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Akayona - Blog Posts
I just got back into the AkaYona fandom and decided to catch up with the manga...
I am in SHAMBLES
yona of the dawn is an incredible series that does SO many tropes so well. there's fantasy, there's politics, there's iconic character development. it has one of the BEST slowburn romances along with one of the greatest found families i have ever read. yona, hak, shinah, kija, jaeha, zeno, and yoon beautifully written characters with their own dreams and personalities that make them come together to be the most beautiful group i have read. kusanagi created such a masterpiece, and i hope more people read it and fall in love with yona of the dawn!!!
i am IN LOVE with this new artwork! kusanagi is so unbelievably talented. the colors, the setting, the whole group together again. just absolutely stunning. you could feel how much she loves her characters through her art. they look so beautiful. i miss when they use to spend time as a family. hakyona looks so happy, the dragons all together again, and yoon smiling so brightly! i’m so moved!
the art i bought of the happy hungry bunch together just came in!!! i’m so happy, this art is one of my favorites!! THEY LOOK SO BEAUTIFUL 🩷🩷
hak has loved yona for YEARS, and now she loves him back just as much. he’s always been so protective of her. always putting aside his own feelings just so yona can live the life she deserves. never in a million years did he think yona could love him back. the two of them have been by each other's side since childhood, and now they’ll love one another for the rest of their lives. their love story is one for the ages <3
yona of the dawn does found family so well. every single member of the happy hungry bunch has a connection between the other characters in the group. it isn’t just ONE person who has a deeper connection to everyone but EVERYONE has their own individual connection that we see grow during the manga. they all offer something different to the group that makes the chemistry incredible. they are my favorite depiction of found family across all media. kusanagi wrote these characters so beautifully and put so much care in their familial bond and it makes loving them so easy for me!! HAPPY HUNGRY BUNCH I’LL LOVE YOU FOREVER <3
yona of the dawn 268 thoughts!!
once again, we have yet another hakyona-centered chapter; only this time, it’s a true testament of their love. i have been waiting for a hakyona reunion for SO LONG, and i am feeling so bittersweet now that it happened.
yona is faced with the decision to go to the heavens or have hak die. this is the last trick the gods have for her, and it was the best decision they could make. yona's love for the dragons is powerful, but her love for hak is immeasurable.
hak was the one to save her from soowon, was the one who protected her throughout their many obstacles, loved her so much yet was fine never telling her for her own sake. time and time again, hak has proven to cherish and deeply love yona. all these memories from the manga come to light in this moment to emphasize the strong connection between the lovers.
“i could never let you die.” despite yona’s perseverance in the chalice, this is the one time she has given up. her connection to hak is more profound than anything. the dragons may all be connected to one another, but hak is the one person she has stuck beside since childhood. in the face of danger, how could she possibly allow hak to get hurt? the one person whom she has vowed to protect? she picked up weapons IN ORDER to protect him, so how could she give up the love of her life? the answer is she can’t. not by a long shot!
“i’m counting on you.”
another important component in this chapter is hak relying on soowon. from the moment soowon betrayed hak and yona, hak has not been one to let it go. unlike the others, he can’t easily move on from such painful memories. although it seemed he was calm and collected, everytime he faced soowon a part of him was slowly breaking. hak’s love for Yona is undeniable, but he has also come to love the dragons & yoon. his desire to protect the ones he loves knows no bounds. he’ll put himself on the line to save yona repeatedly. however, now since he can call soowon his ally, he’s more than willing to rely on him.
after all this time watching hakyona and soowon become more estranged, we have FINALLY reached the point where all three of them can work together. although so much pain and suffering has happened, the love for one another has never changed. soowon is the best possible chance of saving everyone, and i’m so glad hak can see that again.
this chapter ends with a bittersweet ending of hak proposing to yona. despite the circumstances, he has managed to somehow stay alive in the chalice and even SPEAK to yona. although yona was more than willing to return to the heavens for him, we all know hak isn’t one to back down when it comes to yona.
