So fucking glad my Guwon being Sisyphus theory is now solidified, though looking at it I guess Jinwoo could also be considered one. The thing is, the title of this work is very specific, and that got me wondering what exactly is the author trying to focus on.
I've made an old comment about how the hounds in the title aren't necessarily the hounds in the manhwa, but a term for dogs, and that imagery has been used in the manhwa to refer to humans/townspeople from Guwon's perspective. Going by that, the title gives emphasis to the townspeople; "hounds" group or not. Why is that? Why not name the manhwa Sisyphus or The Boulder of Sisyphus, emphasizing the figurative boulder Guwon has to roll up the figurative hill (protect the town, rule it, and maintain its peace)?
That line of thought led me to wonder if time resets for everyone or just Guwon and Jinwoo, or just Guwon and whoever Guwon decides is dear to him and drags him down with himself? Is Jinwoo even a criteria for the loop in himself or is he an extension of Guwon's desire to reset? Maybe because they died this way the first time, Guwon dragging Jinwoo with him, that Guwon feels the need to do it each and every time to reset the cycle and be with him fresh again, but if the cycle resets this time without Jinwoo then he was never a true criteria, not that this time is a disruption. Which makes me wonder if the townspeople also reset, or are they aware a new Guwon is always introduced with a new Jinwoo (it brings me back to older chapters when the people would behave weirdly around both, and how I always felt they knew something about Guwon but never told Jinwoo.)
And to an even niche point that I am still hung up on: Jinwoo's dreams. He dreamt mostly of being abused by his father, then of himself hurting his father, but he is adamant about how his father is a good man and took care of him. With the looping time things are starting to make sense. Guwon could've killed him this cycle, in another Jinwoo could've been the one to do it, and in another the man could've been abusive, so on. The moment Jinwoo met Guwon the dreams slash memories started and he became conflicted over his whole memories of most things.
My main questions now are: why is time looping, why did Guwon believe he needs to take care of this town in the very first loop, why does he have stitching tattoos, and what are the criteria to end the loop (assuming it loops because of Guwon alone and Jinwoo has only been the main driving force. I don't think time would have looped at all if Jinwoo also had to die because he's still alive. This cycle would've continued on with Jinwoo being alive for however long until he dies one day and the second criteria is met and then they're brought back to the same starting point. But if Jinwoo goes back to a reincarnated Guwon then Guwon alone dying is the criteria, that makes it a Guwon-focused plot point that Jinwoo needs to uncover or break)
So fucking glad my Guwon being Sisyphus theory is now solidified, though looking at it I guess Jinwoo could also be considered one. The thing is, the title of this work is very specific, and that got me wondering what exactly is the author trying to focus on.
I've made an old comment about how the hounds in the title aren't necessarily the hounds in the manhwa, but a term for dogs, and that imagery has been used in the manhwa to refer to humans/townspeople from Guwon's perspective. Going by that, the title gives emphasis to the townspeople; "hounds" group or not. Why is that? Why not name the manhwa Sisyphus or The Boulder of Sisyphus, emphasizing the figurative boulder Guwon has to roll up the figurative hill (protect the town, rule it, and maintain its peace)?
That line of thought led me to wonder if time resets for everyone or just Guwon and Jinwoo, or just Guwon and whoever Guwon decides is dear to him and drags him down with himself? Is Jinwoo even a criteria for the loop in himself or is he an extension of Guwon's desire to reset? Maybe because they died this way the first time, Guwon dragging Jinwoo with him, that Guwon feels the need to do it each and every time to reset the cycle and be with him fresh again, but if the cycle resets this time without Jinwoo then he was never a true criteria, not that this time is a disruption.
Which makes me wonder if the townspeople also reset, or are they aware a new Guwon is always introduced with a new Jinwoo (it brings me back to older chapters when the people would behave weirdly around both, and how I always felt they knew something about Guwon but never told Jinwoo.)
And to an even niche point that I am still hung up on: Jinwoo's dreams. He dreamt mostly of being abused by his father, then of himself hurting his father, but he is adamant about how his father is a good man and took care of him. With the looping time things are starting to make sense. Guwon could've killed him this cycle, in another Jinwoo could've been the one to do it, and in another the man could've been abusive, so on. The moment Jinwoo met Guwon the dreams slash memories started and he became conflicted over his whole memories of most things.
My main questions now are: why is time looping, why did Guwon believe he needs to take care of this town in the very first loop, why does he have stitching tattoos, and what are the criteria to end the loop (assuming it loops because of Guwon alone and Jinwoo has only been the main driving force. I don't think time would have looped at all if Jinwoo also had to die because he's still alive. This cycle would've continued on with Jinwoo being alive for however long until he dies one day and the second criteria is met and then they're brought back to the same starting point. But if Jinwoo goes back to a reincarnated Guwon then Guwon alone dying is the criteria, that makes it a Guwon-focused plot point that Jinwoo needs to uncover or break)