Akatsuki no Yona

There's several comments talking about Yona as a Mary Sue or having a harem but they're missing a LOT of context. First, Yona fights for every inch of power she gets, shown in her efforts in the morning and in her bursts of action. Not everything is handed to her--at best you can argue the fights are easy (because, I don't know, the people fighting are blessed by dragons... and Hak). She's not perfect, she screws up and makes bad judgments, struggles with her past. While, yes, she does prove to have more fighting prowess than her time with a weapon should dictate, she also largely stays back with her arrows or struggles mostly for defense rather than trying to take the enemy down.

As far as the harem goes

it's only 3 maybe 4 people and outside of Su-Won and Hak, Yona herself never shows interest (and Su-Won doesn't in turn show interest in Yona). Jaeha and Gija often comment that it is also partially because of their dragon blood, but both quickly acknowledge it'd be Hak Yona would go with more than anything. I do not count the fire tribe princeling, as that's more worship than love. The group is more family than romantic interests.

This story is largely about inspiration, unity, and overcoming your past. It delves into politics, war, internal struggles, and so much with sincerity. Every inch of the story is fought, and the impact spreads to inspire others. As you see Yona grow, you see others grow with her. From the dragons to the people, and her role as a symbol of strength is well deserved. This is the manga equivalent of a fantasy epic and, to me, stands as this generations Record of Lodoss War

Don't judge this story and the characters by the first few chapters. Each of the character goes through a character arc at some point and develop into stronger characters later on. This really adds on to the story as you read further. So, if you are looking to follow story for possibly years, this is definitely the story for you. Even though the story has over 200+ chapters, it has multiple arcs that have completed. As of now, I think it's definitely worth reading--you can gain lot of satisfaction from the story from the chapters that have already been released. There alot of flighting and war.

to summarize it the heroine is a classic mary sue, she is so perfect in everything she does, she has no emotions or thoughts and it's always saved by the other characters, her character is so boring, she doesn't have issues or personality at all she is so pure and it always good 🙂 every character loves her or grows to love her bc she is good, pure, an angel 😪 but the story is saved by the amazing cast of characters, especially the deuteragonist, I think the story would have been more interesting if Hak was the protagonist or maybe Soo-won, they are much more interesting and feel more human than the supposed mc. I think the story is popular thanks to the amazing cast of characters and I get it because I too continue reading for them. I'm still hoping for development for Yona.

I couldnt stop reading this so i finished it in one day. I really like the story and i recommend it to E V E R Y O N E

Now, I am not usually one to leave reviews for anything, I am a more read/watch and rate kind of person. That being said, this is my first review I've written because I couldn't NOT write one..

I just stumbled upon this yesterday and stayed up until 3AM bingeing 1/2 (12) of the episodes. It took me everything I had to go to sleep and to save the remaining episodes for today. I can't believe I didn't know about this one sooner! I already can't wait to rewatch them. It reminded me a bit of Avatar the Last Airbender (which is NEVER a bad thing), just a more adult version with different elements of course. I'm completely in love with the character development of the main female character; going through a traumatic event, and resolving to become stronger for it. What really got to me was the audience isn't lead to believe it is a complete 180 of who she was before; which makes the story that much more enjoyable, we get to see her growth and development over time. I'm also completely in love with Hak, but then again who wouldn't be? His resolve to protect the one he clearly loves (sucker for the type) and to help her get stronger even though he doesn't want to see her fight; I'm not really sure how to describe it, but it's a beautiful kind of love to see. I'm also a dub watcher, and I'm basically a sucker for any character who Chistopher Sabat vocies, so I am all here for this.

Also, I have to say that I really have yet to meet a character that I don't liked, I even find myself sympathizing with the villian at some points. The author wrote his character really well and I'm entrigued to find out if one of my current working theories is correct. The past he shares with the FMC and the MMC just makes the story that much more enthralling and it makes their present that much more heartwrenching. The audience can clearly see the love and bonds that they all had for one another throughout childhood, which makes the events that took place all the more tragic. I've got to say, the hesitation, regret and realization that the villian displays at certain points throughout the show, is animated so well that it became the catalyst of where my sympathy for him derives. Especially since I'm wondering if someone else has been pulling his strings or whispered seeds of doubts to him, which resulted in the actions that he took.

