[Anime Review]: Akatsuki no Yona
Hi everyone,
Who would have thought that I’d write another anime review that quickly?
But when I watch a good series that I really enjoyed I usually can’t help it (although I admit that I haven’t written about the series (anime and manga) I enjoyed the most in the past few years at all …. Guess lack of time is to blame.)
Anyway, today I want to introduce you to “Akatsuki no Yona” (暁のヨナ, which literally means “Yona of the Dawn”).
Just take “Arslan Senki” and mix it together with “Fushigi Yuugi” and that’s what you get!
Ok, to be more precise it’s a lot like “Arslan Senki” with a lot of sprinkles of “Fushigi Yuugi” and a little bit of sprinkles of “Akagami no Shirayukihime”.
So, if you like ANY of the above mentioned series, I’m quite sure you’ll enjoy “Akatsuki no Yona” as well.
However, let me warn you: There’s only one season thus far (aired in 2014/2015) and it’s merely the beginning of what could turn out to be a rather epic series.
That means you’ll end up with a cliffhanger and have to wait.
There's an OVA (3 episodes, the last one should be airing in Dec 2016), but it won't get you far.
There’s also a manga (2009 - ongoing).
I've already seen the drawing style and fell in love. I doubt I can stay away from it for too long, but there also might be a second season of the anime, so maybe I should "gaman" a bit longer.
Feel free to read everything. I kept it more or less spoiler-free. Not that there's anything I could really spoil anyways. ^^;
Story:
Yona is a spoiled princess who has lived a decent life within Castle Hiryuu all of her life.
Her father, the king, is a very kind and peace-loving person. He is against the use of weapons and violence, but that's exactly why others in the kingdom are against his peaceful regiment.
Yona's childhood friend Haku is always by her side as he promised the king to become Yona's bodyguard.
Yona, however, has fallen in love with her other childhood friend, Su-Wong who is also her cousin.
As kids the three of them always were together - and their bond is still strong nowadays.
When Su-Wong is visiting Castle Hiryuu in order to celebrate Yona's 16th birthday, things suddenly change.
While Yona wants to confess to Su-Wong, she actually catches him in the act of stabbing the king, Yona's father.
Right after that, Su-Wong and his men are after Yona, trying to kill her as well.
Luckily Haku, her bodyguard, can prevent that - and both of them have to flee the castle.
I'm sure you can clearly see the resemblances to "Arslan Senki" here.
At first, Yona has a hard time to get her act together.
Not only was her father killed right in front of her eyes, but it was done by her childhood friend, the man she fell in love with!
Soon after that Su-Wong is the new king of the country and Haku and Yona are constantly on the run.
Yona gradually changes from the spoiled princess who had no idea what was going on outside of the castle to a very strong woman that wants to be capable of protecting Haku and all the people in the kingdom.
It's hard for her to accept that even during her father's regime people in the kingdom had to suffer. She had no idea until stepping out of the castle!
Meanwhile Su-Wong thinks that Yona has died - and for the first time we can see that he actually suffers.
It's clear that he has feelings for Yona and that he has very biased feelings about what happened.
However, it remains unclear what his real goal is.
This gives the plot a new, interesting twist.
The legend of the 4 dragons:
Yona learns from a priest that the famous legend of the 4 dragons is actually true.
King Hiryuu (the one that the castle is names after where Yona used to live) was actually a red dragon.
The other dragons came down to earth to get him back but he wanted to stay with humans.
In order to protect him, the other four dragons gave part of their blood and thus their powers to humans.
The four people who received the dragon blood suddenly developed superhuman powers.
One had a dragon claw as a hand, so strong he could rip apart all enemies.
One had a dragon leg, so strong that he could jump and fly and kick away all enemies.
One had dragon eyes, so strong that he could see very far with them and also kill people with his gaze.
One had a dragon's "body", so strong that he actually ............... (sorry, not gonna spoil this one, you gotta watch the OVA for this ... or read the manga, I guess)
Yona trusts the words of the priest.
Together with the "caretaker" of the priest, Yun, and her bodyguard Haku, she's travelling the whole country to find the humans of this generation who have inherited the dragon blood.
Su-Wong is travelling the country as well.
We get to know a very smart, kind-hearted, but also calculating man. It's still unclear what he's after.
I see a lot of potential in this plot.
It's too bad that there's only one season thus far.
Characters:
Yona - she's the princess of Castle Hiryuu.
Apparently she has lost her mother at a very young age, but her childhood friend and cousin Su-Wong was always around to cheer her up.
He's 3 years older and her cousin, but she fell in love with him nevertheless.
She's very spoiled and only concerned about her wardrobe and hairstyle - as she has nothing else to worry about.
