#loreolympus

"Oh Hecate you coy mistress! You keep complaining about me stealing your identity back in the day, pestering your child and causing mischief-"

"But alas, I will still hold a candle that you might change your mind and engage in some good old-fashioned bacchanals with me. We're more alike than you are willing to admit. You know the dark side is seductive for a reason."

Blows kisses.

The popularization of Webtoons is considered a part of “Hallyu,” aka “The Korean Wave” which refers to the cultural moment being had by South Korean culture in the international arena, encompassing music, television, cinema, and, of course, comics. 2/13

Webtoons now occupy an enormous position in the comics landscape with 125 billion views annually, as of 2023 and landmark deals being signed with DC, Ubisoft, Dark Horse, and even Archie comics. Additionally, a wide number of films have been adapted from Webtoons. 3/13

The driving factors behind the rise of Webtoons are economics and technology, respectively. Economics, because the 1997 IMF Crisis in Korea created an environment where purchasing (or even renting) paper manga was out of reach for many patrons. 4/13

At the same time, Korea eased restrictions on manga imports from Japan, which put the manhwa industry under incredible pressure to maintain its dwindling market share. The innovation to sell comics online became the saviour of the industry at the time. 5/13

Ongoing as well was the popularization of Berners-Lee’s worldwide web, which allowed Webtoons to build its digital platform. Then, the 2010s shift from desktop to smartphone interfaces pushed the vertical layouts that define most Webtoons today. 6/13

Content, however, needs to be added to this list of factors, and Lore Olympus became the most viewed comic on the platform with 1.4 billion views on its own across the series’ 280 chapters, a staggering accomplishment. 7/13

In consequence of this, the study of Lore Olympus needs to be the study of a work that thrived in the Webtoons environment with all the various complexities associated with Webtoons’ interface, distribution system, and business model. 8/13

Smythe’s success in this arena is by no means her only success. Lore Olympus found success before Webtoons on Tumblr (in 2017) and since then in republications in book form. But it is not an exaggeration to call LO a webtoons phenomenon. 9/13

The provenance of these characters and relationships and settings and plots, all speak to the platform through which they found their greatest audience, just as the success of Webtoons speaks volumes to the nature of these same characters, relationships, etc. 10/13

LO thrives on serial storytelling – on building cliffhangers and tension and will-they-or-wont-they, while its engagement with cellphone culture (a deeply impactful aspect of the mythology’s modernization) creates metatextual effects when read on a cellphone. 11/13

The vibrant colours and exaggerated physicality of Smythe’s illustrations are, similarly, optimal for a small, high definition, backlit device, and the meandering pace of the story works wonderfully well for casual readership. 12/13

Thus, we find in Lore Olympus yet another compelling interface of art, commerce, and society, all of which points a very large (likely very vibrant) arrow straight in the direction of Korea’s overachieving webcomics platform. 13/13

If you’d like to learn more about the history of Webtoons, checkout the comic below by Jaemin Lee and Seong In-Soo, which was a huge resource for this thread.

Agency can be considered a form of strength; agentic characters are strong because they can make their own decisions. These decisions may invoke generic tropes. But to demonstrate agency, they must be “in character,” that is, extending from a strongly conveyed sense of who a character is. 2/12

Sometimes, the association of agency with strength leads to debate about what strength should look like: does a physically strong female character automatically have agency if she’s otherwise extremely generic? Kate Beaton has fun with this question in her “strong female character” comics. 3/12

The association of agency with strength can also cause confusion about whether strong female characters can have flaws. Can a woman be strong if she’s sometimes weak? Can she be heroic if she’s selfish? Can she be smart if she’s naïve? In “Lore Olympus,” the character of Persephone says yes. 4/12

In “Lore Olympus,” the character of Persephone is simultaneously very physically powerful and very physically vulnerable. She’s also heroic and selfish, extremely smart and extremely naïve. These contradictions are represented both narratively and visually. 5/12

