in defense of the central romance angle of YOD, it does play into a specific shoujo trope (the "bad boy" LI), but what's really clever about Yona is how it ultimately subverts every expectation of that (with Hak being the most noble and self-sacrificing of the male leads, which is saying ALOT), and the reverse-harem, tropes (all of which are ultimately resolved with a sigh and a shrug, which isn't exactly elegant, but it works). it only "plays it straight" insofar as to nod at who will eventually be Yona's partner, but that doesn't take away from making him his own character with his own motivations/struggles/challenges/etc. and the one saving grace of Will They, Won't They stories is the time allotted to both the Protagonist and Deuteragonist, and how they relate and differ from one another. In the case of Yona, this is essential given how many moving parts there are in the story, and how young both Yona and Hak both are (16, and 18, respectively). One thing to always keep in mind for most manga is how YOUNG the characters in nearly every story you read is. about 95% on manga are coming of age stories and Yona is no different. so in their cases, it's as much them coming to realize what they want, and how they want to go about achieving their goals, as well as coming to terms with their feelings (at least in Yona's case; Hak's pretty crystal on his feelings, he just ends up finding that he has a lot more to fight for than just his "lady love" as they pick up the dragons/get more and more hands-on involved in the kingdom, etc, so the situation for him just kinda balloons more and more out of his control), and for both, it really isn't as much a priority, even when they finally admit what they mean to each other. No, i do think Hak/Yona is a very well-written romance, and while i understand the complaints you have to towards how that romance is initially portrayed (and i do agree Yona not realizing everything Hak does for her as show of being absolutely devotedly in love with and for her is kinda like...bruh), I do think it is also a far more central focal point in the story; it's just far more understated than it would be in any other shoujo.
I agree with you here. I especially liked that both Yona and Hak had growing to do before that relationship had any chance of working in the first place.
@@PristineProse It has always been high priority on my PTR list but I had almost forgotten about it until now, I might get around to finally read it now^^
OH MY GOD MERPHY 😭😭😭😭😭😭 YES PLEASE THANK YOU FOR CHECKING ON "AKATSUKI NO YONA" 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 I read it first time when i was still in college (9-10 years ago, my friend introduced it to me) and I'm HOOKED. i haven't read since chapter 110+ though. i want to save it until it finished so i can re-read it from the 1st chapter.
Yona is one of my favorite shojou manga along with skip beat, 7 seeds and basara I know you're not much of a shojou person but i think especially basara and 7 seeds are right up your alley
If you haven't read it yet, I would strongly suggest akagami no shirayuki (Shirayuki of the red hair) and The apothecary diaries. Both have well written lady leads in very different settings.
@@shalice7784 The MCs name is Shirayuki if my memory serves. The literal translation of the name is as you said though. I dont know what the official translation for the title has been.😅
I LOVE Yona of the Dawn. It is hands down one of my favorite series. I personally was invested in Yona the moment King Il was killed by Suwon. I agree that there are times particularly in the beginning that the romance elements get repeated or silly, mostly when the manga is trying to fullfill some expected tropes or divert from the end game romance, but as the story moves along, a lot of that falls away and the author hones in on a more streamlined plot line for the romance, which makes me happy because i definitely ship it! I also love how Hak is just as developed as Yona, he isn't just pretty boy love interest, perfect in every way. He grieves alongside Yona, and we get so much time to explore what Suwon's betrayal did to him as much as Yona, and his struggles to heal from it, how he loves and cares for their found family, and how much pressure and burdens he shoulders. I also love that there's no true villan and it makes you wonder just how the story will end, and what Yona being the Crimnson Dragon and gathering the other dragons will result in. IT'S JUST SO GOOD AND THEY NEED TO MAKE MORE ANIME! 😖😫
Honestly it’s so underrated, many other works as well. The shojo genre doesn’t get the hype and respect it deserves tbh. Especially in comparison to shonen 😅 it’s always “that’s good considering it’s a shojo”, “its so good it could be a shounen” or to convince other ppl “it’s not like your typical shojo” / “not like other shojo”. A pity!
To be fair, just like shounen, the majority of shoujo series are pretty mediocre, only generally doing one thing well, that being romance. Shounen is much the same, with the only thing most of them have going for them being the fights. The real issue is the shounen heavy hitters- Aside from maybe Akatsuki no Yona and Fruits basket, I haven’t encountered a shoujo as good as series like FMA, One Piece, Gintama and the like, and the gap is even wider when you factor in Josei vs Seinen. It’s a pity, but until we get some shoujo at that level, it looks like it will keep being under-appreciated, even if the overall quality isn’t that much different
It’s really funny you dropped this video today because I rewatched the Yona of the Dawn anime a few days ago and then decided to start the manga from where it left off and completely caught up today after binge reading for the past couple days. The anime basically covers the setup and ends with Zeno joining and Yona asking Hak to teach her how to fight with a sword. I really wish it got another season because the story that follows is amazing. It’s like if the One Piece anime ended at the East Blue saga. I really love how this story handles politics and the themes of revenge, and of course the characters have my whole heart.
Did you also watch the OVAs? One thing that I didn't like with the anime series is Zeno was just an afterthought. Like "oh yeah there should be another dragon, here he is" and then it ended. So I was so happy when they had the OVAs. Sure I would love an actual continuation of the story or even a reboot. Buy I'll take what I got
@@Dntmindwhtshere I might’ve watched the ovas after I watched the series for the first time, but the second time I just went straight to the manga. It has all the ovas and more. I do hope the anime gets a continuation someday.
Yona is such a great series and I love it dearly. The best part of the series to me is the characters. I enjoy the plot - it is FANTASTIC - but it is the characters that I fell in love with. Yellow Dragon and Green Dragon are my favorites, and Yona's character is just top tier. I would love to see character analyses of the characters in Yona of the Dawn, because our Happy Hungry Bunch is full of complex characters (though I will simply bawl my eyes out over any analysis of my precious Yellow Dragon).
Yona isn't a strong female character because she's better than everyone else, it's because she does what only she can do. She shines in her own way, everyone around her can see that and she had to struggle to get it. I cannot praise the character enough or find the right words to properly convey why she's one of the best written "strong female characters"
Yes, everyone should check out this series, it's so SO special. It technically may count as historical/fantasy-romance/drama, but that takes up such a suprisingly small amount of screen-time I sometimes wish there was more. Also here's a funny anecdote from somone who reads the scans if the series: the editor or whatever of the group who used to do the scans for this series for YEARS absolutely hated Soo-won and every time he showed they would put nasty comments about him in the margin (usually variations of "die already!" and "why aren't you dead already !?") It was a pretty unpleasant readung experience, but this series is worth it!
