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暁のヨナ [Akatsuki no Yona] #1

暁のヨナ 1 [Akatsuki no Yona 1]

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高華王国の姫・ヨナは一人娘のため、優しい父王と幼なじみで護衛のハク達に囲まれ、大切に育てられていた。そして時はヨナ・16歳の誕生日、ヨナは想いを寄せていた従兄のスウォンから簪を贈られ、父へ自分の気持ちを伝えに行く。が、そこには思いも寄らぬ過酷な運命が!? 2010年1月刊。

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 19, 2010

435 people are currently reading
10405 people want to read

About the author

Mizuho Kusanagi

108 books819 followers
KUSANAGI Mizuho (草凪みずほ) used to work as an assistant for Yoko Matsushita.

Circle(s): JAKE

Loves: drawing and considers herself to have a 'super fetish' for voices. As such, she loves seiyuu (voice actors) but also actors with good voices.

Favorite Food: Ramen. Prefers vegetables to meat.

Favorite Movies: Anything by Miyazaki, whom she loves! Also, The Sound of Music and Lord of the Rings.

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5 stars
11,486 (56%)
4 stars
6,002 (29%)
3 stars
2,225 (11%)
2 stars
317 (1%)
1 star
148 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,738 reviews
Profile Image for Melanie.
1,164 reviews102k followers
April 4, 2023
“The years we spent together... The princess who adored you... You destroyed them all.”

You all have wanted me to read this for so long, and i am so thankful i finally picked it up. I mean, you all had me at bodyguard romance regardless, but i was always apprehensive because my brother told me she had a crush on her cousin >.< !! But i promise, that gets “fixed” very quickly in this first installment, but i fear i cant say anything else without giving too much away! but not knowing anything else really had me turning these pages so quickly I cannot wait to get my hands on vol two soon soon soon.

trigger + content warnings: loss of a loved one, loss of a parent, murder, death, violence, unwanted touching, grief depiction, snakes + leeches

blog | instagram | youtube | kofi | spotify | amazon
Profile Image for Alexa.
484 reviews128 followers
February 9, 2017
Status: Ongoing

Magic, tragedy, betrayal, war… this manga has it all and it handles it SO well.

My favorite part about it is the relationship between the three main characters: Yona, Hak and Soo-Won. You get a good intro from the blurb: Yona is the only princess of her kingdom. Doted on by her father, the king, and protected by her faithful guard Hak, she cherishes the time spent with the man she loves, Soo-won.

What the Blurb doesn’t tell you is that Soo-Won is Yona’s cousin and they have been all raised together and are as close as brothers, and that, on her 16th birthday, Soo-Won kills Yona’s father and steals her throne.

Which makes him the villain of this story, right?

Well… that’s the interesting part, this manga doesn’t do black & white. There are bad guys but they’re not the usual “evil” they're greedy, negligent, despondent… they’re REAL.

We get to see quite a bit from Soo-Won point of view and he’s doing what he thinks is right. And you can feel the conflict of Yona & Hak: the betrayal, the hurt, and the feeling that, while they can’t forgive Soo-Won, they can’t fully condemn him either.

The plot is amazing too! It has a full Epic fantasy scope, with a chosen one, a journey and a quest. There are dragons and magic and everything you’d expect. Frankly it’s AWESOME. However, it’s still ongoing, and while they have over 100 chapters already and I don’t feel they’re padding or adding any unnecessary arcs, I worry (as usual) about the future of the story.

*crosses fingers for a good ending*
Profile Image for gio.
929 reviews380 followers
Read
February 15, 2017


Rating only volume one for now, but I've read up to volume 21.

*waits patiently for a second season of the anime*
*please*
Profile Image for vin .ᐟ (semi-hiatus).
258 reviews215 followers
Read
July 16, 2024
SUCH a good start omg!!!!! literally was not expecting half of what just happened, and the art was simply BREATHTAKING.

(i don't rate individual volumes of any manga i read so that's why this and all others have no ratings 🫶🏻)

———————

bought volumes 1 and 2 - i'm so prepared for this series to be my new roman empire
Profile Image for Karen.
188 reviews51 followers
August 13, 2016
I finished the anime yesterday and I LOVED IT! (I really really really love it). so I started the manga because I need to know what happen later.
Profile Image for Zala.
542 reviews123 followers
November 3, 2024
Really enjoyed the start of this series, but lately (up to volume 21), it felt a bit oversimplified compared to the earlier volumes.
Profile Image for Bethany (Beautifully Bookish Bethany).
2,656 reviews4,557 followers
May 31, 2023
Okay I loved this! I'm very invested in the plot and need volume 2. There is sort of a lot triangle, politics, and betrayal. I want to know what happens next!
Profile Image for Luciana Gomez Mauro.
237 reviews114 followers
May 11, 2019
[3.5]

