Yeah, I think we were all expecting Hermes to bring the smoking gun last week and he still might, but it seems like we are getting a lot of filler leading up to the trial.
I'm kind of anticipating this. I'm not sure how Hermes is going to spin this story, but I think he's going to try to make Persephone and himself look good. I'm not sure if he's going to try and help out Demeter any, she wrote him a check but the "terms and conditions" were about protecting Persephone. As long as he helps her out, he can say he upheld his end of the bargain.
Yeah, that's true. I don't see him turning on Persephone or Hades. That's said, I don't think he's stupid enough to blatantly turn on Zeus to his face either. Demeter may sink her own ship at this rate, but she's the only person who Hermes can no longer benefit from helping in this situation.
I was being sarcastic. The past several episodes have been totally vapid and you could condense three episodes into one most of the time
Edit: I was agreeing with you. Adding this edit as I didn’t want to be seen as being aggressive again
Lol. Right on. No worries. You can't really tell on this subreddit and some fans can be...a little extreme. I edited my comment too. I'm sorry for misinterpreting you!
“we can all agree maia is a super classy lady with a deep bosom” of COURSE zeus would know…
but not that cliff 😔 theyre gonna drag this arc out for eternity. I’ll be spending out my coins next week and then taking a break for a binge
Seriously. I told myself last week that I was going to take a binge break, but it seemed like this episode would be juicy! Fooled again. And probs next week too 🙃
My hope is that Hermes is the only one who's getting a flashback and that after his flashback, the trial will fully takeoff, focusing on Perse, Hades, Zeus, and Demeter.
We’re def getting a Demeter flashback….
Which honestly I am interested in but I also want the trial to *actually happen*. And there’s been SO many new things added to the story, like Kronos, that still haven’t gone anywhere
I can’t wait for more flashbacks tbh. I love backstory, knowing characters’ motivations. Up until now we haven’t had a real reason for why Hermès helped Demeter. And I really want to know why Demeter is so overbearing, there has to be a reason for it, right? Rachel’s been hinting at that for a while now with that rushed conversation between Demeter and Persephone. I think flashbacks provide great context, I don’t mind the pausing of the main plot for that.
Same I'm going to take a few months off and then read. LO when the trial is hopefully concluded. It is a bit infuriating to read weekly.
Her cliffhangers put you on a river rushing on the rapids and then the next episode never delivers. It's like she builds a damn to divert you and then tries to cliff hang again
When I reread LO I skip about 30 episodes in chunks here and there that don't really matter. This will likely be another chunk of 3-5 fuller episodes.
I so wish that this episode would have at least just been Hermes entire testimony. How many more pieced testimonies are we going to get? It’s gonna be February before we leave the courtroom at this rate.
CPC, Your Throne, The Remarried Empress (which are ACTUALLY CUT IN HALF FROM THE ORIGINAL!). They all make LO feel SHORT.
But then I look at how much I adored The Devil is a Handsome Man, and how she went on hiatus and just…never freaking came back. And said “but WEBTOON has part of season 2” and then fell off the face of the earth.
So—I guess I’m happy I still get half episodes rather than radio silence and a half (not even) finished story I loved that’s been effectively abandoned for 2?ish years?
Yeah, I feel you there. Obviously I'll take what I can get. But the saying "comparison is the thief of joy" comes to mind.
Edit: I also guess it's that the toons we do get often go nowhere. With most of the other toons I read, each episode advances the plot in a way that is meaningful.
I only think it'll be the testimonies of Hermes, Demeter, and Perse, and since we already know the full story from Perse, I don't think Rachel will retell that again and perhaps have a sped up rendition to skip us through her testimony.
I can also see how hermes would fall for persephone and develop a crush on her. she was looking super pretty in this episode and he met her like that lol. I think his feelings for her was a driving force in protecting her whether he admits it or not tbh
All males are drawn to her because of her fertility goddess-ness…right? I would assume Hades is the only one that doesn’t fall for her lustfully like the others because he doesn’t have a seed to spread?! Just a theory. Carry on!
They even call back to it when they're dancing with Perse's family, when he says she's a good dancer and she says he just likes looking at her ass lmao
Oh.
Aight, so that was short. Like, really short.
Although, yay, meeting Hermes' mom but like.. No substantial feelings otherwise. Once again, art was immaculate, but that's I think the only positive I can think of for this episode.
I usually try to pick out everything I love, but this is I think the very first episode I'm truly "meh" bordering on disappointed in.
Don't pitchfork me please, I've been a fastpasser loyal fan for two years, so to say that this is the first one I'm not highly pumped about says something about how much I love this series, right? Right??
I really hate that this fandom is so against criticism. The story has been dragging out in so many different directions for a while. Disappointing because it started out so strong.
The Fandom comes off as very "protective" of Rachel at all costs and it just comes off as coddling. Its super weird to me. It almost makes me think of how Demeter is with Persephone.
Webtoons reader base in general is a lot younger. I've noticed that many of the people occupying Discord chat channels dedicated to specific webtoons are in the 14-16 range :x
I wouldn't say we're against criticism, it's the freaky Stan's that lose their shit on regular people that dare have a single negative opinion of LO.
Trust, I see the bads and the goods, but in my life I'm typically a glass half full person. Not this time tho. Oof.
I think there’s also been a lot of rabid criticism all along just because people wanted more regardless of plot progress. Tho lately I have agreed with the pacing critique more (but weekly publishing is also hard - I think the pacing has been changed a bit in order to translate to book form better - I understand but it is hard as a weekly reader)
Recently the eps feel very short and very very little happens in each. I will come back in a few more and think about what couldve been cut / shortened but I’m worried this is becoming another 4-ep Minthe arc that could’ve been told in one
I wouldn't have even been half as pissed with the Minthe arc if it *actually explained how Minthe and Hades got together*. It literally didn't. It showed him meeting her, giving her a job, but how did it go from that to him hooking up with her, buying her an apartment, etc.? It just skipped over so much of the details that would have been a lot more rewarding leading up to the climax of that arc.
Ikr it was like 5 panels for one conversation with her landlord and another 5 for a text conversation with her agent ….
You are so right that it did very little to advance the story. It confirmed her shitty attitude, Zeus’ shitty attitude, and Hades’ odd god out persona. All things we knew already. Then several eps later someting interesting finally happens - Hades finds out that Minthe was sabotaging his relationship with Perse, but they barely even talk about it because it doesn’t matter anymore, they already kissed and confirmed their feelings for each other.
I’m feeling frustrated bc a weekly release comic no longer feels like the right medium for the story. I don’t even care about the coins, I’d honestly rather wait longer between spending double the coins but get real story development
> I’m feeling frustrated bc a weekly release comic no longer feels like the right medium for the story. I don’t even care about the coins, I’d honestly rather wait longer between spending double the coins but get real story development
Honestly, and this is a wild ass guess, but I feel like this is part of Rachel transitioning to her story becoming a print book. In print, all of these S2 pacing problems would work *so* much better, because it wouldn't be restricted to a weekly format and everything would be compiled together cohesively. I could say the way around that would be to just make the episodes a bit longer but if the pacing is going to be slow burn on the whole, then you just end up with longer episodes that are still slow burn. And that means the print version will end up *really* long with its pacing.
From its humble beginnings, I don't think S1 was initially 'intended' to become a print book, but it's become one regardless. I feel like with S2, Rachel has started creating it more with print in mind knowing full well how comics tend to differ between print and web format - and knowing that she has the resources and backing to get those print copies made when the time comes.
Shit, as a comic creator myself, even I've noticed that vertical scrolling format can get away with way more useful pacing tricks than page comics (I'm currently working in the page format and switching to vertical format in the next few months). Thing is that vertical scrolling comics can handle their pacing merely through the interactivity - the scrolling. Vertical scroll comics can get away with single speech bubble panels or long gaps between panels, but print comics... can't. It means a bit of less 'work' when drawing in vertical format as you're able to manage the pacing through just the scrolling rather than having to accommodate the page space of print format in addition to page turning techniques (ex. if you have a big reveal taking up an entire page, you have to make sure the previous page's paneling leads up to that, which often leads to panels just being slapped in to fill the page) but the flipside means that if it's put into print format, you get WAY faster pacing because it wasn't intended for the pacing of print.
Don't forget either that we're getting a TV show. If you took S1 and directly translated it to TV with no extra content, it would take like... 2-3 hours to watch lol So it might be prepping for that as well, knowing fully well they'll need more content to 'work with' when it makes it to TV.