After seeing how her father was killed by her loved one, she has no choice but to drastically change.
Haku - childhood friend of Yona and Su-Wong.
He has sworn to the king that he'll protect Yona.
He's clearly in love with Yona, but is fighting against these feelings - as his promise to protect Yona is the most important thing.
Just like Yona, he also has biased feelings about their former childhood friend Su-Wong's actions.
He was the leader of the "Wind Clan" and is known as the "Thunder Beast".
He's just a human, but extremely strong.
Su-Wong - childhood friend of Yona and Haku.
He is the son of the king's older brother. In fact, his father was the one who was supposed to become king.
He was the oldest and as people in the kingdom say probably the more capable one.
He is a very kind-hearted person. He cares for Yona like a sister.
But it seems he also might have developed feelings for her when they grow older.
On the other hand he kills the king, Yona' father, right in front of her eyes.
His true goals remain hidden.
Yun - the bishonen that can do everything (but fight).
Yun is one of the first people Yona and Haku meet after being chased out of the castle.
He is taking care of the priest they were looking for. Yun is one year younger than Yona.
He's very smart, can cook, treat wounds .... actually there's nothing he can't do ...... apart from fighting.
He's not very strong, but that makes him a good addition to the team.
While he doesn't want to leave the priest, he eventually joins Yona and Haku in their search of the 4 dragons.
I think, it's safe to say that he is my favorite character!
Not only do I love the voice actress (ever since Prince of Tennis!!), but he's just too adorable!
The Four Dragons:
As mentioned before the four dragons appeared in a legend, but they actually really exist.
Ever since then it seems like in every generation there are 4 humans born with the power of the dragons.
I don't want to tell you much about the dragons. It's probably more fun if you get to know them while watching / reading.
And trust me, there would be a LOT to tell you - and there's even more we don't know yet.
The OVA revealed a bit, especially concerning the background of one of them, but that would be a huge spoiler, so I keep my mouth shut. ;)
Again, here the series shows its true potential. I really can't wait to get to know EVERYTHING.
Let me just tell you that while King Hiryuu represtented the "Red Dragon" (緋龍), his dragon warriors also all represent a color:
White Dragon (Hakuryuu, 白龍), Blue Dragon (Seiryuu, 青龍), Green Dragon (Rokuryuu, 緑龍) and Yellow Dragon (Ouryuu, 黄龍)
We also get to know some of the previous dragon power holders. My favorite is by far "Ao".
Nope, not the squirrel .... I'm talking about Shinha's predecessor. So hot! (*__*)b .....
Among the dragons, I think Jeha (Green Dragon) is my favorite.
One reason is his way of thinking. He doesn't want to follow some old legend and the calling of his blood, but his own free will.
The other reason is his voice actor. To be honest, I've grown a bit tired of Jun-sama's voice recently, but he fits that role PERFECTLY!
It was refreshing to hear him acting out a character like Jeha. ^^;
My conclusion: (8/10):
While the plot is not too profound (yet), the characters are lovable, very interesting and some have hidden "dark" secrets in their past.
What I liked the most is that there were so many scenes where I had tears in my eyes just to burst out laughing in the next second.
The love-hate-friendship triangle between Su-Wong, Yona and Haku has a lot of potential.
After all I simply like this kind of concept where you suddenly have to fight someone you love.
It does happen in “Fushigi Yuugi” to some degree …. but another series that has brought this concept to a new dimension and is still - in my eyes - the best one out there is: (Legend of) Basara
Here, too, the anime was rather short. It was more like a long trailer for the manga.
The manga is epic and never have I turned over pages while sobbing and shivering. THAT is still one of the best and most epic manga series of this genre in my opinion.
And I do see this kind of potential in “Akatsuki no Yona” as well.
However, for some reason the relationship between the three main characters doesn’t give me shivers or goosebumps.
I’m also not rooting for anyone, although typically I would totally ship Haku x Yona.
They just don’t give me the feels.
Despite the lack of romantic feelings, there’s so much else to laugh or cry about.
A surprise was the opening!
At first, it was a bit strange as it was so quiet. Instrumental openings are so rare!
The animation and the way the characters are presented reminded me a bit of a mediocre “otome game”.
But I soon grew to LOVE the opening! :)
(Although the second opening is really nice as well - just completely different from the first one - music-wise.)
In short, if you enjoyed “Arslan Senki”, “Fushigi Yuugi” and / or “Akagami no Shirayukihime”, then you’ll probably like this one as well.
The animation is quite nice, the soundtrack as well.
Let me know what you think and let me know if it’s worth to jump right into the manga or if I should wait a bit longer.
