Rivalry is one of the most celebrated pop-cultural tropes for generations. We all remember geeking over “Barbenheimer” competing over… well, nothing in particular. We have also at least once been a part of classic fan wars like Marvel vs DC, Taylor Swift vs Madonna, and many more never-ending disputes. With the recent popularity explosion of webtoons, we have two new champions to compare and fight for: Solo Leveling vs Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint. Beloved by fans almost equally, both earned anime and live-action adaptations owing to their massive success. So, which is better? Solo Leveling or Omniscient Reader?

Solo Leveling Or Omniscient Reader: The Lore

A good lore is all it takes to keep you tethered to a story. True to the fantasy genre, both Solo Leveling and Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint have enough other-worldly elements to hold you to your place for a really long time.

Solo Leveling (7/10)

Dungeons appear randomly worldwide, and with them come blood-thirsty monsters. If not contained, they could wreak havoc upon the peaceful lands. To stop them, human warriors born with magical abilities gather, and whenever possible, they clear the dungeon to gather resources. On one of those fateful days, Sung Jinwoo, popularly known as the weakest hunter, obtained the ability to level up indefinitely after sacrificing himself in a dungeon to save his companions.

While Solo Leveling had a strong opening, 80% of the story fell short of showing any development from the main plot. Sung Jinwoo falls into the protagonist cliché, stronger and stronger, but is taken too far, making the story monotonous for the most part. Jinwoo enters a new dungeon, levels up, defeats the monsters, absorbs them into his special ability, “Shadow Extraction”, and saves his companions.

A controversial opinion is that more than the story, fanservice carried the webtoon. Solo Leveling is a typical video game story where you “get good” after constant, repetitive grinding. You also unlock new gears and abilities while at it. This simple yet visually appealing concept pleases fans’ expectations, as seen in many other fiction, such as Dragon Ball, Bleach, and other superhero comics.

If you are here for the fight, transformations, and hype, you have one in nearly every chapter and trust me, it’s GOOD!

Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint (8/10)

Kim Dokja (“Dokja” can mean “Reader” or “alone”) is an office worker who found solace from the harsh world by reading the novel “Three Ways to Survive in a Ruined World.” One day, on his way home, after finishing the last chapter, the novel immediately turns into his reality. Now, Kim Dokja, the only reader of the story, has to use his knowledge to find a way to survive in the dystopian world. However, instead of going along with the story he read, he changes it to bring an end as desires.

Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint easily has one of the most complex storylines among the popular webtoons. Every arc comes with challenges, twists, and well-written subplots that add to the main story. Every arc starts with a “main scenario.” SingNSong, the author of the webtoon, has added multiple psychologically inducive segments along with the fantasy to hold your interest in the characters.

To paint a better picture, imagine you are playing an open-world game the second time. You know how the story goes, and you also know how it’ll change if you make a different decision. Will the second run be better or worse? Will you follow the same path you already walked? Now, what if the game is advanced enough to adapt to your new decisions and makes your gameplay difficult again? That’s the kind of world Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint has in store for you.

Character Development

When you connect with your story’s protagonist, you resonate with their growth, which inspires you to grow as well.

Solo Leveling (6.5/10)

Solo Leveling, as the name suggests, solely focuses on one person, Sung Jinwoo. He started as the weakest hunter in the story and levelled up to become the strongest thanks to “the system.” His physical prowess goes beyond the charts and beyond measurable. In fact, most of his abilities literally have the title “immeasurable” added to them, like “immeasurable strength, immeasurable speed”, etc.

Jinwoo goes from a weak short boy to a tall, ripped, handsome man owing to the mandatory “one-punch man” training. He also levels up every battle, and there has never been a second time for his enemies throughout the story. His ability “Shadow Extraction” helps him convert world-destroying beings to his puppets once killed.