i believe hak has no intention of giving up on saving yona and the dragons. he has shown many times that he isn’t one to back down when it comes to his loved ones. all he can do in this instance is keep yona pushing forward with her goal to save the dragons. the only one who has stuck beside her since the beginning has been hak. he has seen her at her weakest and has seen her at her strongest. he knows yona has what it takes to stand up again. so, all hak can do is give her some encouragement, show her he loves her, and believe that yona can save them all.
this chapter was beautiful, and although i was waiting for a hakyona reunion, i wish it was under better circumstances. but i’m so happy to see their love stay strong even through this painful arc.
i am never moving on from this. they are so madly in love it makes me want to cry. hak holding her so gently, with the sweetest smile on his face while yona smiles so brightly. hakyona changed my life. they are just so beautiful and perfect to me!!!!!!!!!!! MY NEW FAVORITE HAKYONA DRAWING!! <33333333
i loved this!! very nice to revisit this chapter through your eyes! and all the foreshadowing kusanagi writes is insane!! akayona is so perfect
Yona of the Dawn Chapter 12
The Valley that The Voice of God Calls
Enter Ik-Soo and (more officially now) Yoon! Previously Soo-Won rejected the gods in favor of the power of the people, establishing an ongoing theme of gods/heavens vs. humans + old ways vs. new.
"I want the power of people, not god"
"I will restore the Kingdom of Kouka to the strength and glory it possessed...anything that stands in my way...even the heavens...will be crushed"
Now–through Ik-Soo, the subject of priests, and the prophecy–we get more about these topics. Ik-Soo presents himself as someone who shares the voice of god–who knows all that is happening and will happen in the world–with the people. In learning more about why the priests were kicked out of the palace temple and arrested or executed, Yona is told that the priests were once deeply involved in political matters with "an authority even the king couldn't overrule," meaning they could pretty much do anything and justify it as "the wrath of god." Is this a good thing or a bad thing?
We’re told Soo-Won's father was focused on expanding Kouka and perceived the priests as a threat to that goal and the crown's power in general, so he got rid of them. Is the expansion of Kouka by annexing other countries' territory a good thing or a bad thing?
As with the once authority of the priests, this information is presented somewhat neutrally rather than ascribed a moral position. Interesting! As it is, Ik-Soo is seen as "good" while Soo-Won and his father are more aligned with "bad," but they are also clear individuals not representative of entire groups. Arguments both in favor and against their point of views and actions are easily understood. Right now this feels more like an exploration of an idea instead of a definitive stance, but we shall see where it all goes.
Expansion of Kouka's territory and power seems like a good thing for Kouka but that does not necessarily mean it is morally good. And the tangled history of priests and war (and what we haven't learned yet) has led to a country in which "the towns are packed with poor people" and "a few folks in the capital are the only ones who're well-off." Things are not good.
This history lesson comes from Yoon, whose resentment of royalty and nobility is something he takes out on Yona. But though ashamed of her ignorance and saddened by the state of Kouka, Yona takes Yoon's criticisms in stride and actively seeks out the knowledge she lacks.
Ik-Soo and Yoon's personalities and characters are made very clear to the reader through their words and actions–this is a very good introduction to them–and likewise, Yona's character and growth are made clear through hers. After her symbolic death, she is like a small child learning about the world for the first time. Her tiny world was shattered and now she's learning about the larger world that her father and her status kept from her.
Along with death/rebirth, the hair symbolism also continues for Yona. Cutting her hair was like a rebirth and an establishment of distance from Soo-Won and her past. But as Hak notes, she is still holding on tightly to the hairpin–she is surely growing but hasn't fully let go. She also can't completely shed how her past and upbringing shaped her. She crossed over to a new world but is bringing some baggage!
And speaking of Hak, their dynamic continues, but with their near-death experience and all that has happened, that dynamic comes with an increased closeness and care. Yona's expression of that closeness and care gets to Hak, but she remains oblivious to his feelings. But even if she doesn't get things on the romantic end, Hak is intensely important to her and part of her goals.
