Yona of the Dawn reviewed

A highly acclaimed Japanese comic, Yona of the Dawn (original: Akatsuki no Yona) is a manga by Mizuho Kusanagi that ran from 2009 to 2023. It was published in the famous Hana to Yume magazine, which specializes in shojo mangas.

Due to its popularity, Yona of the Dawn got an anime adaptation in 2014, and its 24 episodes ran until March 2015. The show was produced by Pierrot, that’s also behind highly popular series such as Ghost of Tokyo and Saiyuki.

As a shojo manga, Yona of the Dawn’s primary audience is adolescent girls and young women. Nevertheless, it’s popular among boys and men, too, as it’s truly a great story that sparks the interest of any manga lover. Hence, let’s discuss it in some more detail while avoiding spoilers, shall we?

What is Yona of the Dawn about?

Two millennia ago, the Crimson Dragon God came down from the Heavens to form the nation of Kouka. The reason he descended to Earth was that it was plagued by evil, and men didn’t fear Gods and their righteousness anymore. His decision forced the evil men to war against him, and they came close to defeating the Crimson Dragon King, but then came the four Dragon warriors.

The four Dragon warriors were also gods who took on human form and came to aid their fellow god, the Crimson Dragon God. They fought off the evil men, and Kouka started to prosper. Years after, the Crimson Dragon King died, and his fellow gods vanished. All that was left was their legacy—the five tribes of Sky, Wind, Earth, Water, and Fire.

In the present, Kouka is ruled by King Il, a pacifistic leader. His daughter, princess of Kouka, Yona, lives with him in the safety of the great Crimson Dragon Castle. At her side at all times is her bodyguard, Hak, and she is often visited by Soo-won, her crush. Yona is shielded by the reality outside the walls, which hints at another upheaval against the forces of good.

Days before her 16th birthday, Yona confesses to her father that she wants to marry Soo-won. However, he doesn’t consent to it. Frustrated, she goes to visit him once again on the day of her birthday, only to find Soo-won in the king’s chamber assassinating him. As of that moment, Yona and Hak begin their escape while Soo-won’s men are after them.

Main characters in Yona of the Dawn

Yona of the Dawn wouldn’t be such a hit among shoujo manga fans if it weren’t for its great characters. Sure enough, the backstory is interesting and develops into all sorts of cool subplots, but the character development is what enamors the fandom the most. Let’s check out each of the main characters of Yona of the Dawn so that you can see why it’s a manga worth your time.

Yona

The main character of Yona of the Dawn is, obviously, Yona. She has red hair and violet eyes, showing that she is the descendant of the Crimson Dragon King. Yona is also the princess of Kouka, as she is the only daughter of King Il. She is a strong female, yet, at times, her character falls for certain genre tropes.

Since her father never let her outside the city walls, her only acquaintances are her childhood friend and romantic interest, Soo-won, and her bodyguard, Son Hak, who taught her fighting skills which she later uses to kill animals and foes. Yona is the crush of several characters, fueling the reverse harem trope of shojo mangas.

Hak

A sarcastic and sometimes nonchalant warrior, Son Hak is King Il’s trusted warrior and Yona’s bodyguard. He comes from the Wind Tribe, as he was adopted by its general when he was only a baby. Before showing his true colors, Soo-won was Hak’s best friend. Due to his utmost loyalty to the King, he put his romantic feelings for Yona aside in favor of her liking Soo-won.

Yun

Yun, sometimes also referred to as Yoon, is an orphan boy who is a talented medic. He was taken into care by a priest who was banished from the kingdom by King Il. Because of this, he dislikes nobles, including Yona. However, after saving her and Hak, he reconsiders his position and agrees to join them on their journey to save the world from evil.

Su-won

Su-won serves as the initial bad guy of the story. He is the son of King Il’s brother, whom Il killed to take the throne. Nevertheless, he was spared and raised alongside Yona and Hak. Most of the time, Su-won would conceal his true nature and act clumsily. Nevertheless, after conspiring with the Fire Tribe, he decided to kill King Il and take over the throne. Su-won is the descendant of Hiryuu, which is revealed by another character, Zeno, causing his atheistic views.

Shin-Ah

Shin-Ah is the descendant of the Blue Dragon. Unlike Kija, the White Dragon descendant, his village fears his blue eyes, which leads his mother to commit suicide. He was raised by Ao, the previous Blue Dragon, and meets Yona and her posse later in the story, joining their group.

Jae-Ha

Jae-Ha is another descendant of the Dragon Gods. In his case, it’s the Green Dragon that serves as his protector. He was a prisoner in his village for most of his life. However, he escaped and joined a crew of pirates. Later on, he meets up with Yona, and after initially refusing to join her, he makes up his mind and comes along.

Zeno

Zeno is the descendant of the Yellow Dragon. However, unlike the rest of the dragon descendants, Yona didn’t search for him. He, instead, wandered into her camp and willingly joined the posse. He is a cheerful and upbeat person, often smiling and having an optimistic outlook on the events that occur in the story.

Liliya

Liliya, nicknamed Lili, comes from the Water Tribe. She is the daughter of their general, and she is on a quest to solve a drug problem that is destroying her tribe. Initially, she is suspicious of Yona and her group, but after being saved by them, she joins them as she realizes that they share the same goal. Lili also has a secret crush on general Geun-Tae.

Yona of the Dawn—the TV series

As mentioned, Yona of the Dawn has an anime adaptation currently available on the Crunchyroll streaming service. It was produced by Pierrot, airing between 2014 and 2015, and it was subtitled into various languages. It’s a 24-episode show that grew the popularity of the series even more than the original manga. In 2015, Funimation showed the English version and released the original video animations (OVA) in three volumes. In the animated series, Yona is voiced by Chiwa Saito, and in the English dub by Monica Rial.

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FAQ

Will there be a Yona of the Dawn season 2?

It’s currently unknown whether Yona of the Dawn will have a second season. The production company, Pierrot, is silent over the prospect of renewing the show.

Is Yona of the Dawn inappropriate?

Yona of the Dawn is meant for a 12+ audience. At times, it’s quite violent, and there are a lot of mature themes included.