Akatsuki no Yona

I began reading this manga around five years ago. I remember reading the first few chapters, finding myself busy, dropping it, then coming back around to it. I'm so glad I did!

Minor spoilers below!

Story: 10/10

I love the story of Akatsuki no Yona. I have reread this manga so many times, and each time I fall in love over and over. The plot sounds so cliche and it is listed as shoujo. While I don't think that listing is incorrect per se, there are many dark elements within this story. There's violence and tragedy, but there's also hope and willpower. It's extremely enchanting to read.

Art: 9/10

The art is actually stunning. The mangaka can draw everything beautifully and when we get colored pages I absolutely fall in love. My one point off is for the earlier chapters (which you only really notice if you reread the manga), but my god has the mangaka improved!

Character: 10/10

This tale is absolutely character driven. All the characters have their own personality that they add to the party and I cannot help but love all of them! There's also a HUGE amount of character development for all the characters. You watch as they grow and discover new things about themselves and each other. Personally, Yoon is my favorite character, but all of them will situate themselves somewhere in your heart.

Enjoyment: 10/10

It's a fantasy story to get lost in, what else is there to enjoy? But in all seriousness, I have kept up with this manga for so long because I an enjoy it so much. I have favorite chapters and arcs that I can come back to and read whenever I feel like (or reread the whole thing if I have the time)! I usually cannot reread material, but there's something about this manga that draws me back over and over.

Overall: 10/10

Akatsuki no Yona is not your usual shoujo harem, but rather a story about overcoming trials and perseverance. It's dark and gritty at times and heartwarming and silly at others. Its cast of characters are all delightful, the art is stunning, and its story will no doubt hook you.

This manga has stolen my heart. At first, I watched the anime, which only used the first 47 chapters or so of the manga, which I enjoyed thoroughly. However, it has taken me far too long to get to read the manga.

I have read 84 chapters as of now, and all I can say is that I'm highly pleased with it and it's worth the read. The art style is probably the first thing you'll notice and it's beautiful.

The storyline the manga follows is just so enjoyable, it includes so much emotion and thought. The way the whole manga is portrayed is amazing. It's catered well to the era it's set in and uses the characters they introduce well and with a purpose, not like some other mangas which introduce characters just for the sake of it. All the characters have a reason for being there and contribute somewhat to the plot or the development of the main characters.

Overall, I would recommend this manga to anyone who likes a good laugh, a good bit of action and a strong female lead.

I loved this Manga . The story is really interesting . Yona the protagonist is not a weak girl but a really strong character , I loved her character development throughout the series, unlike other series of this genre , shes not a damsel in distress but now is turning into a powerful warrior. The plot is intriguing it keeps you hooked . All the characters have their equal importance and have been developed brilliantly . Hak, her protector and friend has been with her , he loves her but never expressed . It has all the elements. The four dragons have become great allies to her who respect her. I liked the development of each character in this. Soo Won is really a mystery , his character is contradicting to his actions. I will love to read more of this

[Akatsuki no Yona] ... just recently, I watched the anime, it was good, it lit a fire within me, ...I had to seek its manga for more ! it's been a while since I've been this thirsty for a Manga, the more I read, the more I crave !

I like the fact that the anime was true to the manga !
The comedy is quite good =D

I like the character designs and the Anime OST! Especially a certain phrase in the 2nd Anime ending song "Modoranai hibi ni namida koboshite..." It just hit me deep once I heard it ...Right in the Kokoro!

Hak; Thunder Beast, is my fav.
All chars are quite good, in their own way...
Yona, hold on! you go girl!

Overall, it's a very pleasant type of shoujo manga =w= <3

I loved ch.83 Sound of Invisible Tears

[Spoiler]
Zeno gives off a very dark theme to the plot with his regenerative body, it's just not usually seen/expected in a shoujo manga, which increases this manga's uniqueness .....I personally like that one scene of Zeno holding the hand of his wife, for god know how long, till it all turned into skeleton and not flesh...so heartfelt!

This manga took my breath away!

I've spent a whole day just reading this manga and while for the first 70/80 chapters I really loved this manga. The artwork is just beautiful 10/10.
But it's one sin making Hak/Yona romance basically the center point from 130 onward. It should have been a slow romance and rushing into it just ruined the story for me.

