I was attracted to SubZero the first time I saw it by the sheer beauty of the art. The royal and magnificent shine that it made me feel towards the story, as I fell deep underneath it. What was even more amazing was how big the heart it had amid all the glossed images. By the outset, it seems to be another fantasy romance about two characters belonging to different backgrounds who have to be married to establish peace. The more I read through it I understood it was not only about love or duty. It is the story of sacrifice, trust and how tough it is to forget the past and attempt to build a future.
The plot is set in a fiction land that is partitioned into two groups of dragons. One symbolizes fire, full of bare power and violence. The other is that of an ice, whose characteristics consist of wisdom and patience. These two clans have been fighting a bloody war over the centuries and in the process disrupted the lives of innocent people. Now there is only political marriage. Princess Clove: she is the heir to ice dragons clan, and Prince Kyro: he is the heir to fire dragons clan must be married to each other. Their marriage had promised peace between the two after long years of conflict, but then trust was a very shaky concept. This is the starting point of the story and the point where heart-rending is the strongest.
The one thing I liked the most about SubZero is that it gives so much emphasis on Princess Clove. She is not only politicking and a gambit or a shadow figure She is intelligent, kind and highly conscious of heavy responsibility on her shoulders. Clove is educated enough to understand that by getting married to Kyro she will lose her freedom and possibly her identity. Nevertheless, she takes that burden on her shoulders as she believes that the lives of her people are worth more than her happiness. Her strength lies in a silent quality and makes her a strong lead character.
Kyro, in contrast, is interesting. He starts off as arrogant, cold and calculated. Most fear him and many respect him. As the story progresses, however, you discover a hint of a man who is equally as much ensnared in his character as Clove is. His frostiness is more a defence than his personality. He needs peace but he has a long history of hatred and bitterness between the clans. His friendship with Clove is filled with distrust at the beginning but it would change as it grows into something layered and real.
I adored that the relationship development of Clove with Kyro does not move fast. They are slow to open up to one another. Their friendship is created out of little things, talk and common woes. Things go wrong because there are misunderstandings and clashes along the way but that makes their bond more realistic. This is not also the situation where two people fall in love. They are two leaders who are made to work together through marriage which ultimately results in mutual trust, support, and love.
Even the political intrigue, and the barbaric nature of war is touched upon in the webtoon. Peace cannot be achieved this easily by just bringing two heirs together Both sides have disobedient, loyal, and hostile parties that would want the clans to keep on fighting. Such a danger makes the atmosphere very tense and serves as a reminder that Clove and Kyro do not merely fight to keep their relationship, but also to save the lives of thousands of people who rely on them. It gives the stakes a tangible feeling to them, and every decision that they make seems to mean something.
On another level, SubZero has its own art. The choice of colors particularly, the juxtaposition of red and blue is well-timed in order to render the setting of fire and ice clans to be well-captured. Each panel is a painting and comes up with large amounts of detailing and attention. The images of the dragons are magnificent and the designs of the characters fit their characters so well. Clove is portrayed in grace and peaceful demeanor whereas Kyro is expressed in the strong and stern appearance. Together, they appear to be total opposites, but they but in such a meaningful compromise together.
The second factor that makes SubZero outstanding is the theme of trust. Clove and Kyro both have scars of the war. They have also been socialized on the bloodshed of the other side. To hear that you now have to trust one another, is nearly unbelievable. The novel takes its time to reveal that it is extremely hard to escape that chain of hatred. There are instances where Clove is not sure of what Kyro wants, and other instances Clove is not sure of whether Kyro is loyal to him. Yet, gradually together they develop a platform of trust, and the trust becomes the essence of their relationship.
This is what is relatable to many particularly this webtoon is exploring where duty in contrast to personal desire can take you. Both Clove and Kyro are seeking freedom, freedom of the chains of the tradition and resonsibility, but they are also in search of peace. The controversial question that is posed by the story is how much of yourself are you willing to compromise in the greater good? Clove gives up her individual happiness whereas Kyro gives up his harsh pride. In the process, they also educate us that the notion of leadership is not about power, sacrifice and compassion.
The side characters even add volume into the story. Love servants of Clove and the generals of Kyro are not just the two-dimensional characters. They add a sense of humor and warmth as well as act as conflict characters to the story. Their allegiances and suspicions repeat the war between the two competing clans. Even some of them confront Clove and Kyro and are compelled to show them that their union is not worth anything out of appearance but a true future.
Reading SubZero sounds like a process of merging of two rivers gradually into one. The currents initially are coarse and contrasting but eventually they start flowing together harmoniously. The pace is slow but never too slow to speed up the love line or to keep the politics on track. It provides you time to get acquainted with the characters and learn what is at stake.
On a personal level, though, my favorite part was the way SubZero incorporates fantasy, romance and politics without losing the intimacy. It is a love story at heart. Love involving not only romantic love but love of people, of peace, of the prospect of a resplendent tomorrow. Clove and Kyro are less-than-perfect. They also fall, they tussle and they call it off. However, they never stop and this is what makes their remains so worth following.
The point is that SubZero is not merely a tale concerning an alliance of marriages. It is the story of two individuals who live in different worlds and attempt to eliminate a spiral of hatred and develop something new. It is about sacrifices, healing and learning how to trust when everything around you tells you not to. The exquisite art style, the pacing of the drama along with the politics involved makes it one of the most unforgettable webtoons I have read.
SubZero is hot stuff, if you like a story when lovely visuals and emotional storytelling collide. It will bring you to your knees, make you stressed out and make you think of what it really means to have responsibility. What you will remember by the end won't just be the dragons and the red and the blue. You will remember the silent power of Clove, the reserved nature of Kyro and how even the bitterest block of ice and the hottest flame can find a union.