Yona of the Dawn is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Mizuho Kusanagi, serialized in Hakusensha's shōjomanga magazine Hana to Yume from August 2009. It has been collected in thirty-two tankōbon volumes. An anime television series adaptation by Pierrot aired between October 7, 2014, and March 24, 2015.
Plot
2000 years ago, the fictional nation of Kouka, drawing inspiration from a mixture of Japanese, Korean, and Chinese cultures was founded by the Crimson Dragon God, who came down to Earth from the Heavens as a human, deemed the Crimson Dragon King. It was believed that humans were living in an era full of evil and thirst for power, where they forgot about the Gods. The Crimson Dragon King was eventually forced to fight against these humans, and just as he was about to be killed and everything was on the brink of extinction, four other Dragon Gods, imbued with the dragon blood, joined his side as human warriors, and helped him lead Kouka to prosperity. After they had cleared Kouka of evil, the Crimson Dragon King died. The four Dragon warriors mourned his death and walked separate ways from his castle, leaving the nation to develop into 5 Tribes: Sky, Earth, Water, Wind, and Fire. As countless generations flew by, this history became a famous founding myth. 2000 years later, the story commences with Yona, the sole princess of Kouka, ruled by her pacifistic father King Il under the Sky Tribe. Yona lives a lavish, sheltered life from the harrowing reality outside of the walls of the Crimson Dragon Castle, protected by her bodyguard Hak, general of the Wind Tribe, and often visited by Su-Won, her crush of 10 years and the son of King Il's brother, Yu-Hon. But contrary to this peaceful illusion, Kouka is once again on the verge of destruction and about to undergo a political upheaval. A week before a party celebrating her sixteenth birthday, Su-Won visits to pay tribute to her. Upon revealing her intention to someday marry him to her father, Yona is shocked and dismayed when King Il pointedly forbids her from choosing Su-Won as a husband. On the night of her 16th birthday party, Yona visits her father's chambers again, determined to change his mind. Instead, she walks in on Su-Won driving a sword through King Il's chest, revealing that he'd planned a Coup d'état and would become Kouka's next King. Yona and Hak become fugitives and are forced to flee to Fuuga, the capital of the Wind Tribe. Under the suggestion of Hak's adopted grandfather and prior Wind Tribe General Son Mundok, Yona and Hak search for an exiled priest who tells her about the Crimson Dragon King and four Dragon warriors who unified the nation. Guided by this seemingly fictitious myth, Yona begins a journey to find these warriors in order to survive and save her country.
Characters
Main characters
Dragon Warriors
Others
Media
Manga
launched the series in Hakusensha's Hana to Yume manga magazine on August 4, 2009. The series has been collected into 30 bound volumes. On October 9, 2015, North American manga publisher Viz Media announced at their New York Comic Con panel that they have licensed the manga and will begin releasing it in summer 2016. The series went on hiatus starting with 2016's eleventh issue, on April 25, 2016, due to the earthquakes in Kumamoto, where Kusanagi lives. It resumed in the twelfth issue on May 20, 2016.
Anime
A 24-episode anime television series adaptation produced by Pierrot aired between October 7, 2014, and March 24, 2015, on AT-X. Funimation has licensed the anime series for streaming and home video rights in North America. Beginning on March 17, 2015, Funimation streamed their dubbed version of the anime, starting with episode 13 while the first half of the season will be released at a later date. The first opening theme is an instrumental song by Kunihiko Ryo, called "Akatsuki no Yona". The first ending theme is Yoru by Vistlip. The second opening theme is "Akatsuki no Hana", by Cyntia. The second ending theme is "Akatsuki", by Akiko Shikata. Three original video animations were bundled with the manga's 19th, 21st and 22nd limited edition volumes, respectively. The first OVA was released on September 18, 2015, the second OVA was released on August 19, 2016, and the third OVA was released on December 20, 2016.
