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thoughtfulstudentsalad · 1 year

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The reason why Su-Won chose to kill Il on Yona’s birthday

Dunno if I made a similar post before (I’ll check) but if we’re going by the whole notion that Su-Won wasn’t going to “put up Yona’s box” aka prioritize her, then I am guessing that he chose her birthday as it was the only day that guaranteed to kill Il for whatever reason. Like perhaps it was the most efficient way to go about it… and regardless of that day being Yona’s birthday, he didn’t prioritize that.

BECAUSE MY DUDE WAS BLOODTHIRSTY ABOVE ALL ELSE

Honestly this is still for vengeance over everything. Like in ch 197, if you recall, Su-Won tells Yon-Hi:

He could have literally made Il step down without killing him. Dude wanted to personally stab him that night and carelessly left the door open thinking Yona wouldn’t walk in, and he was wrong and then he had to chase her and Hak which risked his entire reign……..

His reasoning is so dumb tho too. He’s like “I cannot prioritize Yona, must make efficient decisions or else country ruined”

But what he really fails to realize is how his biases towards his dad were already coloring his view - he couldn’t fathom that NOT killing Il might have been a lot more efficient than getting revenge… seriously think about it. Killing Il antagonized his friends and allies, whereas forcing him to step down without making enemies (ex: Hak who wants him dead 💀 and the Wind Tribe that was willing to rebel) is literally more efficient.

I just don’t get it. Like if Soo-Won wanted revenge, just force the bastard off the throne and make him watch you marry his kid against his wishes with everyone else supporting it just to spite him. Like that is already more efficient enough and unites tribes.

But noooo, he had to chose the unnecessarily violent path that puts the nation in danger.

Even Judo is telling him to get off his bullshit because he is not acting for the country at all, he is a very hypocritical man:

Yeah, he was overcome with sentiment.

So hypocritical. To Su-Won, anything Yu-Hon does is right and efficient and good for the country and anything related Yona does is “inefficient and prioritizing one person over everything else” and it’s literally the opposite which he only started realizing slowly this arc which is fucking hilarious

like when he tried to kill Mei-Nyan cause “Il killed daddy” to the point of forgetting his mother’s pain:

(Note once again he is trying to separate Yona from the situation) but SHE had to remind him of HIS mom:

And for instance Geun-tae saving Yona:

He’s all “I have chosen” (we know he hasn’t) and it’s Geuntae this time who shows him that he’s being an idiotic daddy’s boy:

And he goes against Su-Won to help Yona out.

“As father taught me” - WHAT A DADDY'S BOY.

Your father taught you not only how to eliminate enemies, but HOW to make enemies dude…. like yes there are times when making enemies is inevitable but you just made enemies for the heck of it….. which is so dumb….

Again he realized this only this arc.

Seriously speaking too, I don’t even Yu-Hon even wanted his brother dead. Like even someone as twisted as Yu-Hon killed Kashi to protect Il, and he never raised his sword against him either. Which is why I wonder what his reaction would be if he knew Su-Won killed him…

You killed Il not because you had to, but because you wanted to. Let’s make that clear.

The story blurs the lines and people get confused all the time, but no one is changing my mind on this. He put his personal desire of revenge through stabbing over just making Il step down…. Taking that throne may have been for the country, but that stabbing was for personal revenge.

#yona of the dawn #akatsuki no yona #su-won #Thoughts #analysis #Guess #yona #I think it’s the same for the hairpin too #He gave it because he wanted to #But he never had to #It was about what he wanted #He was a daddy’s boy #He put up his dad’s box #He had human desires from the start and he can be selfish #this arc has really proved how dumb he can be tho #killing il the way he did and the aftermath of it was a waste of resources and time #violence for the sake of violence it was

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all-i-do-is-read · 4 months

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Akatsuki No Yona Recap Chapters 1&2

First things first, this sword here, have we ever seen this referenced again anywhere else in the manga yet? I'm definitely keeping my eyes out for this on my re-read.

Before I start this, I am going to put a disclaimer that my recap and commentary will be based on official English translation from ShoujoBeat as they are the copies I own. A second disclaimer is that these are simply all my opinions and commentary from the way I read and consumed the manga. I would very much welcome it if you could also comment and share your opinions as these recaps progress. Also, these posts will be long, so apologies in advance.

Akatsuki No Yona Chapter 1: Princess Yona

Since this is a "pilot" chapter, the purpose is to quickly get to the point about who these people are and what their circumstances are in a glance. Now, I'll say this first: I think Kusanagi Mizuho, the mangaka, is a very talented storyteller and we will celebrate her through this work. Nonetheless, I also think that she is not perfect and has some misses in the way she handled some of the narratives.

This chapter has plenty of that in the employment of what I call her "storytelling shorthand." Basically, it just means infodump-y and trope-y expositions to get some points across that she would like to be dealt with immediately, so she can move to the next point of the story quickly.

(This technique does appear fewer and fewer as the story progresses, presumably as the mangaka improves in her storytelling craft, but there are still instances of them used in later chapters and I would point them out as they come)

To be honest, this is why most of the characters were kind of unappealing to me when I was only starting this manga, because of the very trope-y and, dare I say, exaggerated way they were presented to us. I think the biggest victim of this shorthand is Hak and we'll deal with that in later chapter discussions. But once I got over that, I was fine to continue with the story. Plus, again, this is chapter one, so the shorthand is useful for getting relevant context out of the way so we can quickly get to the inciting incident of this whole manga.

We begin with a narration about the Kingdom of Kohka, the Hiryuu Palace and the King who lavished all his love to his only daughter, Princess Yona. (Oh, look, it's the title of the chapter!)

