‘Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint’s’ Live-Action Adaptation Is Causing a More Symbolic Issue by Changing Lee Jihye’s Weapon to a Gun

A majority of the fans do not trust a potential live-action adaptation for their webtoon or manga for a very good reason. It is difficult to portray the essential events in real life, specifically if the source material has fantasy or very intense action elements.

Thus, when Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint got greenlit for a live-action movie, reactions were mixed. People were apprehensive about how they would be able to recreate some of the most iconic moments but were also excited after the success of ventures like Sweet Home and Alice in Borderland.

However, now that we have a first look at the movie, fans are not happy with a key change that the makers made. Needless to say, even before the film drops, it has gotten itself involved in controversy with Lee Jihye, a prominent female character.

What does a sword mean to Lee Jihye?

Jihye is a girl whose personality and character, as a whole, resonates with a sword much more than a gun in the first place. To handle a rifle in particular, one needs to be proficient but, at the same time, patient. Jihye, on the other hand, is confident but also reckless.

She is an absolute beast of a swordswoman who doesn’t need a long-range weapon to kill her enemies. Her proficiency in close-range combat proves her worth and her role as a lead character in the series. Giving her a gun also messes with much of the plot’s accuracy, as Yi Sunsin is the Constellation sponsor of Lee Jihye, who also obviously uses a sword.

On top of that, Jihye is supposed to have a deep love for Kendo, due to which she could bond with Heewon. Even her admiration and respect for her mentor, Yoo Joonghyuk, stems from the fact that they both use a sword, and he helped her master that weapon.

A gun completely changes the plot

The kind of weapon that one can see Lee Jihye using in the live action is a heavy sniper that gets used in covert operations. Jihye’s role is to fight on the front lines, and in such a scenario, the only way the makers can change her weapon is by altering the story altogether.

During a crucial arc, Jihye was the one to command a fleet, almost acting like a naval commander. How is she supposed to do that if she needs to stay hidden at a higher position in combat with a rifle as a support?

The only legitimate explanation why the makers thought it would be a great idea to change such a critical aspect of such an influential character is they could not realistically make the actress, Jisoo, learn sword fighting. If that is the case, then shouldn’t it have been a better option to opt for a trained actress rather than settling for a famous face?

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The production of Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint should be bigger than any celebrity because of the immense fan following it has all around the world. Even if we had not seen well-known actors portraying the characters, the movie would have been a successful venture anyway, just like Netflix’s One Piece.

However, now, things are much more likely to go south for the makers for tinkering with the plot and a character everyone loves so much. Let’s hope the anime adaptation that is supposed to come soon does justice to the craft and does not disappoint us with its own interpretation.