What really puzzles me is that 62.2% of people have given this manhwa a 5☆ rating. Can one of those people let me know why you think this is worthy of the highest possible rating? I won't judge, I'm just curious. Thanks!
Because we suffered. So everyone should to.
Cuz why not
Well giving it stars is the only way to get notifications on updates. That's why I rate most things with 3, maybe some people are just doing the the same with 5, to not miss an update
Eh for the fun and fun of it you know (づ￣ ³￣)づ
dude even if you dont rate it you will still get an update , just select now reading and subscribe to this manga .. doesn't matter if you rate it or not LOLOL XD
Where else would you find such disturbing things. It's like one of its kind. We sure appreciate things that are unique
Because I enjoy messed up stories and have a twisted mind.
I rate the story 5 stars based on the execution of the Manhwa's theme. It's supposed to be thriller horror and graphic. And the author executed that perfectly while still keeping readers hooked on the storyline. Even though everyone says it's plotless, they still come back to read it because the cliffhangers are exciting.
That's how I rate all the comics I read. I don't rate it like most of this baseless readers do , such as "story contains rape = 1 star".
There are supposed to be these kinda of themes and events happening in any media you consume. Some stories are tragic some aren't. It doesn't mean if a story contains, rape or murder that means the author is promoting such actions. This are jus some realistic themes that need to be included in certain genres of a few stories.
I truly hope that manago readers start rating based on how well an author executed a theme in their Manhwa., than simplistic logic of " me don't like so = 1 star"
Thank you, that was a very eloquent explanation!
I know a lot of y'all are confused, and I understand, but I for one love what the author is doing here! She's made a yaoi manhwa that includes a character from Greek Mythology! If you're curious, here's my theory that I've been working on for months now: https://www.mangago.zone/home/mangatopic/19490916/
So you think its literal not just inspired? The idea he finally got the boulder to stay and it has caused an apocalypse or something? Even though it was him trapping hades or chiron in hades that caused people to not die and that was fixed and then came the boulder? You think there's other gods trapped by sisyphus? Would explain him coming out of the rubble... I do love the connections and its so cool, but I just wonder at the timeline. Is time repeating? Is it that story but set modern? Is it revenge? I know its all speculation but im curious what you think.
Oh I like u.
All great questions! I was also wondering how the apocalypse played into the story, but now that we've learned about The Hounds I think I can put the pieces together a bit more. I think Sisyphus must have done something to Hades this time. Sisyphus was always a crafty bugger, so I have a feeling he recruited The Hounds to help him escape, which must have caused another scenario like when he chained Thanatos to the rock (people can't die anymore). It's all still a bit up in the air now since we haven't gotten confirmation on much. We haven't even seen what The Hounds look like yet, but I have a feeling they're not human. The clues I've found all point to Guwon actually being Sisyphus, like how he checks on the boulder, and how he lives at the very top of his little "kingdom". There's another part where Jinwoo is feeling Guwon's muscles and he says they're "hard as a rock", and his body temperature is cold "like a rock". I think he was pushing that boulder up the hill for a LONG time, planning on how to escape. (Nobody puts Sisyphus in the corner!) His personality seems so similar to the way Sisyphus is described in Greek Mythology.
I have a feeling that we'll see other Gods in the chapters to come. It's even possible that some of the residents of Stillwater Town are gods that have taken human form. I'm so excited to see what comes in the newer chapters! Thank you for the questions, I hope I answered most of them!
I would guess the shiloutetts of the hounds we've seen are true to form. We will see though.
I read an interesting summary of Sisyphus. So first he annoys zeus by not sticking to xenia rules and murdering guests etc, then he tells the river God where the daughter he kidnapped is (sisy gets the water spring in corinth for that). Annoyed zeus enough that he gets thanatos to chain him, we know how he dupes thanatos here. Ares gets too bored because no one is dying, so goes and helps thanatos and our boy ends up dead - not before getting his wife to purposefully disrespect his dead body so that when he dies he can convince persephone (various gods mentioned in different versions) to allow him back to the world to punish her. Zeus finds out about this and rolls out the boulder punishment. Lots of thoughts about how compelled against his will he is to push the boulder vs choosing to do it thinking he can again outwit the god- sticking to form. I prefer the idea that he's choosing to keep going because of his human nature and belief he is more cunning than the gods. I also like the idea that if he keeps pushing, he's always got the chance to free himself and live again, but if he stops he knows he's truly dead this time. It being his choice to keep trying is much more compelling.
Now If he finally did get the boulder to the top and it stayed there, what would the gods do? How would that even happen?
Im intrigued where the author is taking this. It feels a little too fragmented to be a retelling, im also interested in how jinwoo fits into the whole thing. Which is why I'm leaning more to inspired by than literal. I mean, honestly what is the point to surviving in this post apocalypse? But its human nature to keep going despite the odds!
So I think i get it... early on they thought they were going to defy death and have immortality because of people coming back from the dead (not just not dying) this all seems to be a story about the futility of trying to cheat or defy death.