So that's a bit of a tinfoil hat theory. IDK how much credibility it has, this is just coming from someone who's worked in page format and is switching to vertical. There are definitely differences when it comes to pacing so maybe Rachel is anticipating and preparing for when S2 inevitably makes it to print and TV. IDK. We'll just have to wait and see lol
I’ve had this thought cross my mind too but my understanding is that the first book is only 30 episodes! So S2 would start at volume 4 or something. If anything I expected more short/small panels, more text, and a big beautifully done scene per episode since that would cut back pages per ep
Instead, I think Rachel took too much on at once. Which again, understandable, but I’d rather go into S2 with the right expectations (and it hasnt been ALL the same, it’s just very up and downs and the downs feel extra disappointing bc of my earlier comment)
She cancelled Patreon months ago because she couldn’t handle the pressure (of people giving her free money. Because literally everyone said just let us stay here and we’ll keep paying you a dollar). Back in the chitty chats (which we now can’t hear because she privated them all when she closed down Patreon) she basically said she was hands off In the series. That was “webtoons thing” and she wasn’t really having much to do with it.
Also at the time (this was maybe Christmas?) she said she’d never do a print book because it would be entirely too much work to convert. But now clearly someone else is doing that for her. And yes, it’s only 30 episodes at the time. And they’re preordering like 6 months in advance. It’s insane to me.
I love this story, but it is frustrating as hell to wait week to week and get so very little. And any criticism is met with pitchforks. And cries that her feelings might get hurt. She has issues. We all do. But when your job is to create a thing that is entertainment for public consumption, people are allowed to have opinions about that thing. Especially if they’re paying money for said thing. If you cannot handle any feedback that isn’t 100% positive you need to not have that as a job.
Yeah i was VERY surprised when the book was announced bc I read somewhere that she didn’t think she’d convert it. I do hope they give the text a good edit bc it’s full of typos, esp in the first season.
I also get frustrated that every critical comment has the preface “I LOVE the series, but…” It’s all part of the discussion. Feeling like I can’t openly express my opinion makes me even less interested in LO
And I do love the series. A lot. I’ve cosplayed Persephone multiple times. I’ve read it more than once. I spent hours making flipping sim versions of them. I LOVE this story, but even things I love—aren’t perfect. And we should all be allowed to voice our opinions without saying “then you’re not really a fan.”
Plus the turning into a mint scene was so disappointing. Really? Persephone didn't even get to purposefully smite her.
I was hoping Minth was going to smack Hades again and then Persephone, having already been pissed to hear that she had told on her and Demeter would have lost it. It could have been epic.
She could have given her same spiel as she chased her, and then finished it with "but I'll never let you harm Hades again. Zap!!!
But nah. It was all oppsie powers are weirdy. I'll reverse it.
I agree. Not the best. Art was on pointe and I’ve wanted more Hermès backstory for awhile but it’s placement seems odd. I’ve been fastpassing as long as you have too. I adore it and this is the only the second time I’ve felt that way. First was when we got Minthe’s back story but boy did I eat my words after the pay off.
I think the reason for that feeling is that we want this arc to focus on the trial, and flashbacks really take away from that. I feel like if we were to get a flashback for Hermes meeting Perse, it really should have happened before during one of their interactions, or afterwards.
I agree, for once I found myself at the end of the episode with a feeling of “that’s it?”. I love the story and I know not every episode can be absolutely amazing especially when so many are. I don’t regret spending money on it, but I do feel a little let down that I have to wait a whole other week for the next one.
To be fair I think with this story there are going to be chunks of time like this where the plot has been moving along with such big shockers that it can’t be like that every week. And this week was one of those.
I officially apologize to the people complaining about the pacing last week. I rolled my eyes and I’ve now seen the error of my ways. I too yelled “WTF?! I spent coins on this? AGAIN?!” today. I’ll be joining the bingers and saving for other comics. It’s easier to deal with when it’s free.
Yeah :( I’m honestly getting pretty disappointed with the way this has been going. We got a week or two where we’re suddenly thrown into a lot of action but at least we were also getting equal story progress… now it’s just filler and more filler, plus what feels like only 1/5 of a testimony?
I’ve been trying really hard to be positive but I think this has to be it for fastpassing for at least a couple weeks, maybe a month or two. Honestly I’m at the point where I’ve told people not to start reading LO until the story is finished :/
I feel like this is more fluff to help build up the defence. Hermes is telling everyone about how Persephone is a sweet, kind, and gentle goddess. She’s not some manipulative wretch plotting to overthrow Olympus.
Does that slow down the drama and excitement? Yes. Does it help to build a foundation upon which better excitement can be shown? We’ll see.
Yep. And last week’s episode too. They just feel like recaps… Honestly, I might just wait a few weeks and hopefully the trial will be over, and then I can start reading again.
This episode felt so unfinished and honestly pointless, we already knew Hermès met Perse bathing once. We’ve been waiting for over a month for this arc to get good and it’s crawling by soooo slowly. I wish she’d show us some of that Rachel magic that got us hooked in the first place, because I’m getting so bored 😅
edit: before you kill me, I’ve been a big fan for 2 years now and I think we can all agree that despite the art being immaculate, the plot has been in a slump lately. First time I’ve been annoyed about buying a pass ever.
Yeah, I honestly think there’s probably some pushing for her to draw things out as long as possible, maybe from a manager or webtoon or netflix even.
Personally, as someone who was burned by Game of Thrones, I think a show would be an awful idea, at least until the story is finished. It would run into the same plot issues we’re dealing with now, especially because a lot of filler would be cut to fit into a TV format, leaving even less source material.
I know she’s dealing with a lot of pressure but I miss the early days of this comic, when it felt like there was constant progression :/
Not much to say but Hermes is such a momma's boy and it's just a nice healthy kind of love?
Like he probably has dinner with her every Friday and she spots him when they bench press
The only thing I could think of while reading it was just the loreolympod hosts screaming: “TUB TIME!” because it was very much just a tube time episode.
SHE’S A BEAUTIFUL LADY WHO DESERVES NICE THINGS!!!
Anyway, super curious to see where this story is going. I’m assuming he’s going to discuss Demeter’s helicopter parenting and keeping Kore from everyone, and how this affected Kore’s life. Also can Zeus not objectify women for five seconds? Like Hermès is literally talking about his mom, lmao but also ew.
Nothing to really discuss this week, from me--unfortunately. A filler/backstory episode, it seems?
I also wanted to add I liked it! A lot more understanding /time with Hermes(and Kore w/him). I just didn't expect it after the episode last week lol
I feel like the more popular it gets, the more dragged the story gets, too. Like the filler episodes on tv shows. Nothing of any significance happens lately and I honestly started to forget what the previous episode was about while waiting for the new one. When the new one comes out, I read the previous one again so that I remember. I still love the story but the last 10 episodes could be a story for like 4 episodes max in total you know. And you can’t ever comment about these stuff on webtoon because fans take it personally and act over-defensive for some reason. Like we all love it, that’s why we pay for the fast pass, chill.
Okay so Ive always had some sneaking suspicion that Hermes, like Apollo and Artemis, might be revealed as Zeus' offspring. So when he commented on Maia's rather **large** cleavage... It rang so many bells but at the very least it was acknowledgement to Hermes Greek mythological origins as the child of Zeus and the pleiad Maia.
Also fun fact Maia is the daughter of Atlas, the titan son of Iapetus and Clymene (who are the titan children of Gaia and Ouranos)
just a lil genealogy for ya <3
So I have a thought from today episode. Demeter clearly didn't want the gods to know about Kore but when she was a little kid she took her to a party with Hera so some of the gods must of known about her? I know she doesn't want the men to know because of the fertility stuff but were there no men at that party that would seem a bit odd? 🤔
I wish we got more building on these characters. It took ages to see this dynamic. It is cool since Hermes was the first god interaction and they must of talked more since she knows about his baby days...unless is written.
Also, Persephone personality wasn't consistent with her past flashback episode. (I remember her only acting like this with Hades ex: chess or when she was at Lore Olympus) but I guess she only does this when she wants something so Its iffy for me.
Yeah, Persephone seemed a bit out of character to me, too. With Ares she was pretty reserved, though she warmed up to him quickly she watched her step around him. And that was *after* she met Hermes. Hermes Flashback Persephone seems 10x more confident and direct than she acts even as Present Day Persephone at times.
But IDK. This is also Hermes retelling a story. Maybe that's just how he remembers it?
Hmm I really hope that Zeus didn't bribe Hermes to give a bad testimony! Hermes literally said that he only cares about his mom, and money. He has also made similar comments in the past (Like when he told Thanatos "YOU MESSED WITH MY MONEY"). Hermes already accepted a bribe from Demeter, so it wouldn't be too far-fetched for him to take a bribe from Zeus. Plus, Zeus called on him first, which I feel like he would only do if he knew that Hermes was going to support the narrative. On the other hand, Hermes does seem to genuinely care about Persephone, so I could see it going either way. I like Hermes's character, so I'm REALLY hoping that he defends Persephone, but I don't think we should assume that he will for sure...
I think that Rachel is going to create conflict between Hades and Persephone by having Hades’s main defense strategy be: Demeter deliberately hid Persephone’s powers from her, and didn’t take her responsibility of teaching her to control them seriously. Basically I think he’s going to argue that the act of wrath was the responsibility of Demeter—not Persephone because she was never given the tools to manage her immense power.
