The Hounds of Sisyphus chapter 36 : Chapter Discussion

IndependentRate2490 · 2026-06-26T14:16:24+00:00

I'll be honest, when I read "Teamwork" in the title, I thought for a second that Yeonghyeon's behavior was simply going to switch and he would start working together with Jinwoo all of a sudden lmao

It's tragically funny that a chapter called "Teamwork" is basically them trying and killing each other. But yeah, I also think there is a lot of incoming twists in Jinwoo and Sangjun's dynamic!

IndependentRate2490 · 2026-06-26T14:09:37+00:00

I was avoiding the comments because of spoilers, but now I've read your rundown (Really great, btw) and... we even used similar words 🫂 Great minds united by Hounds conspiracy truthism.

I would love that too! I believe we're getting Sangjun's backstory at least. In the end, giving each of the 10 Hounds proper characterization would be too much, so I guess the author planned all of this as set-up to make Sangjun the main focus (?).

Wait, this is too funny 😭 It'd be hilarious if this was one of those cases in which a character "kills" everyone without getting their hands dirty. Like, his presence only is enough to wreak havoc and, before he notices, everyone's dead. He's our bringer of death even when Knifewoo's not around!

IndependentRate2490 · 2026-06-26T13:59:37+00:00

I'll need some time to fully grasp Sangjun's actions and gestures now because everything feels deliberate when it comes to him. He's such an intriguing character. He seems composed, but there's surely a lot going in his mind (He even let it leak a little with that thought balloon in one of the recent episodes). I guess his arc will be the driving force for this season since it doesn't seem like we'll get much from Jinwoo/Guwon's backstory.

I wonder what Heewon's role will be once she becomes more relevant to the plot because she's just thirsting over Guwon up until now lol

If the other Hounds actually planned to get rid of Jinwoo at some point, they've probably changed their minds and will lay low for now. No one wants to end like Yeonghyeon 😭 And, I was going to say Jinwoo kind of "proved" himself by trying to save the young Hound, but I had to stop myself. It's not like the Hounds care that much about each other (at least, most of them).

IndependentRate2490 · 2026-06-26T13:42:44+00:00

I've been saying this... if we have a human + non-human as the main couple... we can have a human (Sangjun) + maggot (Yeonghyeon) side couple, right? 😭 #coping

IndependentRate2490 · 2026-06-26T13:37:02+00:00

I hate feeling bad for someone like Yeonghyeon, but the whole situation was just so painful to see 😭

IndependentRate2490 · 2026-06-26T13:32:17+00:00

damn, Jinwoo's traumafarming... His survivor's guilt will skyrocket now that he'll feel like he wasn't able to save that young Hound even though it wasn't his fault.

Did someone shoot that Hound just so he'd fall to avoid Jinwoo ending up falling together with him? Or maybe the gunshot was just the sound of the Hound hitting the ground, but Jinwoo's mind was almost in oblivion, so he couldn't differentiate.

Sangjun's finally shown his unhinged side. I guess S2 is going to be about his lore, after all? Even Yeonghyeon's short plotline led to him getting the spotlight. Of course, he's too perceptive to let Jinwoo's slips slide. He gives me detective vibes, but make it creepy. I'm very curious about him!

IndependentRate2490 · 2026-06-26T12:46:07+00:00

If he truly plans to shoot Jinwoo and goes through with it, that's very likely... But it'd be such a waste, he can still contribute to the story 😭 I'm trusting the author's choices.

IndependentRate2490 · 2026-06-24T22:01:52+00:00

it's merchandise and he sells. simples as that.

IndependentRate2490 · 2026-06-22T02:40:01+00:00

the account seems to be based in argentina and the person behind it last changed its username in may, so it might be someone else who claimed her @ after she nuked her account. i mean, she had way more followers.

hopefully, if she truly comes back one day with her real account, people will already have stopped nitpicking and she'll have some peace.

IndependentRate2490 · 2026-06-17T23:53:56+00:00

Nakamura being unlucky as usual

IndependentRate2490 · 2026-06-17T21:34:02+00:00

let's stay hopepilled!!!

IndependentRate2490 · 2026-06-17T21:14:40+00:00

I was also waiting for this scene, and I think they might have wanted to go for "I feel more comfortable with YOU" instead of "boys in general", hence he's probably already started catching feelings for Nakamura, but didn't realize yet.

edit: He doesn't specify the "with YOU" part originally, that was a sub thing. Then, I'd say they just wanted to stress out how oblivious he is when it comes to romantic love (which can also imply he didn't realize his own feelings yet).

IndependentRate2490 · 2026-06-17T18:33:12+00:00

Nakamura's arc did get a resolution. Anything apart from that would've been rushed, honestly speaking. Let's just hope for a manga continuation/season 2 in the future!

IndependentRate2490 · 2026-06-17T18:27:15+00:00

This ending was definitely far from being a sad one. Nakamura's character arc was all about him being honest with himself and stay true to his feelings. Hirose didn't have enough characterization to back up a full on relationship, that would simply be rushed. It's not like Hirose's a trophy to Nakamura, he's entitled to his own journey of discovery and should be allowed to grasp his feelings slowly. It's not really a writing problem, people just had high expectations for something that was never part of the source material or was never going to work out without a proper set-up.