This narration comes from Yona herself, but we can tell that she is reminiscing about her time in the palace, as opposed to her situation now--outside of the palace. We immediately understand that something must have happened.

Yona is imperious, spoiled and shallow, only caring about her looks. Hak is an irreverent and sarcastic general. He is also her exclusive bodyguard. He also deadpans a lot. We immediately understand that they have a close relationship dynamic in the way that Hak feels comfortable teasing the princess of his nation in front of his King (his masters, essentially) and the way Yona just immediately launches into countering his teasing.

I've seen some people put off by Yona, because she called Hak a servant here (she also called him this in a future chapter, we'll get to that), but to me, it is again one of those shorthands to inform us that Yona is simply ignorant. Plus, it clearly is not meant to insult or belittle Hak. She was just responding to Hak as he teases her. You never see her refer to other people in this way again in this manga, anyway.

Here, we also meet King Il, Yona's father who dotes on her... and the third essential pillar of the Akatsuki No Yona trio, Suwon.

Aside: Suwon looks like a princess here hahaha

We are told that Suwon is so kind and that Yona, very obviously, has a crush on him. We get into a flashback showing us that Suwon supported Yona when she lost her mother at such a young age. At this point in the manga, we were Yona, too, loving on such a gentle Suwon.

And then we are also shown and told that not only do Yona and Suwon have a pretty close relationship, Suwon and Hak are close friends, too.

With Suwon's arrival, we get the information that Yona's 16th birthday is coming up. We also learn, more or less, that Yona figures Suwon doesn't think of her romantically, King Il has a distaste for weapons (and thus a coward) and that King Il doesn't approve of Yona's feelings for Suwon. We get more shorthands here about the immediate royal family's who's who and that, at least, 2/5 of them is not among the living.

Here's another one of those shorthands (infodump exposition) pertaining to Yona's personality. Following this, Yona told her father certain information her father should already know, but for the sake of readers, is spelled out for us.

King Il tells Yona that the reason she doesn't approve of Suwon is because being married to her would put him in danger, just like how the Queen, Yona's mom, was killed by traitors.

Yona opposes, obvi, and goes to contemplate this information. But she gets stalked by an ominous presence, which more seriously brings the point about the danger of being married to her across. She runs and ends up getting into a room where Suwon is. Suwon sees her distress and comforts her. But Yona then has a thought, which to me is a glimpse of the real her buried underneath the spoiled princess surface.

Yona is someone who is able to think about the well-being of others.

Now, the next portion of this, I will skip for now and get back to later. But I'll say this: Yona being stalked in the castle even though Hak is supposedly her exclusive bodyguard is one of another "quirk" that usually happens in this manga.

Yeah, she ran away from that conversation with King Il and she was having a moment to herself, but as a bodyguard, Hak should have followed her from a respectful distance. But then if Hak did, the stalking scene and following scenes wouldn't have happened. So since there needs to be a plot beat here, some inconsistencies just have to happen, I guess. This is one instance where Hak's characterization is a victim of these "quirks," but we'll just overlook that and go straight to Yona's birthday party.

The first time I read this part, I really did believe the direction of this story is that Suwon is the one for Yona. There was also that sequence that I skipped for now that reinforced this idea to me.

So Suwon gives Yona an exquisite hairpin and praises her hair and they have that lovely moment above.

I will talk about this later: Suwon's gaze towards a smiling Yona.

Anyway, this moment is later interrupted by Hak telling Yona that King Il was looking for her. Left alone, Hak and Suwon has a conversation. Hak tells Suwon that he figures that Suwon and Yona will finally become a thing (again, based on the earlier scene with the hairpin, it does look like it, yeah? Hak is not simply projecting here, he is just saying what he has observed). He also says that he supports Suwon to be the future King. Suwon vaguely waves that away with an, "It's not what you think," and we get this little bit of Hak characterization here:

Hak is actually conscientious, as in he takes his role, place, job and status super seriously, even though he is usually irreverent (which was why it doesn't make sense that he wasn't with Yona during that earlier stalking incident, but fine, I'll let it go).

Hak and Suwon then has a serious conversation about things being a bit off in the palace. And Suwon advised Hak to take a closer look at how things are. This next bit is quite important: Hak felt confident about taking a look at things around the palace on Yona's birthday celebration that he wasn't exclusively hanging around Yona that day, because he believes he can leave her safety and protection over to Suwon.

Now as Yona's party quiets down, Yona decides she can't let go of her feelings for Suwon and goes to look for King Il to convince him, but when she gets there, she is greeted with this:

I mean, I know what the silhouette is trying to tell me, but when I was reading it, I was like There must have been an intruder or something! as foreshadowed by that earlier conversation between Hak and Suwon.

This couldn't be Suwon, right?

Yeah, no. It was him. It was Suwon.

And that's where that chapter ends.

Akatsuki No Yona Chapter 2: Shattered Bonds

Nothing for it, but to go directly to the second chapter. But we are treated to a cliff-hanging respite as we go to Hak this time. He is out on patrol through the palace grounds. He's approached by Minsu, King Il's attendant. Minsu offers him a drink and they chat for a bit. We don't know the laws of this Kingdom but we do know that Hak is 18, so it seems that at least he can have an alcoholic drink at his age.

Hak and Minsu talk about Yona and Suwon and we learn, what I think, is the core of Hak as a character in this story when he says this:

"I want them to be happy together."

Guy just wants the people he loves to be happy. How hard can that be to grant? Such a simple desire that, unfortunately for him, the mangaka (hereby referred to as Kusa) is about to shatter.

