According to the Korea Times, the movie "Omniscient Reader" is witnessing high ticket sales in the context of quite gloomy box office revenue in Korea.
However, the work also received mixed reactions from audiences who are long-time fans of the hit original novel with more than 240 million views and has been adapted into webtoon.
Many readers who love original novels point out the deviations in plot and characters when the work is adapted for the big screen. They expressed disappointment at the "simplification" of building the world on film and depicting the characters to suit the 2-hour adaptation.
The film is about Kim Dok Ja (Ahn Hyo Seop), the only reader of a long-running online novel. On the day the novel ends after more than a decade, Dok Ja discovers the fictional world in the novel suddenly becoming a reality.
Dok Ja, along with the novel's main character Yoo Joong Hyuk (Lee Min Ho) and his companions Yoo Sang Ah (Chae Soo Bin), Lee Hyun Sung (Shin Seung Ho), Jung Hee Won (Nana), Lee Ji Hye (Jisoo), Lee Gil Young (Kwon Eun Seong) must find a way to survive in a world in decline.
A particularly controversial point is the portrayal of the main character Kim Dok Ja. In online novels, he is described as a calm and strategic person. However, this adaptation mainly focuses on the emotional aspect of Dok Ja, leading to a disjointed feeling in the plot.
Similarly, Yoo Joong Hyuk, who is a warm-hearted character, is portrayed with more kindness in the film. Some audiences praised Lee Min Ho's acting for showing a more humane image. On the contrary, many viewers believe that the film has not fully depicted the multifaceted nature of the character.
Despite the changes in adaptation and controversy among viewers, the duo of authors of the original novel, known as singNsong, have publicly endorsed the film.
The authors called it a mental interpretation of their globally popular work, describing watching the film as a mysterious feeling, despite some differences from the original idea.
"It seems that the film focuses on conveying the message within 2 hours, instead of covering all the themes from the original novel. I think this is a meaningful effort, said singNsong.
The author also pointed out the difference in the way creatures are described in the film: "The creatures appearing in the film are somewhat different from what I imagined. I believe that there have been many considerations in the live- action adaptation process.
If the creatures of the original story are closer to "horror", then the creatures in online films feel "mysterious". I think creatures on screen will be more loved by the audience.
Among the diverse cast of characters recreated, the author of the original novel was impressed with the personality change of the character Lee Gil Young, played by 10-year-old child actor Kwon Eun Seong.
The Korean Film Council reported that as of July 25, after 3 days of release, "Omniscient Reader" has recorded 281,206 tickets sold and is currently leading the Korean box office.
According to News1, in addition to the controversy from fans of the original novel, many audiences have expressed their interest in the film.
They felt fresh when witnessing a world of supernatural that was hard to find in Korean movies, along with a plot of thrillers like participating in a video game.
News1 also noted that fans of the original novel are not satisfied with the adaptation. But before that, the production company of "Omniscient Reader" - Realize Pictures - had the work "The Death Project" (2 parts) which achieved resounding box office success, despite controversy over adaptation.
