Title:
Olympos
Author/Artist:
Aki
Translator:
Tomo Kimura
Length: 352 pages
Format: Paperback
Genre: Manga; Josei, Supernatural, Psychological
Publisher:
Yen Press / 2012
Orig. Publisher:
Ichijinsha / 2008, 2009
Cover Design:
Aki
Source: CC Loan
Rating:
✮✮✮
Reason to Read: How could I avoid picking up a manga collection with a cover as gorgeous as that?
***
Desperate to win his lover's hand in marriage, a young man named Heinz appeals to the gods—of course, he hadn't planned to be taken captive, mid-prayer, by a beautiful, fiery god…
Apollo, the god of the sun, spirits Heinz away to a miniature garden hidden in the realm of the Gods. Here, the constellations remain fixed, and an endless field of white flowers bloom underfoot. Time cannot be measured in this place, and eternal life will be given to all who enter. Apollo promises to grant Heinz his wish on one condition: Heinz must convince the garden's sole inhabitant that he can escape from this world. A simple premise, but the gods are a fickle lot…
From there, Heinz meets Ganymede, the youngest prince of Troy, who was imprisoned in Apollo's garden hundreds of years ago. After repeated attempts to find the cliff at the end of this realm, Ganymede succumbed to his own self-doubt and despair. Heinz is young by comparison, and he's still blinded by ambition, love, and, worst of all, hope. Can Ganymede free himself from the snares in his mind? Is escape even possible at this point? Or is this a new torment fine-tuned for Apollo's amusement?
Oh, the artwork of Olympos. The ethereal qualities of the ill-fated garden, and the detail behind the gods' character designs, made for a stunning reading experience. I don't often get lost in the art of a manga collection, but Aki creates such beautiful, hypnotic dreamscapes—how could a reader ever avoid the same traps Ganymede fell into? While it's true the young prince has spent several lifetimes trapped in Apollo's garden, Aki's taken great care to infuse that loneliness into a jaw-dropping landscape—though the stars are beautiful, their light is cold; though the flowers are ever-blooming, their whiteness overwhelms the eye. The only variation in Ganymede's prison is a series of ruins reminding him of Troy and the passing of all he ever loved in the mortal world. I know. Hardcore.
I was especially taken with Aki's version of Hades', the dangerous and rather androgynous King of the Underworld. At one point, the reader learns that Hades' appearance depends on the viewer—most mortal creatures, who are destined to die, see this god as a creature of unspeakable terror; however, those beings who find themselves drawn to the Earth and the prospect of oblivion will see Hades as an attractive reflection of their inner darkness. Quite fantastic, I have to admit.
While I did love the artwork (and the lovely, full-colour prints in the front matter of this two-volume collection, FYI), I found the narrative was rather circular at times. Olympos offers a "philosophical-lite" approach to Greek mythology, and tussles with issues ranging from truth and deception to self-imprisonment and the limits of freedom; however, I realized the manga fell into a pattern of talking heads (à la Socrates and co.) with little action taking place. Granted, our main setting is Ganymede's infinite prison, so there's only so much room to explore—but I often find idea-driven work hard to stick with, especially when the characters are gorgeous and, well, lounging for the most part.
Overall, I'd advise fans of Greek mythology and Western philosophers to proceed with caution, but art aficionados should definitely check out Olympos for a drool-worthy manga experience.
Ideal for: Josei fans feeling underrepresented in the manga marketplace; North American readers who need a lesson on the artistry inherent to manga; Folks with a weaker background in Greek mythology and philosophy, and a strong interest in gorgeous character designs.
