Akatsuki no Yona

I've been reading the Chinese raws, and the development gets better and better! (It's currently up to Chapter 41). The female lead starts out relatively weak, but she DEF gets stronger towards the end. The development of the characters are great, and some moments are really funny and some moments are heart wrenching. Either way, please don't drop this manga, it's worth the wait and read!

I have read Kusanagi-sensei's other works, and I have to say this is my favorite so far.

Although the story started out weak, I thoroughly enjoyed the development of all of the characters. The manga itself is not fast paced, and the beginning was slow, but that is how it captures Yona's determination and recovery from the tragic incident. The art I have to say is definitely above average, especially in shoujo manga standards as I think it captures more than just the big kawaii eyes of the lead. Yona is actually very strong, and even if she cries, she doesn't rely on the other male leads to solve everything for her while she hides behind them.

This manga is also more than just romance because of the adventurous elements. I am a big sucker for traditional, fantasy, cultural, and historical settings, so this manga was really perfect for me.

Overall, I think this manga is so far, wonderful! It is refreshing and different, definitely give it a try before giving up! The female lead will definitely grow a lot :>

I gave this series until chapter 6 and I still didn't find it interesting. It's just about a spoiled princess who loses her dad and she seeks revenge against the usurper. It's totally predictable and cliche.

I have always loved fantasy and everything supernatural and if there is even a little bit romance, I will love it even more. The artwork is good but the story is even better. The story seems good so far and I am really looking foward to see more! =)

The lead of this series starts out horribly weak, but wouldn't you be weak too if you had been a spoiled princess? She wasn't in the loop of all the politics being waged out of her sight, almost like she was in a happy, safe bubble, placed there by her father the king. her only complaint was that she didn't like her hair color (and oh yeah, she couldn't marry the one guy she actually liked)

After seeing her father killed she flees for her life. I still consider her at this point pretty weak but she's in a state of shock. Everything she knew, everything that was conformable was pitched out and tossed upside down.

Once she starts to get her feet under herself she really starts to blossom into a strong girl, worth of one day having the country on her shoulders, assuming she can make it that far 🙂 Highly recommended.

The first volume is all exposition, the 2nd is where gets awesome~

The heroine start outs weak but has fantastic potential. She does develop a bit slow (you don't expect spoiled and sheltered princesses to suddenly make the jump to kickassery). A hidden inner strength for when things get rough and rougher (end of vol2 and more so in vol3), plus great ability to adapt, really hits where it counts.

The main male lead Hak is fun and very well done. He's sheltering but not overprotective. At start he's far more "guardian+mentor" than "romantic interest", which I think its a good thing because it'll let their relationship even out far more later (too many shoujos have way too one-sided relations).

Oh and the villain is awesome, the "I can't decide between hating you, feeling sorry for you, or rooting for you" type. Very developed as early as end of vol2.

After having finished vol 1, I will say I am looking forward to reading the rest of this manga. I would recommend this manga to someone, and I hope to enjoy the rest of the story.

I like how the princess is handling the tragedy, it is realistic. Not everyone bounces back quickly, some people mentally shut down and become almost as fragile as glass. When people are in that state, you have to handle them properly. Gently so not to push them over the ledge, yet firmly so they don't keep wallowing in misery. This can be a long process, or short, depending on the damage done to the persons mental state. I see the tag character growth so I am excited to read how she will move on from her current state.

I'll admit, at first Yona really pissed me off... But I suggest you grit your teeth and read until Ch13. She was really spoiled and weak in the beginning, but in hindsight, it's completely in character.

I mean, why the hell would a sheltered princess who knows nothing of the world be kick-ass, right? It takes her a while, but I'm liking her now at Ch13, and the raws for the later volumes look awesome XD

So yeah, don't be put off by the whinyness and uselessness of the heroine in the first 2 volumes! Focus on Hak's hotness until little princess grows a spine :3

I had high expectation after reading the below comments. And it turns out that the manga is totally cliché, not to mention the female lead is really boring, character development is slow and repetitive, the drawing is only average... Totally too shoujo for me. Don't read this if you enjoy Anatolia Story or Basara.

If you like strong heroines (not those fake ones who are strong, then turn to mush at the sight of a guy), then read this. It's full of intrigue, beautiful art, strong and kind characters. Don't be turned off by the heroine's apathy and weakness in the beginning; you can't really expect a princess to be that strong, right? But she adapts, and becomes really awesome later on! 😀 I really want to see her get stronger and watch the story play out- it's definitely something a fastasy-lover like me adores! And... did i say the art was beautiful yet? It's so pretty. So, so pretty, haha, I'll literally just stare at each page for a while just to soak it in.
P.S. Read the rest of Mizuho Kusanagi's works! They're all amazing, whether they're funny or deep 😀

why are the mangas i get addicted to not complete?! ahh! this is so good!!! it has all the elements i have been looking for in a shoujo lately, and it is sooooo refreshing to finally read something that has me hooked and wondering what is going to happen next. i love the characters, and even most of the "bad guys"; it's not like on the surface "good vs. evil", it's a bit more complicated and full of emotion... if that makes sense.

read it!! unless you don't want to be hooked on something that is continuing... eh, but it's so good though! read it!

Didn't like the main girl at first, but once she lost that spoilt side of hers, she turned awesome. And Hak...he was already awesome to begin with. Love his attitude; it's hilarious if you're not on the receiving end of his words.