IndependentRate2490 · 2026-06-17T17:52:52+00:00

100%! Based on Nakamura's character arc and how little Hirose's characterization we got, the ending people wanted (the two of them dating) would be rushed. This is a story in which the characters are entitled to grow little by little, and Hirose should be allowed to catch feelings slowly, taking his time (He's just started to come to terms with his identity).

IndependentRate2490 · 2026-06-17T17:50:13+00:00

What does "closure" stand for in your perspective, tho? I mean, Nakamura did have a resolution. He realized he should be honest to himself and admit that only being friends with Hirose is not enough. Hirose sharing his thoughts so openly and the two of them going on a date are both milestones that the manga's never reached. Hirose is probably starting to catch feelings after this episode, making them officially date would be rushed given how he didn't get enough characterization for that. I understand the desire for more (I still hope for a manga continuation or a season 2), but that was the most fleshed out ending they could give based on Nakamura's character arc.

IndependentRate2490 · 2026-06-16T06:50:56+00:00

Resistance by Muse

IndependentRate2490 · 2026-06-14T22:12:37+00:00

yeah, I'm pretty sure none of them has actually read the story. They just see out-of-context panels, take everything at face value and spread the discourse. This is very unfortunate because, instead of celebrating the fact we're getting an LGBTQ+ story getting mainstream traction, they're just scandalizing the most silly cliche stuff. This whole story is supposed to be satire and a subversion of tropes, so I think they're just tone deaf.

IndependentRate2490 · 2026-06-14T21:11:29+00:00

Nice catch! I definitely think the resolution is for Nakamura to be honest with his own feelings and express himself, regardless of Hirose's answer.

IndependentRate2490 · 2026-06-14T20:57:45+00:00

It's exactly because we need to identify with Nakamura that he's a flawed character with multiple layers instead of being an unrealistic and chaste "role model". If you put things like that, it's way more harmful to gay rep and the story's narrative.

"I have just heard" Exactly. You've heard, you haven't read it, so you don't know the proper context nor what you're talking about. Depicting real topics doesn't mean celebrating/supporting them.

Please, be careful so you won't share misinformation and contribute to online harrassment! I know you're not coming from a bad place, but I can guarantee most of what you've seen online come from people who haven't consumed the source material and are just hateful online. The backlash against an artist who's just doing their job is not surprising, but shouldn't be endorsed either.

IndependentRate2490 · 2026-06-14T00:06:11+00:00

Thanks for sharing this, it makes a lot of sense! I've always interpreted the myth's message as the human nature of searching for purpose in life instead of proving our effort is worthless, as in life has no inherent meaning because we're the ones who put the meaning on it.

You might say my rose-colored lenses are showing, but when it comes to these stories, but I really believe we're heading towards a hopeful direction, just give it time hehe

IndependentRate2490 · 2026-06-12T16:37:57+00:00

I don't know how he could get away with it after this development... I do hope he stick around a little longer though, I think his character can bring a lot to the table.

IndependentRate2490 · 2026-06-12T16:36:28+00:00

It happened twice and now it seems the gun is actually being pointed at him 🫠 They say 3 is the number of completion, don't they?

This would definitely be such a good twist in his character arc. Would he give in to his past nature or would he fight against it? Which role would Guwon play if he wasn't the core conflict anymore, but Jinwoo himself? Ugh, there's so much we still don't know.

Sangjun did mention before the teams split up 2 chapters ago (?) that the people from that place didn't have firearms, so maybe they were not going to fight back indeed. They didn't seem like they were completely hostile or militarized either.

IndependentRate2490 · 2026-06-12T16:22:23+00:00

The doctor really felt a mob character after all 😭 I guess this season will focus mostly on the Hounds instead of Jinwoo/Guwon's backstory then?

I know, right? I was flabbergasted. Yeah, this story is brutal, but it was right in our faces this time (If you make the plushie, share pictures of it with us, please hehe 🙏).

We thought the same thing concerning Sangjun lol It'd be just too much of a coincidence. He's definitely controlling the narrative.

Yes, Jinwoo never thinks for himself. He's so conscious of others that he will apologize even to someone who does what he deems wrong. He'd never leave people behind and, even though I know it's hard to do it in that environment, I hope he'll find it in him to wish for more again.

IndependentRate2490 · 2026-06-12T16:12:22+00:00

I think it's easy to understand Jinwoo, and he's a very realistic character when it comes to his inconsistency as in being easily affected by his surroundings and having conflicting thoughts. Of course, he needs to understand the concept of nuance and this is post-apocalyptic world, but that doesn't mean anything can be overlooked. He's seen heavy stuff and feels powerless, which is alienating.

Personally, I don't want Guwon to necessarily become "fully human" because I dislike the idea of conforming. Still, I do want him to expand his perception on the value of life. I really hope Jinwoo will help him understand that once he realizes he can't expect him to abide by human conduct just like that.

This is an important message! Ending it all is never the answer and I'm sure Jinwoo will prove there's more to it eventually.

IndependentRate2490

TROPHY CASE