Some believe Persephone chose to eat the fruit and othersbelieve Hades tricked her, however, after spending time in the Underworld together, they fall in love. Once Persephone was brought to the Underworld, Minthe grew jealous, attempting to seduce Hades once more and proclaiming she was better than Persephone. This contention seems to suggest a rather depressing corollary, though: Maybe those classic stories aren't just relevant, they're sufficient. The friendships and the lies, the gossip and the wild parties, and of course, forbidden love. Del Rey Also i feel like the dialogue falls flat sometimes, but thats fine lol. The webtoon sensation is finally in print, and it is a stunning celebration of one of the first love stories ever told. Combining several of the expected tropes of a . The breakup scene between Hades and Minthe is one of the great feats of storytelling in Smythe's first season. It can be read here. KEEP READING: 10 LGBTQ Webcomics to Read During Pride. WithZeus in hiding, he was able to grow into maturity, eventually infiltrating Cronus' home and poisoning him to throw up his siblings, who had also grown up. But anyone who's drawn into Smythe's world will appreciate its beauty and wit, and few will escape its seductive ambiguity. "Two ways. These gods play the same interpersonal games that dominate today's sexually frank, cell-phone-mediated social world. Privacy Policy. hide caption. What started as a love for comics, film and television turned into a career after graduating with honors from Lewis & Clark College. I think the storyline is generally for adults but a young adult reading this wouldnt be exposed to anything explicitly inappropriate in my opinion. lol. one year ago. I resent the way she writes her story so poorly and yet it appeals to so many unsuspecting people. Season 1 deals with Persephone navigating both the freedom and danger that Olympus presents, as well as her growing feelings for Hades, and her conflicted feelings regarding her TGOEM scholarship, which requires her to remain abstinent. Minthe is drawn as a manipulative, careless, emotionally abusive character when audiences first meet her; however,Smythe's focalization of the narrative onto Minthe challenges readers to shift their sympathies. While the Webtoonchanges how the Gods attempt to woo Persephone, it captures the essence of this part ofher myth. She says that finding true love is a journey like climbing the rungs of a ladder from the recognition of pretty people to pretty ideas. hide caption. "What you want is an excellent queen of the Underworld, not an 'ok' one. I do not think it's overrated. The story dives into Greek mythology, primarily the story of Hades and Persephone, but retells the classic stories and beliefs with modern themes . ", "Mother says banks are run by greedy charlatans. Here are the lines that changed relationships in Lore Olympus and perfectly encapsulated this moment. Smythe's Greek translations with an assist from a Twitter fan are not strictly good Attic Greek, but the sentiment in English succinctly captures the dynamic of Hades and Persephone's relationship. For Persephone, it's her overprotective mother and the predetermined plansfor her to be a Goddess of Eternal Maidenhood, something Persephone isn't sure she wants. i mean, she has many editors and shit so this shouldn't logically be happening.. Scan this QR code to download the app now. She just became Hades wife and Queen of the Underworld, she hasn't even found her fucking footing. Persephone's story dominates this book, which collects episodes 1-25 . In October 2019, the Jim Henson Company announced a partnership with Line WEBTOON to create an animated Lore Olympus series. But its inner heart is as backwards-looking as floral upholstery and reruns of Friends. In mythology, this is fairly close to the truth. So i started reading other webtoons while waiting between episodes. Lore Olympus regularly deals with themes of physical and mental abuse, sexual trauma, and toxic relationships. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Lore Olympus Connection. The writing just needs to level up, so to speak. At the same time, though, Smythe wants her readers to reflect on how the antiquated values that have shaped social relations since the time of myth persist in our modern era. Another time, a god is seen reading an actual newspaper (the very notion!). Withthis season wrappedfor the summer, here are the biggest mythsLore Olympusreimagines so far. like. Lore Olympus continues the long tradition of Greek mythology, reimagining the classic characters and legends, so they better suit contemporary audiences, challenge the more problematic aspects of the myths and make an overall engaging story that is