Now, I really like this narrative technique used here, because as Hak is confessing this desire to Minsu, we are reading it through this panel:

Hak gazing up, probably imagining the smiling faces of his two best friends in his head, and the the tip of the bloody sword that Suwon used to kill Il. I thought that was such a brilliant contrast. What a way to wring our hearts, you know. Kusa would employ this trick a few more times in the course of the story and she always picks the most devastating moments to use this.

Then we go back to Suwon and Yona.

Yona is devastated in more ways than one. Her father is dead and the man she loves is her father's killer. But Yona finds that hard to believe and so she tells Suwon that he is not someone who would do that. In response, Suwon tells Yona a secret about their families.

King Il killed Suwon's father, Yuhon. And so Suwon killed Il to avenge his father. And he has been planning to do it for a looooonggg time.

We also learn that Yuhon was, in all the ways that matter, the better choice to be the King of the kingdom. But for some reason, the former King, Suwon and Yona's grandfather, decided to choose Il as his successor. But now that Il is dead, Suwon is usurping his throne to be the ruler of Kohka.

Poor Yona cannot compute what is happening.

She thinks about multiple things. She thinks about the old Suwon who smiled at her warmly--the one who gifted her a beautiful hairpin just hours ago.

But I guess now that Suwon has finally let out the truth he had been holding on to for so long, he is a bit talkative. He tells Yona that he didn't expect her to be awake and asks her what brought her to the King's chambers that night.

I thought that Yona's response was devastating.

Even Suwon is taken aback by Yona's answer, but let's unpack that later. I promise I will get back to that.

At this point, they get interrupted by soldiers that are clearly on Suwon's side who congratulated him for finally taking his revenge. But then they notice Yona in the room and quickly realize that she saw everything and so they clamor to kill her as well. Suwon resolves to do just that, but fortunately for Yona, her survival instincts kicked in and she was able to run away.

Yona is very much shattered emotionally. While she was running away, she kept denying in her mind what she witnessed, what just happened. She wonders if Suwon actually hated her. She then gets caught by one of the soldiers.

But just as a soldier is about to strike Yona, a force of lightning appeared between her and her pursuers.

It's Hak.

And he's not happy. He considers the situation and demands an explanation from Suwon. (He even has a very good narrative excuse for not being with Yona this time [unlike that last time]: because she is supposed to be with Suwon, so he was making himself scarce).

He then turns to Yona and we see one of this manga's iconic panels: (iconic to me, at least. like when I think of ANY, this always immediately comes to mind)

Yona's response to him here is also very devastating.

"Hak, are you on my side?"

Poor Yona, she already thinks she has no one. Not surprising when the man you love commits regicide in front of your very eyes and soldiers of your kingdom wants to cut you down.

You can tell that Hak is taken aback by this question, too, because he pauses before answering her. Then he pledges his devotion and obedience to her.

Hak turns back to Suwon and Suwon gets him up to speed about the plot thus far, except Hak is not even given the grace of the full truth about the backstory of the royal family rift. So much for a best friend, really, Suwon. Instead, Hak was given a shortcut version of "King Il: Terrible, had to die. Suwon: Perfect Leader, taking over."

Hak then attacks Suwon, which, to his credit, he manages to dodge. The soldiers try to intervene, but they are warned away by Suwon by declaring that Hak is:

Hak is so remarkably strong as a fighter that he even has a famous nickname aside from being a general at his young age. The soldiers even sounded impressed at hearing his name. Now this is already the second time in two consecutive chapters where Hak's exceptional abilities in military arts or fighting arts or whatever you might call it is remarked upon. Bookmark that for now, because I will have some things to say about that in the future.

Anyway, back to the plot.

Because there are, obviously, many soldiers and just one Hak, he and Yona get cornered and all hope seem lost. Hak uses this opportunity to ask Suwon this:

"Suwon, was the man I knew just a facade?"

You get the feeling that the question was almost an imploration. Like Yona denying in her head what she is witnessing, Hak was also looking for his best friend in the face of this man in front of him through these questions.

Suwon, in fairness to him, does answer Hak, although I imagine that his answer actually pulvurized Hak's heart.

"The man you knew never existed. If anyone gets in my way, I will destroy them. No matter who it is."

I feel immense satisfaction knowing that Hak managed to wound Suwon, though. Suwon, you deserved worse.

Yona and Hak has no time to dwell on Suwon's declaration, however, as somebody fires an arrow that distracts the other soldiers. It was just enough distraction for Hak to snatch Yona and together they run away.

They are approached by Minsu and Hak remarks on his archery skills, saying it was a lousy shot (not the time, Hak). Minsu asks Yona if the king is really dead and Yona can only manage a nod.

They make a plan to escape the palace as more of the soldiers that are loyal to Suwon are gathering. Yona then despairs about leaving the palace where her father is. Hak comforts her with an embrace and gives her a reason for surviving for now.

As an act of loyalty, Minsu offers to draw the attention of the soldiers so that Hak and Yona can run away. His last words to Yona, "Please stay safe, your highness," is truly heart-wrenching to me, especially since the last page of this chapter ends with Minsu being shot in the back and with Yona, running away with Hak, taking one last glance at Minsu.

That ends chapter two.

Through all this, I have given very limited commentary about Suwon. And they are all related to the parts I said I will come back to. So here goes.

First, Suwon as the antagonist.

At the beginning, I didn't really see that, because I thought he is going to be the actual love interest for Yona. And I had that thought, because of that sequence in chapter one that I skipped, just right after the stalking incident.

Let's go back to that now.