Narratively, Persephone is first presented as a comparatively young goddess who devalues her seemingly minor role in the pantheon. Later, she’s revealed to be a very powerful force of creation and destruction, whose capabilities threaten–or promise–to transform ancient hierarchies of power. 6/12

In addition, Persephone’s naïvety as a girl raised in rural settings on Earth who is compelled to navigate the urban and (seemingly) urbane politics of Olympus is juxtaposed her repeatedly underscored intelligence; she comes to Olympus on a prestigious university scholarship. 7/12

Visually, Smythe often shows Persephone transforming quickly, even instantaneously, between postures of vulnerability and strength, self-doubt and confidence. This is distilled in a scene where Persephone first encounters Hades’ aggressive dog Cerberus, guardian of the Underworld. 8/12

Initially, Persephone is dramatically vulnerable with the dog’s teeth at her exposed neck. But she rejects Hades’ attempt to rescue her, instead inhaling a calming breath before proceeding to tame the dog who immediately becomes putty in her hands and forevermore remains her friend & guardian. 9/12

Persephone’s contradictions speak to her complexity which in turn speaks to her possession of agency. She is a strong character not because she’s always physically or emotionally strong or socially powerful, but because when she does reckon with vulnerability, she’s always in-character. 10/12

Persephone’s contradictions let Smythe to play with tropes without blindly following them. Readers are compelled to observe both the mobilization of tropes and the subversion of tropes. This creates an atmosphere of self-reflexivity, wherein tropes can be interrogated and challenged. 11/12

Ultimately, “Lore Olympus” is neither realistic nor mythic. But it does reappropriate classical myths to tell a fantastical story underpinned by realistic emotional conflicts. Persephone is a goddess, but a defiantly human one, whose tapestry of flaws and strengths give her agency. 12/12

*CONTENT WARNING* The thread that follows contains imagery and discussion of sexual violence against women. Please exercise all necessary caution in reading the following threads.

The representation of sexual violence in pop culture is complicated in part because of its frequent reduction to a trope–that is, a form of generic shorthand, inserted into stories as an easy way to generate pathos or underscore the immorality of a villain. 2/14

In superhero comics, sexualized violence often serves male protagonists, whose emotional journeys are motivated by violence against female friends, family, or love interests. For reasons discussed below, this trope has become known as “fridging.” 3/14

Visual texts also run the risk of presenting sexual violence in a titillating manner that can implicitly sanction the appeal of rape fantasies and thus, the appeal of rape itself. Many films, television shows, comics, and video games have been criticized in this regard. 4/14

In “Lore Olympus,” the main character, the young goddess Persephone, is sexually assaulted by Apollo, who is the brother of her roommate, Artemis. While the scene is emotionally harrowing, Smythe chooses not to picture the act itself, focusing instead on visualizing Persephone’s feelings. 5/14

These feelings are complicated by Persephone’s growing awareness of her general desire for sexual contact, activated, in part, by a romanticized encounter with Hades. Persephone’s attraction to Hades has her questioning her vow of chastity and wondering if she wants to rebel. 6/14

But even before the assault occurs, it’s clear Apollo doesn’t respect Persephone’s desires, forcing physical contact that her friends–and Smythe’s art–clearly recognize as uncomfortable. In short, Apollo is operating from a position of ignorance & entitlement associated with toxic masculinity. 7/14

As such, when Apollo forces an encounter, there’s no room for Persephone to think or protest after her initial, confused submission. Apollo also peer-pressures her into submitting and she’s not enthusiastic, thinking, about her supposed choice: “It feels ugly. But at least it would be mine.” 8/14

Persephone quickly realizes she wants to stop, but due to a combination of inexperience and power dynamics (in addition to being her roommate’s brother, Apollo is revered throughout Olympus), she isn’t sure how to say it. She feels she *should* enjoy what’s happening. But clearly doesn’t. 9/14