unpredictable despite being based on lore centuries old. Now I know its mostly referenced on the Greek mythology and I do think the age gap wouldnt be a problem if it done the right way. He eventually calls it quits for good, partially because he has truly found someone who values him and partially because he's realized he deserves a healthier, more stable life. Needing a "positive navigator" is what the arc of the first season is all about, whether it is someone who can give good directions whilesomeone isdriving or going through a new kind relationship. The story was relaunched on March 4th, 2018. #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Witness what the gods do after dark in the third volume of a stylish and contemporary reimagining of one of the best-known stories in Greek mythology, featuring a brand-new, exclusive short story from creator Rachel Smythe. Beyond writing and editing, she was the Film School Director at River Way Ranch Camp and the Assistant Director on the play Famous. After meeting at Zeus' party, Hades and Persephonedevelop feelings for one another, however, each of them have obstacles in their way. I hate that this comic is basically just Greek Fifty Shades of Grey. I binged as far as i could and reread it too. I hate the fact that she wrote Nymphs as some kind of allegory or parallel for the working class yet the two main nymphs that we see are 1. It also plays on the theme of similarity which Hades tries to identify with Persephone and disassociate with Minthe. At one point two gods call one another using corded phones. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. The childhood of Hades is only told through dreams and flashbacks, butit is revealed in one of these nightmares what his father did to him. I want to read it but really don't want to be disappointed, is it really worth reading? Im not. Lore Olympus is subject to a lot of scrutiny i try to expand on whymy socials:https://malacalico.carrd.co/castlevania zine preorders and info:https://castlevaniazine.bigcartel.com/https://castlevaniazine.carrd.co/Lore Olympus by Rachel Smythe:https://www.webtoons.com/en/romance/lore-olympus/list?title_no=1320\u0026page=1music:The following music was used for this media project:Music: Elevator Music by Tim KuligFree download: https://filmmusic.io/song/8872-elevator-musicLicense (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-licenseArtist website: https://timkulig.com/albums Its just that nothing really happens in an episode. like theres no story building and it takes episodes to move the plot forward. Anyways happy cake day to me , Scan this QR code to download the app now. I know that Rachel credits art assistants, and she does profit off her story, so i dont feel super bad about critiquing her. There are sexual nuances throughout the story- the act is implied, but there is no nudity or explicit scenes. This agenda appears most clearly in the book's art. When Persephone sees him with her friend, she threatens to tell Daphne the truth, and if she does, this could be what causes Daphne to reject Apollo in the future if Smythe decides to pull more inspiration from the original myth. New Graphic Novel 'Celestia' Wanders An Earth That's No Longer Home, 'Prince Of Cats' Melds Comics, Hip-Hop And Shakespeare. Because it turns out, the gods aren't so different from us after all, especially when it comes to their problems. Hades drives Persephone home after her first day of work, giving them yet another chance to have a heart-to-heart in a car. Just like you, the same as you. The Webtoon is full of references to . ", "I always assumed that falling in love", "I love the way you treat me and I want to feel that way all the time. EDIT: I made this post a long time ago so if youre still angry about it. Lore's characters may be inspired by the original stories, but they act less like their millennia-old versions than like young people of today. Hardcover - October 11, 2022. There's Classism Among The Olympians in "Lore Olympus." This may sound like a bad thing to like the comic, but classism is a real-life issue that makes the world and the characters more real. Cookie Notice Overhearing this, Aphrodite plots to get the two to dislike each other by sneaking an intoxicated Persephone into the backseat of Hades' car. For more information, please see our The old episodes were subsequently deleted from the platform and have not been officially released. It isbeautiful, poignant, and complex. [Many YA readers have already experienced the story on Webtoon, you can check out the comic there to see if you think it's a good match. Privacy Policy. Stylish and immersive, this is one of mythologys greatest stories -- The Taking of Persephone -- as its never been