Cada Manhwa que empiezo a leer últimamente todos tienen una trama muy atrapante y oscura.
Me gustó mucho este, las ilustraciones y las expresiones de los personjes son preciosas.
Me encanta la princesa Yona y Hak.
Fue superó bonito.
Profile Image for SHOMPA.
548 reviews303 followers
November 11, 2024
Oh my gosh, this is honestly one of the best fantasy mangas out there. The political twists, the battles, the mystical elements, and the characters are absolutely unforgettable. I’m not even kidding; I’ve read every single volume available, and I’m dying for the final one to see how it all ends!
Profile Image for ౨ৎ.
343 reviews1,540 followers
Want to read
December 5, 2022
a friend recced it to me and the art looked so pretty so 👀 👀
Profile Image for Medha .
114 reviews64 followers
February 25, 2022
This tells the story of Princess Yona who resides in the kingdom of Kouka. Her father has no son as his heir and he treats his daughter with a lot of respect and love.
But many people find the King of Kouka faulty because of his peaceful ways of ruling the kingdom and his disinterest in wars and bloodshed.
It had a slow start to it but it picked up the pace eventually.
I absolutely love General Hak. Yona was okay, I thought she would be more fierce and nefarious. I'll definitely continue the series.

Also, I buddy read this with stuti and Shreya.
Profile Image for April (Aprilius Maximus).
1,162 reviews6,415 followers
March 2, 2021
1). Volume 1 ★★★★.5
2.) Volume 2 ★★★★★

-----------------------------------------------

representation: own voices all East Asian cast (i'm assuming Japanese like the author)

[trigger warnings are listed at the bottom of this review and may contain spoilers]


★★★★.5

wow, i absolutely loved this! i already know i'm going to become obsessed with hak 😍i can't wait to continue on with the series!!

trigger warnings: murder, violence, loss of loved ones, yona crushing on her cousin (ew), sexual harassment, snakes and snake bites.
Profile Image for Violet ♡.
287 reviews140 followers
September 18, 2023
I can't imagine Yona's pain. Her sheltered life was shattered by the selfish action of the person she least expected to hurt her. 😭

I saw the anime adaptation years ago. And I want to try reading the manga. It is still ongoing, with 40 volumes!

I've noticed the detailed descriptions of Hak here in the manga. I appreciate him more now, knowing how he stayed for the princess all these years, especially during these dark times.💕



And the art style is really captivating! 🙌

Off to volume 2! ✨
Profile Image for tania.
98 reviews787 followers
Read
April 23, 2024
⁀➴confession:
I used to have the fattest crush on my pookie wookie little bear Song Hak when I was 14 I still do😔 and watched the anime. Yes, you got me, I'm reading this for him and for him only (the rest is just a bonus)

Hak Akatsuki GIF - Hak Akatsuki GIFs

Hak Yona GIF - Hak Yona Anime GIFs

hottest bodyguard anime character imo, you can't change my mind😭
Profile Image for Subham.
3,022 reviews92 followers
September 4, 2021
This one was so good!

It starts with a girl named Yona and her love for a man named Su-won and they have fond memories together and her bodyguard Hak but fate would have its laugh as Su-won turns out to be someone else and causes her tragedy unlike anyone and so it falls on Hak to defend the princess and its one of those classic scenarios with them on the run and the fate that will follow them.

Over the course of the volume we learn of Hak's past and their childhood together and what happened to them plus the affirmation of Yona's maybe rekindling feelings for Hak and how they escape Su-won and survive is the story of this manga seems like.

I really love how this manga starts off quick, establishes character motives and actions and villains and likes give this tragic origin of the lead character and finally is pure action with solid character beats and epic art and is just so good, its a page turner for sure! Amazing read!
Profile Image for Evelyn Swift (Featherbrained Books).
830 reviews50 followers
January 18, 2022
I really don't feel like adding 30+ volumes to my "read" list (I feel like these mess up my yearly challenges) so I'm going to just write a review for each volume here and adjust the star rating as needed (i.e. so far I'm loving the series and giving it 5 stars overall!)

Read November 2020:
Volume 1: What a great start to this series, I'm totally hooked! This manga has romance, betrayal, family secrets, fantasy and HAK. Oh Hak <3 I absolutely love him. As for Su-Won, I really don't know what to make of him yet. He's definitely supposed to be the villain, and I certainly don't like him right now after but I feel like there is something more to him than meets the eye.