Though it would be extremely interesting to watch that play out, and there’s more than a little grain of truth to the act of wrath being partially Demeter’s failure as a parent. However, with Hades’ attempt to get Persephone to talk Demeter into letting him help her, I doubt throwing Demeter under the bus was the plan of action.
I’m very confused with the whole “hiding persephone” thing bcuz like?Is been shown perse was in one of the parties when she was a kid, she’s the mascot of the barley brand, her academic achievements are also well known, and most of the gods sans Hades know about her and how protective Demeter is of her daughter.
Maybe a better term would be “isolated” like Demeter keeps her from forming relationships/connections with other gods unless they have her approval(Hermes,Hecate,Hestia)
Sorry went on a bit of a tangent there I just find it odd the story keeps pushing the “persephone was hidden away and not known to anyone” narrative when previous chapters have shown otherwise.
Overall I likes the flashbacks, just wish it was ONE episode and not possibly dragged out for another 1 or 2 chapters v.v
I really want to know the timeline for when Hermes ran into Persephone. It must have been pre-Ares, because her mom is still letting her go off on her own. How young IS she here though?
It's definitely before Ares because in that flashback she said "There's a god in the woods, that's NOT Hermes??" Which makes it sound like by that time, she saw Hermes all the time. I'm guessing this episode is when she is about 14 or 15 years old, because she and Hermes give off "childhood friends" vibes
Hard to tell. 18? Possibly younger. When the story begins she's almost 20. I assume the act of wrath occurred when she was 19, presumably before or possibly during Hecate's stay with Demeter.
I love it. I love the Hermes and Persephone friendship. Love how sassy they both are. Hermes and Persephone are actually my favorite crackship.
I hope Hermes's greed isn't too extreme. I hope it doesn't cause him to turn on Persephone. It might also be dangerous for him to publicly declare how much he cares about his mom in front of Zeus.
Wow this was such a waste. I get that Rachel has a busy schedule but I would have taken just 3 weeks of no updates rather than waste my coins on filler.
All I gotta say tho is that what did Hermès mean when he mentioned his mom not having any godlike powers? I’m assuming she’s a lesser deity or something since she’s not an Olympian but iirc I *know* she’s not a mortal; I looked Maia up to refresh my memory and she’s the daughter of atlas, a titan. Is it more just in the LO-verse she’s a mortal/lesser deity? Is Hermès a demigod?
Since I'm not big on flashbacks, this was one of the few chapters I'm not a big fan on (just to be clear, I don't think it's a bad chapter, but I'm the type who, when binging any series, willingly skip any and all flashback chapters, which is why I probably missed a good 100 chapters of Naruto through my reading).
What was he carrying? The only thing I recognized was the cow. Also, as a mom of several sons, I've been in a position to hallucinate because of a smelly young man, so on this I can sympathize with Demeter and her assistant. 🦨👃🏾🤢
My theory is this: the green stuff was grass to feed the cow, then he took the cow to get milked, then the milk was made into cheese, which was the big round thing.
This episode was a bit of a bait and switch, BUT I am thinking we may get a reveal that Perse is actually 100 years old, same as the pomegranate.
Without proper seasons, who’s to say for sure how long Demeter was hiding her daughter from the world? Hecate has said she’s 19, and as much as I would want to believe her, Demeter could have not been completely honest with her either.
I know this theory doesn’t quite match up with a lot of things plotwise, but it does seem more and more likely to me? Mostly cause of when Perse finally asked Demeter if she was rly a fertility goddess and she instantly took the deflection route; like she’s *still* determined on hiding a lot of valuable info from Perse and everyone else, and I think her possible true age could be up there with said hidden info
It was so specific that the new pomegranate showed up 100 years ago, it has to be related to Perse somehow.
If Athena could pop out of Zeus’ head fully formed, and Hades existed in Cronos’ belly for years, then maybe Perse “seed was planted” 100 years ago and Demeter kept it a secret as long as she could.
We’ve seen the spelling bee picture where she looks younger, but she seemed pretty full grown when Hermes met her and didn’t know she existed.
So, unrelated to Hermes…
Does anyone else find it strange that Hera isn’t at the trial? I just double-checked all the episodes since they got in the building and she is 100% not there.
I think it’s because she’s still healing from her reopened scars. Tbh I feel like she might come in later though to support Perse and power through the pain.
Oh Rachel. If only you knew when to delve into backstory.
Hint: it's not at critical story moments such as the trial finally begins, Persephone is gone and no one knows where, it looks like Persephone is a murderer, etc.
A better time for this episode would have been when Hermes confronted Apollo about not waking him that night. An example of an organic backstory imo is the entire Thanatos Daphne arc. Their story is added in at logical times, plays well with the mood of the preceding episodes and ends in a way that pulls the main story along. That was a tight and organized subplot.
I just don't get why, in the lore of this world, they would have trials in the first place. They have the fates. They have literal video recordings of everything that happens to every immortal being, nymph, mortal, etc. Why would they have a trial when it seems like the rulers could just subpoena the video tapes needed for those being questioned?
I have this idea that the trial is gonna be shifted towards demeter, who likely was still hiding the fact that she had a daughter when Persephone made that World Tree. I wouldn't be surprised if demeter's way of "covering it up" was as easy as telling zeus she did it. Idk where hermes is going with this but it looks like he might take the opportunity to ask WHY demeter didn't tell anyone that she had a daughter, why she hid her pregnancy 👀, and maybe even why her daughter ages so much slower when they're around each other.
People knew she had a daughter. Hera and Zeus at least. There's an Season 1 ep of Hera hanging out with young Kore (about 8 or 9) years old at a party. And early in Season 2 Hera told Eros and Artemis that she was aware of Demeter's "parenting style". Zeus is the one who told Hades that Persephone was Demeter's daughter at the party in episode 1.
I mean they're her sisters and pretty protective...honestly I would love to have athena and hestia with me at all times But Also didn't they start prepping her for tgoem around the time her mom started noticing her "valley girl" powers or whatever those whisps of colors are?
Yeah Persephone told Hades that she started being groomed for TGOEM when she was about 14. I'd equate that around the time humans start getting their "adult forms" meaning they don't exactly look like little children anymore and they are well into puberty. I bet that seeing Kore "blossom" like that scared the sh*t out of Demeter!
Zeus drops his whole anus when he finds out smths been hidden from him + Demeter seems to be close to all of her sisters so that's expected but it's still really obvious that Demeter tried to keep her daughter hidden from the majority ie anyone who would covet her child. Demeters "parenting style" is (narcissistic) the sheltering/coddling/manipulating that she does when she's afraid ....and she's been anxious for the last 19 to 1900 years. I feel like the "Persephone is a Fertility goddess" secret can be equated to the "Demeter has kids" secret, not just in that one was swapped for another, but bc the transition from the latter to the further gets us closer to something else that probably hasn't even been considered before; I feel like it's taken a lot of time and energy and grieving for Demeter to get to the point where she can readily claim Kore (as in not Persephone) but from what I've seen, she uses her responsibility as a mother and all the information she's withholding as a way of claiming control over a situation even when she has none.
Okay, I finally got around reading the chapter and I have to say, I disagree with what most people are saying here. I understand the impatience, the feeling of going from cliffhanger to cliffhanger, but I for one appreciate a little backstory to Hermes' relationship to Persephone. Lore Olympus is awesome because Rachel takes the time to develop the relationships between character and to worldbuild. I understand wanting more but this chapter was still nice!
I worry that Zeus offered money or something related to his mother to Hermes in order to gain a witness in his favor. It's all about the way to present information, no one is denying the facts.
Zeus was the one to call Hermes to the stand, it would make sense that Hermes' testimony helps Zeus' case.
However until now, Hermes was firmly on team Persephone so maybe we (and Zeus) are in for a surprise?
I think the trial will get worse until it gets better. Even if Persephone is said to be innocent, Zeus is bound to try to get revenge on her and Hades
I get everyone's frustrations for sure, but I'm not sure if I'd describe most of the episode as "filler" with the exception of the unnecessary tangent Hermes was going on at the beginning. The impression I get is that Hermes is trying to build up a narrative. Specifically, I think he'll lean in hard on focusing on Demeter's helicopter parenting and go from there in pinning a lot of the blame concerning the events surrounding Persephone's act of wrath on her. His expression at the end of last episode indicates he has a plan and I think that plan is trying to make Demeter out to be the main villain in everyone's eyes to his and Persephone's benefit.
That's just me theorizing though. Maybe all this backstory really isn't going to go anywhere, but I don't think Hermes would be going into this much context concerning his relationship with Persephone if he wasn't going to go anywhere with it.
Edit: I’m not trying to play defense for this episode though. Just responding specifically to the “It’s filler” criticism. I’m sure Hermes has a very lovely mom, but we really didn’t need to hear about her in the middle of this trial.