told before. Minthe's definition of relationships aligns in part with Aristophanes's definition in the Symposium, a union of broken people. She tweets at @EtelkaL. Lore Olympus is a modern retelling of the myths of the Greek pantheon, majorly focusing on the growing relationship between the deities Hades and Persephone. Daphne is also a friend of Persephone, and she is utterly supportive of Apollo, who seems to only want her as an accessory. Full quote:"I always assumed that falling in love would be something that would happen slowly over time not all at once.". or ask your favorite author a question with Thankfully, Apollo has not harassed Daphne in LoreOlympus, but he has raped Persephone. RELATED: Percy Jackson: How the Films Went Wrong - and How Disney+ Can Get It Right. This causes her great remorse. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. I honestly hope that Rachel Smythe takes a couple classes on basic creative writing and plot structure and I hope she learns that just because she was taught some things about Geek Mythology, that doesnt give her the right to go around making a mockery of it because she wanted to be director (or whatever she said in her interview). The potential is there, the art is there, the story is there. I think it's just bad. Welcome to r/UnpopularLoreOlympus, a safe place to talk about Lore Olympus theories, opinions, and criticism that would generally generate a lot of hate and downvotes! In this scene, Hades finds the words to express how Persephone's youthful, cock-eyed optimism doesn't make her a Pollyanna, it makes her alive to the possibilities of the world. I don't just hate Lore Olympus but I resent the comics author. As such, the unspoken theme that lurks in Lore and, when you think about it, lurks in any work that updates a classic story is a conservative one. And the way the author responded to those critics..didnt sit well with me. Zeus has never been the nicest god, in mythology or in Lore Olympus. In it, Hades tries to articulate all of his apprehensions about diving into a new relationship with a goddess he knows nothing about. Persephone talks about her thirst for true intimacy after living topside and her feelings about the banking system reflect that aversion to impersonal relationships. Here are some webtoons to read if you liked Lore Olympus: 1. I know thats a strong word and thats fine if you want be upset with me but honestly I do hate this comic. NEXT: Lore Olympus: Persephone's Top 10 Outfits, Ranked. She can be contacted at caitlin.c@cbr.com, and her social is @comiccookbook. Lore Olympus was the first webtoon i read. "You look like a relic." I binged as far as i could and reread it too. The subreddit dedicated to webtoons. Witness what the gods doafter dark. The first time we see Persephone, she's planning to wear a toga-style robe to Zeus' big party. The subreddit dedicated to webtoons. Hades's sentiment is a paraphrase of Ernest Hemingway from The Sun Also Rises ("How did you go bankrupt?" Why do we need new stories at all? Dark Simplicity by Jayke. Now Im not saying its a bad webtoon. The fact that Smythe is the main artist, as well as the story's creator, is pretty dang impressive, too. I've never really heard of it and the art looks really pretty, but I've tried to research on it and not able to find out any source that pointed out what the story is. It is getting its own animated series (made by the Jim Henson Company), and always manages to stay number 1 in the weekly rankings on the app. The line also hints at the fact that there are more confidence and adventure to Persephone than first impressions suggest. I hate how all (and yes I mean all) the characters have such inconsistent characterization that it isnt surprising when they act out of character, its just frustrating. With that, a mature teen could likely . I would say this is a book for YA readers rather than teen readers. Hades reveals to readers in this scene that he had intentions to propose to his emotionally abusive girlfriend, the river nymph Minthe, at the party where he met Persephone. Etelka Lehoczky has written about books for The Atlantic, The Los Angeles Review of Books and The New York Times. It's hard to imagine that anyone could ever receive good life advice while having brunch with their brothers in a strip club, but Zeus's line is one of the first times that Hades is confronted with the idea that he deserves better than settling for someone who tolerates him. It's like couples that adopt a baby to fix their marriage. Before Hades knew Persephone, he had a toxic relationship with Minthe, a nymph. So I download Webtoon a few weeks earlier due to boredom, and immediately fell in love. Semele gave birth prematurely and died. Minthe appeals to their toxic codependency, as if it's an argument in favor of staying together. