Yona of the Dawn

Review Time! For Princess Yona of the Kouka Kingdom, life is easy and sheltered, where her only care is for her wild crimson hair, and how to confess her love for her cousin and childhood friend, Su-Won. But on the night of her 16th birthday, as she goes to persuade her father of her affections, she instead witnesses a gruesome sight: Su-Won running her father through with a sword. As there can be no witnesses to this heinous act, Yona is about to be executed when she is saved by her other childhood friend, personal bodyguard and General of the Wind Clan, Hak. Now both on the run and Su-Won crowned king, Yona learns that a story she heard as a child is real: that when the Crimson Dragon King most needs help, his 4 Dragon Warriors will gather at his side and aid him in his hour of need! And so she sets out, all the while determined to grow stronger herself, so that she won’t be helpless and she can help protect not only her friends, but also her kingdom as well! Yona of the Dawn is an exciting and often humorous anime, with interesting characters and an intriguing mythos. The star, Yona herself, is a great example of character development, as she goes from sheltered and spoiled, often scared of what is happening around her, to someone who is brave and determined, especially when seeing what is happening to her kingdom. There is enough humor to keep the show from getting too dark, and a lot of it is either Hak’s sarcastic asides or Ao the squirrel literally eating everything. There are also some interesting fights, and any time that Yona shows the fire in her eyes, that seem to have the power to cow anyone who looks into them, you can’t help but be impressed! Now the anime ended, with 3 OVAs afterward, and since the manga is still going, we will probably have to wait to see more. But once it ends, I would love to see more of Yona and the 4 Dragon Warriors! I suppose only time will tell!