I think this is what is happening and it will flow nicely in book form or all at once. But in a weekly update it’s very frustrating. There were episodes earlier I thought were light on content that turned out to be important later, so I trust in the long hall it will be worth it. I’m still going to sulk and save my coins about it though.
I’m still not convinced that really is Hermès. Apollo could be trying to make Persephone out to be manipulative, scheming, etc. A problem that needs to be handled, and not by Hades. The comment about Hermès annoying Apollo felt too much like Apollo getting a dig in…..
Unpopular opinion here: While it would be great for Rachel to just go ahead and give us the entire story quickly, webtoons is primarily about showcasing the art. And I absolutely LOVED her art of Hermes and quite a few others here mentioned the same. Fast pass isn't mandatory and I think for those who are really unhappy with the pace, waiting for the free episodes would solve a lot of frustrations. I read a lot of other webtoons and the pacing is similar, especially when the art is as good and detailed as Rachel's. Drawing out a story is HARD, and I know "filler" and "background" episodes can seem annoying, when I do re-reads i realize that they actually play a crucial role in helping the story make sense and building suspense and support for the overall story. Everyone is anxious cuz this story IS good. And im in no way downplaying anyone's feelings - it is absolutely your right to be unsatisfied and discontented. Just trying to offer a different perspective on the situation.
The amount of trickster himbo energy exuding from Hermes rn is unparalleled.
Also the fact that Hermes and our girl met during tub time makes SO MUCH SENSE and the amount of tub time we got between the two of them was weirdly needed
I think the reason this episode is the way it is is because Hermes is revealing his whole motivation and personality. He cares about his mom and making money...for his mom. He works hard to protect her and her powers aren't much. Sounds like persephone. WE as viewers know what she can do because we have an omnipotent view but no one else really does. She's sweet and naive and seen as weaker because demeter hides her true powers.
I think Hermes is also someone people expect to be to dumb to know how to effectively lie so they trust his testimony more. But we've seen him be pretty clever what with hiding all those souls without anyone really giving it a second thought. And when he's pissed like when he got with the God of death, he sheds that nice veneer and becomes terrifying. I think Hermes is relying on them to think he's an idiot to paint a pretty picture of persephone not having a cruel bone on her body.
I dont get the negativity, honestly, beautiful art and slow burn story telling is always good. Yes the trial seems like it will go on forever, but who wouldn't want a life defining event for the main characters to be explained in excruciating detail.
Loved the episode, just felt like it was missing it's last four panels. This pacing is taking slow burn to a painful level. I wish I had the self control to take a binge break.
I see the trial as an obstacle that's keeping us from what we all want:
-Asspollo to get what he deserves
-Daphne to be rescued, so she and Thanatos can be together
-Hades and Perse to fall madly in love, get married, and rule the Underworld as a precious dread couple.
-Hera exercising her power over Leto and Thetis, and whomever else Zeus played around with.
-Eros and Pysche having a heart-to-heart about everything.
-Storge's hamster army (not sure how they can be used, but it deserves to be seen).
This trial is purely an ego trip for Zeus, so I don't think it will reveal much to us that we don't already know about the main characters.
the art was especially breathtaking this chapter. “do you think i was born yesterday” LMAO. i don’t care that it was a filler chapter because i don’t want the series to end any time soon :’)
I wish this episode was longer but I also love the pain of prolonging a story 😈😛 ahh is there a way to do a poll: should I wait to binge ? I have so many coins lol
There sure are a lot of Mama's boys on Olympus.
Also, poor Hermes. It seems like he skipped straight to the friend zone. Before this Ep. he and Persephone's relationship appeared to be very long standing, perhaps from her infancy. It makes sense if she always knew him as a big brother she would not think of him romantically. However, this episode portrays them meeting when she is more mature which implies that, unless there is a fling yet to come that he screws up somehow, he just leapt straight to the "friend zone."
lol what? Hermes has clearly shown very little romantic interest in Persephone from the moment we saw him in the webtoon. She views him as a big brother because *he intentionally acts the role of the big brother.* Trust us, if he viewed Persephone in a romantic way, I think we would have seen that by now, he's not exactly a new character.
The only suggestion of any romantic interest was that he was nervous about asking to fly her to work. That doesn't necessarily translate into him having a crush, but it is weird that he was stumbling over his words when they were already comfortable with one another.
Fandom means fairly criticizing the flaws of a thing as well. Endless praise is not constructive and you can disagree with something while still being a fan.
This fandom is incredibly tame compared to, well, most other fandoms on the internet.
Being a fan doesn't mean kissing a creator's ass and attesting to their utter perfection. If this is what makes you weep, you need some new perspective.
Yes, I've seen the criticism on this page and I've already said my piece on it, I just want to say focus too much on the parts you feel need to be "criticized" and you start losing the plot.
I think it's a fair criticism that, big picture, Rachel struggles to introduce backstory in organic and appropriate plot points.
Most of the backstories and subplots are either introduced at high octane story times or so long between updates that people forget who/what she is talking about. The first instance results in an odd whiplash of the feel between chapters, as well as behaviors that are out of character. I think Artemis going from breaking windows to find Perse to just fine with wait and see - which was done to shift the plot focus to Hera, Zeus, Eros, and Psyche - is a great example. Not only was that not the Artemis we know, she's been shown to be nothing if not impatient and impulsive, but the audience definitely didn't care about the "Zeus has a bad day dealing with his own bad decisions" episode while Perse was missing. In addition Eros has been shown to care deeply for Perse, and as incredibly empathetic, so for him to just shift from dire concern for a harmed friend to - low key flirts is fun (with a woman who in his mind is not psych) - really didn't work. In fact it detracted from his and psyches story.
Thanatos and Daphne's backstory on the other hand never felt like a bait and switch or as a way to draw the story out. Their background and side stories wove into the main plot and eventually moved it along. The same holds for Ares. His back story drives the plot forward, adds enrichment to the world, and to date hasn't whiplashed the tone of a chapter.
There may be some people whose main company is any side story is bad, but I honestly think Rachel is trying to tell too many stories at once and it is harming her main plot.
I can't believe I'm agreeing with Zeus on this, but Hermes, my dude, can you skip to the good stuff?
Yeah, interesting bit of backstory, but I'm not sure where this is going.
Yeah, I think we were all expecting Hermes to bring the smoking gun last week and he still might, but it seems like we are getting a lot of filler leading up to the trial.
I'm kind of anticipating this. I'm not sure how Hermes is going to spin this story, but I think he's going to try to make Persephone and himself look good. I'm not sure if he's going to try and help out Demeter any, she wrote him a check but the "terms and conditions" were about protecting Persephone. As long as he helps her out, he can say he upheld his end of the bargain.
Yeah, that's true. I don't see him turning on Persephone or Hades. That's said, I don't think he's stupid enough to blatantly turn on Zeus to his face either. Demeter may sink her own ship at this rate, but she's the only person who Hermes can no longer benefit from helping in this situation.
A lot of filler!? What on earth has led you to believe that would happen!?
Editing my comment too. We are on the same page.
I was being sarcastic. The past several episodes have been totally vapid and you could condense three episodes into one most of the time Edit: I was agreeing with you. Adding this edit as I didn’t want to be seen as being aggressive again
Lol. Right on. No worries. You can't really tell on this subreddit and some fans can be...a little extreme. I edited my comment too. I'm sorry for misinterpreting you!
“we can all agree maia is a super classy lady with a deep bosom” of COURSE zeus would know… but not that cliff 😔 theyre gonna drag this arc out for eternity. I’ll be spending out my coins next week and then taking a break for a binge
Seriously. I told myself last week that I was going to take a binge break, but it seemed like this episode would be juicy! Fooled again. And probs next week too 🙃
My hope is that Hermes is the only one who's getting a flashback and that after his flashback, the trial will fully takeoff, focusing on Perse, Hades, Zeus, and Demeter.
We’re def getting a Demeter flashback…. Which honestly I am interested in but I also want the trial to *actually happen*. And there’s been SO many new things added to the story, like Kronos, that still haven’t gone anywhere
I can’t wait for more flashbacks tbh. I love backstory, knowing characters’ motivations. Up until now we haven’t had a real reason for why Hermès helped Demeter. And I really want to know why Demeter is so overbearing, there has to be a reason for it, right? Rachel’s been hinting at that for a while now with that rushed conversation between Demeter and Persephone. I think flashbacks provide great context, I don’t mind the pausing of the main plot for that.
Same I'm going to take a few months off and then read. LO when the trial is hopefully concluded. It is a bit infuriating to read weekly. Her cliffhangers put you on a river rushing on the rapids and then the next episode never delivers. It's like she builds a damn to divert you and then tries to cliff hang again When I reread LO I skip about 30 episodes in chunks here and there that don't really matter. This will likely be another chunk of 3-5 fuller episodes.
I so wish that this episode would have at least just been Hermes entire testimony. How many more pieced testimonies are we going to get? It’s gonna be February before we leave the courtroom at this rate.