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. In Plato's dialogue about finding love, called the Symposium or "Drinking Party," Socrates tells a story about how he learned about the meaning of true love from a soothsayer named Diotima. Persephone and Demeter have been punished for ten years so far, and he's failing Persephone over the tiniest errors. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. The subreddit dedicated to webtoons. They still have plenty to tell us because we're not, at bottom, all that different from the people who dreamed them up hundreds of years ago. Witness what the gods doafter dark. This comic makes so viscerally angry. I resent that she employed the May . The story is set into motion when Hades catches sight of Persephone at a party and comments that her beauty rivals Aphrodite's. I wanted to read it but found out many people saying that the Webtoon is extremely weird, messed up and really, really overrated. RELATED: How Lore Olympus Became One of the World's Most Popular Comics. In Lore Olympus, Persephone is the youngest goddess, a character best poised to modernize the Underworld much like the historical evolution of belief and practice. and our Racking up hundreds of millions of views since its debut in March 2018, Rachel Smythe's stylish creation has helped propel the Korean comics platform Webtoon to worldwide success practically overnight. and our Rachel Smythe's writing in the ultra-popular webcomic Lore Olympus contains elements of tragedy and comedy that suit modern sensibilities through the medium of classical themes. Apollo, after being struck by Eros' arrow, falls in love with Daphne, however, she rejectsApollo's advances and begs her father to turn her into a tree, so she willbe free of him. Welcome back. This is a powerful quote that reflectsLore Olympus's mature handling of its themes. To not make it too long Ill just talk about the one that made me look at lore Olympus differently is the age gap and how the main characters respond to it. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Easily one of, and in fact, the most popular title on the platform is Lore Olympus by Rachel Smythe. Instead, Aphrodite has Eros a flighty guy with a shopping addiction get Persephone drunk and hide the passed-out girl in the backseat of Hades' sports car. After his mother, Aphrodite, grows jealous of how beautiful Psyche is, she demands Eros make her fall in love with a beast, however, he becomes smittenby Psyche. "), which would be appropriate to Hades's job as a banker, but also to the mood of the letter. Sure, aspects of Lore's style may look cutting-edge it's obviously created entirely on a digital drawing app, for one thing, with no pen and paper in sight. The story follows Persephone, the Goddess of Spring, who has been raised in the mortal realm by her overprotective mother, Demeter. Lore Olympus's One True Couple are climbing their way to a loving relationship through their own recognition of toxic relationships. Later when the story shifts to Minthe's perspective,audiences see how apparent the Olympians' derision impacts her self-esteem, but for now, it feels like the brotherly pep talk Hades needs to imagine better opportunities. Lore Olympus is a romance webcomic created by Rachel Smythe and published by the webcomic platform Line WEBTOON. Her faces seem to be inspired by an unlikely forebear: They have the yearning eyes and pointy noses of Jules Feiffer's people. Over the span of the last year, Smythe has explored problematic elements of sexual violence through the lens of the Me Too Movement, the pain of codependent relationships, and the way that feelings of desire creep up when someone least expects it. To say their relationshipwas volatile is putting it lightly. There are explicit depictions of a sexual assault and its aftermath, though there isn't explicit sexual content in the series, and I personally think it's important for teens to explore in fiction which can help them make sense of their experiences or find more agency in their own lives when faced with toxic relationships or assault. Image from Webtoon. Lore Olympus has become the most popular Webtoon to date. fantasy combined with tech is often fun, and a lot of "modern god" takes can be really entertaining (ex: that post about hades trying to win back cerberus from a stubborn little girl) but the way LO handles it is very lacking. It's the idea that, no matter how much society has changed, classic stories are still relevant. The diverse, subtle ways Smythe reiterates her central question which can be summed up as something like, "How have we changed in the past two millennia? There