Yona of the Dawn, originally known as Akatsuki no Yona, is a popular shojo manga centering around Yona, a former princess who was chased out of the castle by her childhood crush, Soo-Won. Devastated after witnessing her father’s death at the hands of the man she loved, Yona could only cry for help from her trusted bodyguard, Hak. When Soo-Won attempts to kill Yona, Hak barely manages to escape with her from the castle. After losing her only family member and her home, Yona falls in despair. However, she begins a new journey where she rises against the odds and protects the kingdom she grew up knowing nothing about. All this while, Hak lends her the support she needs. The story is quite loved among shojo and romance fans.
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This critically acclaimed manga by Mizuho Kusanagi debuted in 2009. Studio Pierrot released the first season of the anime in 2014 and it aired 24 episodes till 2015. It’s been almost ten years, and Yona of the Dawn’s anime hasn’t announced a Season 2 yet. While fans still hope for a sequel, the manga has already entered its final arc in June 2024. Yona of the Dawn Chapter 266, the first chapter of the year includes a gorgeous color spread featuring Yona and the Four Dragons to promote the final arc. The cover also confirmed that Volume 45 of the manga is currently on sale. The manga is seriliazing in Hakusensha’s Hana to Yume magazine since 2009. Additionally, it has been licensed by Viz for global releases.
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Yona of the Dawn’s Final Arc Highlights Zeno’s Struggles
Tormented by the burden of his immortality, Zeno wishes to fulfill his dream of ending the cycle of suffering experienced by the Dragon Warriors. He has been around since the first Crimson Dragon King ruled over the Kouka Kingdom. Zeno has gone through all kinds of phases in life and even got brutally injured countless times. He has always been dealing with the loneliness that comes with immortality. At some point in his life, he even tore himself apart just to end his suffering. However, nothing else worked for him till now.
Meanwhile, the rest of the three Dragon Warriors suffer in their own right. The villages of the Dragon Warriors are isolated from the rest of the kingdom. The blood of the Dragon Warrior is inherited among those in the village every generation. Every Dragon Warrior is born with a short life span and they have lived meaningless lives while waiting for a king who may never appear. Every village treated its Dragon Warriors differently.
While Kija grew up in fairly decent circumstances, Jee-Ha and Shin-Ah were scorned by the villagers. Zeno has finally found a way to rid himself of this meaningless and endless life. However, there’s a huge price to pay. His inner conflict leads him to make a difficult decision that puts the other dragons in danger. Believing that ending this cycle requires the deaths of all the dragon warriors, including himself, he betrays Yona and the group. Zeno sets out on his own to pursue this goal. As the Crimson Dragon, Yona must save her beloved dragons, even if it means risking her own life.
Yona of the Dawn Season 2 Is Long Overdue
The anime is nothing but a prologue of this incredible story. The first season ends with Yona gathering all the Dragon Warriors, which is only the beginning of her journey. She must decide what their next course of action will be. It’s up to Yona if she wants to live a peaceful life or if she wants revenge against Soo-Won. No matter what she does, Hak and the Dragon Warriors will be at her side.
The manga follows her traveling through the kingdom and learning more about the ongoing skirmishes and politics within the Kouka Kingdom and the neighboring kingdoms. As they continue to fight for the benefit of the kingdom, Yona and her friends meet all kinds of people and make powerful allies along the way. The story follows Yona’s journey as she transforms from a helpless princess to one of the most respected warriors of the kingdom.
Her journey is definitely worth watching in an anime version. Unfortunately, fans have been waiting for a sequel but just like several shojo series, Yona of the Dawn is being sidelined by the studio. The manga has over 15 million copies in circulation, so it does have a wide fanbase. Sadly, a lot of shojo anime over a decade ago failed to get sequel seasons and Yona of the Dawn is no different. It’s common for shojo anime to not perform as well as other Shonen series. For a studio like Pierrot that has animated classics like Bleach and Naruto, they likely didn’t want to focus on this shojo gem for a few years.
H/T: @MangaMoguraRE
