh?
p/s: To those "LA fans", you guys don't even have the right to call us 'toxic,' especially when you haven't read a single chapter of the novel, know nothing about the original work, and only support this sh!tty piece because of actors you like, just SYBAU 🥀🥀🥀
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