"I need you right here with me"
"I wanted to live. I wasn't going to let anyone take away my life, or Hak's. That's all I wish for right now"
(they are also just adorable here)
Seeds of a larger goal to help Kouka and its people have been planted, but for now, Yona has shifted from barely surviving to wanting to live and her focus is on preventing the death of another loved one. Like Soo-Won, she rejects god in this moment. As she has decided what she wants, she does "not see much point in asking god" what her path should be.
However, as Ik-Soo states–for Yona, "living means calling up a storm that will shake Kouka to its very foundation." Her "burning blood...can't be controlled"–if she is to live, she cannot live a normal life. There is something inherent to her that makes it impossible; her very existence will cause change. So along with Yona's personal goals, there is a larger fate being established for her.
i love hakyona so very much. ever since i first watched yona of the dawn, their relationship has been so special to me. from leaving the place they called home to running around looking for the dragons. they saw each other at their best and worst. their love was slow but so beautifully written. they see each other for who they truly are. what i love the most is how they BOTH are willing to do anything to keep the other safe. hakyona’s love story is one of the best ever created.
akayona has completely shattered my heart in every way possible. from the dragon gods wanting to take yona away from earth to watching the current dragons we love struggle to survive. zeno, kija, jaeha, and shinah are willing to lose everything just to bring yona back to earth, while yona is willing to do the same.
in each new chapter, we watch their love and devotion to one another be tested. there is always an obstacle that threatens to tear apart their family, and each character is putting their life on the line to save one another.
chapter 267 finally brought back hakyona but in the worst way, i could ever imagine. they have been separated with no way to communicate; they have no way to know if the other is alive or not. but right when it looks like yona is able to reach hak's hand, the dragon gods come in to threaten his life.
i have no idea how this series will end, but if anything were to happen to hak in the next chapter, i would feel sick to my stomach. hak and yoon have been on earth with no way to help the dragons and yona, completely isolated from the rest of their family. i can't imagine how helpless they are feeling at this moment.
all i hope for in the next chapter is that hak is safe and yona can return to earth. hakyona's relationship is one of my favorite ships ever created, and i just hope that we can see them back together again, along with their dragon brothers <3
the most epic slowburn to have ever slowburned...hak has been dealing with his onesided love for so long it's hard to get used to having it reciprocated. i love hakyona so much.
One of my favorite things about Hak is how he gaslights himself so hard when it comes to yonas feelings for him that he just cannot comprehend the reality of them. Like I’m pretty sure it could be April fools day, and they could be married and laying in bed next to each other, and Yona could say “yeah, you imagined all that, we’re not actually a thing.” And he would be like “Yeah that makes sense.” And then Yona would have a harder time convincing him that it was a joke than she did the actual joke. It’s really funny but also really sad at the same time…
Anyways, I love him
yona of the dawn 265 thoughts
this chapter was not only stressful but also very beautiful. it really highlights how terrible the situation is for the characters while also showing us how much they care for one another.
zeno’s face in this panel absolutely broke me. although he plans to end his life, he never wants to hurt yona or the dragons in order to get his wish. yet at this moment, he’s been told that yona is somewhere out of reach. calling her “miss” after turning his back on her shows that his feelings for his new family were never a lie.
zeno has had this one goal taken away from him. everything he had hoped, now out of reach. his brothers get the chance to be human, which is the one thing zeno has always wanted yet can never have. i can not imagine the pain he is feeling. although he says it’s okay as long as yona is returned to earth, as readers, we know how important it was for zeno to be human. after all that pain and suffering, the gods won’t grant zeno’s wish. it makes me so mad. this makes me think that zeno will be one of the few that won't ever get his happy ending.
how beautiful is it that the intense feelings that kija, shinah, and jaeha have for one another be the reason they wake up. seeing how zeno was being treated made them fight. they would do anything to protect their family, and i find it so beautiful that even when zeno turned his back on them, his dragon brothers stayed by his side.