Yona of the Dawn is by far my favourite modern shoujo manga. It almost feels like a "classic" shoujo but with modern sensibilities. I personally liked volume 1 as we see Yona's world crumble around her and the start of her character arc. It's one of the best character arcs I've read. I also didn't mind the pacing, but I very much prefer "complete" chapters that "long" monthly series usually have over the "short" and "incomplete" weekly chapters that WSJ usually have. I took a break from the manga and want to get back into it. The author said the manga was around 70% complete a few years ago so It'll probably be a good time to get back into it. I definitely recommend Fushigi Yûgi and Basara based on Yona of the Dawn. Fushigi Yûgi is a huge influence on anime and manga, very much an "author's author" kind of situation.
Yes!!!!! Yona needs so much more attention. I was so heavily invested that a certain seating arrangement later in the story upset me so bad I had to put it down for a while. Such a good story and I'm not a shojo guy by any means.
The fact that this anime was dropped and discontinued is just such a tragedy to me. This series is literally my Roman Empire, i think about it every moment.
First, THANK YOU for making this video. Yona is a series that deserves the attention and you lending your voice with the reach of your audience is no small thing. Reaching volume 40 is a massive achievement for the series and Mizuho Kusanagi’s ending message about being overworked in the latest volume made me worry and feel sad because it’s yet another reminder of how demanding this industry and this medium are, often for little reward. Even if you just touch a few people with this video and get them to pick up the series, that is HUGE and it’s a gift you just gave to the author and to some new prospective fans On a personal note, I may have said as much already in a comment on one of your reading vlogs a few months back when I realized you were into Yona so apologies if I’m repeating but. Yona is the reason why I’m here on your channel, viewing day in day out so hey, hi haha I’m one of those random few. As a young girl growing up watching anime, finding a truly strong female character - let alone an MC - was so rare that when I found Yona and saw what she was becoming, I was so hooked that when the one season series ended, I picked up a manga for the first time because I couldn’t let the journey end there. One piece may have since become my favorite manga, but Yona is the reason why I’m a manga reader in the first place and so still rivals it to this day for me personally. Yona isn’t strong just because she’s special and so strength is handed to her. She isn’t just strong in a fight either. Her growth is believable and it’s those quiet moments - the ones with tears or laughter or just a soft smile - that ground the series for me and make it truly unforgettable Sorry, way too long, ain’t no one gonna read this but I just had to say it nonetheless
I don't care if a character is a male or female when someone despises support but accepts that help is needed and allows others to protect them but also grow stronger while doing so is such a good trope to me
Omg if you liked Yona you might actually fall for Legend of Basara! It's a classic manga and I think it's one of the best stories ever told! This and the light novel/anime Juuni Kokuki are why I have such high standards for strong female characters before I've read Yona. I highly recommend them.
I watched the series a few years ago and I couldn’t stop thinking about it. So I started to read the entire series and I’m just going to say… I still read everything that comes out after all this time.
I love Yona, but I haven't read the manga in two to three years if not more. It had great characters with wonderful character development. The world was also interesting with the different tribes. I really need to get back up to date on it. But there's so many series that fall under that category for me.
The chapter release is so slow that I lose track of it. I am just waiting for it to wrap up or near its end so I can just read it again from the beginning
Yona will always be one of my favorite characters. I also got fooled by the first ep/ chapter thinking this was an obnoxious love story and then her dad gets killed right in front of her and it gets much better. It's actually pretty gruesome for a shojou so it def surprised me there and I love it!
I'm loving Yona. Having characters you didn't know develop and grow so much is one of my favorite things from this manga. And learning about Su won's perspective really wants me to know more about him.
I am very much a romance reader (it along with fantasy and sci-fi are my 3 main genres) and I just want to share the opinion here that the protracted will they/won't they of this series always came across as intentional and a part of Yona's character growth to me. She was hurt so badly by her first love, and lost so much, that I think it was a willful forced self ignorance of her feelings. It took her going well down the path of her character growth before she was able to actually let herself feel what was so obvious to us as the reader - because she had grown enough to risk admitting those feelings again. And her found family stays with her and supportive the whole time. Especially now that the series is so far along I don't think that element of the story bothers me the way it did a bit when we were still in that portion of the series. Just my two cents here :) Thanks for making this video, I'd love for more people to find and fall in love with this series.
It's so funny that you brought up one pice because when I was reading op there was something telling me in the back of my mind that I had read something like this before. After thinking so hard I remembered the feelings i had while reading yona and it was so similar to my feelings towards one piece 😂
I've absolutely adored yona ever since the anime first came out so it's wonderful seeing Merphy talk about it. A spoiler discussion would be great too at some point! And I agree that enjoying the romance in the manga comes down mostly to preference, I really liked the main romance and so does a lot of the fandom I've interacted with, but like mentioned in the video there's plenty of other elements to the story that can appeal to people that don't necessarily enjoy the romance!
I read this because of your tierlist video! I enjoyed it a lot, the character writing is the best part. As for the negatives you mention, most of them i overlooked as just manga things that I'm used to so that didn't bother me much. It was pretty good, sadly its a monthly manga so it will take forever to end ;-;. 8/10
I'm so inlove with Yona of the Dawn. Thank you for sharing this, hopefully YOD will get the popularity it deserves and hopefully a season 2 for the anime 😢. After watching the season 1, can't help not to read the manga and each series is a bomb! No boring episodes at all!
It's one of the few shoujo series i bought all of during a sale. After a little research of course. I haven't gotten to it yet, but I'm glad to hear it's worth a read!
I dropped the series after a few episodes when it aired. I'm glad you provided me with a seedling interest during the tier list that blossomed after this review. I'm enjoying the read much more than the show.
I'm reading this series right now and love it! You articulated perfectly what about this series is so incredible. One of the best fantasies I've ever read in any format. By far the best character development in existence. I've never had my opinions on characters change so much!
Hi Merphy, thanks for making a video on Yona it makes me so so so happy! anything within the shojo demographic is scarcely talked about by content creators online. While Yona is really loved within the Shojo community, very few people who are fans of fantasy series or action series ever pick it up because they assume that due to it being a shojo, it won't have much going on outside the romance. There are many shojo series that focus more on the fantasy, or political aspects just like Yona but unfortunately the english manga publishing industry is very stuck on this ideo of "girls like romance" and so many of these kinds of shojo series never get licensed in english. I hope thanks to this video more people will be inspired to pick up Yona and give it a try, it's one of my all time favourite series. Thanks for your in depth review!
