#we were discussing the (nonexistent) character dynamics between them i want to draw some stuff about it if i have the energy

[possessable]

me and my friends' favorite characters. all of us independently had the exact same experience when we first got into the game where we were all like "I bet Chiyou will be my favorite he has a bunch of my favorite character traits" and then it was HERE COMES EIGONG/JIEQUAN/NUWA WITH THE STEEL CHAIR instead

[alatismeni-theitsa]

Hey! Idk if you have time or energy, but can you just briefly tell me what your main problems are with LO? I read the comic and enjoyed it, but I'm really curious about your point of view and why you hate it! (This is a legit ask, I'm not trying to be provocative)

Hello! Yeah, sure! Let me first start by saying that Ι don’t have anything against people who enjoy LO. I never attack the fans, I only those who are aggressive and come to my asks insulting me. I never condemn preferences. I understand how this comic can be enjoying. 

Some of my issues are: 

1) The art. There are some good panels in each episode but usually the art seems weird or simply bad to me. I draw/design myself and I understand how much effort comic panels can take. I don’t doubt that the panels of LO take effort to desing but at the same time I see much better artists on webtoons with much less recognition. 

Persephone isn’t even the same shade of pink between episodes (without significant change in lighting)! Also the color of the gods doesn’t make sense, besides HxP contrasting. So, artistic-wise I don’t understand or like some choices.

2) Pacing. All those 105 episodes take place in TWO WEEKS? This is from episode 105:

I feel the story is dragging too much, thus, I can’t enjoy it or get attached to the characters and care. When I was in the 100th chapter I thought at least some months had passed till then, but I was mistaken. Still, it felt like an eternity (story-wise) to get there. 

3) Environment/Timeline. Does it place on Olympus or on a place like Olympus or a place with the name “Olympus”, like a metaphor? If it takes place on the actual mt Olympus, is there a metropolitan city on the top of the mountain? If yes, why don’t Greeks, who live on the mountain on around it, know about this city as well? They would certainly see it. 

What is the timeline even? I gather it’s a modern alternative reality where they dress modern but also have their ancient forms (with ancient clothes)? Did Greece even exist in this story’s timeline? (Probably yes, if they have ancient Greek style clothing BUT if Greece existed but the characters are not in Greece WHERE do characters live??)

4) The way the gods are presented. I never felt the characters are gods or inspired by gods. I mean they are presented like normal people, without a hint of grandeour. I don’t like it when I feel the gods could be my buddies. I get that the Greek gods have human flaws and characteristics but I don’t think they would feel like the man/woman next door. Lots of modern stories take the glory and magnificence out of the gods but they still want to present them as fearsome. I am sorry but a rich CEO will never scare me as much the Lord of the Underworld. If you changes Hades’ name to John nothing in the story would change. (As a friend added).

5) Characters. I don’t find them compelly, unfortunatelly. Persephone, the main character, feels bland and without agency. I get why she is like that but I need a more dynamic character. Plus, there is a huge power imbalance between her and Hades and it kinda makes me feel uncomfortable. The most interesting personality is Minthe. I feel bad saying that cause she is an abuser. (Finding her interesting doesn’t mean I endorse her actions, though).

6) The behavior of the artist. Some monts ago, when me and some other people started pointed out what was wrong with the comic, mainly the lack of anything Greek in there, she went on Twitter and vented, calling us haters. Like, don’t we and every other person have the right to criticize her work? Also, most of the time we didn’t say anything rude, and that’s why it was weird she reacted that way. In other #anti lo tagged posts you may find more about her immature behavior. 

7) The behavior of a lot of fans. Many stans of LO, when seeing that someome dislikes LO, they straight up attack this person. Criticism is labeled as “negativity” and fans don’t want it near them. They don’t understand that you can enjoy something while keeping a critical mind.

8) Pathetic Greek representation (it’s nonexistent actually). Did you personally feel like you learned anything about Greece or how Greeks live or maybe some Greek customs? Because I saw nothing Greek in there. Granted, there are big cities in Greece (only two, though :P) and Greeks wear modern clothes and their phones are an extension of their hands. But there are small things Smythe could do to show the culture a little bit.

There is some decor she could have put to give some Greek-ness to the houses (I had this in another post) and she could make the characters wear a mati for protection, or a pomegranate for good luck or a small boat around their neck. She also lost the chance to make the parent gods call their childern 100 times and if they children don’t answer the first time, the parents think they are dead. :P Or the mothers who think their son is the most important person in the world. There are some small behaviors you can put in there to make the characters feel a little Greek. (Those behaviors are not Greek only but they can also be met in Greeks, so it would still be some reprentation).

She made a minimum effort to search some Greek stuff when she made Persephone bring some baklava to the Underworld and when she named Artemis’ cat Retsina. But still that doesn’t give much flavor to the story. For starters, baklava exists in Greece but it’s more of a middle eastern dish. I mean there are more representative Greek desserts. Also, no Greek has ever named their cat “Retsina” or “Ouzo” or other types of beverages :P That was a weird choice as well. 

I don’t think that, despite her fame and influence, she has found a Greek person and ask them how can she put more Greek touches in her comic. I don’t find that weird. Many artists, who want to trasnfer the Greek gods in a modern setting, don’t even think of Greece (even if the gods are Greek in the first place) and don’t seek to put any elements from the original culture in. 

Like, hellooooo we exiiiiist, we haven’t diiiiied, our culture is alive and weeeeeeeell 🤣

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There are some smaller issues, but those were the big ones for me. You can find the rest in the #anti lo tag. I don’t have a problem discussing about LO so send me more thoughts if you like. 

Thanks for asking and sorry for taking some time to answer. Despite the lockdown, everything is online now and that means my responsibilities are not reduced :/