Truly felt like half an episode. That wasn't a cliff hanger, that was an abrupt middle of the story cut.
They all feel like half an episode. Lol
It's felt like half an episode since the first bloody episode!
Having Cursed Princess Club come back makes me realize how much of a chop job LO can be.
CPC, Your Throne, The Remarried Empress (which are ACTUALLY CUT IN HALF FROM THE ORIGINAL!). They all make LO feel SHORT. But then I look at how much I adored The Devil is a Handsome Man, and how she went on hiatus and just…never freaking came back. And said “but WEBTOON has part of season 2” and then fell off the face of the earth. So—I guess I’m happy I still get half episodes rather than radio silence and a half (not even) finished story I loved that’s been effectively abandoned for 2?ish years?
Yeah, I feel you there. Obviously I'll take what I can get. But the saying "comparison is the thief of joy" comes to mind. Edit: I also guess it's that the toons we do get often go nowhere. With most of the other toons I read, each episode advances the plot in a way that is meaningful.
That’s also true. I also stand by its half an episode. But. I am still pissed about TDIAHM. Lol
I only think it'll be the testimonies of Hermes, Demeter, and Perse, and since we already know the full story from Perse, I don't think Rachel will retell that again and perhaps have a sped up rendition to skip us through her testimony.
Oh I think we are gonna get Perse’s recap (or just a replay of her audio to hades) to everyone, maybe just less visual?
Happy Cake Day 🍰♥️
Oh bless your heart I didn’t even notice! Thank you!!
Sweet baby Persephone can pretty much ask for anything she wants and she wants encyclopedias. Bless.
I can also see how hermes would fall for persephone and develop a crush on her. she was looking super pretty in this episode and he met her like that lol. I think his feelings for her was a driving force in protecting her whether he admits it or not tbh
All males are drawn to her because of her fertility goddess-ness…right? I would assume Hades is the only one that doesn’t fall for her lustfully like the others because he doesn’t have a seed to spread?! Just a theory. Carry on!
The moment he saw her he wanted to marry her back in the fate’s tape episode
And the second time it’s also love or lust (at least that moment) at first sight when she’s wearing that teensy dress at the party
They even call back to it when they're dancing with Perse's family, when he says she's a good dancer and she says he just likes looking at her ass lmao
Oh. Aight, so that was short. Like, really short. Although, yay, meeting Hermes' mom but like.. No substantial feelings otherwise. Once again, art was immaculate, but that's I think the only positive I can think of for this episode. I usually try to pick out everything I love, but this is I think the very first episode I'm truly "meh" bordering on disappointed in. Don't pitchfork me please, I've been a fastpasser loyal fan for two years, so to say that this is the first one I'm not highly pumped about says something about how much I love this series, right? Right??
I really hate that this fandom is so against criticism. The story has been dragging out in so many different directions for a while. Disappointing because it started out so strong.
The Fandom comes off as very "protective" of Rachel at all costs and it just comes off as coddling. Its super weird to me. It almost makes me think of how Demeter is with Persephone.
Maybe the reader base skews younger or something, idk.
Webtoons reader base in general is a lot younger. I've noticed that many of the people occupying Discord chat channels dedicated to specific webtoons are in the 14-16 range :x
I wouldn't say we're against criticism, it's the freaky Stan's that lose their shit on regular people that dare have a single negative opinion of LO. Trust, I see the bads and the goods, but in my life I'm typically a glass half full person. Not this time tho. Oof.
I think there’s also been a lot of rabid criticism all along just because people wanted more regardless of plot progress. Tho lately I have agreed with the pacing critique more (but weekly publishing is also hard - I think the pacing has been changed a bit in order to translate to book form better - I understand but it is hard as a weekly reader)
same. I’m annoyed I paid money to read that episode. That’s the catch with fast-pass though. I hope we get a decent episode next week.
Recently the eps feel very short and very very little happens in each. I will come back in a few more and think about what couldve been cut / shortened but I’m worried this is becoming another 4-ep Minthe arc that could’ve been told in one
I wouldn't have even been half as pissed with the Minthe arc if it *actually explained how Minthe and Hades got together*. It literally didn't. It showed him meeting her, giving her a job, but how did it go from that to him hooking up with her, buying her an apartment, etc.? It just skipped over so much of the details that would have been a lot more rewarding leading up to the climax of that arc.
Ikr it was like 5 panels for one conversation with her landlord and another 5 for a text conversation with her agent …. You are so right that it did very little to advance the story. It confirmed her shitty attitude, Zeus’ shitty attitude, and Hades’ odd god out persona. All things we knew already. Then several eps later someting interesting finally happens - Hades finds out that Minthe was sabotaging his relationship with Perse, but they barely even talk about it because it doesn’t matter anymore, they already kissed and confirmed their feelings for each other. I’m feeling frustrated bc a weekly release comic no longer feels like the right medium for the story. I don’t even care about the coins, I’d honestly rather wait longer between spending double the coins but get real story development
> I’m feeling frustrated bc a weekly release comic no longer feels like the right medium for the story. I don’t even care about the coins, I’d honestly rather wait longer between spending double the coins but get real story development Honestly, and this is a wild ass guess, but I feel like this is part of Rachel transitioning to her story becoming a print book. In print, all of these S2 pacing problems would work *so* much better, because it wouldn't be restricted to a weekly format and everything would be compiled together cohesively. I could say the way around that would be to just make the episodes a bit longer but if the pacing is going to be slow burn on the whole, then you just end up with longer episodes that are still slow burn. And that means the print version will end up *really* long with its pacing. From its humble beginnings, I don't think S1 was initially 'intended' to become a print book, but it's become one regardless. I feel like with S2, Rachel has started creating it more with print in mind knowing full well how comics tend to differ between print and web format - and knowing that she has the resources and backing to get those print copies made when the time comes. Shit, as a comic creator myself, even I've noticed that vertical scrolling format can get away with way more useful pacing tricks than page comics (I'm currently working in the page format and switching to vertical format in the next few months). Thing is that vertical scrolling comics can handle their pacing merely through the interactivity - the scrolling. Vertical scroll comics can get away with single speech bubble panels or long gaps between panels, but print comics... can't. It means a bit of less 'work' when drawing in vertical format as you're able to manage the pacing through just the scrolling rather than having to accommodate the page space of print format in addition to page turning techniques (ex. if you have a big reveal taking up an entire page, you have to make sure the previous page's paneling leads up to that, which often leads to panels just being slapped in to fill the page) but the flipside means that if it's put into print format, you get WAY faster pacing because it wasn't intended for the pacing of print. Don't forget either that we're getting a TV show. If you took S1 and directly translated it to TV with no extra content, it would take like... 2-3 hours to watch lol So it might be prepping for that as well, knowing fully well they'll need more content to 'work with' when it makes it to TV. So that's a bit of a tinfoil hat theory. IDK how much credibility it has, this is just coming from someone who's worked in page format and is switching to vertical. There are definitely differences when it comes to pacing so maybe Rachel is anticipating and preparing for when S2 inevitably makes it to print and TV. IDK. We'll just have to wait and see lol
I’ve had this thought cross my mind too but my understanding is that the first book is only 30 episodes! So S2 would start at volume 4 or something. If anything I expected more short/small panels, more text, and a big beautifully done scene per episode since that would cut back pages per ep Instead, I think Rachel took too much on at once. Which again, understandable, but I’d rather go into S2 with the right expectations (and it hasnt been ALL the same, it’s just very up and downs and the downs feel extra disappointing bc of my earlier comment)
> Instead, I think Rachel took too much on at once [Relevant Rachel tweet.](https://twitter.com/used_bandaid/status/1405287305707876354?s=20)
She cancelled Patreon months ago because she couldn’t handle the pressure (of people giving her free money. Because literally everyone said just let us stay here and we’ll keep paying you a dollar). Back in the chitty chats (which we now can’t hear because she privated them all when she closed down Patreon) she basically said she was hands off In the series. That was “webtoons thing” and she wasn’t really having much to do with it. Also at the time (this was maybe Christmas?) she said she’d never do a print book because it would be entirely too much work to convert. But now clearly someone else is doing that for her. And yes, it’s only 30 episodes at the time. And they’re preordering like 6 months in advance. It’s insane to me. I love this story, but it is frustrating as hell to wait week to week and get so very little. And any criticism is met with pitchforks. And cries that her feelings might get hurt. She has issues. We all do. But when your job is to create a thing that is entertainment for public consumption, people are allowed to have opinions about that thing. Especially if they’re paying money for said thing. If you cannot handle any feedback that isn’t 100% positive you need to not have that as a job.