I'm not a shojo fan by any stretch, but I remember watching the anime for this and feeling a compulsion to read the manga. Yona of the Dawn is excellent. "
Finally got around to watch this video! I'm really glad you gave Yona time to grow on you. I also struggled a bit in the beginning, but the artstyle was so amazing that I kept on reading and by chapter 10 I was hooked xD
I loved Yona of the Dawn. I saw the anime on crunchyroll a while back and realized that it's a shojo pretty quickly but I still watched it and enjoyed it thoroughly. People do find it odd that I as a man can enjoy shojo manga and anime so much but hey I like romance and shit too. You should check out the manga or the anime adaptation of Banana Fish. Really good and underrated in my opinion.
I am so glad you got to make this video. I wanted, if possible, for it to be spoiler free, but the discussion was comprehensive enough that I was satisfied. Before I say anything, I call BLASPHEMY!!! Can't believe you don't love Tae-Jun unconditionally. SMH!!! I'm joking, of course. I think that something that I love about this story the most, just like you, is that it doesn't feel that it has any urgency to get to the plot or big exciting conflicts. At least in the first few arcs. It can take two or three chapters in between arcs for in-group shenanigans that allow us to get more attached to them as individuals and their relationship as a whole. Like, I just love everyone in the Happy Hungry Bunch, and I love their dynamics between each other. I believe that every single member cares for every other member and not just a singular person in the group. They all feel like a family, and it's fantastic. Kusanagi does an excellent job at making each member feel equally important, and it doesn't feel like anyone is being shafted to the side or ignored in sake for the others. It's one of those things that I wish more manga or stories in general would focus on more. I think that getting to see a group of people interact with each other in their downtime between conflicts is just as important to get attached to them and their relationship just as much as when they interact in high tense situations. If anything, the fact that we get to see how close they are in their downtime make the high tense situations much more urgent. Then there's the whole situation with the cousin and the other nations, and how everything affects each other, but this comment is already long enough. Lol.
I just started the anime and am halfway through it, here because I plan to pick up the manga where the anime left off if it's good. So it seems like I'm in the "getting everything into place so the real story can begin" part as you said, where they quickly rush through the events, new locations and characters. I'm relieved to know that it does get better, so I'll try to have patience!
as someone who's been a big big fan of yona since around 2017 and also recently got into one piece (and found your channel bcos of the op reviews) i have Got to take this chance to talk about how i realized that the reasons that make me love both series are quite similar even though the world building and characters they have couldnt be any more different: first off i love the way leadership is portrayed through yona & luffy, like sure, at first there might seem like theres nothing similar between those 2 but in reality, theyre both characters who are able to command and gather the support not bcos they're the strongest, the most capable or knowledgeable, but because they have this unparalleled will to do everything they can to achieve their goals. in yona's case its something she's always had within but never truly acted upon on bcos until the events of the story she hadn't been facing situations that required it, but once she decides to get stronger and travel to protect her people we start seeing that side of her be what attracts others' support to her. similar as luffy, she acknowledges that she can't do it all alone, that her dragon's crew and allies are a major support in achieving her goals, but that doesn't mean she won't also give everything she has, and it's part of her charm as a leader. luffy and yona both have commanding personalities that make ppl want to follow them, and it's fascinating in both cases seeing the way they so naturally can lead others and garner their love while also allowing themselves to depend on their friends with so much trust and security that they can rely on each other like that... i just love their characters for this so much
Everyone should read Yona, and another one I highly recommend is Chihayafuru. My two favorite Shoujo and Josei manga. I love how female characters are written in Chihayafuru, and I would love to see Merphy read it. It's difficult to put into words how much Chihayafuru moved me, how many feelings this manga brought me, and how much I loved the construction each character received individually. And the art!! The art is wonderful. The Josei mangas I'd love to see your opinion on, Merphy, are Chihayafuru, Nodame Cantabile, and Kids on The Slope 🙏
you should try reading shojo/josei, it goes understated because anime has always been doninated by boys but some of the greatest stories in the medium have been in those demographics. One I recommend to everyone is Blank Canvas, a coming of age autobiographical story that is just so sweet and tender, and devastating in its honesty and introspection. It's about the universal expierence of growing up, and growing apart from your roots, so i think there is something there that anyone could enjoy, if not relate. P.S. Its just 5 volumes :)
I watched that anime a couple years ago and I was surprised when people didn’t hear about it. I keep up with it now through the manga but it’s unfortunate that it never got a second season
I love the action in Yona too! Even the strongest characters are "human" (bar one). Fallable, can get hurt. Even if we know they wont die, they can get hurt so bad, theyre out of commission for thebrest of the fight. You just dont see that in many other pieces of media.
you have no idea how happy this makes me😭😭😭 akatsuki no yona is TOP TIER shoujo storytelling!! Also merphy, if you loved akayona and beautiful slice of life stories filled with character growth and found family, you need to watch Kono Oto Tomare (sounds of life). i dont usually watch high school animes (this one is sort of sports/music themed anime) but that show and the original manga is so exceptionally well written and wholesome, it will make you cry and laugh and feel so much love for the characters. hope you check it out some time!
Yona is one of the best series that I latched onto back when the anime aired. (I still hope for a season 2…) watching it all at once caused me to fail one of my classes due to neglecting coursework 😅 either way I collect the manga now! Thanks for putting this wonderful series on the radar for your viewers Merphy!!!
I went into this knowing nothing and after the first volume, I was like "ooo this is berserk for babies". I questioned a lot in the first few volumes. Their movement for one felt unburdened which is just crazy. Also the number of times she was unnecessarily put in a dangerous situation and nobody bat an eye is even crazier. Like the time she had to go get that plant in awa. How is that a test and how did no one object? Then volume 16 chapter 91 happened and i was like hell yes. But overall i really like the series and I like how it grows as Yona herself grows. It's almost like world and story is presented at which ever level she's at. The more her eyes open the grittier the story gets. I really love that about it.
AHHH! I’ve been reading this series since 2015 and it’s in my top 3 favourite manga! I’m so glad you read it and enjoyed it! I too have shed SO MANY tears over I am sure the same character.
