Yona of the Dawn | |
暁のヨナ (Akatsuki no Yona) | |
---|---|
Genre | |
Manga | |
Written by | Mizuho Kusanagi |
Published by | Hakusensha |
English publisher | |
Imprint | Hana to Yume Comics |
Magazine | Hana to Yume |
Demographic | Shōjo |
Original run | August 5, 2009 – present |
Volumes | 43 |
Anime television series | |
Directed by | Kazuhiro Yoneda |
Written by | Shinichi Inotsume |
Music by | Kunihiko Ryo |
Studio | Pierrot |
Licensed by | Crunchyroll |
Original network | AT-X, Tokyo MX, Sun TV, TV Aichi, RKK, BS11 |
Original run | October 7, 2014 – March 24, 2015 |
Episodes | 24 + 3 OVAs |
Yona of the Dawn (Japanese: 暁のヨナ, Hepburn: Akatsuki no Yona)[a] is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Mizuho Kusanagi. It has been serialized in Hakusensha's shōjo manga magazine Hana to Yume since August 2009, with its chapters collected in forty-three tankōbon volumes as of February 2024.
A 24-episode anime television series adaptation produced by Pierrot aired between October 2014 and March 2015.
2000 years ago, the fictional nation of Kouka 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 the world 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 country to develop over the centuries 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, her only friends being her bodyguard Hak, general of the Wind Tribe, and Su-won, her crush of 10 years and the son of King Il's brother, Yoo-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 then 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.
Further information: List of Yona of the Dawn volumes |
Written and illustrated by Mizuho Kusanagi, Yona of the Dawn started in Hakusensha's shōjo manga magazine Hana to Yume on August 5, 2009.[4][5] Hakusensha has collected its chapters into individual tankōbon volumes. The first volume was released on January 19, 2010.[6] As of February 20, 2024, forty-three volumes have been released.[7]
The series has been licensed for English release in North America by Viz Media, who announced the acquisition at their New York Comic Con panel in October 2015.[8] The first volume was released on August 2, 2016.[9] As of August 1, 2023, thirty-nine volumes have been released.[10]
Further information: List of Yona of the Dawn episodes |
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" (暁のヨナ, lit. meaning Yona of the Dawn). The first ending theme is Yoru (夜, lit. meaning Night) by Vistlip. The second opening theme is "Akatsuki no Hana", by Cyntia.[11] The second ending theme is "Akatsuki", by Akiko Shikata.[12] 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.[13][14]