This is one of the best Shoujo manga series of all time. Simply stated, I don't believe there is any Shoujo series out there right now that comes even close to reaching the excellently well thought through story arc, character development, interaction, and comedy of Akatsuki no Yona. There are several reasons why this is true, and I will attempt to describe why below.

~Story: 10~

Although Akatsuki no Yona starts off a little slow, with the first 50 or so chapters dedicated to the finding of the four dragons, it quickly progresses to a more political story line by chapter 70, which becomes absolutely brilliant by chapter 100 or so.

The beginning portion is dedicated mainly to Hak and Yona going through Kouka Kingdom to find the four dragons and get them to join their team. Though this part has some nice moments (for me, the parts where Yona's character becomes more strong-willed and caring), it does get a little bit boring at times.

The middle portion starts to bring about some of the more political aspects of the story, and gives us a fantastic interlude where the initially stuck-up Kan Tae-Jun changes completely (due to pressure from Yona) to become a caring prince who literally sets up medical clinics and helps citizens in distraught parts of the Fire Tribe. It also brings up the start of the political side of the story with the conflict with the Kai Kingdom.

The ending portion, up to chapter 134 (latest released up to this date), focuses on more brilliantly developed political conflicts with the Water Tribe, Sei Kingdom and Xing Kingdom while also giving us great character development, an INCREDIBLE back-story for Zeno and rather enjoyable romance.

I really hope the series continues going as it is right now, because my enjoyment throughout the series has only increased. Looking back at it, I forgive the story for being a little slow at the beginning because of how good it gets by the end (of the chapters released today). Incredible job by Kusanagi.

~Art: 10~

The art is beautifully expressive in every way. I found that there was never a disconnect between the characters' emotions and their facial expressions. The natural settings were beautifully drawn and I could see the detail whether the setting was a docking bay or Lily's private garden.

~Character: 10~

The character development is one of my favorite things about this manga. Yona changed drastically from the pampered empty headed girl of Hiryuu Castle, to a responsible, caring, and brave leader with a clear sense of morality. All throughout, her struggle was evident, but she was clearly trying to overcome herself and persevered.

Kan Tae-Jun, seemingly a jerk at the beginning of the story, also changed quite a bit for the better and became a prince passionately concerned for the well-being of his citizens. Mizuho Kusanagi handled his character development brilliantly, showing us his internal struggle as he was attempting to see the world in a new light.

Zeno, who I was rather annoyed by as a seemingly pointless comic relief character at first, actually had an incredibly beautiful back story and ended up being a very important member of the team. I won't spoil anything, but I will warn you that it takes until roughly chapters 100-104 to find out more about Zeno's purpose.

Overall, the character development was amazingly well done. It was not rushed, and felt natural almost all of the time. Incredibly enjoyable to see it progress throughout the series.

~Enjoyment: 9~

Though the first 50 chapters during which the four dragons were found were relatively slow for me (maybe even a little boring at parts, I won't lie), the later chapters, especially after chapter 100, made up for it. The political drama with the Sei Kingdom and Xing Kingdom, and seeing how the main characters, especially Yona, changed throughout the story to handle the situation at hand was very interesting. The romance, though not a major part of the story line, was also rather well done, and served to be an enjoyable interlude during parts of the story. I won't say exactly what ship sets sail, but I will say that it rhymes with "banana". ;)

The comic relief and comedy was also very enjoyable, and made me laugh many times throughout the series. The interactions between the four dragons and Hak are often hilarious, yet Kusanagi still shows that they can be tender and care for one another during times of need (brilliant).

~Overall: 10~

I absolutely love this series. I read it with quite a lot of enjoyment now and eagerly await each chapter each month. The way things are going now at chapter 134, the intrigue is very well set and everything is in place for a great continuation. I hope that Kusanagi keeps up her work so that all of us can enjoy Akatsuki no Yona a while longer.