But despite Persephone’s confusion, Smythe’s visualization makes it extremely clear that the act is deeply wrong & harmful. Here, Persephone’s vulnerability and distress are emphasized by cowering and distressed postures while wearing a white dress and isolated in a dark, cavernous space. 10/14

These metaphorical visualizations of Persephone’s emotions also represent her ultimate traumatic dissassociation, which is described as a choice (of sorts) to preserve her safety and a measure of power. Persephone’s interior monologue reminds her to not let Apollo see her cry. 11/14

The wrongness of the encounter is also observed by the empathic powers of Hera, wife of Zeus and queen of Olympus. This exterior commenter, who is older and more experienced than Persephone, underscores and lends objectivity to Persephone’s reactions. 12/14

While undoubtedly one of the most difficult scenes in the series, the depiction of sexual assault in “Lore Olympus” ultimately becomes a vital teaching moment, with lessons to offer diverse readers with different types of experiences. 13/14

In their 2022 article on colour symbolism in Lore Olympus, Afidah et al. suggest the following configuration: “It was found that the colors in the six characters of gods and goddesses had a general and specific meaning that were used to convey their personalities…” 2/11

“The blue color symbolizes Hades’s cold personality, the pink color represents Persephone’s kindness, the green color represents Demeter’s overprotective personality, the purple color represents Zeus as the king of the gods, the yellow color symbolizes Hera’s cheerful and jealousy…” 3/11

“…and lastly, the red color symbolizes Hermes’s extroverted and passionate personality.” These findings are subjective, of course, but as general observations on colourization-characterization, there’s at least some very interesting talking points in play here. 4/11

Equally important, however, is the various ways that the colours play off each other, such as in the lush contrast created between cool blue of Hades and the warm fluorescence of Persephone’s hot pink colour. 5/11

This pink effect is especially pronounced in the first scenes of Persephone’s visits to Hades’ realm. In a world that is either dark grey or blue (like its master) the contrasting colour of Persephone makes her, aesthetically and symbolically, both out-of-place and a breath of fresh air. 6/11

Interestingly the chief antagonist of the narrative, Apollo, is rendered in purple. The fact that he is rendered in a secondary colour (as opposed to primary) is longstanding comics parlance for indicating, subconsciously, the distinction between hero and villain. 7/11

More interestingly, though, purple is the colour that you get when you mix red and blue together, and thus the colour symbolism presents Apollo as an obstacle to the Hades/Persephone relationship by standing between them, so to speak. 8/11

Also of interest, potentially, is the complex historical entanglements of skin colour with racial identity (and racial visibility in particular). While we might expect more distinctive colours to create more pronounced racial difference, the effect is the opposite. 9/11

By using colour to represent individuals, rather than groups of individuals, Smythe effectively creates a deracialized – or even post-racial – environment for her fantasy universe. 10/11

All told then, colour can be seen to be working hard in Lore Olympus – rendering lush and striking worlds and characters – whilst also carrying a number of signifying burdens that contribute to the richness of Smythe’s narrative. 11/11

In her 2025 article for Feminist Formations, titled “When Consent Fails,” scholar Corinne Matthews makes the case that the sexual assault of Persephone in Lore Olympus offers an important staging ground for exploring the limits of verbal consent. #LoreOlympus 1/9

Matthews argues that “when it comes to sexual consent, context matters, and the context for Persephone’s experience is no exception. The narrative, visual, and dialogic context from the comic demonstrate that her experience still qualifies as rape….” 2/9

“Taken as a whole, this narrative brings the tensions at the intersection of acquaintance rape and affirmative consent into focus. Given its medium, content, and widespread popularity, Lore Olympus has the potential to challenge and expand perceptions of engagement with consent….” 3/9

“On a conceptual level, Smythe intervenes in the “stranger in a dark alley” conception of rape with her nuanced depiction of acquaintance rape, highlighting challenges specific to people sexually assaulted by someone they already know…” 4/9

