Hi again, it's the girl that loves analyzing this manhwa! I haven't found any details to make me rethink my theory on what is happening in this manhwa. Short(ish) synopsis time before I do a grand theory reveal when S1 is over:
Guwon is actually the mythical Sisyphus from Ancient Greek mythology. He was a king, and famed as being extremely cunning and ruthless. He pissed off many of the gods, including Zeus, Hades, Thanatos, Ares, Persephone...the list goes on, but in the end he was sent to the underworld and punished by being forced to push a giant boulder up a steep mountain for all eternity. When he reached the top the boulder would always fall back down the mountain, and he'd have to re-do it all again, for all eternity. There are many references to this in the early chapters, including Guwon taking Jinwoo on a long hike in order to stare at a large boulder resting at the top of a mountain. He tells Jinwoo, "I just like to make sure it's still there" - referencing the fact that he finally got that boulder up the hill.
Something that's come up in more recent chapters is a description of "The Hounds". This is extremely interesting to me, as Doc Lim told Jiwoo that they are like elite forces that worship Guwon *like a GOD*. I think something happened in the underworld. An uprising, if you will. It seems that Sisyphus has escaped, and brought with him some help. Earth is now Sisyphus/Guwon's paradise, and he is recreating his kingdom by creating "Stillwater Town" in its likeness. The description of Stillwater Town is almost exactly like his original kingdom. Sisyphus' castle was at the top, and the rest of the residences were built on rings going down like a step-pyramid.
In the most recent chapter, Guwon tells Jinwoo that he is his favorite PERSON in the entire world. Jinwoo is the only human that Guwon has any regard for. This reinforces my theory that Guwon is not in fact a human, but something different all together.
I can go into more about why I think Guwon's memory is a little off, but I'd like to get a bit more confirmation before I really lay that one out. I'll just say it has to do with the water of the River Styx - it can make a human immortal, but it can also rob them of their intelligence and memory. Guwon seems to be displaying a lot of those traits, but his base instincts are still there. The bloodlust, the desire to be the very best, treating humans like livestock, etc.
It's a lot to unpack, and I've already typed a lot more than I was expecting to. But keep your eyes peeled, cuz I'm gonna break this sucker down as much as I possibly can. Writing is my passion, and I absolutely love it when an author incorporates mythology into their own works. Until next time! ヾ(☆▽☆)
Hi again, it's the girl that loves analyzing this manhwa! I haven't found any details to make me rethink my theory on what is happening in this manhwa. Short(ish) synopsis time before I do a grand theory reveal when S1 is over:
Guwon is actually the mythical Sisyphus from Ancient Greek mythology. He was a king, and famed as being extremely cunning and ruthless. He pissed off many of the gods, including Zeus, Hades, Thanatos, Ares, Persephone...the list goes on, but in the end he was sent to the underworld and punished by being forced to push a giant boulder up a steep mountain for all eternity. When he reached the top the boulder would always fall back down the mountain, and he'd have to re-do it all again, for all eternity. There are many references to this in the early chapters, including Guwon taking Jinwoo on a long hike in order to stare at a large boulder resting at the top of a mountain. He tells Jinwoo, "I just like to make sure it's still there" - referencing the fact that he finally got that boulder up the hill.
Something that's come up in more recent chapters is a description of "The Hounds". This is extremely interesting to me, as Doc Lim told Jiwoo that they are like elite forces that worship Guwon *like a GOD*. I think something happened in the underworld. An uprising, if you will. It seems that Sisyphus has escaped, and brought with him some help. Earth is now Sisyphus/Guwon's paradise, and he is recreating his kingdom by creating "Stillwater Town" in its likeness. The description of Stillwater Town is almost exactly like his original kingdom. Sisyphus' castle was at the top, and the rest of the residences were built on rings going down like a step-pyramid.
In the most recent chapter, Guwon tells Jinwoo that he is his favorite PERSON in the entire world. Jinwoo is the only human that Guwon has any regard for. This reinforces my theory that Guwon is not in fact a human, but something different all together.
I can go into more about why I think Guwon's memory is a little off, but I'd like to get a bit more confirmation before I really lay that one out. I'll just say it has to do with the water of the River Styx - it can make a human immortal, but it can also rob them of their intelligence and memory. Guwon seems to be displaying a lot of those traits, but his base instincts are still there. The bloodlust, the desire to be the very best, treating humans like livestock, etc.
It's a lot to unpack, and I've already typed a lot more than I was expecting to. But keep your eyes peeled, cuz I'm gonna break this sucker down as much as I possibly can. Writing is my passion, and I absolutely love it when an author incorporates mythology into their own works. Until next time! ヾ(☆▽☆)