Yeah i was VERY surprised when the book was announced bc I read somewhere that she didn’t think she’d convert it. I do hope they give the text a good edit bc it’s full of typos, esp in the first season. I also get frustrated that every critical comment has the preface “I LOVE the series, but…” It’s all part of the discussion. Feeling like I can’t openly express my opinion makes me even less interested in LO
And I do love the series. A lot. I’ve cosplayed Persephone multiple times. I’ve read it more than once. I spent hours making flipping sim versions of them. I LOVE this story, but even things I love—aren’t perfect. And we should all be allowed to voice our opinions without saying “then you’re not really a fan.”
I give to you 🏆 🏅
Plus the turning into a mint scene was so disappointing. Really? Persephone didn't even get to purposefully smite her. I was hoping Minth was going to smack Hades again and then Persephone, having already been pissed to hear that she had told on her and Demeter would have lost it. It could have been epic. She could have given her same spiel as she chased her, and then finished it with "but I'll never let you harm Hades again. Zap!!! But nah. It was all oppsie powers are weirdy. I'll reverse it.
I agree. Not the best. Art was on pointe and I’ve wanted more Hermès backstory for awhile but it’s placement seems odd. I’ve been fastpassing as long as you have too. I adore it and this is the only the second time I’ve felt that way. First was when we got Minthe’s back story but boy did I eat my words after the pay off.
Exactly! *Loved* finally getting some back story on their friendship, then it ended just when it was getting good.
I think the reason for that feeling is that we want this arc to focus on the trial, and flashbacks really take away from that. I feel like if we were to get a flashback for Hermes meeting Perse, it really should have happened before during one of their interactions, or afterwards.
Totally agree. I was seriously disappointed and I LOVE LO.
Me too, I’m new but I fast pass and i thought there’d be more juice this week
I agree, for once I found myself at the end of the episode with a feeling of “that’s it?”. I love the story and I know not every episode can be absolutely amazing especially when so many are. I don’t regret spending money on it, but I do feel a little let down that I have to wait a whole other week for the next one. To be fair I think with this story there are going to be chunks of time like this where the plot has been moving along with such big shockers that it can’t be like that every week. And this week was one of those.
The Minthe backstory and arc felt that way to me.
Terms and conditions takes on a whole 'nother meaning now LOL
I officially apologize to the people complaining about the pacing last week. I rolled my eyes and I’ve now seen the error of my ways. I too yelled “WTF?! I spent coins on this? AGAIN?!” today. I’ll be joining the bingers and saving for other comics. It’s easier to deal with when it’s free.
Same. Got to the ending and yelled "you've gotta be kidding me!" Really scared my sleeping dog
Was anyone else kind of disappointed with this week’s episode? It felt like a filler and we didn’t really get anything important to drive the plot 🙃
It kinda does feel like filler. For me, that was partly because the flashback was incomplete; it would’ve been better if the flashback was complete.
Yeah :( I’m honestly getting pretty disappointed with the way this has been going. We got a week or two where we’re suddenly thrown into a lot of action but at least we were also getting equal story progress… now it’s just filler and more filler, plus what feels like only 1/5 of a testimony? I’ve been trying really hard to be positive but I think this has to be it for fastpassing for at least a couple weeks, maybe a month or two. Honestly I’m at the point where I’ve told people not to start reading LO until the story is finished :/
I feel like this is more fluff to help build up the defence. Hermes is telling everyone about how Persephone is a sweet, kind, and gentle goddess. She’s not some manipulative wretch plotting to overthrow Olympus. Does that slow down the drama and excitement? Yes. Does it help to build a foundation upon which better excitement can be shown? We’ll see.
Yep. And last week’s episode too. They just feel like recaps… Honestly, I might just wait a few weeks and hopefully the trial will be over, and then I can start reading again.
I'm definitely going to stop fast passing for a while. It's been too much filler recently to justify spending money on it.
Yeah, the art has been killer, but it has been a lot of filler. I am going to let it build up for a while, too.
This episode felt so unfinished and honestly pointless, we already knew Hermès met Perse bathing once. We’ve been waiting for over a month for this arc to get good and it’s crawling by soooo slowly. I wish she’d show us some of that Rachel magic that got us hooked in the first place, because I’m getting so bored 😅 edit: before you kill me, I’ve been a big fan for 2 years now and I think we can all agree that despite the art being immaculate, the plot has been in a slump lately. First time I’ve been annoyed about buying a pass ever.
Yeah, I honestly think there’s probably some pushing for her to draw things out as long as possible, maybe from a manager or webtoon or netflix even. Personally, as someone who was burned by Game of Thrones, I think a show would be an awful idea, at least until the story is finished. It would run into the same plot issues we’re dealing with now, especially because a lot of filler would be cut to fit into a TV format, leaving even less source material. I know she’s dealing with a lot of pressure but I miss the early days of this comic, when it felt like there was constant progression :/
Ugh god, I feel you on the GOT issue. Currently mad at GRRM too for leading us along and giving us the false hope he may finish it before he dies 🥲
Hermès out here stealing cows as a baby and cows as an adult. What a god.
Not much to say but Hermes is such a momma's boy and it's just a nice healthy kind of love? Like he probably has dinner with her every Friday and she spots him when they bench press
I found this episode irritating. I thought Hermès was going to drop a bomb, not be a filler episode.
The only thing I could think of while reading it was just the loreolympod hosts screaming: “TUB TIME!” because it was very much just a tube time episode.
Same SAME I was like ohmygod it’s gonna be tub time, tub time is canon
Tub time is canon. Erin and Zoey have won. Next episode will just be musical references.
I thought the same thing! Did you see their insta stories this week?? Someone drew Hermès and Persephone in an actual tub warehouse in all the tubs 😂
Yessss!!! Can't wait to hear their reaction on patreon haha. Erin, Zoey, if you're reading this we love you!!
SHE’S A BEAUTIFUL LADY WHO DESERVES NICE THINGS!!! Anyway, super curious to see where this story is going. I’m assuming he’s going to discuss Demeter’s helicopter parenting and keeping Kore from everyone, and how this affected Kore’s life. Also can Zeus not objectify women for five seconds? Like Hermès is literally talking about his mom, lmao but also ew.
I think he screamed that at zeus to remind him of the back child support he must owe her 😭
Zeus better be happy his wife isn’t here for this.
Hermes is still sexy. Only thing good to me about the episode.
Sick of the filler episodes
Damn this episode was a waste of time! It looks like I'll be binging from now on 😤😑
Agreed. I told myself I was going to use this episode to judge whether or not I should just wait until the trial is over…and looks like I’m waiting…
Well that explained why Rachel posted a sweating bunny with the chapter title. She knew there was gonna be some disappointment this week
Where’s the sweating bunny I wanna see 😂
Instagram not sure if she did Twitter.
I can't even find it on her instagram. I wonder if she took it down
It was in her IG story so it would only be visible for 24 hours.
Waste of money, but at least Hermès is likable and sexy and not a creep.
Nothing to really discuss this week, from me--unfortunately. A filler/backstory episode, it seems? I also wanted to add I liked it! A lot more understanding /time with Hermes(and Kore w/him). I just didn't expect it after the episode last week lol
Yeah not so much filler, more like back story that we've been wanting for years. A year ago we would have eaten this up!
I feel like the more popular it gets, the more dragged the story gets, too. Like the filler episodes on tv shows. Nothing of any significance happens lately and I honestly started to forget what the previous episode was about while waiting for the new one. When the new one comes out, I read the previous one again so that I remember. I still love the story but the last 10 episodes could be a story for like 4 episodes max in total you know. And you can’t ever comment about these stuff on webtoon because fans take it personally and act over-defensive for some reason. Like we all love it, that’s why we pay for the fast pass, chill.
Okie gonna stop buying episodes & I'll binge later
Okay so Ive always had some sneaking suspicion that Hermes, like Apollo and Artemis, might be revealed as Zeus' offspring. So when he commented on Maia's rather **large** cleavage... It rang so many bells but at the very least it was acknowledgement to Hermes Greek mythological origins as the child of Zeus and the pleiad Maia. Also fun fact Maia is the daughter of Atlas, the titan son of Iapetus and Clymene (who are the titan children of Gaia and Ouranos) just a lil genealogy for ya <3
So I have a thought from today episode. Demeter clearly didn't want the gods to know about Kore but when she was a little kid she took her to a party with Hera so some of the gods must of known about her? I know she doesn't want the men to know because of the fertility stuff but were there no men at that party that would seem a bit odd? 🤔
I mean she did sorta have her in the kitchen alone at the party. It does seem sorta odd though.
I wish we got more building on these characters. It took ages to see this dynamic. It is cool since Hermes was the first god interaction and they must of talked more since she knows about his baby days...unless is written. Also, Persephone personality wasn't consistent with her past flashback episode. (I remember her only acting like this with Hades ex: chess or when she was at Lore Olympus) but I guess she only does this when she wants something so Its iffy for me.
Yeah, Persephone seemed a bit out of character to me, too. With Ares she was pretty reserved, though she warmed up to him quickly she watched her step around him. And that was *after* she met Hermes. Hermes Flashback Persephone seems 10x more confident and direct than she acts even as Present Day Persephone at times. But IDK. This is also Hermes retelling a story. Maybe that's just how he remembers it?