is a rape scene, but it is a depiction of the character's mental state during rather than a depiction of rape. In Greek mythology, this is the opposite. Please read it . But Smythe's take on classic myth is anything but hidebound. RELATED: Lore Olympus: 10 Details About The Main Characters You Didn't Know. Synopsis: Born a humble peasant, Kihara Mei has lived simply day by day as a merchant in the capitol, and never assumed things would change. Rachel Smythe's writing in the ultra-popular webcomic Lore Olympus contains elements of tragedy and comedy that suit modern sensibilities through the medium of classical themes. After several rejections from Persephone, Apollo decides to pursue Daphne, a nymph. I dont just hate Lore Olympus but I resent the comics author. Aphrodite seems to argue that Hades's love of Persephone more closely aligns with Phaedrus's definition of love from the Symposium, a bond between two people spurs them to be better. ", "I thought we were supposed to be messed up together. "You can't wear that!" Full quote: "being optimistic doesn't make you nave. The story is a modern retelling of the Greek myth concerning the relationship between the God of the Underworld, Hades, and the Goddess of Spring, Persephone. and our Apollo even offered her his lyre to show his "love," which differs from Lore Olympus, where Persephone takes his lyre and damages it to show her hate. My biggest complaint is that there are occasional glaring editing errors that . However, it is a beautiful story with many nuances, and it takes a more mature understanding to enjoy and comprehend. Stylish and immersive, this is one of mythology's greatest stories -- The Taking of Persephone -- as it's never been told before. Pyrrhic and Victoria discuss the #1 Award Winning Webtoon, Lore Olympus by Rachel Smythe, episodes 1-70.#webtoon #webtoonreaction #webtoonrecommendation #web. Along with the primary romance, one of Persephone's closest friends, Eros, is enduring his own romance with Psyche. And week after week after week, i started to feel differently about Lore Olympus. The sense of anachronism is particularly strong in Smythe's female characters, most of whom have absurdly exaggerated hourglass figures and dress in extremely revealing outfits and high heels. After allowing her sisters to visit, they convince Psyche that Eros is a monster, who she should kill. Eros steals her away from a loveless engagement, gifting her a homefor themselves, but he keeps his godly identity a secret. Ultimately, he decides that he cannot foist all of his baggage on a young, impressionable goddess. Ares sees no complications: retributive justice is not blunted by Apollo's reputation. I resent that she employed the May December romance and had the guts to think no one would notice. Lore Olympus was the first webtoon i read. Ares is one of the more ambiguous characters of Olympus. And it feels like a significant stopping point for a chapter to end. In Hades's adaptation of the quote, love is akin to bankruptcy, a lack (actually that's one of the original meanings of the Greek word eros). When he's not reenacting the first half of Blast From the Past in his apartment on loop, he's been teaching an infant to read The Butter Battle. If you tend to click on those trend pieces telling us what Gen Z is up to (heck, who doesn't?) Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Feeling stifled by Demeter's strict routines, Persephone is eventually allowed to move to Olympus to live with Artemis and attend college. Lore Olympus is subject to a lot of scrutiny- i try to expand on whymy socials:https://malacalico.carrd.co/castlevania zine preorders and info:https://castle. In mythology, Minthe was one of Hade's lovers before he wed Persephone. Prior to Hades kidnapping Persephone,several Gods, including Ares, Apollo, and Hermes, all asked for Persephone's hand, but they were rejected. As someone who loves greek mythology and hadesXpersephone i was hooked. And she wants to raise a child while she's fumbling around hiring old sexists to judge shades. When Hermes and cool-guy Apollo stop by, the quartet play a board game and heat up dinner in a Crock-Pot. Lore Olympus is a retelling of Greek myths, particularly the myth of Persephone's abduction by Hades, king of the underworld. You see things not for what they are, but for what they could be.". The friendships and the lies, the gossip and the wild parties, and of course, forbidden love. Lore Olympus: Volume Three. The webcomic definitely contains some mature topics for teenagers, I think I would give it an age rating of +16 or +18. For Hades, it's hispriorrelationship with Minthe, as well as the fact that Persephone is significantly younger than him and his employee.