Honestly, didn't even think that this would be on Merphy's radar. It's great! Love the review. I have watched the series few years back and continued tonread the manga after. I loved it. I miss my Happy Hungry Bunch
Yes!! Yona is incredible! If you want to go further down the Shojo rabbit hole I really love Ouran and QQ Sweeper. Those are the big 3 shojo in my eyes. :)
I'm honestly ecstatic and SO happy that you gave this series a chance!!! This and Bookworm are some of my absolute favorites, and it's always like pulling out teeth trying to recommend non shonen/seinen manga to the majority of people who read the medium... I'm only like 3 minutes but I'm intently waiting to see what you have to say, negative or positive :)
Yotd strong suit, to me, is def the characters, and that's such an important thing cause its through amazing characters that you get an amazing emotional story, the cast of characters are loveable and honestly my fav of all time, their arcs are so well written and on top of that the Yona is a phenomenal mc and isn't just one of the best fl in fiction but one of the best main characters ever, her character development is unmached it is so well written, couple that with Su won, a phenomenal antagonist that I honestly consider to be on par with someone like Askellad from vinland saga, the nuance and emotional impact of the betrayal is time and time again emphasized that the more you read the heavier its impact gets, and ofc with such well written and nuanced characters you also have a political masterpiece with so much conflicting opinions, all being fair in their own right, and so much complexity that I find myself conflictedi Its such and underrated series and I'm so glad you talked abt it, I only wish it could get a full anime adaptation cause if people would just give it a try it really would be one of the greats
I am sold, way to go Merphy! This does sound fun as hell. I do hope that my action obsessed brain will enjoy this but I have read many books which are light in action so this won't be any different!
i read yona because i was intrigued first with the idea of betrayal by yona's childhood friend and crush. And now, it's my favorite shoujo ❤️❤️ it's amazing how politics, history, magic is woven in the story of Yona. I personally love how the mangaka depicts the intricacies of different human relationships such as romantic, filial, friendships, even love for your country/kingdom.
Absolutely love this series. One of my friends recommended it to me and at first I thought it was your basic shoujo, but it became so much more. Like you said, the political elements add so much to the series, but what I particularly love is that this series has all the makings of a revenge arc.....and it's just not.
I got into AkaYona thanks to the anime when it was still airing (and to this day, after reading it until now I STILL hope they'll make a second season, simply because there is SO MUCH to work with, but alas who knows) and I just love this series so much it feels kinda... not too well known, even though to me it feels like it really should be, since by now the world it plays in is just quite grand but still very much comprehensible ngl, I'm pretty sure it opened up to more politics, etc later on simply cause it was easier to implement it later, but since Yona learned about it bit by bit I almost felt like it got more intricate simply because the character through whom we in a way see the story also has a greater understanding of it all hands down, Yona is my favoite female protagonist, I just love her And I also love how the mangakas art evolved over the years, not to mention the small details in it all Yonas hair growing, you wouldn't even realize it until you check the newest volume after reading a bit of the start again xD
Your favorite dragons are my faves too! I got nearly 20 volumes into it, and it started to feel like it was going to go the super-convoluted-plot route. I've since looked up various spoilers and picked up random volumes to see what's up, and so far it feels like that hunch was right, but I'm still waiting to see how long it goes and how people feel about the ending. Then I can decide if I'll commit any more of my time. Ugh, I just groaned when you mentioned the dumb romance elements, specifically Yona being so unbearably oblivious. It's true I don't read much of the shojo genre, but *seriously*. I can only assume you're talking about Yellow with wanting him to just stop suffering. ;_____; All the tears. It's fun to hear your comments on this one!
Thank you for the absolutely stunning read suggestion, Murphy. I will read this, and I also suspect this might be a BRILLIANT intro to the medium for certain female friends of mine. ❤ This feels like a story I'm going to read many times. Your balanced reviews are a marvel
This is my favorite manga series. I love it so much. So many of these characters have these amazing story arcs and back stories that just draw you in and give you so many feels. And just Zeno 🥰 He is my absolute favorite character, love him so much. He deserves all the happiness. I don’t mind the end game relationship in this series, but I do agree less back and forth with those two would be nice. Just be together and move on so we can get to the rest of the story. 😂 I could go on and on about this series forever, but don’t want to give any spoilers away.
Yona and Fuuko from Undead Unluck are easily one of the greatest female characters of manga I've read. It's simply takes time but the payoff is AMAZING
I am open to more cat reviews.
Absolutely
Was not expecting the cat
By 0:40 I was hardly paying attention to Merph and became entranced in the cat asmr
I DID NOT EXPECT SOMEONE TALKING ABOUT THIS IN 2023!
in defense of the central romance angle of YOD, it does play into a specific shoujo trope (the "bad boy" LI), but what's really clever about Yona is how it ultimately subverts every expectation of that (with Hak being the most noble and self-sacrificing of the male leads, which is saying ALOT), and the reverse-harem, tropes (all of which are ultimately resolved with a sigh and a shrug, which isn't exactly elegant, but it works). it only "plays it straight" insofar as to nod at who will eventually be Yona's partner, but that doesn't take away from making him his own character with his own motivations/struggles/challenges/etc. and the one saving grace of Will They, Won't They stories is the time allotted to both the Protagonist and Deuteragonist, and how they relate and differ from one another.
In the case of Yona, this is essential given how many moving parts there are in the story, and how young both Yona and Hak both are (16, and 18, respectively). One thing to always keep in mind for most manga is how YOUNG the characters in nearly every story you read is. about 95% on manga are coming of age stories and Yona is no different. so in their cases, it's as much them coming to realize what they want, and how they want to go about achieving their goals, as well as coming to terms with their feelings (at least in Yona's case; Hak's pretty crystal on his feelings, he just ends up finding that he has a lot more to fight for than just his "lady love" as they pick up the dragons/get more and more hands-on involved in the kingdom, etc, so the situation for him just kinda balloons more and more out of his control), and for both, it really isn't as much a priority, even when they finally admit what they mean to each other.
No, i do think Hak/Yona is a very well-written romance, and while i understand the complaints you have to towards how that romance is initially portrayed (and i do agree Yona not realizing everything Hak does for her as show of being absolutely devotedly in love with and for her is kinda like...bruh), I do think it is also a far more central focal point in the story; it's just far more understated than it would be in any other shoujo.
I agree with you here. I especially liked that both Yona and Hak had growing to do before that relationship had any chance of working in the first place.
came for a video about one of my favorite manga series, stayed for the the cat. 😺
Omg I watched this anime a few years back and loved it so much but I never see people talking about it😭Thank you for spreading the gospel!!
The Anime is amazing. It covers only the first 8 volumes and the manga is around 40 volumes now!
@@PristineProse It has always been high priority on my PTR list but I had almost forgotten about it until now, I might get around to finally read it now^^
Zeno is my favorite character too. He's been through so much and I really wish he gets peace by the end of the series
OH MY GOD MERPHY 😭😭😭😭😭😭
YES PLEASE THANK YOU FOR CHECKING ON "AKATSUKI NO YONA" 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
I read it first time when i was still in college (9-10 years ago, my friend introduced it to me) and I'm HOOKED.
i haven't read since chapter 110+ though. i want to save it until it finished so i can re-read it from the 1st chapter.
