Hidden Scenario – Make Way for System Sync!

Written by: Dylan Elizabeth Wolski

Ize Press, an imprint of the manga, manhwa, and light novel publisher Yen Press, is holding its first pop-up shop this August in Manhattan. It features popular series Solo Leveling and Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint. As a longtime manhwa fan myself, with a specific affection for Omniscient Reader, here are my thoughts on this limited-time event. 

What does it all mean?

The following definitions might prove helpful if you’re not familiar with internet and fan culture:

Web novel – A novel that is published in chapter installments, typically once per week or per month on a fully digital platform. 

Manhwa – Korean comics that are fully colored and formatted vertically. This term typically refers to digitally published comics that one reads on their phone. 

Pop-up – A limited-time event that hosts merchandise, behind-the-scenes content, artwork or all of the above. 

The Omniscient Reader’s Rundown 

The popular Korean web novel turned manhwa Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint, often called ORV, follows the story of Kim Dokja: the sole reader of the web novel “Three Ways to Survive the Apocalypse” or TWSA for short. TWSA just so happens to become reality upon the monetization of its final chapter. Using his knowledge of the series, Dokja fights to rewrite the future of the newly apocalyptic world with the assistance of TWSA’s protagonist, Yu Junghyeok. 

The original award-winning web novel was published from 2018 to 2020, reaching 551 chapters and receiving multiple awards for its story and cultural impact. The series also boasts an ongoing award-winning manhwa series and web novel sequel (the former beginning publication in 2020 and the latter in 2023), a star-studded film adaptation in 2025 and an anime adaptation slated for 2028. It’s safe to say that ORV continues to gain traction overseas, outside the large fan community in Korea. 

I have been an avid reader of Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint for nearly a decade now, having read the manhwa since its inception in 2020. I recently started reading the original source material with Ize Press’ physical publication of the web novel. After hearing that there will be an event dedicated to this series only a train ride away, I had to see it myself. 

Experience The Story

Although a bit small, System Sync caters to both new and long-time fans of the series. From the street, your attention is immediately drawn to the shop by the large window displays of Kim Dokja, Yu Junghyeok and Sung Jinwoo (the protagonist of Solo Leveling, the second series featured). Upon entrance, visitors will be satisfied to hear that they can visit the event free of charge. 

To your right, you’re greeted by the display portion of the pop-up event. The center wall features panels from both series. The ORV section presents artwork by Sleepy-C, the illustration team behind the manhwa’s art, and BLACKBOX, the illustrator of the original novel. The set includes images from Dokja’s first encounter with Junghyeok after fiction becomes reality, Dokja and his companions, and Dokja reading his web novel on the subway before the end of the world, among other scenes. These selections are early enough in the novel not to spoil new fans while serving as refreshers for the veteran manhwa fans as they wait for the series to return from a mid-story hiatus. 

Towards the sides of the exhibit space, you can find cardboard cutouts of each series’ protagonists. Here, you’ll find Dokja and Junghyeok sporting red and black suits, the artwork from their official 2026 New Year’s art. These make a great photo opportunity – one that my friend and I partook in. 

Turning to the left, you’ll find yourself surrounded by merchandise in the shop section of the pop-up. Ize Press stocked the shelves with their current prints of both the manhwa and novels of ORV and Solo Leveling, providing fans with a one-stop shop for catching up on the lore. Additionally, multiple acrylic plates, standees, keychains, desk mats and other goods are available for purchase. Additional freebies are included, depending on your purchase. 

If you prefer not to spend any money, visitors can receive free bookmarks from staff and a paper fan if they share the event-specific hashtag to their social media of choice. 

Despite the small size, System Sync packed a punch for fans looking to interact with their favorite series before AnimeNYC later in August. Ize Press plans to host more Solo Leveling and ORV content later this month, featuring a stamp rally at the aforementioned convention. I myself enjoyed the event and the nice weather during my trip to NoHo. 

Now where to put my new standees? That’s a story for a different day.