Also, not sure if you also noticed the times guwon has, what I think is, a dragonfly on his finger? A tenuous link to Iris? Goddess embodiment off rainbows, messenger for the gods often depicted with dragonfly wings?
I'm getting too into this but I have always loved greek mythology since I was a kid. Way more invested in this than the 'love' story haha
I'm with you 100%! I'm much more invested in the story of Guwon possibly being a new "God" than the romance part of it all. You mentioned the boulder finally getting up the hill - that wouldn't be possible unless something happened to Hades, who was the one to dole out the punishment in the first place and why I think something happened to him since it was his magic that made the boulder roll back down the hill each time. He's also God of the Underworld, so if he's not around then death would cease to exist everywhere.
I LOVE your thoughts on Iris interacting with Guwon - this could mean that Hera was somehow behind the whole thing, since she hates it when Zeus covets other women (which is like ALWAYS). Maybe she helped Sisyphus escape to piss off her husband. That would be really interesting if she's pulling all the strings ヾ(❀╹◡╹)ﾉ~
Imho, Jinwoo fits in as somewhat of a moral compass. Guwon's been running around doing whatever the hell he wants, killing and pillaging like an oldskool Viking, and then he finds Jinwoo who is a teacher and ends up teaching him how to be human again. That's at least what I THINK the endgame may be, but I have a feeling there will be more twists and turns until we find out what's really going on.
I'm so happy I found someone to bounce ideas off of!! I've always loved Mythology as well, whether it be Greek or Roman or Egyptian. ENNEAD is another manhwa that I just love to read as it involves all the Egyptian Gods and actually gives Seth a more interesting story than "He lost the God contest to Horus, then went to row Ra's boat on the Sun for all eternity".
Nanjo-ssi asking if he is actually worth worrying about made me tear up...he doesn't realize what a catch he really is. He must be with twink boi because he's a great liar and gaslighter.
(I don't agree with Mokeyeon's methods, but at least he actually cares for Nanjo)
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(☆▽☆)
Dang! That was a pretty good analysis!
Oh u ATE that
Wow. Well done!
I think I read this out of morbid curiosity now, and I've stopped expecting anything like character development or actual story. I kinda enjoyed the chapters where Won was a child, they were the closest thing to "cute" that THIS manhwa has. I think I'll dip out on the next chapters tho - I've caught enough spoilers to know when it's time to say I'M DONE!
I can't wait till the end of the season so I can write my entire thesis on what's happening in this manhwa. Trust me, I've been keeping notes! Yaoi mixed with Greek Mythology and a dystopian apocalypse...I'm in absurdist writer's heaven right now ٩(๑❛ᴗ❛๑)۶ (Shout out to my boi Albert Camus)
Please share it with me when you're done!!! I love reading or listening to intellectual break downs on things I find interesting that others would just view as low brow like reality TV, anime, and now bl manwha ヾ(☆▽☆)
Me too I would love to seee
Are u French ?
Not French but I spent quite a few years learning the language. Albert Camus wrote the book "The Myth of Sisyphus", which I think ties in a lot with what's going on in the story
Okkkkkk nice !
I like to think that he's not dead, the older brother just got isekai'd to another world. Truck-kun works in mysterious ways after all (〜￣△￣)〜
This is such an interesting manhwa, I can't stop reading! Thank you for uploading!!
ヾ(☆▽☆)
I'm back with another theory! Waiting for the next chapter has got me thinking. Since I am 99.7% sure Guwon is the legendary Sisyphus, he would have had to escape the depths of Hades somehow. In doing so, he would have to cross the River Styx, which carries some pretty hefty penalties if you happen to touch its water. The River Styx can strip away memories and affect a person's intellect and personality. Doesn't that sound familiar?
There are several ways he could have escaped, and it's possible he just took the chance and swam the river to reach the entrance and lost his memories in the process. It's possible that Persephone (the guardian of the entrance of Hades) felt sorry for him and let him go since he had lost all his memories and intelligence. Still, that doesn't feel quite right since there was so much destruction before he crawled up from the underworld. Maybe Hades himself found out and went apeshit on the world after learning Sisyphus (Guwon) escaped?
That's just one theory, but I just know deep down in my bones that Guwon is Sisyphus and that he escaped his eternal punishment and returned to the mortal realm. One of these days I'll put all my theory posts into one so it'll be easier to read. Can't wait for the next chapter to come out so I can expand on my theory! This is so much fun for me because I love greek mythology and writing. Thank you to everyone who's read and commented on my posts! ヾ(❀╹◡╹)ﾉ~
More to read if you're feeling bored! They are my theories that I've written about before:
https://www.mangago.zone/home/mangatopic/18942324/
https://www.mangago.zone/home/mangatopic/18958516/
https://www.mangago.zone/home/mangatopic/18896397/
Their relationship is so beautiful and sweet and innocent. Just two young men falling in love for the first time. The way the author portrays them is amazing. I can't get enough!