Strong character development, each character has it's own personality and role within the story. Yoon (the mother), Kija (goody goody), Blue Dragon (introvert), Green Dragon (rebel, playboy), Hak (sardonic lover boy), Yellow Dragon (positivity) and Yona ( a sheltered princess who comes to understand the reality of her fathers reign and tries to change it for the better).
I love the whole dynamic of Hak/ Yona and Su Won. The backstory of their childhood growing up together. The betrayal and how it effects both of them.

And how each time they add a character we get to see their point of view and love them, how they fit into the little family. I hate how later down the track they add too many characters and it becomes too confusing too follow.

I love the friendship between Hak and Jae ha, the Green Dragon especially especially you can tell he trusts him with his true feelings.
Just the way certain characters interact together is enjoyable. I won't bother reading anymore chapters though.

Gives me the last airbender vibes.
Inverse harem too.

Akatsuki no Yona is the reason why I like so much everything about anime and manga.
So, let’s start talk about Akayona.

When I found the anime adaptation was love at first sight, then I had started to read the manga immediately. At the same time, I was watching the anime. Akayona isn’t a classical shoujo manga which the princess live a beautiful and romantic life to have a happy ending. This is shoujo manga about war, betrayal and power struggle but also it’s about love, overcoming and friendship.

Story: 10/10
Akayona is complex story and I love stories full of details.
I think that is very difficult for an author to be able to keep the level of the story from the beginning until the end (Akayona hasn’t end yet), but Mizuho Kusanagi can do it with mastery.
Another point to considerate about Akatsuki no Yona that I think very important is the way the author managed to unite so many classic elements of Japanese culture like dragons, warriors, kingdoms related with natural elements.
All of this makes reader to immerse is this world.

Art: 10/10
As I said, this story is rich, full of details. The design is very very beautiful and there is even maps in the manga to you understand better the story.

Character: 10/10

I read some complaints about Akayona. Some people have said that Yona doesn’t develop in this story, she is almost a whiner who needs someone's help. At the beginning of the story it's true, but everywhere else you can see how she becomes strong and confident.
Yona demonstrates great value by being humble enough to recognize that she didn't know the reality of her kingdom, and, even with all her weakness, she does not give up on to make it a better place to the people live. Only after that, she intend claim the throne back.
As for the other characters, each one has his personal stories, one more beautiful than another, by the way. And as for the antagonist of the story you fall in love with him at the same time that you want to kill him.

Another very important point in any manga that Mizuho Kusanagi succeeds in mastering again is the fact that all characters are important, there are not too many characters and not less, each has its own role within the plot.

Enjoyment/Overall: 10/10
In order not to prolong, I can say that it is really a story worth reading.
In addition, among the shoujo manga listed in MAL, it is the one with the highest note (8.88), and this story really deserves this position.

I rarely write review, especially for a shoujo manga cos majority of them are lame, but this manga melts my heart so much that I am compelled to write a glowing review on it hoping that this manga may be known by more people.

For once, I am surprised that there is a reverse harem that does not suck and actually has a good story. If you're a fan of romance who's been dissapointed with so many junk out there, then give Akatsuki no Yona is a shot.

The best part about this manga is the character interactions between all of them, it has the right amount of humor, romance, and sadness that make my heart ache when I read it.
I love how the characters are not one dimensional, each have their own motivations behind their actions, and the "bad guy" imho are not the one dimensionally bad guy since things are not completely black and white here, and I personally can empathize with team SooWon more than team Yona.

Compared to a more hard core seinen that I prefer, the story here is quite PG-rated and the events fall together a little too convenient sometimes, but in comparison to all other shojo manga and especially reverse harem that focus on mindless self indulgence romance, this one is on its own league.

Every chapter on the manga moves the story forward and gives more background on the character that makes you care more and more about each one of them.
I binge watched the entire 24 episodes of the anime and continue binge reading the manga right after and cannot wait for more chapters to show up!

This was really good at first. You have the generic shoujo love interest in Hak, but Yona was forced out of her comfy life as a princess and made to wander the country. Picking up archery and swordwork to defend herself only made her better. But what made the story interesting to watch was the antagonist, Soo-Won. The story showed that Yona's father was a bad king. It could've ended there and made Soo-Won bad as well to justify Yona taking him down. Instead, he was shown to be a good king. This was something else that Yona had to struggle with--should she get revenge for her father, the king that made her people suffer, or leave her father's murderer, a good king, to continue to rule and help the people.