Bye~chuu!
Who would have thought that I’d write another anime review that quickly?
But when I watch a good series that I really enjoyed I usually can’t help it (although I admit that I haven’t written about the series (anime and manga) I enjoyed the most in the past few years at all …. Guess lack of time is to blame.)
Anyway, today I want to introduce you to “Akatsuki no Yona” (暁のヨナ, which literally means “Yona of the Dawn”).
Just take “Arslan Senki” and mix it together with “Fushigi Yuugi” and that’s what you get!
Ok, to be more precise it’s a lot like “Arslan Senki” with a lot of sprinkles of “Fushigi Yuugi” and a little bit of sprinkles of “Akagami no Shirayukihime”.
So, if you like ANY of the above mentioned series, I’m quite sure you’ll enjoy “Akatsuki no Yona” as well.
However, let me warn you: There’s only one season thus far (aired in 2014/2015) and it’s merely the beginning of what could turn out to be a rather epic series.
That means you’ll end up with a cliffhanger and have to wait.
There's an OVA (3 episodes, the last one should be airing in Dec 2016), but it won't get you far.
There’s also a manga (2009 - ongoing).
I've already seen the drawing style and fell in love. I doubt I can stay away from it for too long, but there also might be a second season of the anime, so maybe I should "gaman" a bit longer.
Feel free to read everything. I kept it more or less spoiler-free. Not that there's anything I could really spoil anyways. ^^;
Story:
Yona is a spoiled princess who has lived a decent life within Castle Hiryuu all of her life.
Her father, the king, is a very kind and peace-loving person. He is against the use of weapons and violence, but that's exactly why others in the kingdom are against his peaceful regiment.
Yona's childhood friend Haku is always by her side as he promised the king to become Yona's bodyguard.
Yona, however, has fallen in love with her other childhood friend, Su-Wong who is also her cousin.
As kids the three of them always were together - and their bond is still strong nowadays.
When Su-Wong is visiting Castle Hiryuu in order to celebrate Yona's 16th birthday, things suddenly change.
While Yona wants to confess to Su-Wong, she actually catches him in the act of stabbing the king, Yona's father.
Right after that, Su-Wong and his men are after Yona, trying to kill her as well.
Luckily Haku, her bodyguard, can prevent that - and both of them have to flee the castle.
I'm sure you can clearly see the resemblances to "Arslan Senki" here.
At first, Yona has a hard time to get her act together.
Not only was her father killed right in front of her eyes, but it was done by her childhood friend, the man she fell in love with!
Soon after that Su-Wong is the new king of the country and Haku and Yona are constantly on the run.
Yona gradually changes from the spoiled princess who had no idea what was going on outside of the castle to a very strong woman that wants to be capable of protecting Haku and all the people in the kingdom.
It's hard for her to accept that even during her father's regime people in the kingdom had to suffer. She had no idea until stepping out of the castle!
Meanwhile Su-Wong thinks that Yona has died - and for the first time we can see that he actually suffers.
It's clear that he has feelings for Yona and that he has very biased feelings about what happened.
However, it remains unclear what his real goal is.
This gives the plot a new, interesting twist.
The legend of the 4 dragons:
Yona learns from a priest that the famous legend of the 4 dragons is actually true.
King Hiryuu (the one that the castle is names after where Yona used to live) was actually a red dragon.
The other dragons came down to earth to get him back but he wanted to stay with humans.
In order to protect him, the other four dragons gave part of their blood and thus their powers to humans.
The four people who received the dragon blood suddenly developed superhuman powers.
One had a dragon claw as a hand, so strong he could rip apart all enemies.
One had a dragon leg, so strong that he could jump and fly and kick away all enemies.
One had dragon eyes, so strong that he could see very far with them and also kill people with his gaze.
One had a dragon's "body", so strong that he actually ............... (sorry, not gonna spoil this one, you gotta watch the OVA for this ... or read the manga, I guess)
Yona trusts the words of the priest.
Together with the "caretaker" of the priest, Yun, and her bodyguard Haku, she's travelling the whole country to find the humans of this generation who have inherited the dragon blood.
Su-Wong is travelling the country as well.
We get to know a very smart, kind-hearted, but also calculating man. It's still unclear what he's after.
I see a lot of potential in this plot.
It's too bad that there's only one season thus far.
Characters:
Yona - she's the princess of Castle Hiryuu.
Apparently she has lost her mother at a very young age, but her childhood friend and cousin Su-Wong was always around to cheer her up.
He's 3 years older and her cousin, but she fell in love with him nevertheless.
She's very spoiled and only concerned about her wardrobe and hairstyle - as she has nothing else to worry about.