Unfortunately, Sung Jinwoo gets no further development besides his physical attributes in Solo Leveling. The lack of character depth accounts for his stale psychological growth. His growth from his weak, timid self to the brave, unyielding, merciless force happens quite early and quickly in the story, and this does not warrant any further development as the story progresses. In addition, the other characters in the story play only as an obstacle for Jinwoo to cross, adding very little to the story.

Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint (9/10)

Not just against Solo Leveling, but amongst other similar webtoons, Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint has the best character panel. With deep and meaningful backgrounds for each, you can see a strong foundation for steady growth throughout the series.

Regarding physical development, more than one element contributes to the characters’ growth. Buying attributes with the rewards from the constellations, winning their favours and obtaining new fables, finding rare items, forging weapons, exponential power-ups under certain conditions, and purchasing special items are some ways to level up in Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint.

Similarly, in a survival world where you kill or be killed, every second tests the morals and beliefs you’ve held dear. Every character in the webtoon is constantly pushed to deal with their trauma, make undesirable decisions, and overcome disputes that arise in crucial times to stay alive in the world. What’s more, the growth is visible and consistent with the story.

Kim Dokja overcomes his childhood trauma about his mother murdering his father around chapter 180. Yoo Joonghyuk shows improvement from his regression depression at a notable phase and starts to believe in the future again. Han Sooyong starts as an antagonist but earns the team’s trust to lead them. Likewise, every character is given adequate time and reason to grow in Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint.

Supporting Characters

Supporting characters are colours in a painting. Without them, the art is just lines.

Solo Leveling (6/10)

Solo Leveling has a wide ensemble of casts, each with unique powers and abilities. Jang Sung-Rak, the artist and CEO of REDICE Studio, did not spare any details bringing the characters to life. However, the lack of importance given to supporting characters is one of Solo Leveling’s biggest weaknesses.

Few characters in the story had minor roles to play other than being used as a scale to measure Sung Jinwoo’s power, like Cha Hae-in as Sung Jinwoo’s love interest, Go Gunhee as his mentor and father figure, Thomas Andre as his potential rival, and Yoo Jinho as his friend and only guild member. It is important to understand that Jinwoo strives to avoid casualties as much as possible, so he has his army of shadow beasts to fight every enemy he encounters. His shadow beasts are immortal and can take heavy damage. This overshadows the contribution of other characters. Even antagonists in Solo Leveling lack substance, as the invincible Sung Jinwoo usually defeats them instantly.

Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint (9/10)

“Kim Dokja and Company” is how the main casts of Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint are addressed in the story. In fact, Kim Dokja is not even the protagonist in the dystopian world; Yoo Joonghyuk is. For most of the story, as the protagonist does, Yoo Joonghyuk remains the strongest and the one to suffer the most.

One of the greatest strengths of Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint, even as a light novel, is that every character, including the protagonist, has enough substance to add to the story. Each character is given the space to tell their tales, work on their past traumas, and grow stronger to survive the wretched scenarios created by the Dokkaebis.

There is not a single scenario Kim Dokja could’ve won without his team supporting him. Unlike Sung Jinwoo, who cares for the people and tries not to involve them, Dokja uses his companions as pawns. While this is not his enticing trait, he is confident in his plan and ensures no one dies. Through his actions, he gained his teammates’ trust to the point where they would blindly act on his orders.

Dokja idolized Joonghyuk in the novel “Three Ways to Survive in a Ruined World.” He admired his bravery and strength but hated him for his spite. Dokja was also the only one to know Joonghyuk’s pain of having lived infinite lives. He empathizes with his sorrow over his comrades dying in front of him or betraying him in his past regressions. Dokja swears to break this cycle and free him from his pain, which, for the first time in various lifetimes, gives Yoo Joonghyuk hope. Their brotherhood stands out in the series and is reflected during monumental moments like battles and more.

Art Style And Illustration 

Fantasy lore is only as good as the detail of the art. The webtoons Solo Leveling and Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint have brought their world to life with their immersive art style.

