The Better Korean Webnovel You've Never Read
The "Second Coming of Gluttony" intricately weaves together themes of addiction, regret, redemption, and the relentless pursuit of self-improvement within a captivating fantasy narrative. It is a korean webnovel and manhua written by the author Ro Yu-jin. It has 488 Chapters + 1 Epilogue (Complete) and 58 Side Story Extras + 2 Epilogue.
With the backdrop of intense fantasy elements and the incorporation of the seven sins motif, this novel stands out as a compelling exploration of human nature and the quest for personal growth. Through meticulous world-building and nuanced character development, the author crafts a narrative that resonates deeply with readers, inviting them into a world where reality and fantasy converge in profound ways.
The novel displays the qualities of traditional novel-length formats-- the author has mapped out in advance the backstory and their critical plot elements, and it shows. Small details in early chapters hint to a greater world, and yes, that greater world exists, and is remains consistent.
One simple example is the main character's main ability, the power to scan items and characters, then see them in different colors representing a certain characteristic. The ability shows the color green for non-hostile, red for deadly threat, and so on. However, the author has wisely left this ability as partially locked, so his colored vision doesn't work on the most plot-centric characters or items; they don't have a color. However, you know the author is working hard behind the scenes, because eventually with his ability, everything has a color. Therefore, when something doesn't have a color, the author must know why. Better still, the flawed main character doesn't just passively accept his ability, he makes judgements on why something would be non-colored. He is curious how his ability works, and realizes that a lack of information in his ability is still information, and responds accordingly.
Character Development
One of the most remarkable aspects of "Second Coming of Gluttony" is its ability to blend real-life issues with fantastical elements, offering readers a story that is both captivating and deeply relatable. The protagonist undergoes significant character development throughout the narrative, transforming from a flawed and troubled individual into a beacon of hope and redemption.
His journey is marked by moments of introspection, growth, and ultimately, self-discovery, making him a compelling and empathetic character. Furthermore, the novel explores the protagonist's strained familial relationships, adding layers of complexity to his journey and highlighting the universal themes of love, loss, and reconciliation.
Originally he is a gambling addict who has completely ruined his life. However, he gets a wakeup call from his future self, and tries to fix his life step-by-step while bearing all the consequences of his past. Each step along the way, the reader is with him, and we see his desires, his fears, his regrets, and his thoughts. If you cannot stand the protagonist, then you will hate this series.
He finds new hope in a completely new world, despite the strings attached. Here in this new world he can completely dedicate himself to a new cause so he can forget the sheer guilt and shame of his past, throwing himself headfirst into extreme danger and coming out a winner each time. He is capable of being ludicrously focused and determined, deathly serious and tenacious when it comes to survival and can also possess commanding determination when speaking with others in the alt world. When not serious he is a prankster and consistently trolls others (girls, specifically). The strangeness comes when we get into his character quirks, which in turn ties into the harem.
When the protagonist is dealing with his numerous female friends, he'll have frequent bouts of outright bizarre and childish behavior. While usually played for laughs, these moments clash so dissonantly with his normal personality that it becomes referenced by the harem in the plot directly. To the author's credit they legitimately make a serious attempt to explain why he exhibits such density and outlandish behavior with girls, and while I commend the author for doing so it also made me mildly uncomfortable.
The Harem
The harem in mainly explored in the side stories. The harem within the main story is executed fairly well, if we're being honest. The girls are all recognizable and possess unique voices, some are adequately represented visually. They all have functions in the story and don't fade away. There is no commitment to romance or adult material until the very, very end and it's mostly up to the side stories to expand upon how the harem actually becomes a true harem.
While the characters within the harem are distinct and contribute meaningfully to the plot, the execution at times feels contrived, leading to moments of reader discomfort. Nevertheless, the author's conscientious efforts to address this dissonance are evident, though not entirely flawless.
The World-Building
The quality of writing in "Second Coming of Gluttony" is exemplary, showcasing the author's meticulous planning and attention to detail. From the early chapters, subtle hints and foreshadowing lay the groundwork for a richly developed world that unfolds with each turn of the page.
The narrative of "Second Coming of Gluttony" delves into political intrigue, exploring the dynamics between various factions in both the fantasy realm and Earth.
Dying in the other world basically does not affect the "Earth" you. If you die in Paradise (the other world), you just forget your memories there and return to your daily routine on Earth. That's one safety net.
Yes, you can revive in Paradise given the requisite requirements.
There's also an apparent political backstory in the novel. The human kingdom the protagonist is residing in is flanked by some kind of alien menace and a coalition of demihuman nations. This is largely carved out a little at a time as it's set up and self-apparent that the average earthling is neither particularly interested or informed about the geopolitics of the world.
But as the story goes on, it eventually becomes evident that the inability of the "humans" of the alternate world to unite with Earthlings is what leads to their doom. So it becomes necessary for the protagonist to be the factor that causes a lasting political union between Earth factions and the primary native human faction.
A side effect of this choice is that the author deliberately makes the different political factions and nationalities and races of Earth to be the core reason for the ending of humanity in the fantasy world. Because Earthlings can freely travel between Earth and the fantasy world (which needs a name, dammit), they maintain factions that exist on Earth. So literally, the Mafia is competing against the Triad.
Although it's unclear exactly what benefits the travelers get from the fantasy world (we can only presume they are vast, as the fantasy world lacks the convenience or entertainments of the modern world, which they can go back to at any time), the top powers are very wealthy on both sides. In any case, this means that despite being a Korean webnovel, people from across the world are featured as travelers to the fantasy world, and thankfully, there's no trace of racial bias in the setting, although it's established early on that for reasons unknown to the protagonist at this time, Korea, China, and Germany are special regions allowed national representation instead of continental representation, and should thusly make an outsized percentage of the Earthling population. Indeed, the most powerful faction is some made-up Korean corporation.
Of course this is convenient for the author's purposes of having Korean characters, but the author establishes the necessary backstory-- it isn't set in stone that Korea is powerful, it's just that the most powerful Earthling was a Korean, and by his merits, he essentially single-handedly made them the most powerful faction, and the author makes this an interesting political crisis, because he's disappeared at the start of the novel, and they're experiencing a crisis because of the power vacuum created from their top agent being MIA, and this directly affects the protagonist as he was recruited by one of their agents, so to some extent they regard him as one of their own, and regard him as a very promising rookie.
As a side effect of factions being able to freely travel back and forth, this also means that power on Earth directly translates into power in the new world (and vice versa), and the novel has broadly hinted that developing nations are mostly unimportant because of this - with not a single graduate from South America, Africa, or Oceania from the protagonist's tutorial round.
Accordingly, we can presume that the factions from these Earth regions are very weak relative to the factions from other regions. Again, this isn't meaningless backstory, as political fighting from factions from Earth are again the core reason humanity fails in the fantasy world.
This adds richness and depth to the overarching storyline, with the protagonist's actions serving as a catalyst for significant geopolitical shifts. The author adeptly integrates real-world elements into the fantasy setting, creating a compelling backdrop for the unfolding events. Furthermore, the exploration of factional rivalries and alliances adds a layer of complexity to the narrative, keeping readers engaged and invested in the outcome.
Conclusion
Overall, "Second Coming of Gluttony" offers a compelling blend of fantasy, drama, and introspection, making it a worthy addition to the genre. While some aspects may falter, particularly in the handling of certain character dynamics, the novel's strengths far outweigh its weaknesses. Fans of immersive storytelling and nuanced character development will find much to appreciate in this engrossing tale of redemption and self-discovery.