Yona is one of my favorite shojou manga along with skip beat, 7 seeds and basara
I know you're not much of a shojou person but i think especially basara and 7 seeds are right up your alley
Skip Beat one of my favourites too
@@SamTheGumMan117you like hana kimi and perfect girl evolution as well...
@@notrixamoris3318 Hana Kimi was a fun read
@@micow9951 yup but unfortunately it is dated now...
@notrixamoris3318 Yeah I do like Hana Kimi but haven't read Perfect Girl Evolution
If you haven't read it yet, I would strongly suggest akagami no shirayuki (Shirayuki of the red hair) and The apothecary diaries. Both have well written lady leads in very different settings.
isn't shirayuki snow white? As in snow white with the red hair?
@@shalice7784 The MCs name is Shirayuki if my memory serves. The literal translation of the name is as you said though. I dont know what the official translation for the title has been.😅
I LOVE Yona of the Dawn. It is hands down one of my favorite series. I personally was invested in Yona the moment King Il was killed by Suwon. I agree that there are times particularly in the beginning that the romance elements get repeated or silly, mostly when the manga is trying to fullfill some expected tropes or divert from the end game romance, but as the story moves along, a lot of that falls away and the author hones in on a more streamlined plot line for the romance, which makes me happy because i definitely ship it! I also love how Hak is just as developed as Yona, he isn't just pretty boy love interest, perfect in every way. He grieves alongside Yona, and we get so much time to explore what Suwon's betrayal did to him as much as Yona, and his struggles to heal from it, how he loves and cares for their found family, and how much pressure and burdens he shoulders.
I also love that there's no true villan and it makes you wonder just how the story will end, and what Yona being the Crimnson Dragon and gathering the other dragons will result in.
IT'S JUST SO GOOD AND THEY NEED TO MAKE MORE ANIME! 😖😫
Honestly it’s so underrated, many other works as well. The shojo genre doesn’t get the hype and respect it deserves tbh. Especially in comparison to shonen 😅 it’s always “that’s good considering it’s a shojo”, “its so good it could be a shounen” or to convince other ppl “it’s not like your typical shojo” / “not like other shojo”. A pity!
To be fair, just like shounen, the majority of shoujo series are pretty mediocre, only generally doing one thing well, that being romance. Shounen is much the same, with the only thing most of them have going for them being the fights. The real issue is the shounen heavy hitters- Aside from maybe Akatsuki no Yona and Fruits basket, I haven’t encountered a shoujo as good as series like FMA, One Piece, Gintama and the like, and the gap is even wider when you factor in Josei vs Seinen. It’s a pity, but until we get some shoujo at that level, it looks like it will keep being under-appreciated, even if the overall quality isn’t that much different
It’s really funny you dropped this video today because I rewatched the Yona of the Dawn anime a few days ago and then decided to start the manga from where it left off and completely caught up today after binge reading for the past couple days. The anime basically covers the setup and ends with Zeno joining and Yona asking Hak to teach her how to fight with a sword. I really wish it got another season because the story that follows is amazing. It’s like if the One Piece anime ended at the East Blue saga.
I really love how this story handles politics and the themes of revenge, and of course the characters have my whole heart.
I just rewatched the anime. Which chapter picks up after the anime please.
@@annmariebusu9924I started with chapter 47
It totally is as if they'd stopped adapting One Piece at East Blue ToT like bruh YOU STOPPED AT THE PROLOGUE HELP
I long for a second season so badly
Did you also watch the OVAs? One thing that I didn't like with the anime series is Zeno was just an afterthought. Like "oh yeah there should be another dragon, here he is" and then it ended. So I was so happy when they had the OVAs. Sure I would love an actual continuation of the story or even a reboot. Buy I'll take what I got
@@Dntmindwhtshere I might’ve watched the ovas after I watched the series for the first time, but the second time I just went straight to the manga. It has all the ovas and more. I do hope the anime gets a continuation someday.
Yona of the Dawn is so, SO good. At it's clearly inspired by Fushigi Yuugi, which is always nice.
RIGHT? I ALWAYS FELT THE VIBE BUT NOBODY ELSE MENTIONED IT!
Fushigi Yuugi, ah an anime I haven't heard for a long while now.
Yona is such a great series and I love it dearly. The best part of the series to me is the characters. I enjoy the plot - it is FANTASTIC - but it is the characters that I fell in love with.
Yellow Dragon and Green Dragon are my favorites, and Yona's character is just top tier.
I would love to see character analyses of the characters in Yona of the Dawn, because our Happy Hungry Bunch is full of complex characters (though I will simply bawl my eyes out over any analysis of my precious Yellow Dragon).
Yona isn't a strong female character because she's better than everyone else, it's because she does what only she can do. She shines in her own way, everyone around her can see that and she had to struggle to get it. I cannot praise the character enough or find the right words to properly convey why she's one of the best written "strong female characters"
Yes, everyone should check out this series, it's so SO special. It technically may count as historical/fantasy-romance/drama, but that takes up such a suprisingly small amount of screen-time I sometimes wish there was more.
Also here's a funny anecdote from somone who reads the scans if the series: the editor or whatever of the group who used to do the scans for this series for YEARS absolutely hated Soo-won and every time he showed they would put nasty comments about him in the margin (usually variations of "die already!" and "why aren't you dead already !?") It was a pretty unpleasant readung experience, but this series is worth it!
Yona of the Dawn is by far my favourite modern shoujo manga. It almost feels like a "classic" shoujo but with modern sensibilities. I personally liked volume 1 as we see Yona's world crumble around her and the start of her character arc. It's one of the best character arcs I've read. I also didn't mind the pacing, but I very much prefer "complete" chapters that "long" monthly series usually have over the "short" and "incomplete" weekly chapters that WSJ usually have. I took a break from the manga and want to get back into it. The author said the manga was around 70% complete a few years ago so It'll probably be a good time to get back into it.
I definitely recommend Fushigi Yûgi and Basara based on Yona of the Dawn. Fushigi Yûgi is a huge influence on anime and manga, very much an "author's author" kind of situation.
Yes!!!!! Yona needs so much more attention. I was so heavily invested that a certain seating arrangement later in the story upset me so bad I had to put it down for a while. Such a good story and I'm not a shojo guy by any means.
The fact that this anime was dropped and discontinued is just such a tragedy to me. This series is literally my Roman Empire, i think about it every moment.