I find the animation and the soundtrack to be both quite beautiful and captivating, which just helps to keep one's attention throughout the episodes. Admittedly, it is rare for me to be able to sit still and watch a show now (my attention span occasionally turns into that of a gold fish) and though I was preoccupied on my phone for the first 2-3 episodes (though I did lift my head throughout, and was a constant pause/rewinder) I found myself putting the phone down to give my complete and undivided attention to the rest of the episodes I watched yesterday. You have no clue how reare that is for me to do and yet how easy it was for me to do it. That being said, once I went to "bed" I was up for another hour falling into the YouTube blackhole searching for fanart vids and loving every moment of it. I was also searching if there has been any further word about another season coming because 24 episodes is simply not enough. I already know that I am going to be reading the manga after I finish watching the episodes (and lets face it, I already have plans to rewatch them again and again, it has already ended up in the queue as a favorite), but along with the rest of the fans of this anime, I would truly love to see this played out on the screen because I have a feeling it is only going to get better as the story continues.

All in all, I highly recommend Yona of the Dawn. Easily one of the best anime/manga/stories out there right now.

This review is also posted on my Anime-planet account

How? How can every page be so... so... wonderful?! It's a definite must-read for everyone, regardless of age or genre preferences.

** My Synopsis **
Akatsuki no Yona tells the story of young Princess ** Yona ** of Kouka Kingdom, the worldbuilding being inspired by a nice blend of Korean, Japanese and Chinese culture, who suddenly finds herself expelled out of the palace after her father, King Il, is murdered by her most beloved and trusted cousin -- ** Soo Won.** Instilling himself as King and framing Yona and her bodyguard Son Hak as the ones who assassinated the King, Soo Won decided to rebuild Kouka and gather all 5 Tribes of the kingdom together once again, as it was under the previous monarch's rule.

Meanwhile, Hak and Yona are now leaving outside the palace grounds, and decides to visit the Wind Tribe, one of the 5 Tribes, whereby Hak has close ties with. Mun Dok of the Wind Tribe and Hak's adoptive grandfather urges them to visit the High Priest, Ik Soo, who tells them the story of the Four Dragons of Kouka.

Yona, Hak and Yoon, the young guardian of Ik Soo, thus set off on a journey to find the Four Dragons and borrow their power.

** My thoughts **
What an INCREDIBLE journey! Yona changes from a naive, innocent and easily persuaded princess to a fierce, loyal and compassionate ** warrior.** She doesn't need to bring change -- she ** is the change **

Also, the characters and the plot! Both are solid and splendid, and I only have praises. Even the antagonist Soo Won isn't your typical "bad guy", with his complexity and own struggles. I hate him, but I don't. I love him, but I don't. shrugs

Hak is so cool and supportive of Yona. I understand why he disagrees with Yona's decision to learn how to wield weapons at first, since that's going against the wishes of King Il, but he thus gives way to her. Watching them bicker and grow is adorable. Also, our Four Dragons! Each brings their own special traits to create our beloved Dark Dragon and the Happy Hungry Bunch 🙂 Yoon as the "mother" of the group is a running gag despite him being the youngest, but he ** is ** adorable... as Zeno will say it =D

If you haven't read this yet... WHY HAVEN'T YOU? HEAR THAT? THAT'S ME KNOCKING AT YOUR DOOR DEMANDING AN ANSWER.

Ahem

I'll be sad when the series ends </3

TLDR: Intense, whirlwind beginning that leads to great characters and a slow burn romance.

Long Version: I really do love Yona of the Dawn, it’s one of the few manga I read even though it’s not completed. One of the biggest delights of the story, besides Hak (that beautiful man), is Yona’s growth. Her growth from a weak willed, sheltered princess to a strong woman is so amazing and believable that you’re enraptured and rooting for her the entire time. If you love seeing a strong hero, Yona won’t let you down.
But let’s not forget the romance, it is a shoujo after all~. Yona has no shortage of kingka around her and the romance she slowly warms up to has you rolling around shrieking, it’s so good.
If there’s any complaint I’ve heard about Yona of the Dawn it’s that it’s long... but even that I think is more of a positive than a negative. It’s more time for me to enjoy reading these character’s worlds.

This manga is sooo good! I finished reading the entire thing in around 2 days. The plot is extremely well developed and there is a lot of character development. All of the characters change some way or another throughout the story, and even the antagonists are well thought out. Although Soo-won may seem super evil in the beginning, the author gradually shows the reader his motivations and reasons for doing what he did and even if you don't like him very much, you can't completely blame him for his actions. The art style and humor in this manga are also very good. Anyways, I definitely recommend checking this manga out! 🙂