Webtoon Spotlight

Spotlight#135: TACIT

Have you ever wanted to have the experience of bringing a series in the middle of the night or on a rainy day? If so, then TACIT by Kim Dazzi is here for you.

Summary

In a post-apocalyptic world filled with dangerous pollutants that can turn you into the living dead, death is always a step away. At least, until we meet Arvan, a young man who seems to exist as a hybrid between man and zombie. Deciding to take in the young boy, a kindhearted young girl Ruby, unknowingly creates a chain of events that'll uncover the mysteries this new world order brings.

Characters

Ruby: Our main heroine, Ruby, is very much a kindhearted young girl who's incredibly open and forgiving. Perhaps due to losing her mother at a young age or her birthmark, but she's capable of relating to Arvan and serving as his greatest confidant. Still, Ruby's inexperience does make her incredibly reckless, naive, and accident prone.

Arvan: A mysterious amnesiac with haunting white hair and eyes, Arvan is an enigma to both himself and others. His inability to eat, missing heartbeat, and aversion towards zombies implies heavily that he's not 100%. Regardless of his past identity one thing remains clear. He's a kind, polite and sentimental man who'll embrace his more vital aspects in order to protect his allies.

Bevarian: Ruby's father, Bevarian, is often where Ruby's compassion and forgiveness come from. He's incredibly protective of anyone under his care, willingly throwing himself into danger if it means helping them. However, he also serves as a moral center, adamantly wishing to hold onto his humanity when so little remains.

Rovan: An old friend of Bevarian, Rovan was banished from the safe zone Ruby and Bevarian lived in. His time on his own has made Rovan an incredibly ruthless man with a checkered past. He's resigned himself to feeling used and using others, often smoking or drinking to ease the pain. Yet, belying his cruelty lies a man who profoundly regrets and yearns for camaraderie.

Summary

As of the time of making this chapter TACIT only has the mid 60's, so I lot of what I say can definitely be changed since I see a lot of potential here. This is definitely one of the slower paced webtoons I've covered. In a more similar vein to Shoot Around (despite definitely not reaching that series' comedic tone), TACIT is more about the mystery and character interactions.

Arvan's and Ruby's introduction to each other is treated very slowly, with a lot of dramatic seeds laid out. Still, despite their differences, the chemistry can't help but drive them closer. However, you can also take everything I've said and mutiply by tenfold with Bevarian and Rovan. Lowkey, the banter and the parallels between them and their adventures traversing other nearby communities, create an immense dramatic weight that opens up the world.

Which I guess goes hand in hand with the presentation, which is frankly jaw-dropping. The cold weather and futuristic technology, like drones, juxtaposed with the more rustic settlements, deal out a more distinct edge. While the zombies aren't the most significant threat, other settlers and their strange mutations of them certainly are, creating some thick tension that is spread out pretty well.

Especially considering the thing outlines and thematic use of shading, we have a series that feels almost tragically majestic. I've seen Kim's work pop up on other webtoons, and I definitely wouldn't mind seeing more.

Epilogue

While this is one of the shorter Webtoon spotlights, TACIT displays a lot of promise. As more figures related to Rovan and Arvan become more prominent, so will I think the stakes will ramp up. Until then, though, I would definitely like to see where the spotlight leads us next.