First, THANK YOU for making this video. Yona is a series that deserves the attention and you lending your voice with the reach of your audience is no small thing. Reaching volume 40 is a massive achievement for the series and Mizuho Kusanagi’s ending message about being overworked in the latest volume made me worry and feel sad because it’s yet another reminder of how demanding this industry and this medium are, often for little reward. Even if you just touch a few people with this video and get them to pick up the series, that is HUGE and it’s a gift you just gave to the author and to some new prospective fans
On a personal note, I may have said as much already in a comment on one of your reading vlogs a few months back when I realized you were into Yona so apologies if I’m repeating but. Yona is the reason why I’m here on your channel, viewing day in day out so hey, hi haha I’m one of those random few. As a young girl growing up watching anime, finding a truly strong female character - let alone an MC - was so rare that when I found Yona and saw what she was becoming, I was so hooked that when the one season series ended, I picked up a manga for the first time because I couldn’t let the journey end there. One piece may have since become my favorite manga, but Yona is the reason why I’m a manga reader in the first place and so still rivals it to this day for me personally. Yona isn’t strong just because she’s special and so strength is handed to her. She isn’t just strong in a fight either. Her growth is believable and it’s those quiet moments - the ones with tears or laughter or just a soft smile - that ground the series for me and make it truly unforgettable
Sorry, way too long, ain’t no one gonna read this but I just had to say it nonetheless
OHHH MY GOD!! I’m so happy you read Yona of the Dawn, its one of my favorites!! Yu Yu Hakusho is up there as well, you should check it out!
Don't forget that Yu Yu Hakusho id by the same author as Hunter x Hunter
Started watching the Netflix live action as a total newbie and very much enjoying it. Will deffo watch the anime after
I don't care if a character is a male or female when someone despises support but accepts that help is needed and allows others to protect them but also grow stronger while doing so is such a good trope to me
Merphy: do your dishes
I feel so called out 😂 i was really doing dishes
Omg if you liked Yona you might actually fall for Legend of Basara! It's a classic manga and I think it's one of the best stories ever told! This and the light novel/anime Juuni Kokuki are why I have such high standards for strong female characters before I've read Yona. I highly recommend them.
Yaaas! Basara!!!!
I love Legend of Basara. I read it years ago, and I still consider it my favorite.
@@williamstephens436 Same x1000 percent!!!!
I watched the series a few years ago and I couldn’t stop thinking about it. So I started to read the entire series and I’m just going to say… I still read everything that comes out after all this time.
I watched the anime years ago. Do you know where the Manga picks up. I gave up on season 2.
@@annmariebusu9924 Chapter 47, though it's worth going back to chapter 41 and starting the manga from there
@@lily-_- thanks 😊
I love Yona, but I haven't read the manga in two to three years if not more. It had great characters with wonderful character development. The world was also interesting with the different tribes. I really need to get back up to date on it. But there's so many series that fall under that category for me.
The chapter release is so slow that I lose track of it. I am just waiting for it to wrap up or near its end so I can just read it again from the beginning
Yona will always be one of my favorite characters. I also got fooled by the first ep/ chapter thinking this was an obnoxious love story and then her dad gets killed right in front of her and it gets much better. It's actually pretty gruesome for a shojou so it def surprised me there and I love it!
I'm loving Yona.
Having characters you didn't know develop and grow so much is one of my favorite things from this manga.
And learning about Su won's perspective really wants me to know more about him.
I am very much a romance reader (it along with fantasy and sci-fi are my 3 main genres) and I just want to share the opinion here that the protracted will they/won't they of this series always came across as intentional and a part of Yona's character growth to me. She was hurt so badly by her first love, and lost so much, that I think it was a willful forced self ignorance of her feelings. It took her going well down the path of her character growth before she was able to actually let herself feel what was so obvious to us as the reader - because she had grown enough to risk admitting those feelings again. And her found family stays with her and supportive the whole time. Especially now that the series is so far along I don't think that element of the story bothers me the way it did a bit when we were still in that portion of the series.
Just my two cents here :) Thanks for making this video, I'd love for more people to find and fall in love with this series.
It's so funny that you brought up one pice because when I was reading op there was something telling me in the back of my mind that I had read something like this before. After thinking so hard I remembered the feelings i had while reading yona and it was so similar to my feelings towards one piece 😂
Omg thank you. Literally not enough people talk or review this series. It sooooo good
I've absolutely adored yona ever since the anime first came out so it's wonderful seeing Merphy talk about it. A spoiler discussion would be great too at some point!
And I agree that enjoying the romance in the manga comes down mostly to preference, I really liked the main romance and so does a lot of the fandom I've interacted with, but like mentioned in the video there's plenty of other elements to the story that can appeal to people that don't necessarily enjoy the romance!
OMG MERPHY REVIEWED YONA OF THE DAWN THIS SHOW IS BLOOODY FANTASTIC. Love you merphy!!!!!! Pls do manga reviews its sooooo gooood
This series is very underrated. Been reading it since the anime came out, and I've stayed caught up since. Awesome to see Merphy covering it.
Merphy might like Apothecary Diaries 😼
Yes! I'm glad you finally reported back in on this. I adore this series.
Shin ah and Zeno are also my favorites. Theyre too precious.
I was so sad for the cat every time merphy stopped the pets
I love Hak and Yona ❤😭❤ it is my favorite Thing about the series.
I read this because of your tierlist video! I enjoyed it a lot, the character writing is the best part. As for the negatives you mention, most of them i overlooked as just manga things that I'm used to so that didn't bother me much. It was pretty good, sadly its a monthly manga so it will take forever to end ;-;. 8/10
I'm so inlove with Yona of the Dawn. Thank you for sharing this, hopefully YOD will get the popularity it deserves and hopefully a season 2 for the anime 😢. After watching the season 1, can't help not to read the manga and each series is a bomb! No boring episodes at all!
It's one of the few shoujo series i bought all of during a sale. After a little research of course. I haven't gotten to it yet, but I'm glad to hear it's worth a read!
I dropped the series after a few episodes when it aired. I'm glad you provided me with a seedling interest during the tier list that blossomed after this review. I'm enjoying the read much more than the show.
I'm reading this series right now and love it! You articulated perfectly what about this series is so incredible. One of the best fantasies I've ever read in any format. By far the best character development in existence. I've never had my opinions on characters change so much!
Yona and Zeno are not only the best written characters in the series, probably in my top 10 characters of all time.
The found family is so strong with this one !
