#a tree without roots

[sunflower39]

There are 2 types/sides of BL manhwa reader-

[fujoshimayor]

A tree without roots

[chris-phd]

My first contribution for this season~ 🩵💚

[marinktgawa]

፧⠀⠀ a tree without roots

⠀⠀©⠀like or reblog if save

[rudy-icons]

[webtoonscreenshots]

A Tree Without Roots, by lapo

[brujasbl]

[pgide]

When I see him I get why he drives Hee Seo crazy...so handsome

[craigxtweek4life]

A Tree Without Roots: Hades and Persephone

There are several references in the manhwa to the Greek myth of Hades and Persephone. Much like how Hades kidnaps Persephone into the underworld and forces her to live with him, Heeseo kidnaps Taekyung and forces him to live with him. Taekyung cries and Heeseo asks him if he's crying because the thought of living with him felt like Hell? And while Persephone willingly eats the pomegranate seeds in the underworld, Heeseo force feeds Taekyung some seeds.

We see Taekyung swallow, presumably the seeds.

I’m curious as to how they will end, given this imagery as a representation of the well known Greek myth. Will Taekyung only be with Hee-Seo half of the year like Persephone is? Or is it simply a comparison, and to say that since Taekyung has eaten Hee-Seo’s food, he will now have to stay with him forever?

Going further with the idea that Hee-seo is Hades and Taekyung is Persephone, the place that Hee-Seo takes Taekyung to is described by Hee-Seo as “otherworldly”, “a magical bubble of space”.

It is completely separate, or at least feels completely separate from the real world. Hades rules over the underworld alone, gloomy and lonely. Heeseo says although it calms his mind, this place can also be overwhelmingly lonely. So what does he do? He does what Hades did, spied on the someone he loved, and dragged him into his world.

I think the pomegranates is to establish the similarity between the Greek couple and the situation between Taekyung and Hee-Seo, and to say that since Tae-kyung has eaten the seeds, he is bound to Hee-Seo forever. It’s not that he will only spend half the year with Hee-Seo and half the year with someone else. Tae-Kyung has never been able to let Hee-Seo go, hypocritically. Despite not wanting to get too close, he’s implied to have constantly looked for him the last seven years when Heeseo disappeared and Taekyung even masturbated to him. Him eating the pomegranate seeds only affirms that he will never leave Heeseo. I think it’s interesting that although Heeseo is the one to force him to eat the seeds and force him to be close to him, Taekyung has been the one keeping tabs on him all his life and constantly trying to look for him when he disappears.

I don’t believe this next point was intentional by the author but Hades is considered to be faithful to his wife. Heeseo has only ever slept with one person, that person being Tae-kyung, and in the seven years that they were apart, has never slept with anyone else. There’s several juxtapositions of Heeseo as Hades and Taekyung as Persephone.

There is an official merch of an acrylic stand that shows Heeseo and Taekyung with a pomegranate tree behind them.

But I believe the two images of pomegranates, the seeds in the manhwa and the pomegranate tree here is significant. The author has used a lot of symbolism in their artwork, and the now recurring theme of the pomegrante cannot be ignored. What does the pomegranate represent?

When asking google’s ai tool:

From the beginning, Taekyung’s fate is sealed. He is tied to Heeseo. The pomegranate imagery in the acrylic set and the chain around his foot shows that he will never be able to escape Heeseo, and I’m I’m if we take it more literally, that would mean at least half of the year every year now that he’s eaten some pomegranate seeds that Heeseo forcefed him, he will now be by his side. What does that mean? Perhaps Heeseo will never return to society as a normal person and remain in the underground world? But for half of the year Taekyung will come to stay by his side?

Not taken literally, I think the pomegranate simply adds to the idea that Taekyung is bound to Heeseo. We already see this in several representations in the manhwa:

1.) The tree scar on Taaekyung’s back. It is exactly a barren tree without roots. How did he get this scar? From saving Heeseo. By saving Heeseo, he was branded in a sense, never to forget Heeseo from the moment he saved him

2.) Daddy Long Legs - The book given to Taekyung by Heeseo’s mother is about a benefactor who financially supports an orphan girl through college. Much like the girl, Heeseo had no idea what her benefactor looked like. Taekyung like the benefactor in the book, supports Heeseo financially throughout his life. Taekyung keeps his distance from Heeseo but he never stops making sure his physical needs are met and that he is safe. Even after being stabbed by Heeseo, Taekyung our lovely crazy bottom is implied to have continued to search for Heeseo even after their terrible breakup, seven years later

And now the pomegranate imagery. The pomegranate really only serves to drive home the imagery that Taekyung is stuck with Heeseo for life. Although he was the one that chose to have a life long bond with Heeseo from the scar on his back and his benefactor relationship, now Heeseo is the one who will be the one to ensure that Taekyung will stay by his side - he forces him to eat the pomegranate seeds. Heeseo is not a powerless little kid anymore. Although to be honest, Taekyung wouldn’t have let him go anyway.

Persephone and Hades’ relationship is difficult to understand. She hates Hades for kidnapping her and taking her away. What Hades did was not right. He was crude and forceful. It’s difficult to say for sure if she came to love him but most interpretations seem to indicate that she did. I believe that their tale and the ending to Daddy Long Legs will be the ending for Taekyung and Heeseo as well. Taekyung will eventually return Heeseo’s feelings, despite their complicated and not ideal beginnings. He has a bond with Heeseo that has symbolically demonstrated to be insoluble and eternal.

The story between Taekyung and Heeseo is so complex and twisted and filled with childhood trauma. They both had such a difficult life, and Taekyung has been the sole light in Heeseo’s life which is why Heeseo is so inadvertently conditioned to be attached to him. My heart aches for both of them, but there is still hope of a happy future together for them.

[readwatchrepeatblog01]

Art ufficiali - "A tree without roots"

Pubblicata una nuova art ufficiale a tema Halloween da LAPO, autrice di "A tree without roots".

[nc-vb]

A Tree Without Roots… the season finale???? holy shit.

[fujoshimayor]

He's a cheeky little bastard

A tree without roots

[heavenslostchild]

[serotonindeficiencygodess-blog]

[planetvries]

🪓🧡🏹

[68spidey]

We deserve more scruffy manly hairy trans men. Hairy as fuck. Moustaches and beards. Arm hair abundant. Big eyebrows that grow in a little funny. Big muscles, lithe muscles, growing muscles. Acne scarring. Hairlines that change and look a little weird for a while. Trans men who take charge and take names. Lumberjacks and cowboys and warriors and all the things I wish I could see myself in.

Gotta do everything myself, huh.