So why did I rate this a 5? Because none of these plot points have been followed up on. Everyone Yona faces is an idiot who makes dumb mistakes to make her look good, or they become one of her hanger-ons. I couldn't care less about the romance--Hak is nothing more than a love interest with no goals or ideas outside of Yona worship. The dragons are nothing, really, except for maybe Zeno. There's no interesting struggle, and now it feels like the last few antagonists in Soo-Won and the enemy nation are being torn down to pull Yona up. There's none of that grit and challenge that the early chapters had. These are common problems in battle shonen/shoujo, but I had hope that AnY was better than that. Oh well. I'd rate the story lower if the early arcs weren't so good.

*Mild spoilers ahead*

I actually read the akatsuki no yona manga twice, once before the anime and once after. That's how much i expected from this series. But sad to say, Kusanagi Mizuho didn't fully utilize this manga's potential.


Story
The plot is definitely the strongest point of this manga. Not exactly your typical shoujo story, it's set in a historical korean culture. The first few chapters definitely reel you and set up a very intriguing premise. However, that's where the downfall starts. Now, idk if the mangaka is just confused or its her editors forcing her to be, but she continues to spoil the fun out of this story every way she can. The rushed character arcs in the start just to get on with the story, the romance that really doesn't make you go "kyuuu" and cliched shoujo tactics that you don't wanna see in such a well off story. Nonetheless, there are surprises here and then and it does keep you reading on.

Art
The art isn't really eye catching for the most part. You have a few well drawn pages here and there but it's mostly just fine.

Characters
Personally i love the characters. Not because they're all well written but it's easy to grow attached to them. The protagonist, Yona, could be one of the best female characters of all time.. if it weren't for the mangaka making Yona cry every arc and ruin her "strong" shoujo with forced doki dokis. And then you have Hak, who at some point just gets annoying with his forced romance. Infact, i fear Soo Won is the most thought out character in this manga. I'll still give the characters a 7 for their amusing dialogues and supring tactics time to time.

Overall, it is a good manga to get hooked on. It has its bad points but the strong points do exist, often overshadowing the bad. There are pages you can't read enough, arcs that keep at the edge of your seat and surprising moments that do make you go "woa". But i feel Akatsuki no yona could be so much more if it let go of the notion of being "just a shoujo".

I'll try my best not to give any spoiler

Story 8/10
For someone who doesn't like historical story, honestly giving 8 out of 10 is really good. There is no confusing term or something that confuse me while reading it which happened to me sometimes with other manga. I am glad i picked this story although i have already consider wheter to reat it or not so many times.

Character 10/10
ALL OF THE CHARACTERS ARE INTERESTING. All of them have something to tell, something to convey, something to connect. Each characters have different personalities and it is interesting to see them interacting with each other. By what i mean all is ALL OF THEM. Yes, including water tribe general, general joo doh, general moon duk, general geuntae, even sided character like tetora, or captain gigan (I LOVE HER SO MUCH anyway lol).

Art 10/10
Well, it is good. The drawing can make you actually feel something. The rage, the conflicted expression that connect with the dialog. I just love it.

Enjoyment 10/10
It is to the point that i am obsessing about it lol. when will the next chap is up

Overall 10/10
Believe me, even if you don't like historical manga, try it. It might be your loss if you don't.

I may stand as biased in my review, but I honestly love Akatsuki no Yona. I've re-read the entire manga three times. I especially recommend it if you enjoy shoujo manga.

-Story: (10) The story starts on quick and hooks you in. When I first read Akatsuki no Yona for the first time, I had originally planned to only read a few chapters then go to sleep. However, I was so intrigued I stayed up until 4 a.m. to read all the updated chapters. The story itself takes you on Hak and Yona's journey after Soo-won murders Yona's father. Together they eventually go out to seek new companions, each of whom get their own backstories. I won't say anymore in fear of spoiling the story, but to say the least, I laughed and cried while reading Akatsuki no Yona. Truly, a spectacular storyline.

-Art: (10) Oh man, the art is so beautiful. It's not super unique, but I personally love the look of the characters and the scenery.

-Character: (10) If any of you have seen Akatsuki no Yona's anime adaptation, you would understand how annoying pampered Yona is at the palace. However, during the beginning chapters of the manga, she is less annoying and stuck-up, which is a relief. Overall, Yona's character development is truly amazing. This is one of the reasons Yona is beloved by everyone she meets later into the manga (She's also one of my favorite characters of all time!). The author also creates the other main/side characters to melt your heart. I can truthfully say I have a crush on almost everyone of the characters.

