Spotlight#65: Blood-Ink

Have you ever wanted something bad and not got in trouble for it? You're going to love Blood Ink by Lupicut!

Author

Lupicut is an Indonesian creator who dreamed of having a job based on her passion for art and writing. And thankfully, that dream came true in the form of her invitation to Webtoon, combine that with an interesting talk with her husband about a story of assassins here we are.

Summary

In the Republic of Terragua, the Assianation Bill has been commonplace for years now. Once you sign the infamous Blood-Ink to an official assination firm, then their life is effectively over. And it was this system that forced both Rama and Maya to lose people that they've loved. With revenge and nothing left to lose, these 2 form an unlikely partnership with the dead set goal by killing the men that were responsible for this carnage in the first place.

Characters

Rama: Despite his stance as a rich and successful CEO Rama desperately lacks a lot. Underneath the corporate persona, he is a very emotional, righteous, and sympathetic man in pain. After the death of his fiance to the blood ink, Rama chose to take the law into his own hands dramatically. However, this emotion can often lead him to be incredibly reckless and awkward.

Maya: A young assassin who's been at it since childhood Maya is a highly spontaneous, energetic, and friendly individual. Due to losing her family in a botched assassination, Maya wishes to get revenge with Rama in hand. Since she's grown in poverty, Maya has often been a bit scrappy and tomboyish, which fits perfectly with her ability to disguise herself into any role she sees fit.

Proxy: Maya's ever fateful friend, Proxy is an eccentric hacker that often helps the team out.

Hook: Rama's best friend and confidant, Hook tries his best to be the cool head amongst the group. Especially since he is the only one with something to lose.

Overview

Blood Ink is a story very much carried by its characters. Not that it is necessarily a bad thing, though. This incredibly attractive cast legitimately has amazing chemistry with one another that can lead to both emotional but funny moments regularly. Another detail that shows this emphasis on character is the unique holiday specials made to focus on a character's past for more context on their relationships.

The art for Blood Ink is also phenomenal; the coloring is just so bold and unique for its time and makes every character stand out because of it. In general, though, red is a quintessential color present in the story during the series of many assassinations. Bold yet clear to show off a nonlethal action, messy to show a brutal fatality, and quiet to resemble a quiet kill. It's an important feature that I like. Speaking of assassination, I like the unique take this series has on it. While it's not the best "realistic" action I've seen, I think Lupicut knows how to make it realistic. Rama and Maya are primarily stealthy weapon-based killers, and as such, they are very adaptable opponents but not kung fu masters or anything. Their battles can get pretty bloody, and the tension is truly always there despite the few fights the series has since the cost from these exchanges isn't understated.

The overall worldbuilding for this series is honestly hit or miss for me. While I do think that the assassination bill primarily has some layered worldbuilding, I do wish that we got more info on Terragua itself. I think more scenes describing the country's history and more of the downfall of the economy to create the bill would do wonders. Either way, the assassination bill and how it is manipulated with its hard rules are still more than enough to keep me engaged with this world. The scale of the conflicts only seems to be getting bigger and better, so I have faith.

Epilogue

Overall, Blood Ink is an instant classic that I think is only going to get better with time. Lupicut shows mastery in her craft, and I wish her luck in the future. But with that being said, I hope to shine the light on someone new next time.