“That depiction illuminates some of the damaging repercussions of making verbal, affirmative consent the gold standard of ethical sexual interactions, particularly in cases of acquaintance rape. The use of a multimodal medium further complicates perceptions of consent,…” 5/9

“since the visual medium emphasizes how verbal communication and body language can work together to communicate consent—or, as in this case, the lack thereof. Finally, since Webtoon published Lore Olympus episodes weekly,…” 6/9

“the comments section on each episode allows a unique opportunity to see how readers perceive and engage with the ideas about consent presented in the text. These comments indicate that readers use Smythe’s Webtoon to work through their own understandings of consent…” 7/9

“to make connections both individually and as a community, thus demonstrating the potential of pop culture texts to engage with and even intervene in the cultural understanding of how consent can and should work.” 8/9

Matthews’ paper highlights the deft touch of LO with its treatment of sexual assault and its capacity to generate important conversations on the subject with the potential to expand our cultural dialogue on a deeply important subject. 9/9

*CONTENT WARNING* The thread that follows contains imagery and discussion of sexual violence against women. Please exercise all necessary caution in reading the following threads.

The representation of sexual violence in pop culture is complicated in part because of its frequent reduction to a trope–that is, a form of generic shorthand, inserted into stories as an easy way to generate pathos or underscore the immorality of a villain. 2/14

In superhero comics, sexualized violence often serves male protagonists, whose emotional journeys are motivated by violence against female friends, family, or love interests. For reasons discussed below, this trope has become known as “fridging.” 3/14

Visual texts also run the risk of presenting sexual violence in a titillating manner that can implicitly sanction the appeal of rape fantasies and thus, the appeal of rape itself. Many films, television shows, comics, and video games have been criticized in this regard. 4/14

In “Lore Olympus,” the main character, the young goddess Persephone, is sexually assaulted by Apollo, who is the brother of her roommate, Artemis. While the scene is emotionally harrowing, Smythe chooses not to picture the act itself, focusing instead on visualizing Persephone’s feelings. 5/14

These feelings are complicated by Persephone’s growing awareness of her general desire for sexual contact, activated, in part, by a romanticized encounter with Hades. Persephone’s attraction to Hades has her questioning her vow of chastity and wondering if she wants to rebel. 6/14

But even before the assault occurs, it’s clear Apollo doesn’t respect Persephone’s desires, forcing physical contact that her friends–and Smythe’s art–clearly recognize as uncomfortable. In short, Apollo is operating from a position of ignorance & entitlement associated with toxic masculinity. 7/14

As such, when Apollo forces an encounter, there’s no room for Persephone to think or protest after her initial, confused submission. Apollo also peer-pressures her into submitting and she’s not enthusiastic, thinking, about her supposed choice: “It feels ugly. But at least it would be mine.” 8/14

Persephone quickly realizes she wants to stop, but due to a combination of inexperience and power dynamics (in addition to being her roommate’s brother, Apollo is revered throughout Olympus), she isn’t sure how to say it. She feels she *should* enjoy what’s happening. But clearly doesn’t. 9/14

But despite Persephone’s confusion, Smythe’s visualization makes it extremely clear that the act is deeply wrong & harmful. Here, Persephone’s vulnerability and distress are emphasized by cowering and distressed postures while wearing a white dress and isolated in a dark, cavernous space. 10/14

These metaphorical visualizations of Persephone’s emotions also represent her ultimate traumatic dissassociation, which is described as a choice (of sorts) to preserve her safety and a measure of power. Persephone’s interior monologue reminds her to not let Apollo see her cry. 11/14

The wrongness of the encounter is also observed by the empathic powers of Hera, wife of Zeus and queen of Olympus. This exterior commenter, who is older and more experienced than Persephone, underscores and lends objectivity to Persephone’s reactions. 12/14

While undoubtedly one of the most difficult scenes in the series, the depiction of sexual assault in “Lore Olympus” ultimately becomes a vital teaching moment, with lessons to offer diverse readers with different types of experiences. 13/14