Kitty story time is the best! 🐈
Hi Merphy, thanks for making a video on Yona it makes me so so so happy! anything within the shojo demographic is scarcely talked about by content creators online. While Yona is really loved within the Shojo community, very few people who are fans of fantasy series or action series ever pick it up because they assume that due to it being a shojo, it won't have much going on outside the romance. There are many shojo series that focus more on the fantasy, or political aspects just like Yona but unfortunately the english manga publishing industry is very stuck on this ideo of "girls like romance" and so many of these kinds of shojo series never get licensed in english. I hope thanks to this video more people will be inspired to pick up Yona and give it a try, it's one of my all time favourite series. Thanks for your in depth review!
I'm not a shojo fan by any stretch, but I remember watching the anime for this and feeling a compulsion to read the manga. Yona of the Dawn is excellent.
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Finally got around to watch this video! I'm really glad you gave Yona time to grow on you. I also struggled a bit in the beginning, but the artstyle was so amazing that I kept on reading and by chapter 10 I was hooked xD
I know you don't care about the romance but Hak is like THE man and I love him and Yona!!
Love watching you pet your cat while talking about manga.
Merry Christmas Merphy!!! And again that cat...enjoy the holidays with your family!!!
I loved Yona of the Dawn. I saw the anime on crunchyroll a while back and realized that it's a shojo pretty quickly but I still watched it and enjoyed it thoroughly.
People do find it odd that I as a man can enjoy shojo manga and anime so much but hey I like romance and shit too.
You should check out the manga or the anime adaptation of Banana Fish. Really good and underrated in my opinion.
Omg did you just read yona 😍😍
One of my favorite ship and story to follow
I am so glad you got to make this video. I wanted, if possible, for it to be spoiler free, but the discussion was comprehensive enough that I was satisfied.
Before I say anything, I call BLASPHEMY!!! Can't believe you don't love Tae-Jun unconditionally. SMH!!! I'm joking, of course.
I think that something that I love about this story the most, just like you, is that it doesn't feel that it has any urgency to get to the plot or big exciting conflicts. At least in the first few arcs. It can take two or three chapters in between arcs for in-group shenanigans that allow us to get more attached to them as individuals and their relationship as a whole. Like, I just love everyone in the Happy Hungry Bunch, and I love their dynamics between each other. I believe that every single member cares for every other member and not just a singular person in the group. They all feel like a family, and it's fantastic. Kusanagi does an excellent job at making each member feel equally important, and it doesn't feel like anyone is being shafted to the side or ignored in sake for the others. It's one of those things that I wish more manga or stories in general would focus on more. I think that getting to see a group of people interact with each other in their downtime between conflicts is just as important to get attached to them and their relationship just as much as when they interact in high tense situations. If anything, the fact that we get to see how close they are in their downtime make the high tense situations much more urgent.
Then there's the whole situation with the cousin and the other nations, and how everything affects each other, but this comment is already long enough. Lol.
I just started the anime and am halfway through it, here because I plan to pick up the manga where the anime left off if it's good. So it seems like I'm in the "getting everything into place so the real story can begin" part as you said, where they quickly rush through the events, new locations and characters. I'm relieved to know that it does get better, so I'll try to have patience!
as someone who's been a big big fan of yona since around 2017 and also recently got into one piece (and found your channel bcos of the op reviews) i have Got to take this chance to talk about how i realized that the reasons that make me love both series are quite similar even though the world building and characters they have couldnt be any more different:
first off i love the way leadership is portrayed through yona & luffy, like sure, at first there might seem like theres nothing similar between those 2 but in reality, theyre both characters who are able to command and gather the support not bcos they're the strongest, the most capable or knowledgeable, but because they have this unparalleled will to do everything they can to achieve their goals. in yona's case its something she's always had within but never truly acted upon on bcos until the events of the story she hadn't been facing situations that required it, but once she decides to get stronger and travel to protect her people we start seeing that side of her be what attracts others' support to her. similar as luffy, she acknowledges that she can't do it all alone, that her dragon's crew and allies are a major support in achieving her goals, but that doesn't mean she won't also give everything she has, and it's part of her charm as a leader. luffy and yona both have commanding personalities that make ppl want to follow them, and it's fascinating in both cases seeing the way they so naturally can lead others and garner their love while also allowing themselves to depend on their friends with so much trust and security that they can rely on each other like that... i just love their characters for this so much
Yona of the Dawn is just amazing!!!!
Also, your cat is SUCH a lovebug!
Everyone should read Yona, and another one I highly recommend is Chihayafuru. My two favorite Shoujo and Josei manga. I love how female characters are written in Chihayafuru, and I would love to see Merphy read it.
It's difficult to put into words how much Chihayafuru moved me, how many feelings this manga brought me, and how much I loved the construction each character received individually. And the art!! The art is wonderful.
The Josei mangas I'd love to see your opinion on, Merphy, are Chihayafuru, Nodame Cantabile, and Kids on The Slope 🙏
Check out "From far away" (Kanata Kara). It should match your preferences.
you should try reading shojo/josei, it goes understated because anime has always been doninated by boys but some of the greatest stories in the medium have been in those demographics. One I recommend to everyone is Blank Canvas, a coming of age autobiographical story that is just so sweet and tender, and devastating in its honesty and introspection. It's about the universal expierence of growing up, and growing apart from your roots, so i think there is something there that anyone could enjoy, if not relate.
P.S. Its just 5 volumes :)
Yona of the Dawn is my favorite Manga and favorite anime. It is such a hidden gem that no one ever talks about. Thank you for this!!!
the constant tension to see if the fluffy cat would get bored and leave kept me invested
I watched that anime a couple years ago and I was surprised when people didn’t hear about it. I keep up with it now through the manga but it’s unfortunate that it never got a second season
Honestly, Yona was one of my top mangas right beside one piece!
I remember watching the anime, and I enjoyed the core concept.
I'm still debating if I want to buy the manga, same for Snow White with red hair.
I love the action in Yona too!
Even the strongest characters are "human" (bar one). Fallable, can get hurt. Even if we know they wont die, they can get hurt so bad, theyre out of commission for thebrest of the fight. You just dont see that in many other pieces of media.
yonabros, we've won
I adore Yona of the Dawn so much. Thank you for talking about it! So so good
you have no idea how happy this makes me😭😭😭 akatsuki no yona is TOP TIER shoujo storytelling!!
Also merphy, if you loved akayona and beautiful slice of life stories filled with character growth and found family, you need to watch Kono Oto Tomare (sounds of life). i dont usually watch high school animes (this one is sort of sports/music themed anime) but that show and the original manga is so exceptionally well written and wholesome, it will make you cry and laugh and feel so much love for the characters. hope you check it out some time!