After seeing how her father was killed by her loved one, she has no choice but to drastically change.
Haku - childhood friend of Yona and Su-Wong.
He has sworn to the king that he'll protect Yona.
He's clearly in love with Yona, but is fighting against these feelings - as his promise to protect Yona is the most important thing.
Just like Yona, he also has biased feelings about their former childhood friend Su-Wong's actions.
He was the leader of the "Wind Clan" and is known as the "Thunder Beast".
He's just a human, but extremely strong.
Su-Wong - childhood friend of Yona and Haku.
He is the son of the king's older brother. In fact, his father was the one who was supposed to become king.
He was the oldest and as people in the kingdom say probably the more capable one.
He is a very kind-hearted person. He cares for Yona like a sister.
But it seems he also might have developed feelings for her when they grow older.
On the other hand he kills the king, Yona' father, right in front of her eyes.
His true goals remain hidden.
Yun - the bishonen that can do everything (but fight).
Yun is one of the first people Yona and Haku meet after being chased out of the castle.
He is taking care of the priest they were looking for. Yun is one year younger than Yona.
He's very smart, can cook, treat wounds .... actually there's nothing he can't do ...... apart from fighting.
He's not very strong, but that makes him a good addition to the team.
While he doesn't want to leave the priest, he eventually joins Yona and Haku in their search of the 4 dragons.
I think, it's safe to say that he is my favorite character!
Not only do I love the voice actress (ever since Prince of Tennis!!), but he's just too adorable!
The Four Dragons:
As mentioned before the four dragons appeared in a legend, but they actually really exist.
Ever since then it seems like in every generation there are 4 humans born with the power of the dragons.
I don't want to tell you much about the dragons. It's probably more fun if you get to know them while watching / reading.
And trust me, there would be a LOT to tell you - and there's even more we don't know yet.
The OVA revealed a bit, especially concerning the background of one of them, but that would be a huge spoiler, so I keep my mouth shut. ;)
Again, here the series shows its true potential. I really can't wait to get to know EVERYTHING.
Let me just tell you that while King Hiryuu represtented the "Red Dragon" (緋龍), his dragon warriors also all represent a color:
White Dragon (Hakuryuu, 白龍), Blue Dragon (Seiryuu, 青龍), Green Dragon (Rokuryuu, 緑龍) and Yellow Dragon (Ouryuu, 黄龍)
We also get to know some of the previous dragon power holders. My favorite is by far "Ao".
Nope, not the squirrel .... I'm talking about Shinha's predecessor. So hot! (*__*)b .....
Among the dragons, I think Jeha (Green Dragon) is my favorite.
One reason is his way of thinking. He doesn't want to follow some old legend and the calling of his blood, but his own free will.
The other reason is his voice actor. To be honest, I've grown a bit tired of Jun-sama's voice recently, but he fits that role PERFECTLY!
It was refreshing to hear him acting out a character like Jeha. ^^;
My conclusion: (8/10):
While the plot is not too profound (yet), the characters are lovable, very interesting and some have hidden "dark" secrets in their past.
What I liked the most is that there were so many scenes where I had tears in my eyes just to burst out laughing in the next second.
The love-hate-friendship triangle between Su-Wong, Yona and Haku has a lot of potential.
After all I simply like this kind of concept where you suddenly have to fight someone you love.
It does happen in “Fushigi Yuugi” to some degree …. but another series that has brought this concept to a new dimension and is still - in my eyes - the best one out there is: (Legend of) Basara
Here, too, the anime was rather short. It was more like a long trailer for the manga.
The manga is epic and never have I turned over pages while sobbing and shivering. THAT is still one of the best and most epic manga series of this genre in my opinion.
And I do see this kind of potential in “Akatsuki no Yona” as well.
However, for some reason the relationship between the three main characters doesn’t give me shivers or goosebumps.
I’m also not rooting for anyone, although typically I would totally ship Haku x Yona.
They just don’t give me the feels.
Despite the lack of romantic feelings, there’s so much else to laugh or cry about.
A surprise was the opening!
At first, it was a bit strange as it was so quiet. Instrumental openings are so rare!
Click to viewThe animation and the way the characters are presented reminded me a bit of a mediocre “otome game”.
But I soon grew to LOVE the opening! :)
(Although the second opening is really nice as well - just completely different from the first one - music-wise.)
In short, if you enjoyed “Arslan Senki”, “Fushigi Yuugi” and / or “Akagami no Shirayukihime”, then you’ll probably like this one as well.
The animation is quite nice, the soundtrack as well.
Let me know what you think and let me know if it’s worth to jump right into the manga or if I should wait a bit longer.
Bye~chuu!