-Enjoyment: (10) I LOVED this manga, and still am continuing to re-read it over and over again. I recommend putting on some good music while you're reading.

-Overall: (10) I have not read a better manga yet.

Haha honestly I give this manga a 10/10. I've never been so obsessed with a manga before. The artwork is beautiful in my opinion and the story line is attractive and interesting. Seriously one of my top 3. The romance is great as well. It's not overbearing but it's there enough for it to be part of the story. I seriously love this manga. I'm always smiling stupidly at cute scenes and have even cried because the story got to me. I've re-read this several times as well and enjoyed it every time!

The characters are also great all in their own aspects and I've never thought that a character was not needed. Each plays their own role perfectly and I've come to love and appreciate each and every one of them. And if you love strong heroines you'll seriously love Yona. Shes adorable and is growing in her own way. I absolutely hate mangas where the main character takes forever to take the first step and actually develop. There's so much character development in this story it's great. You can see how each and every one of them has grown and I love it.

The storyline as well has a nice depth to it. It's not a shallow shoujo where the story revolves strictly around romance. Each character has their own story and the mangaka brought together everything nicely. It's nice that we get to see the backgrounds of side characters and not just the mc's. Some people may not like it but I really do seeing as it creates a whole other opportunity for the readers to really appreciate the side characters. The storyline flows very nicely and I never once thought "this mangaka is pulling shit out of her ass." I'm seriously always on the edge of my seat waiting for the next update and I'm never disappointed at the progression of the plot.

And this is low key a reverse harem. Haha I say low key because it's not like everyone's trying to the mc's pants. Not at all. They treasure her too much to even try :') It's absolutely adorable. The bishounen game in this manga is strong hee hee

Overall would I recommend this? YES DEFINITELY! STOP READING MY REVIEW AND QUICK START READING THE MANGA.

Made by a woman!!!…which is not a bad thing, but you'll be reminded EVERY chapter of it. From overly “handsome” (or tried to be anyways) male characters to sparkles around characters to things women think guys like/think. The whole thing just SCREAMS out woman's fantasy.
Its like a story a teen older sister would tell to her little brother. It often dips too much into fantasy , with drawn out and illogical events, extreme unrealism, last second saves (how you get there, how did no one notice you, do you have teleport ability?). Its also protagonist the hero heavy.
The humor, predictable yet not predictable nature, and uncertainty (some may call it directionless) that parallels real life keep “Yona of the dawn” afloat. I recommend this to women, women who fantasize about men a lot, and to men who fantasize about…men.

This manga is so good, it made me want to write my own review just to enlighten those out there who actually read reviews about AnY's awesomeness!!
So basically, as the summary states, this manga is a historical manga about a princess who is run out of her own castle after the murder of her father by the princess' cousin, who is also her lover and childhood friend. The story progresses from there and I want to write more, but we don't need to spoil this amazing manga so i'll stop there.
The art for this manga is amazing. The facial expressions go from serious to stomach-ache hilarious in a second. The art doesn't take away from the story, and I love that about this manga because sometimes the art is too dense or formal and you can't focus on the story, but the art for this manga is perfect at conveying what kusanagi wants to tell us without actually having to tell us.
The characters...oh my goodness. If i could give this a 20000 i would but unfortunately I can't. Now, the characters in this story are mind-bogglingly amazing. Each character has their own back story that really affects who they are presently and they are all so deep and wonderful and unique. This manga has the best characters I have ever seen or watched or read in my entire life. They bring out both my happy and heart-wrenching sad tears. They make me fall in love with all the characters. Now, don't get me started on the character development. If you just skim through the manga, you won't see it, but if you really read and love the manga you'll see the tiniest details that show the development. Each character is so amazing, i can't pick a favorite because they are all so special and have stolen every piece of my heart. I want to go into detail about each character and their development so you'll just have to trust me when I say that there are no better characters than these. I know usually people do a brief summary of the characters, but I can write a whole essay on them and that's not what you're looking for so...
The story is action, political, historical, fantasy, and romance. Now, I know there are a lot of people who don't like romance, but this manga makes it work. I love love love romance, and let me tell you now, that romance is not a main plot. It is a subplot. I also love love love action, so this manga was perfect for me. The biggest theme of this manga I think is friendship and development. And that's what makes this manga so awesome. Because yes there are some emotional friend/lover scenes and there are some intense and awesome action scenes. But overall, the theme of friendship and family and betrayal and sacrifice are all so carefully crafted into the plot and it's just so amazing.
(sorry for this long review. most people probably won't read it. And sorry if it doesn't make sense. I'm just at a loss for words).
Overall, this manga is the best manga I have ever read. As someone who is obsessed with manga and anime, that actually says a lot. This manga is what gets me through tough times, long days, and boring days. I can read it whenever and as many times as I want. That is why it gets a 10. Plus the characters!!! theyre all so hilarious and together they are so heart warming. i love this manga with all my heart.
I have recommended it to most of my anime-watching friends, and they always end up reading the manga afterward and never once have they regretted it, so read it because i know you'll enjoy! if you don't then I dont know but i dont see that being a possibility.

