Webtoon Spotlight

Spotlight#80:Unholy Blood

Have you ever unintentionally celebrated something? Well, I've celebrated International Women's Month with my previous entries, which means that I might as well keep the scheme with the blood-curdling Unholy Blood by Lina I'm and Jeonghyeon Kim!

Summary

For the past ten years now, South Korea (presumably Idk) has had an epidemic unlike any other. However, instead of lack of taste and running snot, this virus is far worse. Because at a moment's notice, it seems anyone can become a life-stealing, blood-sucking vampire. 

For most of her life, a young girl named Hayan has let her impure brethren thrive while living everyday life. However, after her family gets irreparably disrupted because of her heritage, Hayan decides that enough is enough. No more will vampires claim the night and hide in the shadows because she will wage war with them all personally! With a bit of help, of course.

Characters

Hayan White: Unlike most, Hayan seems to be a natural-born vampire who has grown up to a humanity that hates her. Because of this, Hayan has developed an all-encompassing need to help those weaker than her when she can, even if it means butting in where she doesn't belong or recklessly putting herself in danger. While she is a relatively relaxed and optimistic woman, her wrath truly is second to none once awakened.

Euante Hwang: A rising star in his local police department, Euante is a relatively eccentric, talkative, and funny man. However, this is mainly a mask to hide his razor-sharp instincts and almost obsessive research on all things Vampire. He serves as Hayan's biggest ally as they both seek to protect those they have left at all costs.

Overview

Soooo, I'mma say it here. Unholy Blood is the best art I had seen from a webtoon since Solo Leveling last year. And that is a significant compliment if you have seen it for yourself. I'm straight, but it's incredible how every character looks so distractingly sexy and memorable. 

Every character has a very cinematic yet poseable feature that makes the action scenes pop. This series takes full advantage of its superhero-like action as we see entire streets and landscapes get carved up like steak. As we get many badass panels, nothing is more satisfying than seeing Euantee and Hayan tear apart heartless bastards.

While the mythology is very different, Unholy Blood features an exciting take on the fantastic movie monsters we've grown to love and sexualize. From their limited lifespans, powerful physical abilities, and power to live in both day and night, even mainstream vampires are a significant threat in every step in society.

 What's worse is that we get introduced to higher-tier vampires with more mystical abilities on display over time, making them far more dangerous as they try to adapt to Hayan. Overall, this paints a bleak picture of the world as we see the various reasons vampires are created and do what they do. Aesthetically you can tell the series relies a lot on contemporaries like True Blood, Twilight, and Blade for its horror.

If there was a theme for this show, I think it's one of not holding back. Both Hayan and Euante have to confront their lies and secrets to move on and become stronger. And as we see Hayan get challenged more, we get to see more pieces of her past as she gains more acceptance over her difficult life, creating an incredible dynamic. However, the webtoon is new despite the double uploads, so I guess we'll have to bite into this webtoon in the future.

Epilogue

Overall, Unholy Blood is a simple yet entertaining superhero-esque story that has left me seeing red with love. It's refreshing to have a female-led action story, and I think this webtoon has major potential despite it's short run. However, with this webtoon done, let's spotlight through the night until we can find another one.