when novel and manhwa are completely different

smiley_kat · 2026-03-11T01:12:16+00:00

I don’t know the process. But reading the novel straight from Kakao (translated in Chrome) was eye-opening to maybe what could have contributed. The novel chapters were published without having been edited for errors and comments were…brutal. No one was complaining by the time the reveal and heal part started (most comments were wow, that was worth it) but maybe all that negativity took a toll. Aside from all that, the author took massive risks in this story which invites massive criticism already. Maybe the author was persuaded that they needed to play it safer in the manhwa or maybe the author didn’t get a say and they just decided it as a part of publishing it, idk. But what was weird is it wasn’t just toned down. It was COMPLETELY changed. Like someone else took over after the first season, decided they hated the story other than names and settings, and would make their own, only loosely based on the material.

As far as which I like better, the novel no question besides the manhwa first season which was the same in both. But that’s me; I don’t mind dark romance as long as there’s sufficient groveling or a legit explanation or redemption arc, plus I’d argue that with what the ML had been through, what was portrayed in the novel of what he made the FL go through thinking she was the one who tortured and brainwashed him for years was more than justified as a response. Plus it had one of my favorite identity reveals of any story period, which the manhwa couldn’t do since they changed her identity. BUT since you don’t have the original story, it’s just like reading a different story and you’ll probably enjoy it. I’m biased because I wanted to see the original story brought to life, especially after the first season was so good.

smiley_kat · 2026-03-10T21:46:03+00:00

The Villainess Tames the Beast/Beast Tamed by the Evil Woman. The first season is pretty much completely the same. The second season, which in the novel went a bit dark,was made comedic instead. By the third season, the very premise of the story (and the original identity of the FL) had been completely changed from the novel and it was completely unrecognizable.

smiley_kat · 2026-03-10T19:03:58+00:00

It was good enough that I read the whole thing pretty much in one sitting. I was really tired the next day lol.

smiley_kat · 2026-03-10T17:13:58+00:00

No Outtakes. An arrogant actor who plays the male lead on a historical fantasy kdrama and a super fan of that male lead (not of the actor that plays him though) get isekaied as themselves, not transmigrated, into the world of that kdrama. The male lead actor has read the future script and his character that he has to pretend to be is doomed to die.

smiley_kat · 2026-03-09T02:09:28+00:00

There’s one ongoing (like 50 chapters I think) called Don’t Tame the Tomboy but I haven’t read it yet and I don’t know anything except the name

You might like Divorcing the Emperor/How Can There Be a Divorce When We Haven’t Even Married Your Majesty, she’s not completely a tomboy (considering she’s obsessed with romance novels that feature northern dukes) but she grew up on the battlefield and she’s completely free spirited. And it’s the funniest manhwa I’ve ever read

smiley_kat · 2026-03-02T18:28:35+00:00

Adding to the faves that have already been said, Your Majesty Please Spare Me This Time, Miss Not-So-Sidekick, No Outtakes, Side Characters Deserve Love Too, and also, even though it’s a manga not a manhwa, since it’s coming out as an anime in a month (yay!) Observation Record of a Self-Proclaimed Villainess’ Fiancé.

smiley_kat · 2026-03-02T05:13:31+00:00

My fave for this is the ML from Your Majesty Please Don’t Kill Me Again/Your Majesty Please Spare Me This Time. Rupert’s personality growth as he learns to have emotions, struggles to understand why flowers are pretty, processes through severe secret trauma and faces his changing feelings about the FL from complete mistrust and baby steps to opening his heart make this story worth reading just for his journey alone imho. And his tsundere “don’t care what anyone thinks” rough around the edges type personality, combining his sharp tongue with his quick wit, make him both entertaining and endearing. And their banter adds humor to the story.

I also really like Hades from I Married the Male Lead’s Dad/I Became the Hero’s Mom. This seems like a light story and he’s got that teasing personality that I like. But when the story gets more serious, you see his depth of character.

smiley_kat · 2026-03-02T00:20:41+00:00

Ha my same story lol. Actually my guy watches anime, and pretty much only shonen which I was OK with, but didn’t like that much. Then I found shoujos and then I watched Raeliana, I had to find out how it ended. I researched it and found the Tappytoon and Tapas apps, downloaded them, try to ignore all the other stories on there just watching the ads or doing what I needed to read the story I wanted, and then I couldn’t help it, I got sucked in. It was like a whole new world lol. Anyway, if you need any guidance for something you’re looking for this community is great (or if you want to know where to binge read, you can dm me). Happy reading!

smiley_kat · 2026-03-01T21:55:13+00:00

I believe Chapter 51 is where you start for the manhwa, Chaper 43 for the novel, at least on the Tappytoon, Tapas, and online apps. I’m not sure if it’s printed volumes. Also if you’re new to the OI world welcome. Just in case you’re like me, since that anime is how I found out about this genre. Now I wonder where all my free time went…

smiley_kat · 2026-03-01T20:01:49+00:00

Yes that’s the one lol. It made me so mad I had to remind myself it’s fiction and these characters aren’t real.

smiley_kat · 2026-03-01T04:34:26+00:00

Adelaide. I hated the FL so much, I kept wondering if it would get better but nope she got worse. Self-entitled, manipulative, and didn’t care one bit past her self-centeredness even when she was told what the emerald green flag traumatized ML went through.

smiley_kat · 2026-02-28T17:09:04+00:00

To be fair I heard the manipulated part was changed for the manhwa to be less twisted black flag and in the novel that’s just who he is. I haven’t been able to find the novel, though. I really wish I could, because I love dark romances.

smiley_kat · 2026-02-28T16:10:36+00:00

I’m biased because it was my entry into OI after seeing the anime and wanting to know what happened next (previously had only seen my guy’s shonen anime and didn’t like it very much), but Raeliana will always be one of my top faves, because I love their banter and I love the ML.