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.

I am going to start this review by blatantly stating that Akatsuki no Yona is one of the best manga serials that I have read in a long time, quite possibly ever.

The facets that make Yona of the Dawn such a satisfying pleasure are vast. You have a delightful array of characters that have much more depth than you can imagine. The rich historical lore and feudal countries with a backdrop of political warfare provide the story with a foundation that is fresh and alluring. The action sequences are suspenseful and can leave you at the edge of your seat. Did I mention the characters? The charming and delicious looking cast of crazies that you cannot help but love, even if they aren’t necessarily the “good guys?” Lastly, the art is breathtakingly gorgeous!

Let’s examine the characters for a second. Going over every single one of them and why they are so badass is not what I am talking about. My focus is singularly going to be on our female protagonist. I admire her so much. She is the type of female heroine that I cannot help but devour during a literary adventure. Sure, she’s a spoiled, bratty princess but that only lasts for about the first five minutes (relatively speaking of course). Yona, as she is thus named, is a true visage of inner-strength and self-growth. Most leading ladies in manga serials, even the super serious ones, are always portrayed as the “victims,” be it for emotional, physical, whatever kinds of abuse, however. Yona is not a victim. She never allows herself to fall into such a pathetic category because she is forced to realize that life goes on, whether you are ready for it to or not. In that sense, I think there are a lot of women out there, especially young girls, who could really relate to someone like her.

My second-favourite part of the series? THE ART! It is so amazingly stunning that I seriously cannot emphasize it enough. The details for each panel are positively exquisite. When the panels are jam-packed from corner to corner, you do not feel overwhelmed at all. Your eyes get bright and eager to absorb everything. Kusanagi-san has an impeccable talent for making her art emanate a simple sophistication that is visually addictive. I easily flipped from one page to the next and the next and the next for the sheer fact that I could not seem to satiate my desire to experience more of these drawings. Even if the panels are depicting one character or one item, essentially being “empty” or “blank” for the most part, it does not exude a lazy, or incomplete vibe. I have gotten that sensation from other manga that I have read and it is not a fun feeling to have.

I know that Yona of the Dawn is not a finished product, nonetheless my rating for the entire series is ten out of ten and a platinum platter presentation to my favourites bin. Anything less would be an insult to it in more ways than one.

This story looks like it's going to take a while before it strikes the so waited climax, but it has so many breath taking and heart warming moments that it makes you think "the 'main' climax will be so crazy that i'll need to do a heartcheck" hahahaha.

Story:

we see prophecies, legends and legacies in pretty much 80% of the published series. About this, the story doesn't have anything extraordinary. The good part comes when we talk about the connected happening that leads to the prophecies, how the side stories support the development of the what I call the main climax (you'll get this once you read). And something that, for me, is the main point so the story can give you those crazy chills "I need to know what happens next", is the characters development. Without it, AnY would be just another historical-harem-related shoujo, with lots of guys that'd die for her.

Art:

Even thou I really enjoy readind something with "alternative" art style (like xxxHolic or Copernicus no Kokyuu), if art like AnY, with the flattering traces and full of glittering eyes kind of art is combined with action, good story and hot guys, I cannot stop reading. It is like torture to wait the next chapter. So yes, the art is amazing (!!!), even if it doesn't bring anything "new".