Yona is one of the best series that I latched onto back when the anime aired. (I still hope for a season 2…) watching it all at once caused me to fail one of my classes due to neglecting coursework 😅 either way I collect the manga now!
Thanks for putting this wonderful series on the radar for your viewers Merphy!!!
I went into this knowing nothing and after the first volume, I was like "ooo this is berserk for babies". I questioned a lot in the first few volumes. Their movement for one felt unburdened which is just crazy. Also the number of times she was unnecessarily put in a dangerous situation and nobody bat an eye is even crazier. Like the time she had to go get that plant in awa. How is that a test and how did no one object?
Then volume 16 chapter 91 happened and i was like hell yes.
But overall i really like the series and I like how it grows as Yona herself grows. It's almost like world and story is presented at which ever level she's at. The more her eyes open the grittier the story gets. I really love that about it.
AHHH! I’ve been reading this series since 2015 and it’s in my top 3 favourite manga! I’m so glad you read it and enjoyed it! I too have shed SO MANY tears over I am sure the same character.
Honestly, didn't even think that this would be on Merphy's radar. It's great! Love the review.
I have watched the series few years back and continued tonread the manga after. I loved it. I miss my Happy Hungry Bunch
Yes!! Yona is incredible! If you want to go further down the Shojo rabbit hole I really love Ouran and QQ Sweeper. Those are the big 3 shojo in my eyes. :)
I love that for most of the video I hear your cat purring 🤣🤣
AHHHH merphy saying Yona is worth it makes me happy ❤
I started reading Yona after watching your tier-list video and I LOVE IT , I am not caught up but everything about it just kept getting amazing
My favorite cat review channel, tbh i agree 10/10 cat review.
Heyyy I've last read it years agooo. This manga is a hidden gem for real. I was just thinking of rereading it. Thanks for the review!
I'm honestly ecstatic and SO happy that you gave this series a chance!!! This and Bookworm are some of my absolute favorites, and it's always like pulling out teeth trying to recommend non shonen/seinen manga to the majority of people who read the medium... I'm only like 3 minutes but I'm intently waiting to see what you have to say, negative or positive :)
Yotd strong suit, to me, is def the characters, and that's such an important thing cause its through amazing characters that you get an amazing emotional story, the cast of characters are loveable and honestly my fav of all time, their arcs are so well written and on top of that the Yona is a phenomenal mc and isn't just one of the best fl in fiction but one of the best main characters ever, her character development is unmached it is so well written, couple that with Su won, a phenomenal antagonist that I honestly consider to be on par with someone like Askellad from vinland saga, the nuance and emotional impact of the betrayal is time and time again emphasized that the more you read the heavier its impact gets, and ofc with such well written and nuanced characters you also have a political masterpiece with so much conflicting opinions, all being fair in their own right, and so much complexity that I find myself conflictedi
Its such and underrated series and I'm so glad you talked abt it, I only wish it could get a full anime adaptation cause if people would just give it a try it really would be one of the greats
I am sold, way to go Merphy! This does sound fun as hell. I do hope that my action obsessed brain will enjoy this but I have read many books which are light in action so this won't be any different!
I love Yona of the dawn, such an underrated gem.
Finally someone who talks about this series, is sooo good
Yona is totally one of my favorites, I'm so glad you made this!!!!
OMG YOU NEED TO DO AN UPDATE VIDEO FOR YONA. I SWEAR THE POLITICAL INTRIGUE WILL AMAZE YOU
This is one of the most underrated shoujo manga.
i read yona because i was intrigued first with the idea of betrayal by yona's childhood friend and crush. And now, it's my favorite shoujo ❤️❤️ it's amazing how politics, history, magic is woven in the story of Yona. I personally love how the mangaka depicts the intricacies of different human relationships such as romantic, filial, friendships, even love for your country/kingdom.
Anyone else who had to rewind and watch again because they got distracted by the Catto?
Merphy telling me to do the dishes while I'm using this video to procrastonate doing the dishes is crazy 👀
Yona of the Dawn is one of the best series I've read in a long time.
Absolutely love this series. One of my friends recommended it to me and at first I thought it was your basic shoujo, but it became so much more. Like you said, the political elements add so much to the series, but what I particularly love is that this series has all the makings of a revenge arc.....and it's just not.
I got into AkaYona thanks to the anime when it was still airing (and to this day, after reading it until now I STILL hope they'll make a second season, simply because there is SO MUCH to work with, but alas who knows) and I just love this series so much
it feels kinda... not too well known, even though to me it feels like it really should be, since by now the world it plays in is just quite grand but still very much comprehensible
ngl, I'm pretty sure it opened up to more politics, etc later on simply cause it was easier to implement it later, but since Yona learned about it bit by bit I almost felt like it got more intricate simply because the character through whom we in a way see the story also has a greater understanding of it all
hands down, Yona is my favoite female protagonist, I just love her
And I also love how the mangakas art evolved over the years, not to mention the small details in it all
Yonas hair growing, you wouldn't even realize it until you check the newest volume after reading a bit of the start again xD
Your favorite dragons are my faves too!
I got nearly 20 volumes into it, and it started to feel like it was going to go the super-convoluted-plot route. I've since looked up various spoilers and picked up random volumes to see what's up, and so far it feels like that hunch was right, but I'm still waiting to see how long it goes and how people feel about the ending. Then I can decide if I'll commit any more of my time.
Ugh, I just groaned when you mentioned the dumb romance elements, specifically Yona being so unbearably oblivious. It's true I don't read much of the shojo genre, but *seriously*.
I can only assume you're talking about Yellow with wanting him to just stop suffering. ;_____; All the tears.
It's fun to hear your comments on this one!
Ironically, I was doing my dishes when listening to this... and you kinda freaked me out.😅
I need more people to give shoujo mangas the respect it deserves
Thank you for the absolutely stunning read suggestion, Murphy.
I will read this, and I also suspect this might be a BRILLIANT intro to the medium for certain female friends of mine. ❤
This feels like a story I'm going to read many times. Your balanced reviews are a marvel
This is a sign for me to catch up on the manga. It’s been like 3 years and the story never disappointed me
This is my favorite manga series. I love it so much. So many of these characters have these amazing story arcs and back stories that just draw you in and give you so many feels. And just Zeno 🥰 He is my absolute favorite character, love him so much. He deserves all the happiness. I don’t mind the end game relationship in this series, but I do agree less back and forth with those two would be nice. Just be together and move on so we can get to the rest of the story. 😂 I could go on and on about this series forever, but don’t want to give any spoilers away.
Yona and Fuuko from Undead Unluck are easily one of the greatest female characters of manga I've read. It's simply takes time but the payoff is AMAZING