So I did it I finally finished all 551 chapters of ORV and oh my God that was such an experience 🥹
I absolutely adore this series.
I love the discussion and the themes of what it is to be a writer, a reade,r and what it is to be the main character.
And I love the way the power of stories are so well incorporated into not only the power system but also the overall plot.
I genuinely don't think I can even explain how amazing this story is but I'm going to focus on the epilogue because the epilogue made everything so much better.
When I finished the main story without the epilogue I was like "you're joking that can't be jow it ends" and I was so dissatisfied because what essentially happened was a very elaborate and covert suicide attempt that didn't look like one at first but once you really sat with what actually happened to Kim Dokja you realized how truly insidious what he did was.
He essentially split himself into giving the part of himself who his companions knew and keeping part of himself that loved TWSA. All to one lul his companions into a false sense of security and continue a cycle that will undoubtedly ruin him in the end.
That is essentially a suicide because Kimcom is never going to know all of him ever again and he is forever doomed to be alone on that train station Reading and reading and reading until he becomes dust. He doesn't realize that ALL OF HIM is who Kimcom loves. Not just the parts of him they know. He completely takes away there chance to know him more, understand him deeper but doing what he does. It really shows you how terrified he is of disappointing people with who he truly is by essentially forever only showing the people he loves the side of him that he wants them to see. It's so tragic that after all this time his fears and trauma still have such a hold on him to this extent. The senerio's we're honestly just a breeding ground and making this complex of his 10 times worse. Because now that he finally has family he doesn't want to lose them but he's also terrified of being vulnerable.
It is so tragic that words cannot explain how devastating it was to read him do that I was like "are you serious?!!" After promising that he would be with them he wasn't at the end of the day because it wasn't all of him it wasn't even half of him it was 49%. WHAT?! This should have been a moment where he truly let his guard down and let himself be who he really was around the people who loved him the most!!!
Safe to say I was frustrated and I was so mad because his suicidal tendencies won out in the end...
but then we get to the epilogue.
And the way the epilogue cleared everything up is genuinely such a amazing way of using storytelling to it's full potential.
The epilogue cleared up everything, gave us more not only information but added so much more depth to the original that it is basically begging for you to reread the novel again. Yes reread all 551 chapters and notice all the moments where the things in the epilogue are foreshadowed and oh my God it was amazing.
HAN SOOYOUNG being ttls123. I genuinely loved that I was so happy reading that because I knew it! I knew that she was the author of both the plagiarized version of TWSA and TWSA. I didn't know the specifics but the moment she said she lost her memories too her Avatar I was like oh she's the author. And it's the way while reading I could see the plot points that would eventually lead up to what happens in the epilogue but the reveal of it still shocks me. I loved that she was the author with such heartfelt comments from Kim Dokja. I love that she was the one who got that because every writee deserves a reader who loves their work and leaves such devoted comments like that I was so happy for her. That was all she wanted and she got that in one of the most twisted ways ever yes but she still got that and I'm so happy for her while simultaneously being so scared.
Genuinely proof that good writing and good storytelling is just great even if your reader realizes what is happening way earlier than you intended for them to.
What really got me however was Yoo Joonghyuk and finding out the he regressed so many times just for the 1% chance of seeing the demon king of salvation. And realizing that the 0th turn being a success and him regressing anyway just to reach the end IE Kim Dokja was just ejdhhddjdbd!!!
I LOVED IT! I LOVED IT I LOVED IT I LOVED IT!!!
Throughout the series I have had such a hard time liking Yoo Joonghyuk's character and after reading that epilogue and understanding the he and Lee Hyungsung are both soldiers just in a different font I have grown so much more endeared to his character.
The epilogue is truly a masterpiece in not only wrapping up the story but also a genius display of time travel shenanigans and how the epilogue is not only the beginning but also the ending it's just so amazing and I love it.
I love the themes I love the characters I love the relationships I love the story.
And I love how it doesn't end.
That "ending" in the epilogue was not a conclusion. This epilogue is the antithesis of what every epilogue is supposed to be. The story is still ongoing it doesn't end and that is perfect.
At first I was so sad at being left hanging like that but when I truly think about it that is the entire point.
A story that does not have a conclusion keeps going forever.
And a story like ORV is one that needs to keep going forever for things to be the way they are and the overall message the theme is trying to convey. It's just so good!!!
It also brings an entirely new meaning to what the outer gods truly are and it's just so good cuz you look back on everything that has happened and you realize just how deep this is.
I have absolutely adored reading this novel and the obsessive hold it has had over me in the past year.
YooHanKim for life!!! The relationship between authors character and reader!!! Oh it's PERFECT!!!