u/Muted-Structure-3639

I made a post a while ago about discovering this webtoon after watching the movie. Someone in the comments mentioned that the original source is actually a novel, so I really want to thank them for enlightening me. I had already caught up to the latest chapter of the webtoon at the time, and ending on such a massive cliffhanger made my curiosity go through the roof. I was so happy to find out that a completed novel exists.

I haven’t finished it yet since I am only about halfway through. It has been a busy week, so I haven’t had the chance to fully lock in on it. From what I have read so far, the webtoon did a great job adapting the story. They obviously removed some parts, but it is still very enjoyable and captures the characters well. The movie adaptation was done terribly by comparison, so I am just going to pretend it doesn't exist.

So far, I wouldn’t say something hyperbolic like “this is the greatest novel I’ve ever read,” but it is very entertaining. What I love most is how the main characters aren't your usual cookie-cutter good guys. That is the most unique part of the series to me, and it is something the movie completely erased. You don't see that kind of main character often in webtoons.

I love Dokja’s character so so much. In some ways, he is a bit of a psychopath because of the stunts he pulls, but he is ultimately a realist (who happens to have some s**cidal tendencies eheeemmmm). I love how even though he doesn’t actually want to see his comrades die, he also doesn’t hesitate to use them for his own benefit when necessary. He is a master at manipulating others, but he also makes sure he earns the trust he receives. His selfishness is very human and makes sense for someone stuck in that kind of world, which makes him one of my favorite main characters.

I also really love his love-hate relationship with YJH and his frenemy dynamic with HSY. I honestly thought I was going to hate HSY when she first appeared as the Apostle, but she is actually a very realistic and funny character. Definitely my faves female character in Orv. And Uriel is just amazing for the comedic relief she brings. She is genuinely one of the gems of this series.

Since I still don’t know the ending yet, please don’t spoil anything for me, but I am really loving the story so far. Well, I probably make another post lol after finishing the whole things.

(I know I'm so late to this, but here's is my 'rant')

I caught the LA on a whim last week, and honestly, as someone who had no idea it was based on a webtoon, I thought the storyline was decent even if the CGI was a bit of a mess. I walked away thinking, it wasn't that bad.

Then I looked up the actress who played Heewon (she’s absolutely stunning!) and realized it was actually an adaptation. I fell down a total rabbit hole of fan comments they hate this movie and out of pure curiosity, started binge-reading the webtoon this week. Now? Calling it a disappointment is a massive understatement. It’s wild how much they butchered the soul of this story.

The character changes are the most baffling part. Why even bother making a movie if they aren't going to stay true to the characters? They turned Dokja into this generic, selfless saint, completely ignoring that he’s actually a cynical, calculating survivor who just wants to live. They nerfed Gilyoung into a helpless baby who needs constant protection. And don't even get me started on Yoo Joonghyuk, they flattened his complex characters into a boring action trope (not to trash talk LMH, but now I imagined someone younger, charismatic and stunning who fitting more for that “emo” vibe of the character).

But it’s not just the personalities, they gutted the actual world-building and cast too. Removing Han Sooyoung, who is arguably the most important character next to Dokja and Joonghyuk, is just unforgivable. They also completely sidelined Han Myungoh, while that man provided so much of the initial group tension. By trying to cram everything into a 2 hour film, they skipped lots of crucial plotlines.

This definitely should have been a high-budget series to give the plot room to breathe. I’m officially taking back my "not bad" review. After seeing what the story is actually supposed to be, I realize I was hella wrong.