Yona, overwhelmed by her emotions, tried to confess her feelings for Suwon, but Suwon shuts it down before she could even begin to say anything. However, Yona tries to keep pushing the subject of feelings without actually saying her feelings out loud. We get a few panels of Suwon looking like this and saying things like this:

Now, on my first read through, I thought that Suwon might have feelings for Yona. But (and spoilers for future chapters) it appears that Suwon is just truly awkward and clueless in matters about romance, hence his reaction.

But the really shitty thing about this is that when Yona says that it's enough for her that Suwon is a tiny, tiny bit aware of her, Suwon pats her head in a kind gesture, proceeds to give the hairpin to her on her birthday and then turns around and kills her father.

So given what we know now, that he kills Il and breaks the heart of his two best friends, all I can say about him is that he is a big piece of shit.

In these chapters, all we know about him is his kindness and yet his kindness turns out to be a lie. Kusa does give hints that there might be more to him on certain panels, but two particularly stands out to me.

The first one is his reaction after seeing Yona smile at the hairpin that he gave her.

Now at this point, he still had choices: turn back from his plans and choose Yona and Hak, or proceed as planned and turn his back on those two.

And he chose to be cruel.

Now notice that I am not attaching Kohka in his choices, because I truly believe it is an entirely different matter, even if the narrative and the characters keep insisting to us that killing Il and saving Kohka are one and the same. And I will get to that in later chapters. But like, way later. As in around hundreds of chapters later.

Going back, the second stand out Suwon panel to me is this:

This is him facing the consequence of that choice. Here he was, faced with the girl who, in many senses of the word, had no power. She's so powerless, she can't even choose who she can marry, but she was resolute to have a choice, to make it so that she can choose.

And she would have chosen Suwon.

You can tell from Yona's resolution before visiting King Il that she would have done all she can--all the cajoling, all the imploring, all the imperativeness in her spoiled body--just so she doesn't have to give up Suwon.

It's a choice that is impossible for Suwon to make. (Cause he's shitty)

Now, before you tell me that he had an impossible choice, because the choice was between Yona&Hak or Yuhon, all I can say is this: if Suwon wasn't a shitty person, he would have tried to make King Il answer for killing his father without having to resort to completely destroying the two people whose only crime was loving him wholeheartedly.

No, the choice was not between Yona&Hak or Yuhon, the choice was between justice and cruelty. He chose cruetly, because he is a shitty person, as I keep saying.

I will have more to say about Suwon, because I know his character gets expanded in later chapters, but my commentary on the core of his characterization will never change.

And that's it for my first Akatsuki No Yona Commentary Series. I'm sorry that it got so long, but I had to put chapters 1 and 2 together to make this make sense.

I'll be back with more chapter commentaries soon. Please let me know your commentary on these chapters if you love this manga. I would love to read more perspectives, more opinions. And thank you for reading until here. See you next time!

#akatsuki no yona #yona of the dawn #yona #hak #hakyona #suwon #analysis

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kazumasamaanime · 2 years

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Ok, today this thought is wandering around in my mind (or theory, call it what you want😅). We all remember the first dream of yona, right?

In this dream hak died but in fact he lived. In the dream with the dragons she saw that all the dragons except zeno were dead.

So my thought is that maybe zeno is the one who will die and everyone else lives in the end (because everything is done upside down from what it seems so...🤔) .

Either way, this is a thought that crossed my mind. I don't know how the story will turn out but ofc I can't wait to see what will happen afterwards😁.

#my analysis #my theory #Or though idk #akatsuki no yona #yona of the dawn #kazumasamaanime #akayona #暁のヨナ #yotd #shoujo #akayona manga spoilers #manga spoilers #spoilers #akatsuki no yona spoilers #yona of the dawn spoilers #manga anime #manga #akatsuki no yona manga #manga panel

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thecagedsong · 2 years

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Okay, I’ve been planning this for a while, but I want to talk about the translator notes in Yona of the Dawn (the personal ones where the translator comments on the story, on the translations I’m reading) because they are absolutely fascinating. The next chapter is coming out soon, and the majority of the notes I’m going to talk about are chapters 180-229, so spoilers below the cut.

So first off, I want to say I love her little notes and the work she’s done on this translation. I feel like I’m reading it with a friend, and the words she uses do so much to convey the original story. This analysis is not meant to disparage the translator at all. I would have been making the same comments about five years ago, I’m sure. This disclaimer is that this post is meant to do nothing more than add some additional considerations that came to me after I read them. Here goes.

For some background, her notes are usually small, and usually comment on the Yona fandom more than anything else. Not verbatim, her comments are things like “all those people saying Il was a creepy cultist gonna eat those words” and “maybe this will knock Soo Won off people’s pedestal”. Nothing you wouldn’t find on tumblr.

But one of her comments put the rest of the comments into perspective for me. The chapter easily with the most translator comments was when Guen-Tae was monitoring the disputed lands that were reclaimed by some of Soo Won’s past exploits and he gets shot with arrows protecting a little boy we had met earlier in the story. Her comment goes something like:

“As if this sacrifice makes up for him being a colonizer in the first place, but this is a shojo and everyone needs to have white hats and black hats. We’re just supposed to forget that he’s basically a warmonger who was literally enabling Soo Won’s plans for world domination just a few chapters ago. Nope handsome good guy, right here!”.

And this comment is so fascinating, because it literally contradicts itself! More than any other media I’ve encountered, Yona of the Dawn does not let anyone aside from our band of seven comfortably wear a ‘good guy’ badge. Every recurring character is incredibly complex and you cannot be comfortable labeling them good or evil as much as you want to. AND YOU REALLY WANT TO.