things looked like they would change, but the dragon gods showed no mercy. causing shinah to go blind and ripping off kija’s arm hurt my soul. the dragon gods we thought were these amazing spiritual beings have no issue inflicting pain on their descendants. it’s disgusting to me. the dragons we all grew to love and know don’t matter in the grand scheme. they are simply reincarnations of the dragon gods.
but what i find so amazing about the dragons is how they would stop at nothing to protect their own. whether it’s an entire country out to destroy them or dragon gods, the four dragons will do anything to save yona. it’s so beautiful and moving to see them all together again despite the horrible circumstances. they love one another so deeply. watching zeno tear up while he watches their backs makes me so emotional. zeno has suffered more than any other character, both physically and mentally, and even caused his loved ones to suffer, too. but that doesn’t matter. zeno was and will always be loved.
i love this art of the dragons together so much. kusanagi is so talented. they all look so soft and beautiful and so comfortable with each other. i miss them so much and getting art of them together makes me so happy! i hope we get to see all of them again in the manga <3
yona of the dawn 264 thoughts
as always, this chapter was insanely well written. chapter 263 was already "creepy" enough with the dragon gods pretending to be the dragon warriors, but this chapter made things so much scarier.
the dragon gods making a hak clone just to make yona stay was so infuriating. all of her loved ones being used as puppets to keep her stuck in the chalice while yona fights for her way out was so heartbreaking to read.
yona is incredibly resilient, and even when facing the gods themselves, she doesn't back down. she loves the dragons more than anything and has already decided she won't leave them behind no matter what. it's what king hiryuu wanted, and yona will carry his dream out.
hearing the dragon gods say yona is going to the heavens brought me to tears. although she's willing to sacrifice herself to save her loved ones, it's another thing entirely to come face to face with the idea she will never see them again. her terrified face as she falls through the flowers is a beautifully haunting scene. the art and scenery are gorgeous, but the reality of the situation is awful. she has so much to live for and do, and yet it seems like there's no chance for her happiness at the moment. she was given a chance to save them but at the cost of her own life? i don't think she ever thought a moment like this could happen. after all, she always envisioned her reuniting with the dragons and live together again.
finally, seeing the dragons again made me so happy to know that they ARE, in fact, alive, but the scene after made me so anxious. becoming humans at the expense of yona's life isn't something nobody wants. even if zeno is willing to do anything to die, he says he needs to bring yona back to the real world. doesn't matter if zeno no longer sees himself as a part of yona's dragon family; at the end of the day, he will protect her.
zeno's face in this panel tells me he knows what happened to yona. this is one of the most anxiety-inducing cliffhangers we had in a while. i believe the series will end with everyone together, but i have no idea how yona will make it out of this. i'm assuming that zeno might put himself in a life or death situation to bring yona back. or perhaps it's yona herself that has to come back to earth.
this chapter was so insane but so amazing. i'm so excited and very scared for what comes next.
yona of the dawn is such an amazing manga. full of amazing characters, one of the best found families ever created, and a slowburn romance that's so beautifully written. the plot is incredible and it gets better every chapter. i love yona of the dawn so much!
i really do think hakyona is the perfect example of a slowburn. the pining, the angst, the 100+ chapters until a confession. kusanagi wrote peak slowburn and i will always be grateful.
hakyona volume cover 24
I think many of us can agree that Kusanagi has made many beautiful covers throughout the years, but one cover that sticks out to me the most is volume 24.
It's so simple, but it highlights Hakyona's development. Hak has always been the one to protect Yona, from protecting her from falling off a cliff to using his super strength to protect her from invaders, and so on. But Yona has also gathered the strength to protect her loved ones. She's no longer the naive princess but now a powerful, independent woman who can not only defend herself but her loved ones too. As Hak is protecting Yona, Yona is protecting Hak.
These two will do anything to save one another. If it means putting them in harm's way, they will bravely put themselves in danger if it means their loved one is safe and sound. This cover is just so well done and beautiful; it makes me so happy!