Volume 2: We get to see a bit more from Su-Won's POV in this volume and it's interesting to see that he belive whats he's ding is right, and he definitely has this self-righteous air about himself. I feel like there is 100% more to Yona's father than we thought, and he isn't the peace-loving father she grew up with. When Yona and Hak .

Volume 3: Ohhh Ik-su and Yun are so sweet! I loved the fantasy/magic side of the series come to full play with the White Dragon! There is definitely something very special about Yona, although we don't know what yet. And Hak is still amazing, protective, and loving Hak <3.

Volume 4: Stoooop...Hak's protectiveness and annoyance with Gija (the white dragon) just shows how much he loooooves Yona. It's hilarious how often Gija and Hak rile each other up XD. When Gija sees Yuna practising with her bow & arrow, and then remembers how she said she wants to protect Hak he says "Ah. She feels the same way, doesn't she?" This absolutely melted my heart. and the Blue Dragon! I already feel for him, what a lonely upbringing :(

Read January 2021:
Volume 5: Hmmm this one was a bit lacklustre compared to the other four previous volumes...there was too much “filler” time between finding the Blue Dragon (which should’ve been concluded in the last volume) and finding the Green Dragon. Hopefully now that they’ve found him, things pick up!

Volume 6: Action packed! This was a fun read and it's amazing seeing how much Yona has grown up since the very first volume. I also love the Green Dragon and am looking forward to getting to know him a bit better over the coming volumes. His reluctance to join is such a contrast from the other dragons/Hak!

Volume 7: THIS WAS SO GOOD! Yona is such a freakin' bad ass now and that scene with Lord Su-won was everything. You can really sympathise with Yona and why she just couldn't quite take Su-won on...she's becoming so much stronger but still has a long way to go in order to beat Su-won and avenge her father's death. From this short scene you can feel just how much Yona used to yearn for Su-won and she hasn't let go of those feelings yet...and Hak ever faithful by her side 💕

Also the last scene with the white dragon scale making everyone lusty 😂 I died.

Read February 2021:
Volume 8: Oh Yona, showing how much she's grown, what a badass!

Volume 9: Oh Sinha, I loved the moments between him and Yona in this. He's had such a tough life but he's found Yona now <3

The little side story with earth tribe general Geun-fae and his wife Yuno was really cute. I feel like he's going to play a bigger part going forward? I hope so, because I really like him (and his wonderful hair haha)

Volume 10: Read April 12 - Hmmm..while I'm glad Tae-jun got his little story here, the plot is starting to feel a bit aimless? It looks like we've said goodbye to him at the end so hopefully we get some direction soon.

Volume 11: Read Dec 27th 2021 - ooh that ending with Yona and Hak!

Volume 12 - 13: Read Dec 27th 2021

Volume 14: Read January 18th 2022 - Poor Jaeha. His rivalry with Hak does make me giggle though. I wonder how this town and the drug Nadai is going to play into the rest of the story?

Yona sure grew up in this volume...she's becoming a real lady!

This review is getting just a tad long , I'm going to start reviewing from Volume 15 onward in that Goodreads title. Can't wait to see where the rest of the series goes!
Profile Image for Laura A. Grace.
1,871 reviews267 followers
September 18, 2022
VIDEO REVIEW HERE: https://youtu.be/iT5HciwzgJw

3.5 stars

I don’t think I’ve been as nervous to write a review on Goodreads as I am right now…*nervous laughter*

I don’t know if I’m just officially a lightweight because of mainly reading “fluffy” fiction or if this genuinely was a hard first volume because of the events that took place. I mean, I knew it would NOT be a fluffy read due to the blurb alone, but I don’t think it would be quite as dark? heartbreaking? as it was. Not sure what the right word is, but I definitely won’t be underappreciating my Snow White with the Red Hair volumes anytime soon! LOL! (Definitely missing those fluffy characters!)

Some of my lack of full enjoyment of this I think is that I had a really awful weekend, and this first volume brought my mood back down because Yona really goes through a lot this first volume. I wouldn’t say she’s a favorite character (because Hak is carrying this story for me right now), but I am really curious as to what will happen next.

I don’t absolutely hate Su-won’s guts which I didn’t expect and will say its because of his expression of when Yona tells him why she went to visit her Father that night. I wouldn’t say that was an expression of regret, but I know he felt his choice a lot differently in that moment.

Favorite moment was definitely Hak seeing the King was NOT a coward. I just really really enjoyed that scene for some reason.

I’m deeply nervous about reading more but also trying to remain optimistic because it’s an interesting story and the same thing happened to me with A Silent Voice. I didn’t love the first volume, but steadily enjoyed the series the more I read it.