Seriously, come into my inbox and I will talk about any character in this series, their good and bad actions, and the flaws preventing them from achieving their goals. I might have to make a Soo Won post because I hate his guts and he is one of the most incredibly complex antagonists I have ever come across.

Which is why it is so fascinating that the translator is absolutely ready to put people in boxes and gets frustrated when the author doesn’t let her without realizing that’s exactly what is happening. I want to talk with her, because the author is doing the opposite of white and black hats, and better than anyone I’ve ever seen.

The framing and action of Guen-Tae sacrificing himself when enemy soldiers aimed for the child is meant to be sympathetic, but you aren’t supposed to forget his other actions. He is the earth tribe general who spends most of his time, as far as the manga shows, sitting around complaining about not being able to go to war and kill people. He grew up a warrior that was expecting to be able to win the fame and glory of battle under Yu-Hon’s reign. He did fight in a couple of battles before Il stopped that, and gained some glory and the love of his people.

But what’s a soldier supposed to do in a time of peace? He doesn’t question the murder of King Il because he wants to go to war. When Soo Won shows that during his reign wants to help the earth tribe and wants to go to war, (and some skill in battle tactics) Guen-Taw gives Soo Won his loyalty.

This loyalty is tested against his idea of an honorable fight when he is put in the exhibition match against the dragon warriors that he was supposed to lose. You see it irritates him, he’s starting to chafe under being a puppet for Soo Won, but he bows head and you’re supposed to dislike that.

His people adore him and his abilities as a warrior.

His idea of war is a very honorable fight for glory/land/power/resources where you fight for your people (shown by refusing to reset when Soo Won offered during war game festival).

His idea of war is in direct conflict to Yona’s experience, where people are tired of the same battles for the same blood-soaked ghost-filled land.

You are supposed to be conflicted about him.

Because he also cares deeply about the people that love him. He’s shown organizing rescues and resources for his miners. He absolutely loves his adorable pregnant wife and believes she’s capable of anything. He’s the only one left to tease Soo Won and the Sky General JooDoh about getting a girlfriend/wife. Lili loves him because she’s a derp attracted to older wild men.

His wife just gave birth, and he’s taking time to talk to this small child that thinks he’s cool and is glad Kouka took back his village. It is absolutely in character for this guy to instinctively save a child from arrows. Interpersonally, he has a lot of charisma and care for the people immediately around him and believes in an honorable fight.

The author wants you to be conflicted about him. Do you like him, even though he can be a pansy for Soo Won? Do you hate him, even though he sacrifices himself without hesitation for children? This is the opposite of black and white hats.

You’re not supposed to forget his flaws. You’re supposed to further develop your own ideas of good and evil through him and every other character in this amazing story.

The author makes other comments along the same vein. At one point she comments that she “wished Yona had confirmed with proof the government was the one who authorized the nadia selling, Kouka was still clearly the aggressor here and I’m really tired of the author calling this war justified.”

Again, that’s the point! My goodness, the author got the translator because the translator engaged with the question “when is war justified?” and came up with a very nuanced answer.

But the translator missed the fact that the story does not in any way condone the war, just because our good guys are fighting in it. Our band of seven are prisoners here. South Kai delegates went to peace negotiations over the disputed land and intentionally poisoned one of the members with the intent of justifying a war. Soo Won wants to control the whole continent, believing that the only way to stabilize Kouka for a long time after he’s dead. You know it’s foolish to believe that Soo Won, even if he had the health to conquer the continent, believes that the region ALREADY embroiled in a civil war will be incorporated into their tiny neighbor.

The author purposefully highlights the complex cultures, leadership personalities, economic resources, the awfulness of battle, and the beauty of courage and loyalty to fight for people you believe in. War here makes sense. It’s not justified, but you understand why it happened even when it isn’t justified. I could go on and probably will at some point, but I’ll end my thoughts addressing the translator comments here. This story refuses to let you sort people into “good people” and “bad people” and simultaneously makes you really, really want to. And that’s really what it means to grow up.

Pretty good for a shojo manga supposedly aimed at young women.

#Yona of the Dawn #akatsuki no yona #Yona: the girl standing at the blush of dawn #General Lee Guen-Tae #Soo Won #Yona #meta #seriously ask me about any of the characters in this manga #you will get a multiparagraph analysis #because if you can name them they are probably complex enough to warrant it.

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aashi-heartfilia · 4 months

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Anime 2023 review

Now this year has been peak cinema guys!! Here are some of the anime I watched and loved in 2023:

Oshi No ko

Tengoku Daimakyo

Demon Slayer: swordsmiths village arc

Jujutsu kaisen: Shibuya district arc

Zom 100: Bucket list of the dead

My Happy marriage (+manga)

My love story with Yamada kun at lvl 999 (+ manga)

Akatsuki no Yona (+read the entire manga till date!! And still following)

Spy X family: Cruise ship arc (following manga too)

The Apothecary Diaries (manga + light novel also)

Usually when I like the story, and my curiosity gets the best of me (like MaoMao) I check out the manga as well, and when I like it, I start following it as well!

In 2023, Oshi No Ko, Tengoku Daimakyo and the Apothecary Diaries was an absolute gem ❤️🔥 These anime left such a huge impact on me!! I was left hooked for months and I cannot wait for Oshi No Ko season 2!!

Demon Slayer and JJK were alright. Peak cinema, yada yada what everyone says. The animation was no doubt phenomenal, however the story was a bit lacking in these two (but that's just my personal opinion)

Zom 100 was surprisingly good. Its irregular schedule was its downfall, as it reduced all the excitement we had and then it went on an unexpected hiatus...but anyways, it came back on Dec 25 and it was nice. I'll give it a go if they publish season 2.

