Yona of the Dawn is Immaculate | Manga Monday #21

Hey hi hello friends, and welcome back to another Manga Monday! And buckle up, because today is a long one.

This time I wanted to talk about the anime I've been watching, Yona of the Dawn. I got this recommendation from Hannah on YouTube (her channel is A Clockwork Reader, she was the first BookTuber I ever watched) and I wish I could thank her for real, because it's amazing. 

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Synopsis:

2000 years ago, the Crimson Dragon God came down from the heavens to live alongside the humans he adored. At first the people loved him, making him king of the land. But soon they grew to despise the god for their troubles, and so turned against him. His four brothers - the Green, Blue, White, and Yellow Dragons - saw him imprisoned and tortured and came down to help him and kill the humans who turned on him. But the Crimson Dragon still loved the humans, and so his godly brothers decided to stay on Earth and serve him as his generals, creating the five clans of the Kouka Kingdom; Sky, Wind, Earth, Fire, and Water. When the Crimson Dragon died, the four other Dragons spread out over the kingdom, each vowing to come back together and fight for their master, the Crimson Dragon, when he is eventually reincarnated.

The Four Dragons mourning the death of the Crimson Dragon

Now, at the beginning of the story: Princess Yona of the Kouka Kingdom lives a life of peace and luxury. Her father, King Il, despises violence and weapons, so Yona has grown up without war and discord. With her bodyguard Hak by her side, and her cousin and love of her life Soo-won visiting the palace more and more, she has the perfect life: if only her hair wasn't so bright red!

But all of that changes the night of her 16th birthday. She witnesses her father's murder at the hand of the man she loved more than anyone. Forced to flee the palace alongside Hak, Yona begins to learn that Kouka Kingdom is not the peaceful and happy land she thought it was. Now she's on a quest of survival, gaining allies in unlikely places and discovering more about her people every day. Can she really be the princess and future queen Kouka Kingdom needs? Or will she die before she gets the chance to prove herself? 

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As I said before, this show is amazing. 

The first (and only, so far) season is 24 episodes long, and covers the first 8 volumes of the manga. I haven't read the manga yet, so I only know the story from the anime. I actually binged the entire show in a single weekend. It's been so long since I've been that excited about an anime. I stayed up until 3 a.m. watching, something I haven't done in over a year! 

There are also 3 OVAs, short for original video animation. These are kind of like specials. Unfortunately I don't have access to them, but they each follow a single volume later on in the series (volumes 19, 21, and 22 I believe). 

My favorite thing about the show is the characters, by far. I feel so attached to them. 

Princess Yona, the Crimson Dragon reincarnated?

First, there's Yona, our titular character. At the beginning of the anime she's rather self-absorbed and vain, having lived the pampered life of a princess hidden away in the Crimson Dragon Castle. She's never known violence or war, and has little to worry about. But as the show goes on, and she experiences hardship, loss, and pain, she grows into someone new: a kind, confident, and fiery young woman. She learns how to shoot a bow and arrow, and she helps the towns she visits alongside her friends.

Son Hak of the Wind Clan

Then we have Son Hak, Yona's personal bodyguard and a general of one of the five clans that make up Kouka Kingdom. Hak is the one who saves Yona the night her father is killed, and he sticks with her in order to keep an oath he swore to King Il, to always be by her side and protect her from harm. Hak is sarcastic and grumbly, and he tends to hide his softer feelings below a layer of snark. He's an incredibly skilled fighter, with the moniker "the Lightning Beast." 

Seriously, my OTP

Also, he's totally in love with Yona. Anyone with eyes can see it. 

Next are the four dragon warriors, whose powers were passed down through the generations, waiting for the day the Crimson Dragon would call upon them once again. 

Kija, the White Dragon Warrior

The White Dragon, Kija. He carries the power of the dragon in his right hand, covered in white dragon scales and impossibly strong. He lived in a village that revered the White Dragon's power, and so grew up with kindness and loyalty, almost in a priest-like/prince-like role. He is confident in his strength and power, but is bumbling in matters of the heart. 

Shin-ah, the Blue Dragon Warrior

The Blue Dragon, Shin-ah. His life was very much the opposite of Kija's. Instead of being revered, his village believed the Blue Dragon's power was a curse, and so shunned whoever was born with it. Shin-ah has powerful eyes that can see incredibly long distances, and have the ability to paralyze whoever looks into them directly. Because of this, Shin-ah wears a wooden mask, and sticks to the shadows. But he is deeply kind and has a big heart, and cares for those around him, even if they do not care for him.

Ao in his natural state

Alongside Shin-ah is the cutest animal companion ever, Ao the gluttonous squirrel. Seriously, the little guy is always eating. He is loved by everyone in Yona's party, though, and is constantly comforting them when they are upset.

Jae-ha, the Green Dragon Warrior

The Green Dragon, Jae-ha. Locked in a prison until the age of thirteen, and then sworn to duty as a pirate, he carries his dragon power in his right leg, making it possible to jump high and long distances, appearing to fly. He's the oldest of the group, being 25, so he often acts in a big-brother type role, even though he's flamboyant and values beauty and love over anything. He makes rather crude jokes and comments, though never in a serious way. 

Zeno, the Yellow Dragon Warrior

The Yellow Dragon, Zeno. I don't actually know much about him, since he only showed up in the last episode of the anime. He's a nomad who loves food, and seems to be a very playful and rambunctious spirit, but has a serious and grim edge to him. Supposedly the Yellow Dragon's blood gives him an invulnerable body, but the anime ended before we could see it. 

Yoon, beautiful boy genius (self-proclaimed)

Lastly, there's Yoon, an orphan who is one year younger than Yona. He's a boy genius who can do pretty much anything - cook, heal injuries, sew, you name it. He's a pacifist and refuses to fight, but he is often the most level-headed out of everyone, and is the one who comes up with the plans. He is also the one who teaches Yona about the hardships her people faced under her father's rule. Yoon doesn't like royalty because they never cared about the likes of him, but he changed his mind once he met Yona. Even though Yona has a magical connection to the dragon warriors, and has known Hak her entire life, to me it seems like she is the closest with Yoon. They have a sibling like relationship. 

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I highly recommend you try out Yona of the Dawn if you like historical shoujo anime with feminist ideals. The animation is beautiful, with many shots of the various scenery found in Kouka, and the action scenes are also very well done. Plus, as I said before, you fall in love with each of the characters quickly. 

It's available to watch on Crunchyroll and Hulu. 

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That's it for this Manga Monday. I kind of can't believe I've already finished Yona of the Dawn, since I only started it at the beginning of this last weekend. I'm definitely going to try and get my hands on the manga now. 

Have you watched Yona of the Dawn, or read the manga? If so, who is your favorite character? I think mine is Shin-ah, he's just so quiet and soft. As soon as he showed up and we learned his backstory, I wanted to put him in my pocket. Let me know in the comments, or tweet at me @AllyEmReads.

Until next time, friends!