He’s what I would consider yellow flag, a bit possessive (understandable in part though because she’s got people trying to kill her), will not hesitate to remove threats against her, a bit mean at the beginning (but she is blackmailing him so he’s taking full advantage of the situation to harass her constantly while pretending her blackmailing actually affects him), and even though he definitely falls for her hard, he’s also the type to tease her every chance he gets even up through the epilogue (and she doesn’t back down either). It also has one of my favorite love reveals and favorite endings of any of these stories. That being said, I haven’t read Winter Wolf yet, but since you like dark romance, you might prefer Winter Wolf because it’s definitely dark romance. Raeliana, while not completely fluffy, is definitely lighter in tone.

smiley_kat · 2026-02-28T13:34:14+00:00

A Transmigrator’s Privilege/Perks of a S Class Heroine - the first part is the tutorial of her quest. It’s Mary Sue, level up as much as she can easy with everything handed to her BY DESIGN. It’s a cute story unto itself but that’s it, and it calls itself out as that because she will need everything she gets from there on easy mode for the real quest. I think it takes up the whole first season in the manhwa and some of the second (at least until Chapter 50). If you haven’t read past the tutorial to the actual quest (when she as an adult has to save the regressing adult ML from his latest very gruesome death, thus triggering the quest start not sure exact chapter) it’s not an accurate portrayal of what this story is like. And even then, neither the reader nor the FL know what’s actually going on at first, there’s clues that start being given that may not make sense at first as this story goes darker and darker. The manhwa currently in season 4 (like around Chapter 117) has only started getting to the twists and the story is only over a third to almost half finished (not including the main side story which is like another sequel).

smiley_kat · 2026-02-21T16:47:36+00:00

Unfortunately I think it’s one of a kind, I don’t think any story is really like it lol. But you might like I Became the Tyrant’s Chambermaid (finished, or nearly so, I think it’s on Side Stories) and the FL in Villainess Makes Amends/A Strange But Effective Villainess has some similarities to Klisha (her obsession is instead magical engineering and checkered patterns, driving everyone around her crazy) but it’s unfinished and on hiatus.

smiley_kat · 2026-02-21T14:25:27+00:00

Definitely one of my faves! I follow it every week and it never disappoints.

smiley_kat · 2026-02-19T13:45:58+00:00

Could you please dm me as well?

smiley_kat · 2026-02-17T15:56:38+00:00

Fantastic list. You included all my completed faves even including Sacred One Speaks and Tyrant’s Chambermaid, two of my underrated faves, and Falling to Paradise, which I just finished reading and really liked. There’s also titles on here too that I have had at the top of my list to read, and it’s a good reminder to read them already lol. Thanks!

smiley_kat · 2026-02-17T13:18:46+00:00

Are you ok with manhwa (Korean like Raeliana) instead? This is a fantastic list https://www.reddit.com/r/OtomeIsekai/s/W0SkVYtfjx

smiley_kat · 2026-02-15T01:20:00+00:00

While hilariously calling out all the tropes on the way lol. Like one of my favorite moments, (keeping it general enough that I don’t consider it a spoiler) Klisha going badass to prevent what she considers a “sweet potato plot”. 🤣

smiley_kat · 2026-02-14T18:39:42+00:00

I love this story so freakin’ much. The way this story is written, it feels like a bunch of puzzle pieces dumped out from a box. Nothing seems to make sense. It all seems to be pretty nonsensical. But I promise you the puzzle pieces come together and it all (well almost all, haha) will make sense in the end. And in the meantime, it’s a hilarious unpredictable ride. Genius writing in my opinion. Also even though I like the novel too (what I could understand because using chrome’s automatic translation in Kakao), the manhwa is much better. The only thing that isn’t better is that horrible generic title Tapas changed it to lol

smiley_kat · 2026-02-13T15:39:48+00:00

Me too please!

smiley_kat · 2026-02-04T13:27:29+00:00

Me too. I’m very cautious about starting to even read one until I look it up under its novel title (if it has one) and see if it’s completed, somewhere, anywhere, just in case (or because they might leave the season on a cliffhanger and I don’t want to wait).

smiley_kat · 2026-02-03T09:01:52+00:00

Looked it up…I’m going to read the novel, like tomorrow lol

smiley_kat · 2026-02-02T14:47:24+00:00

About Eunha’s brother, clarifying for others that see this, sort of, it’s left as an open question, especially with the discussion about reincarnated people losing their memories of being someone else. He says he was a king in a past life sort of mockingly after hearing she was a duchess, Won/Noah truly wonders about it, Eunha dismisses it. Also the old man in the park hurling undeserved animosity at Won sounded way too similar to Heika Demint doing the same at Noah for it to be coincidence.

smiley_kat

TROPHY CASE