PEAK SHOUJO

With My Happy Marriage, Yamada kun at lvl 999, and the Apothecary Diaries, this year was carried by Shoujo!! And I haven't watched it yet but "Frieren" I have heard was also an absolute banger!!

Plus there was My Hero Academia and its final war arc TogaChako, Spy X family with Yor and the Cruise ship arc, I felt like the female representation was pretty good this year.

Like hands down these beautiful ladies!!

Ochako, Yor, Yona, MaoMao, Akane (loving Yamada), Ai Hoshino, Ruby, YOU MADE MY YEAR!!!

Thank you!!!

Fairytail 100 Year Quest was a bit disappointing after its great build up till the Selene arc, let's hope it gets better.

I haven't been able to post in a while cause my MCA exams are going on, but after those are over (on Jan 5) damn sure I'm gonna be posting tons of analysis, predictions and whatnot posts on my blog!!

Till then, love ya guys!! ❤️

~See yaa

Also, thank you for reading my posts in 2023!! Make sure you check them out on 2024 too!! Bye🤗🤗

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amai-no-ura · 1 year

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Akatsuki no Yona Typing Redone: Yona

Since I just rewatched the anime and I'm rereading the manga. I think I should update the typing. I have learned a lot more after my first sorting. While it's mostly the same, I will give each character more detailed analysis so each character will get one post dedicated to them alone. And other minor characters will be posted together in a 'bonus' post.

Let's start with our titular protagonist - Yona.

Yona

Typing: ENFJ 1w2 sp/so

Sorting: Snake primary (Badger model) and Lion secondary (Badger model)

Our beloved Yona. This is the character I resonated with the most out of all other characters. I totally understand her 'I need to be stronger' and 'I want to protect people dearest to me, even if I have to risk my life' and she is just a breath of fresh air for me. But that's not the point. Yona started off as a naïve, airy-fairy princess ignorant of the world around her. But that was her immaturity (she was raised sheltered, spoiled and never having to do anything in her life). It could be said that her personality starts to really develop after she got driven out of the castle.

She is Fe-dom, her emotions are immediate and upfront. Whenever she feels something, she says it out loud. But she also knows how to say it in a way that's appropriate to the situation. She is an organizer (EJs) but she doesn't do it through systems and logic like Yoon (ESTJ) does. Instead she does it through emotional motivation and finding consensus. Yona bonds herself very readily to the people around her and usually prioritize others feelings first in every single one of her decisions. She rages for them. She fights for them. Their pain is her pain and their grief is her grief. It's Fe that allows her to understand the pain of everyone around her and how she would want it to be better (Fe-Ni + enneagram 1).

She also knows exactly what to say to get under the skin of just about everyone. She knows exactly what to say to Seiryuu villagers and to Sinha. She intuitively knows that Sinha isn't dangerous and there is no reason to fear him. She knows his pain and what he has been through and she knows 'his soul'. All that based on very little information (his hand is warm and Ao loves him). That is very Ni.

Afterward, she knows exactly what Sinha needs to hear the most 'You are not destructive'. That sentence alone addresses all the trauma he has been through. And Yona just casually knows it and says exactly that. Yona is also occasionally heavily symbolic (comparing Sinha to the moon and Zeno to the sun) and keeps bigger picture in mind at all time. She is also very reckless and opportunistic. She shows heavy use of Se a lot but her Se is still pretty weak (doesn't know her limit and needs to be reminded by sensors around her to stop). It's her Ni-Se that allows her to sense that something is happening in Awa (people smiles feel fake - something even Yoon doesn't notice) and later when Li Hazara was about to invade Kouka.

Yona is driven by her very strong moral compass and anger at injustices. But those anger isn't 'pure' anger, it's righteousness. She believes there are certain things that cannot be forgiven and certain action that is honorable. And she will uphold it even if she has to work twice as hard or risk herself because they are the 'right' thing to do. That is healthy enneagram 1w2.

While she has a very strong judgment, she doesn't project it outward to other people. She focuses on bettering herself first to deserve and protect people around her. When something doesn't feel right in her gut (like when she told Gigan Senjou she'll pick Senjusou again because the first time Jaeha helped her) she won't back down on it. She will do it 'right'. She is very firm on her principle and if something isn't right, she'll call on it. But she also has strong 2 wing that lends in helpfulness and softer touch to her enneagram 1. She doesn't shove her beliefs on other people but instead seek to work together with them to get the desired outcome (wing 2 + Fe).

Her sorting is pretty simple. She is Snake primary, her motivation is 'I want to protect people that are dear to me'. This concept is further expanded when she made it her mission to look after the kingdom her father 'loves' so much. Her father was one of the most important people in her circle, so what he loves (his ideal of peace, his kingdom, his people) is also hers to protect as well. Then she starts bonding with people left and right but not in a Badger way. She takes them in and made them hers.

She is willing to do everything to make sure her people is safe. And her biggest fear is to have anyone of her people got hurt or killed. But her Snake primary also made her vulnerable the most when Suwon killed King Il. That betrayal shook her world to the core. But she didn't let it burn her primary, instead she heals through her connections with other people (first in Wind Tribe - Taeyeon, Mundeok and other people in Wind Tribe. Then the dragons and people of Awa). I think Mundeok and the guys in Wind tribe save her from burning - 'everyone in the wind tribe is a family. You are our family now'. I think it's precisely this that saves her from burning.