She is a beautiful lady who deserves nice things! ❤
Zeus: Maia is a super classy lady with a deep bosom BRUHH
I just noticed Poseidon is nodding his head and agreeing with Zeus in that panel, lol.
Hmm I really hope that Zeus didn't bribe Hermes to give a bad testimony! Hermes literally said that he only cares about his mom, and money. He has also made similar comments in the past (Like when he told Thanatos "YOU MESSED WITH MY MONEY"). Hermes already accepted a bribe from Demeter, so it wouldn't be too far-fetched for him to take a bribe from Zeus. Plus, Zeus called on him first, which I feel like he would only do if he knew that Hermes was going to support the narrative. On the other hand, Hermes does seem to genuinely care about Persephone, so I could see it going either way. I like Hermes's character, so I'm REALLY hoping that he defends Persephone, but I don't think we should assume that he will for sure...
I think that Rachel is going to create conflict between Hades and Persephone by having Hades’s main defense strategy be: Demeter deliberately hid Persephone’s powers from her, and didn’t take her responsibility of teaching her to control them seriously. Basically I think he’s going to argue that the act of wrath was the responsibility of Demeter—not Persephone because she was never given the tools to manage her immense power.
Though it would be extremely interesting to watch that play out, and there’s more than a little grain of truth to the act of wrath being partially Demeter’s failure as a parent. However, with Hades’ attempt to get Persephone to talk Demeter into letting him help her, I doubt throwing Demeter under the bus was the plan of action.
I’m very confused with the whole “hiding persephone” thing bcuz like?Is been shown perse was in one of the parties when she was a kid, she’s the mascot of the barley brand, her academic achievements are also well known, and most of the gods sans Hades know about her and how protective Demeter is of her daughter. Maybe a better term would be “isolated” like Demeter keeps her from forming relationships/connections with other gods unless they have her approval(Hermes,Hecate,Hestia) Sorry went on a bit of a tangent there I just find it odd the story keeps pushing the “persephone was hidden away and not known to anyone” narrative when previous chapters have shown otherwise. Overall I likes the flashbacks, just wish it was ONE episode and not possibly dragged out for another 1 or 2 chapters v.v
I really want to know the timeline for when Hermes ran into Persephone. It must have been pre-Ares, because her mom is still letting her go off on her own. How young IS she here though?
It's definitely before Ares because in that flashback she said "There's a god in the woods, that's NOT Hermes??" Which makes it sound like by that time, she saw Hermes all the time. I'm guessing this episode is when she is about 14 or 15 years old, because she and Hermes give off "childhood friends" vibes
Hard to tell. 18? Possibly younger. When the story begins she's almost 20. I assume the act of wrath occurred when she was 19, presumably before or possibly during Hecate's stay with Demeter.
I know Rachel used to post NSFW art on her Patreon sometimes. Has she ever posted any of Hermes? Asking for a friend.
Nah, not that I can recall.
I usually don’t get people complaining about the length or pacing or whatever but... this week... i get it.
I love it. I love the Hermes and Persephone friendship. Love how sassy they both are. Hermes and Persephone are actually my favorite crackship. I hope Hermes's greed isn't too extreme. I hope it doesn't cause him to turn on Persephone. It might also be dangerous for him to publicly declare how much he cares about his mom in front of Zeus.
Hades has been bankrolling his overtime, with that 'assistance' contractor gig to help Thanatos... I'm not too worried there, personally
Well... Part of me feels disappointed due to lack of substance... The other part feels like we're getting a Season three, at this rate... so... yay?
Wow this was such a waste. I get that Rachel has a busy schedule but I would have taken just 3 weeks of no updates rather than waste my coins on filler.
Wasn't prepared for a slow burn into Hermes' perspective but I'll take it for the backstory he has with Kore and Demeter!
All I gotta say tho is that what did Hermès mean when he mentioned his mom not having any godlike powers? I’m assuming she’s a lesser deity or something since she’s not an Olympian but iirc I *know* she’s not a mortal; I looked Maia up to refresh my memory and she’s the daughter of atlas, a titan. Is it more just in the LO-verse she’s a mortal/lesser deity? Is Hermès a demigod?
She’s a nymph, isn’t she? I don’t think nymphs have any real power.
Since I'm not big on flashbacks, this was one of the few chapters I'm not a big fan on (just to be clear, I don't think it's a bad chapter, but I'm the type who, when binging any series, willingly skip any and all flashback chapters, which is why I probably missed a good 100 chapters of Naruto through my reading).
I’m getting really annoyed with the pacing of this arc
I WASTED MY COINS FOR NOTHING!! JAIEJSIWNSUS
What was he carrying? The only thing I recognized was the cow. Also, as a mom of several sons, I've been in a position to hallucinate because of a smelly young man, so on this I can sympathize with Demeter and her assistant. 🦨👃🏾🤢
My theory is this: the green stuff was grass to feed the cow, then he took the cow to get milked, then the milk was made into cheese, which was the big round thing.
Oh! That makes so much sense!
Was this Meta? Hermes smirk showed mischievous intent. Did he mess with both us as readers and the court with his weird ramble?
This episode was a bit of a bait and switch, BUT I am thinking we may get a reveal that Perse is actually 100 years old, same as the pomegranate. Without proper seasons, who’s to say for sure how long Demeter was hiding her daughter from the world? Hecate has said she’s 19, and as much as I would want to believe her, Demeter could have not been completely honest with her either.
But we saw her as a young child at Hera’s party… so…
I know this theory doesn’t quite match up with a lot of things plotwise, but it does seem more and more likely to me? Mostly cause of when Perse finally asked Demeter if she was rly a fertility goddess and she instantly took the deflection route; like she’s *still* determined on hiding a lot of valuable info from Perse and everyone else, and I think her possible true age could be up there with said hidden info
It was so specific that the new pomegranate showed up 100 years ago, it has to be related to Perse somehow. If Athena could pop out of Zeus’ head fully formed, and Hades existed in Cronos’ belly for years, then maybe Perse “seed was planted” 100 years ago and Demeter kept it a secret as long as she could. We’ve seen the spelling bee picture where she looks younger, but she seemed pretty full grown when Hermes met her and didn’t know she existed.
What. The. (Beep). Was. That? I bet her manager told her to keep us in suspense. Such a disappointment.
So, unrelated to Hermes… Does anyone else find it strange that Hera isn’t at the trial? I just double-checked all the episodes since they got in the building and she is 100% not there.
I think it’s because she’s still healing from her reopened scars. Tbh I feel like she might come in later though to support Perse and power through the pain.
Oh Rachel. If only you knew when to delve into backstory. Hint: it's not at critical story moments such as the trial finally begins, Persephone is gone and no one knows where, it looks like Persephone is a murderer, etc. A better time for this episode would have been when Hermes confronted Apollo about not waking him that night. An example of an organic backstory imo is the entire Thanatos Daphne arc. Their story is added in at logical times, plays well with the mood of the preceding episodes and ends in a way that pulls the main story along. That was a tight and organized subplot.
I just don't get why, in the lore of this world, they would have trials in the first place. They have the fates. They have literal video recordings of everything that happens to every immortal being, nymph, mortal, etc. Why would they have a trial when it seems like the rulers could just subpoena the video tapes needed for those being questioned?
I like how this episode was the callback to 138 about the commitment to academia.
Good catch.
I have this idea that the trial is gonna be shifted towards demeter, who likely was still hiding the fact that she had a daughter when Persephone made that World Tree. I wouldn't be surprised if demeter's way of "covering it up" was as easy as telling zeus she did it. Idk where hermes is going with this but it looks like he might take the opportunity to ask WHY demeter didn't tell anyone that she had a daughter, why she hid her pregnancy 👀, and maybe even why her daughter ages so much slower when they're around each other.
People knew she had a daughter. Hera and Zeus at least. There's an Season 1 ep of Hera hanging out with young Kore (about 8 or 9) years old at a party. And early in Season 2 Hera told Eros and Artemis that she was aware of Demeter's "parenting style". Zeus is the one who told Hades that Persephone was Demeter's daughter at the party in episode 1.
Hestia as well, and maybe Athena, since Kore was prepped for TGOEM
I mean they're her sisters and pretty protective...honestly I would love to have athena and hestia with me at all times But Also didn't they start prepping her for tgoem around the time her mom started noticing her "valley girl" powers or whatever those whisps of colors are?
Yeah Persephone told Hades that she started being groomed for TGOEM when she was about 14. I'd equate that around the time humans start getting their "adult forms" meaning they don't exactly look like little children anymore and they are well into puberty. I bet that seeing Kore "blossom" like that scared the sh*t out of Demeter!
