Lore Olympus is a celebrated webtoon series that retells an infamous ancient Greek myth. But is it at all problematic? If you're wondering if Lore Olympus is toxic, below are a few things to be aware of.
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What Is Lore Olympus All About?
Lore Olympus is a romance webtoon series written and illustrated by New Zealand creator Rachel Smythe.
It's a modern retelling of the Taking of Persephone, one of the most often retold Ancient Greek myths.
In Ancient Greek myths and epics, the drama often ensues by the fact that gods aren't so different from humans.
They experience feelings such as love, lust, jealousy, and rage in similar, though magnified ways, often causing damage to those around them.
In this stylish retelling, which is rated over 9/10 on the Webtoons website, Hades is the CEO of a large corporation that manages the souls of the dead, known as Underworld Corp.
Meanwhile, Persephone is a college student who has just been allowed to dip her toes into the world of gods.
So, how will their relationship unfold in this modern version? And are the myth's most problematic elements present here?
Is Lore Olympus Toxic?
Lore Olympus depicts some toxic behaviors without necessarily endorsing them.
For instance, characters such as Zeus, and in this version, Apollo, both embody toxic masculinity and entitlement.
Zeus' case is no surprise given his behavior in most myths. He isn't much better in Lore Olympus, as he abuses his power, shows narcissistic tendencies, and disregards female characters' feelings.
Apollo is much the same. His abusive behavior might be traced back to his upbringing by Zeus.
Even so, people find it a bit surprising that Apollo, rather than Zeus is the most abusive character in the series.
Overall, Lore Olympus does depict some toxic characters, relationships, and situations.
Despite that, its ratings and most fans' positive comments suggest that the series doesn't condone these behaviors, although some readers feel differently.
Lore Olympus' Problematic Aspects Explained
That being said, detractors aren't wrong in thinking there are some issues with Lore Olympus.
First of all, the May-December romance between Hades and Persephone raises some eyebrows.
Sure, they are deities, so the age difference might work differently for them, but Persephone is an inexperienced 19-year-old student, making for a skewed power dynamic.
Moreover, the series addresses assault and sexual trauma, and not all readers agree as to how successfully this was done.
A lot of fans think that Lore Olympus successfully reduces any problematic aspects of the original myth.
But for others, this adaptation doesn't work equally well, and the webtoon does have elements that could make people uncomfortable.
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