Her secondary is Lion. She is honest to the fault, react from the gut and stand by her truth. Her strength is in her solid willpower. She pushes on when things get hard. She stands her ground against all adversary. She is a natural leader who inspires everyone around her through the strength of character and sense of righteousness (healthy Lion secondary). She can't stand sitting on the side line doing nothing. She needs to get into actions and react. Doing nothing limits her because she only finds her strength when she faces adversary head on. Like when she rushes out to confront Taejun (I didn't leave Wind Tribe to hide under Hak forever, there is something I must do now).

I doubted it a bit because what she said to Jaeha and Sinha sometimes felt like a deliberate manipulation (saying it's alright if you don't want to come with her, but stick around and suggests it. Saying what they want/need to hear. Presenting herself in a way that they will have to come with her). For a Snake sec like me, that's something I'd say because I know it'll work. But that doesn't align with Yona's character so I go with Lion secondary. That goes to show how different secondary can come up with the same motive and action only with different flavor internally.

But she also values fair play and hard work. Which shows strong Badger secondary model. She is willing to put in hard work (200 arrows a night is a LOT, especially if you've never handled a bow before) and wants to do things fair and square. She never looks for shortcuts. She will do things the right way and put in the efforts until it happens. She's also very caring and helpful in a Badger sec way as well. She knows she isn't strong enough so she has to put in the effort to make herself stronger.

All in all, a very compelling and inspirational character. She reminds me that no matter what is happening to you right now. Only you can tell you who you are and what you can be. You can let them break you, or you can carry it and make sure what happens to you never happen to anyone else. And only you can make that choice to protect what is dear to you and take the responsibility and hard work that comes with it. Only you can make yourself worthy, just like how Yona molds herself into a great leader that she is :)

Next post: Hak

#akatsuki no yona #Yona #sorting hat chats #mbti #enfj 1w2

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amynchan · 9 months

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Hi, you found me!

Chances are, you're someone who found me due to some fandom or another. XD I tend to fandom hop a lot, and as my description says, I'm a Hurricane on Main. If you're here for fandom stuff, I have curated a List of Tags I use to make searching things easier:

Akatsuki No Yona

Avatar the last Airbender

Bluey

Boku No Hero Academia x

Cells at Work

City of Somnus

Dr. Stone

Doctor Who

Fruits Basket

Fullmetal Alchemist

Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood

Ghost Hunt x

Good Omens

Gravity Falls

Harry Potter

Helluva Boss

Hunter x Hunter

Mass Effect

Mo Dao Zu Shi (Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation)

Phantasy Star Universe

Phineas and Ferb

RWBY

Soul Eater

Spy x Family

Star Vs The Forces of Evil

Star Wars

Steven Universe

Undertale / DeltaRune

Voltron

Yumiero Patissiere

This list isn't exhaustive, and I tend to keep things nice and updated on the Fandom List page, so if you don't see what you're looking for here, it's probably there.

If you are here for my own stuff, you can check out my art, story, poetry, and/or analysis tags.

Anything else...??? I don't think so. Anyways, welcome to the madness. XD Hope you find what you're looking for. *^_^*

#post to pin #greeting #hello

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stardvstbby · 26 days

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in his last moments zeno thinks of jaeha, kija, & shinah, remembers how he felt part of a family after so long of being alone. in a way he’s betraying himself too. but his wish to be free of living overrides the comfort & belonging he gained being with the happy hungry bunch

#akatsuki no yona #yona of the dawn #yotd #yotd manga #happy hungry bunch #dragon warrior #zeno ouryuu #ryokuryuu jaeha #seiryuu shinah #hakuryuu kija #found family #yotd255 #yotd analysis #akayona analysis #yona of the dawn analysis #akatsuki no yona analysis

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psychewritesbs · 2 years

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thanks for the tag @littleholmes!

"nine people you want to get to know better" game:

favourite colour: blue! always.

currently reading: Seth Godin’s “The Practice: Shipping Creative Work” (highly recommended if you are a creative!), Akatsuki no Yona, the usual chapter releases I read weekly/monthly (jjk, sxf, csm, saezuru tori wa habatakanai), and the usual queue of manga I have abandoned but need to continue reading (x/1999, haikyuu!!).

last song: Lost in Paradise from the Jujutsu Kaisen soundtrack.

last series: oh wow... I watched a couple of Downton Abbey episodes the other day (believe it or not I love brit drama trash on top of my cerebral psychological anime). What I NEED to pick up again is Westworld! Season 4 has been calling my name.

last movie: I saw the x/1999 OVA the other day (beautiful animation but nonsensical plot) and last night I started Groundhog Day.

sweet/spicy/savoury: savory and spicy! Both... together. I’m Mexican, you can’t expect any less from me.

currently working on: idk. I just hit publish on another character symbol analysis and now I feel like I need to go do something dumb to balance myself out.

Tagging: Anyone who wants to do this!

#personal

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thoughtfulstudentsalad · 1 year

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This is going back to my theory about why Hak is the shield and Yona is the sword-wielder in the prophecy

“I’m fine with being a shield, but??”

Yona: “Let me stay by your side. I will fight.”

She fights to survive, to protect, to not bow to unjust power. That’s her whole schtick.

Here’s the thing: Yona has always been said to be the “girl who takes up the sword” many times in the narrative, right? The first time we see her, she’s holding a sword (maybe in the prophecy) in the time-skip

She uses a sword to cut off ties with Soo-Won (her hair!!!) and takes up a weapon to protect Hak.

AGAIN TO PROTECT HAK OK.

Also, do you guys remember that scene of the two in the rain? I always found that scene suspicious... it’s the dialogue in Japanese. They use the same words for “Sword” and “shield” as sword and shield in the prophecy.