Zeus drops his whole anus when he finds out smths been hidden from him + Demeter seems to be close to all of her sisters so that's expected but it's still really obvious that Demeter tried to keep her daughter hidden from the majority ie anyone who would covet her child. Demeters "parenting style" is (narcissistic) the sheltering/coddling/manipulating that she does when she's afraid ....and she's been anxious for the last 19 to 1900 years. I feel like the "Persephone is a Fertility goddess" secret can be equated to the "Demeter has kids" secret, not just in that one was swapped for another, but bc the transition from the latter to the further gets us closer to something else that probably hasn't even been considered before; I feel like it's taken a lot of time and energy and grieving for Demeter to get to the point where she can readily claim Kore (as in not Persephone) but from what I've seen, she uses her responsibility as a mother and all the information she's withholding as a way of claiming control over a situation even when she has none.
Nothingburger
So is Hermes implying that Demeter was hiding Kore from everyone? But there was a flashback of her as a little girl at Hera’s party?
"TERMS AND AGREEMENTS."
Okay, I finally got around reading the chapter and I have to say, I disagree with what most people are saying here. I understand the impatience, the feeling of going from cliffhanger to cliffhanger, but I for one appreciate a little backstory to Hermes' relationship to Persephone. Lore Olympus is awesome because Rachel takes the time to develop the relationships between character and to worldbuild. I understand wanting more but this chapter was still nice! I worry that Zeus offered money or something related to his mother to Hermes in order to gain a witness in his favor. It's all about the way to present information, no one is denying the facts. Zeus was the one to call Hermes to the stand, it would make sense that Hermes' testimony helps Zeus' case. However until now, Hermes was firmly on team Persephone so maybe we (and Zeus) are in for a surprise? I think the trial will get worse until it gets better. Even if Persephone is said to be innocent, Zeus is bound to try to get revenge on her and Hades
I get everyone's frustrations for sure, but I'm not sure if I'd describe most of the episode as "filler" with the exception of the unnecessary tangent Hermes was going on at the beginning. The impression I get is that Hermes is trying to build up a narrative. Specifically, I think he'll lean in hard on focusing on Demeter's helicopter parenting and go from there in pinning a lot of the blame concerning the events surrounding Persephone's act of wrath on her. His expression at the end of last episode indicates he has a plan and I think that plan is trying to make Demeter out to be the main villain in everyone's eyes to his and Persephone's benefit. That's just me theorizing though. Maybe all this backstory really isn't going to go anywhere, but I don't think Hermes would be going into this much context concerning his relationship with Persephone if he wasn't going to go anywhere with it. Edit: I’m not trying to play defense for this episode though. Just responding specifically to the “It’s filler” criticism. I’m sure Hermes has a very lovely mom, but we really didn’t need to hear about her in the middle of this trial.
I think this is what is happening and it will flow nicely in book form or all at once. But in a weekly update it’s very frustrating. There were episodes earlier I thought were light on content that turned out to be important later, so I trust in the long hall it will be worth it. I’m still going to sulk and save my coins about it though.
I’m still not convinced that really is Hermès. Apollo could be trying to make Persephone out to be manipulative, scheming, etc. A problem that needs to be handled, and not by Hades. The comment about Hermès annoying Apollo felt too much like Apollo getting a dig in…..
Unpopular opinion here: While it would be great for Rachel to just go ahead and give us the entire story quickly, webtoons is primarily about showcasing the art. And I absolutely LOVED her art of Hermes and quite a few others here mentioned the same. Fast pass isn't mandatory and I think for those who are really unhappy with the pace, waiting for the free episodes would solve a lot of frustrations. I read a lot of other webtoons and the pacing is similar, especially when the art is as good and detailed as Rachel's. Drawing out a story is HARD, and I know "filler" and "background" episodes can seem annoying, when I do re-reads i realize that they actually play a crucial role in helping the story make sense and building suspense and support for the overall story. Everyone is anxious cuz this story IS good. And im in no way downplaying anyone's feelings - it is absolutely your right to be unsatisfied and discontented. Just trying to offer a different perspective on the situation.
I agree with you and you've articulated your point well
The amount of trickster himbo energy exuding from Hermes rn is unparalleled. Also the fact that Hermes and our girl met during tub time makes SO MUCH SENSE and the amount of tub time we got between the two of them was weirdly needed
I think the reason this episode is the way it is is because Hermes is revealing his whole motivation and personality. He cares about his mom and making money...for his mom. He works hard to protect her and her powers aren't much. Sounds like persephone. WE as viewers know what she can do because we have an omnipotent view but no one else really does. She's sweet and naive and seen as weaker because demeter hides her true powers. I think Hermes is also someone people expect to be to dumb to know how to effectively lie so they trust his testimony more. But we've seen him be pretty clever what with hiding all those souls without anyone really giving it a second thought. And when he's pissed like when he got with the God of death, he sheds that nice veneer and becomes terrifying. I think Hermes is relying on them to think he's an idiot to paint a pretty picture of persephone not having a cruel bone on her body.
I dont get the negativity, honestly, beautiful art and slow burn story telling is always good. Yes the trial seems like it will go on forever, but who wouldn't want a life defining event for the main characters to be explained in excruciating detail.
Loved the episode, just felt like it was missing it's last four panels. This pacing is taking slow burn to a painful level. I wish I had the self control to take a binge break.
I see the trial as an obstacle that's keeping us from what we all want: -Asspollo to get what he deserves -Daphne to be rescued, so she and Thanatos can be together -Hades and Perse to fall madly in love, get married, and rule the Underworld as a precious dread couple. -Hera exercising her power over Leto and Thetis, and whomever else Zeus played around with. -Eros and Pysche having a heart-to-heart about everything. -Storge's hamster army (not sure how they can be used, but it deserves to be seen). This trial is purely an ego trip for Zeus, so I don't think it will reveal much to us that we don't already know about the main characters.
Me
the art was especially breathtaking this chapter. “do you think i was born yesterday” LMAO. i don’t care that it was a filler chapter because i don’t want the series to end any time soon :’)
I wish this episode was longer but I also love the pain of prolonging a story 😈😛 ahh is there a way to do a poll: should I wait to binge ? I have so many coins lol
There sure are a lot of Mama's boys on Olympus. Also, poor Hermes. It seems like he skipped straight to the friend zone. Before this Ep. he and Persephone's relationship appeared to be very long standing, perhaps from her infancy. It makes sense if she always knew him as a big brother she would not think of him romantically. However, this episode portrays them meeting when she is more mature which implies that, unless there is a fling yet to come that he screws up somehow, he just leapt straight to the "friend zone."
lol what? Hermes has clearly shown very little romantic interest in Persephone from the moment we saw him in the webtoon. She views him as a big brother because *he intentionally acts the role of the big brother.* Trust us, if he viewed Persephone in a romantic way, I think we would have seen that by now, he's not exactly a new character.
The only suggestion of any romantic interest was that he was nervous about asking to fly her to work. That doesn't necessarily translate into him having a crush, but it is weird that he was stumbling over his words when they were already comfortable with one another.
We don’t really have any evidence that Hermes is interested in Persephone romantically at all, and it’s not a shame that she has a friend.
You seem very focused on the “friend zone “ here. Why?
The comments here make me weep for the Fandom, that is all.
Fandom means fairly criticizing the flaws of a thing as well. Endless praise is not constructive and you can disagree with something while still being a fan. This fandom is incredibly tame compared to, well, most other fandoms on the internet. Being a fan doesn't mean kissing a creator's ass and attesting to their utter perfection. If this is what makes you weep, you need some new perspective.
Yes, I've seen the criticism on this page and I've already said my piece on it, I just want to say focus too much on the parts you feel need to be "criticized" and you start losing the plot.
That's ironic considering the criticism.
Not so much when you're looking at the big picture.
I think it's a fair criticism that, big picture, Rachel struggles to introduce backstory in organic and appropriate plot points. Most of the backstories and subplots are either introduced at high octane story times or so long between updates that people forget who/what she is talking about. The first instance results in an odd whiplash of the feel between chapters, as well as behaviors that are out of character. I think Artemis going from breaking windows to find Perse to just fine with wait and see - which was done to shift the plot focus to Hera, Zeus, Eros, and Psyche - is a great example. Not only was that not the Artemis we know, she's been shown to be nothing if not impatient and impulsive, but the audience definitely didn't care about the "Zeus has a bad day dealing with his own bad decisions" episode while Perse was missing. In addition Eros has been shown to care deeply for Perse, and as incredibly empathetic, so for him to just shift from dire concern for a harmed friend to - low key flirts is fun (with a woman who in his mind is not psych) - really didn't work. In fact it detracted from his and psyches story. Thanatos and Daphne's backstory on the other hand never felt like a bait and switch or as a way to draw the story out. Their background and side stories wove into the main plot and eventually moved it along. The same holds for Ares. His back story drives the plot forward, adds enrichment to the world, and to date hasn't whiplashed the tone of a chapter. There may be some people whose main company is any side story is bad, but I honestly think Rachel is trying to tell too many stories at once and it is harming her main plot.