Hopefully none of my Yona-loving friends hate me for not adoring this first volume, but please know I’ll be continuing the rest of the series. <3 (Might be comforting myself with a binge read of Snow White afterwards though if this series gets too dark. Ha!)
Profile Image for sally ✿.
448 reviews118 followers
January 16, 2021
currently reading: chapter 201

Update | May 23, 2019:


Hak hugs are the best hugs. I love this boy.

--------

The characters, the plot, the world, I just love it all so much.

Hak is just <3



chapter: 122

This moment right here is the embodiment of why I love this manga.

It is the bonds that are thicker than oil, it is the strength that comes from the soul, it is the friends who will fight to the death for you, and it is the family that is so much deeper than blood.

I will be oh so sad when the time comes to say goodbye to these idiots.

My Dark Dragon and Happy Hungry Bunch.

You are all beautiful and wonderful.

You all deserve all of the happiness.

Let's hope the ending doesn't disappoint!

Spoiler for Chapter 152!

Profile Image for Olivia | Liv's Library.
347 reviews1,814 followers
March 31, 2022
The only reason for 4 stars is because I was a little uncomfortable with one of the love interests Yona has. 😬
Profile Image for Sara Bow.
248 reviews1,100 followers
May 21, 2023
Story gefällt mir ganz gut nur der Zeichenstil leider nicht - Hak sieht so komisch verzogen aus 😅
Profile Image for Iris.
275 reviews33 followers
December 29, 2024
Okay I was not expecting such a turn already in the first volume but "Yona of the Dawn" has definitely spiked my interest!
There is a really nice balance between current and past scenes and both give a lot of information about each character, which I really enjoy! The art is also so beautiful, it really enhances the reading experience!! ☺️ I can't wait to read the next volume!!
Profile Image for Doc.
1,955 reviews32 followers
October 15, 2016
Yona of the Dawn is rated Teen and has incidents of violence and at least one instance of someone trying to put the moves on the princess so if either bother you then be weary of this book. Otherwise welcome to the kingdom of Kohka and the three Rs (rebellion, regicide, and recycling...no wait that's not it...oh yeah romance.) :)

What is a 15 year old princess to do? She has a doting father who spoils her but her mother is no longer with them and the man she has fallen in love with in her even younger days is coming for her 16th birthday party. This book starts serious for a moment and turns fun as frivolous Yona worries about her hair and mentions it to the ruler of the land who is also her father. Of course to him she is more beautiful then all of the (insert beautiful objects here) so his opinion is not unbiased. With her love interest Su-won and bodyguard/childhood friend Hak we get to see even more into the past of Yona which leads to travesty. This story does a good job of building up a certain level of cheeriness which flavors the poison wine that befalls those that are mingled in the overthrow of everything Yona thought was real until then.

I really enjoyed this book and I guess I have a soft spot for redheaded manga and anime characters because I tend to pick those up lately. I have a feeling Yona is going to grow into a strong and confident woman as she deals with what happened so I am looking forward to seeing what happens next. :)

My favorite part of the book would have to be when Hak mentions there is nothing wrong with Yona's hair but rather her head and the facial expression she does while telling him to be quite had me laughing. I hope you enjoy some of the finer points of this book if you decide to try it out too. :)
Profile Image for Sonja.
628 reviews537 followers
February 23, 2022
3.5 out of 5 stars.

Honestly, I haven’t been reading much lately, because I just haven’t been in the right mood. I’ve mostly been watching series on Netflix like Snowpiercer and The King's Affection.

I decided to pick this up after watching Hannah’s video about manga. I’ve been meaning to start this manga series for a long time, but I just never got around to it... I really, really love the Yona of the Dawn anime — it’s one of my all-time faves!!

I can’t wait to read more of these volumes, and eventually get to the part in the story that will be new to me! The anime ended after only one season, so there’s a lot that I have yet to discover hehe

description

ᴀᴋᴀᴛꜱᴜᴋɪ ɴᴏ ʏᴏɴᴀ ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡꜱ:
• Volume 1 — 3.5 stars
Volume 2 — 3.75 stars
Profile Image for Ridley.
358 reviews351 followers
May 20, 2019
I've been on an anime kick lately and happened to watch the anime adaptation of this manga the other day when I was looking for a mix of action and romance. Well, the anime series leaves off around volume 9 of the manga, and if I didn't get more of Yona and Hak's story I. Was. Going. To. Die. So off I went to Comixology to buy all 17 volumes available in English.

I'm not going to rate and review each volume, but, OMG, I don't remember the last time I enjoyed something this much. It's a perfect blend of action, drama, and light humor with a will-they-or-won't-they romance that has me in knots. If you like road romance, historical fantasy, confronting one's privilege, fighting state oppression, and a true alpha hero who delights in the heroine's growing power, you should give this series a whirl.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,738 reviews

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