Solo Leveling: 10/10

Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint: 8.5/10

The Fantastic Art of Solo Leveling and Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint

REDICE Studio produced these two series. They are one of the most popular webtoon creation studios known for a baffling number of globally popular webtoons, including Return of the SSS-class Ranker, The Indomitable Martial King, and The Reaper. Jang Sung-Rak, the CEO of REDICE Studio, personally worked on Solo Leveling. On the other hand, a team of artists named Sleepy-C worked on Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint. Every success and milestone the webtoons have achieved reflects the incredible works of the artists.

The art style of the webtoons is captivating with the character designs, scenic world-building, perfect blend of colours that match the ever-changing theme, and visually stunning fight sequences. Both the webtoons are done with such care that you could cry just imagining the effort behind it all. The number of characters drawn and the creative visualization that brings them to life deserve applause, especially when illustrating the monsters that are faithful to the writers’ original description from the light novel.

I feel guilty comparing both and giving a verdict to such masterpieces, but it would be unfair to give 10/10 to both as Solo Leveling is several points better than Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint. Solo Leveling prides itself in its art. The contrast display of every action sequence, the bone-chilling “ARISE!” attribute, the crushing weight in the aura of strong characters, the breathtaking architecture of dungeon scenarios, and the fear-inducing monsters are all that make Solo Leveling stand superior among Shonen webtoons.

Originality Of The Webtoon

Solo Leveling (7/10)

Solo Leveling falls into the cliché of all typical male-focused fantasy stories. The revelation of Monarchs and other Godly beings brings a breath of fresh air to the plot. However, most of the webtoon focuses on repetitive level-ups and upgrades. Solo Leveling is a comic version of a regular RPG. You grind by killing the same monsters repeatedly to one-shot the boss you’ve been struggling to defeat. A common opinion among fans is that the light novel is less interesting than the webtoon. This is primarily owing to the repeated plots throughout the series.

Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint (8/10)

Power couple SingNSong, the original creators/writers of the novel “Omniscient Reader”, wrote a series appealing to the biggest reader’s fantasy. Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint, true to its name, portrays the reader’s perspective of the story if they are in it. How many times have you imagined yourself as the lead character in the books you’ve read? Kim Dokja is a reader like you who lives the story of his favourite novel, but he lives the way he wants, not the way it is supposed to go.

Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint has a complex storyline. In this webtoon, the Gods and historical heroes are constellations like streamers. The Dokkaebis are channel influencers, and humans, aka the incarnations, are players in the stream. The constellations create different scenarios for the incarnations to play, each with a set difficulty. The constellations can award money to the incarnations if they are entertained. Additionally, they can offer to be sponsors where they share their attributes and special abilities.

The writers have extensively researched popular mythologies and historical figures worldwide to inspire the constellations and fables. Though the story is set globally, it primarily focuses on South Korea during the first quarter of the story, embracing the rich mythological heroes of the Eastern country. As the story progressed, it introduced Japanese and Greek mythologies, followed by Russian and Indian fables, and more, creating a hierarchy to represent their power.

What’s more, in addition to God’s realm, there are demon realms, otherworldly beings, and other unknown phenomena that influence the story differently. This extensive story building makes it one of the best original works among most webtoons.

Final Verdict: Solo Leveling Or Omniscient Reader?

Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint wins with a massive difference owing to its lore and well-written characters. However, what lacks in lore, the art and hype of Solo Leveling easily compensate. It is important to note that the opinions on the quality and likability of fiction are subjective. A series can be a life changer for one, while the same can be a waste of time for another. In my opinion, if you are up for an engaging story that feeds your brain, go for Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint. If you want to relax and pass the time, Solo Leveling works the best.

Summarised

At the end of the day, it is up to you to choose what’s best for you – Solo Leveling or Omniscient Reader. If you are reading this article, we assume you have read these popular manhwas, so let us know in the comment section below which is your favourite and why.