Character:

This is the super upper dupper awesome point of AnY. I already said what I think of the relation story x character, so you may have already noticed that I love it. If you want to recommend a story for me, so I can be crazy over, give me something that actually shows the past of the character. I love this. You can understand why Shin-Ah acts like that, why Zeno has that personality, for example. And for last but not least, let me tell you about Yona-dear... As someone already said, such a badass girl... Love her. I fell at ease when I see some huge badass fem protagonist. The mangaka gave us the oportunity to see such a fragile girl become someone that fight and speak for her e the ones she loves. And this transaction between fragile = badass is not something like "she woke up like this"... You can notice the change, gradually occuring.
_______________________________________

Well, finishing this short review, I fell like saying again how much I love the main/suport characters, and even that I said that the plot is "common", it is really enjoyfull, because you know the path Yona's adverture is taking, but you still can enjoy the amazing fighting and funny/brave characters.

*first review

i started reading this after the anime because it was so captivating and i wanted more. i can't put into words how much i love this manga?? to start, the first chapter instantly had me hooked. i loved the adventure of it all. the characters are so well written, every one of them has so much dept even the antagonist which makes it difficult to not like him. the mc has the best character development i have ever seen. hak, yun and the four dragons have such interesting personalities you'd get attached to each of them. the storyline, plot and action are all amazing. this will always be my favourite manga.

I love this. I don't know why. I just do.
I rate the story an 8. It's pretty good, but the plot isn't exactly original. There's not much to say here.
The art, I love. I don't typically like Shojo, but the art here isn't exaggerated, where the eyes are disgustingly giant and so are the females' breasts. And I love the way the artist draws. It's unique, I think. I'd give it a 10.
I give the character a 9. It's a little unbelievable, but not quite, how fast Yona changes, and it's not immediate, thankfully. She didn't just pick up a bow and arrow right away and seek vengeance. She was kind of... dead? for a while? And I love the backstories, particularly Zeno's and Shin-Ah's. I think I'm gonna cry.
As for my enjoyment, I'd say a 7. After the dragons become part of Yona's harem, they just kind of... disappear. They just fade into the background. It's too much on Yona and sometimes on Hak. Hell, I'd say Ao gets more attention than the other dragons. I wanted to see more of Zeno and Shin-Ah. Shin-Ah doesn't talk a lot, but he's innocent and interesting, and I want to see him learn more about the world after he's been holed inside his cave for 18 years. And Zeno is just really interesting. On the surface, he's a childish, hungry 17 year old. But he's an old dude who's been through a lot, and he's got lots of experience. He might not need a lot of screen time, because his development is clear, but I want to see what Zeno's going to do now, and if he'll try to get rid of his powers.
Overall, I give it a 9. It stands out from the typical Shojo, where the girl is somehow wondering who she loves out of the millions of guys in her harem. Yona's not focusing on romance, and her feelings are pretty clear. As are the feelings of the dragons. Kija and Shin-Ah are too precious for romance, Jae-Ha's gonna ignore his feelings, and Zeno's already (spoiler alert) had a wife. He knows the difference between love and devotion, I think. And I don't think he's gonna love anyone else.
I would recommend this to just about anyone.

I have read a ton of shoujo historical manga in the past. Interestingly enough, I have found a good amount to be quite enjoyable. "Akatsuki no Yona" is one of them.

Story:

The story starts with our heroine, Princess Yona. Everything seems to be at peace until certain events happen and Yona ends up going on a journey away from what she is used to in the palace. It's quite typical, but it takes its form as one reads further. There are various challenges and conflicts that arise and it is all very interesting.

Art:

I like the character designs as well as the clothes of the characters. Mizuho Kusanagi does a good job in drawing expressions and its intensity. Though there are styles that I believe are better, I think her art in this work suits this series the most.

Characters

The characters in this series are such a joy. Although they are not the most original, they do have their own depth and charm to them. The pasts and construction leading to the reveal of the past is very good. I personally think this is especially true with a certain character. (He practically shatters my heart into a billion pieces and when I try to collect them, the pieces break again.) The heroine also experiences a lot of character development. The experiences, her encounters, and the things she learns through her journey make her into someone stronger and wiser. It's rare to see this kind of character growth in shoujo harems, so it's really nice to see Yona grow.

Enjoyment

I very much enjoy reading this manga and will continue reading it until its conclusion. There is darkness and light, a beginning and end, and seriousness and laughter.

Overall:

Overall, I really love reading Akatsuki no Yona. It's a great series to read and it is definitely worth a read.