Do you see that mutual intention to protect the other??? To make sure the other never dies??? To make up for the lack of Su-Won protecting either??? They have to protect each other LOL and it’s that talk about using swords (Yona) and being a shield (Hak) that’s super sus. This is in chapter 47 so talk about foreshadowing, I’m sure Kusanagi may have been planning this out all along.

But seriously, do you see how the two are like a team? We always talk about how Hak is trying to protect Yona, how he’s always telling her to get out of the fight and tend to the others to protect her... but remember that Yona lifted weapons to protect him too.

This chapter is definitely one of the first times I see Yona actually actively aiming to fight with Hak in a battlefield. She’s not being protected by the dragons, she’s fighting fucking Chagol, emperor of Kai and has Hak’s back.

I really like this... this idea that Yona is slowly aiming to getting closer to Hak’s position of physical/fighting strength while Hak is getting closer to Yona regarding social standing (like the guard/servant thing has to go by the end ok geez, I never liked that)

The whole thing about the two of them protecting each other (juxtaposition I see you Kusanagi, classic storytelling foreshadowing/symbolism!!!) like sword and shield, two peas in a pod, they’re on the same team!

I feel like this is all culminating into something greater, like we are reaching the climax of the whole story. Yona, Hak and Su-Won are all in one place, defeating the big bad, and it looked like a first victory in a while!

Hak was also shown to protect Su-Won and Yona has also been protecting Su-Won so I feel like he is the king guys, personally. That’s what I’m theorizing.

Also idk if y’all ever read Berserk which AnY is kinda holds parallels too and even the author of Berserk liked AnY, and there’s stuff about Casca basically being Griffith’s sword so like idk i mean Griffith/Casca/Guts holds similarities to Su-Won/Yona/Hak right?

#akatsuki no yona #yona of the dawn #thoughts?#theory #parallel #ha #analysis #new chapter #ch 240 #HOWEVER #IF HAK AND SOO-WON SWITCH PLACES #LIKE IF SOO-WON IS THE SHIELD AND HAK IS THE KING #I WILL LITERALLY FLIP TABLES #AND FREAK OUT BECAUSE HOLY SHIT #SOO-WON PROTECTING HAK IS GONNA BE SOMETHING THAT FREAKS OUT EVERYONE OK

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all-i-do-is-read · 5 months

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Recap and Commentary Series 1: Akatsuki no Yona

For a first project, I will be doing an Akatsuki no Yona re-read and I will be recapping milestone moments in a series of posts starting next week, along with story, character and writing analysis.

BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE ANYONE ELSE TO TALK TO ABOUT IT OK

I will probably do this until I catch up with the most recent manga chapters and then switch to a different manga afterwards.

#akatsuki no yona #manga #yona of the dawn

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randowwriter · 2 years

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So, I’ve seen very wonderful posts gushing about favorite episodes or favorite scenes for other series, and as I’ve thought about this lots of times before, I’ve noticed that I cannot seem to find any posts whatsoever on my favorite HakYona scene, and so I thought I’d gush over it. :) But before I can get into the scene, I have to explain something, so that I can unpack why this scene is so superbly written and why it’s such an incredible scene for HakYona, even though I must admit it is a pre-relationship scene that is in both the anime and the manga. <3 So, there is a difference between lust and sexual desire, despite the two words being used most often interchangeably nowadays. Lust is the way of perceiving other people or things as a mean’s to an end or rather as something to give you pleasure. So, when a person is lusted after, that person is seen only as a way of giving another person pleasure, as merely a desirable body that can be used to satisfy the one that is lusting. So, a person is seen as an object rather than a person, a tool or toy rather than a human being with a body, soul, personality, feelings, thoughts, and desires. Sexual Desire on the other hand does not overlook the human in the other person, but instead desires that person for more than just what that person can do for the other. Rather that person is desirable for all that that person is, and that person has feelings, thoughts, desires, and all too, so therefore, the one experiencing sexual desire also wants the other to enjoy it. So, Sexual Desire is not something that exploits the other but finds the person desirable (for more than his or her body and for more than what his or her body can do for that person), but rather is something that naturally springs up in a healthy relationship. One where the other is not a fantasy, but a living, breathing person. One who the other wants to give all of his or herself to, and who cherishes and loves the other exceedingly. On the one hand, the distinction seems quite easy, and on another hand, it’s easy to get the two muddled. And so, writing a scene that contains sexual desire without lust is extremely difficult, especially if you are telling the story visually, without the ability to jump in and give wordy insight into the character’s actions, thoughts, and feelings. So, you must show it outwardly in some way, which I would have thought would be impossible before I discovered Yona Of The Dawn/Akatsuki No Yona. So, my favorite HakYona scene is the leech scene from episode three(I can’t remember the manga chapter it is from on the other hand.) So, Yona’s taking a bath, probably walked over there by Hak, since she hasn’t been walking anywhere on her own in a while. And Hak lets her bathe, but stays close at hand, in case anything happens. And Yona screams, because she’s covered in leeches and has no idea what they are or what they are doing, just that they are a threat to her. And Hak comes over, because Yona needs help. And he removes leech after leech off of her, which is an act of love or service, as he removes them from her. He’s focused on the task at hand, on the fact that Yona needs help, and he’s going to do his best for her. And then, he throws the last leech off of her, and what he had to have known mentally but ignored, is that she is naked. The leeches are on her, because she was just bathing; they came from the water. And when he sees her naked, you can tell that he isn’t somehow immune to her beauty, but he looks away, tells her to get dressed and where her clothes are, and he walks away. He’s interested in her, sexually attracted to her, but he isn’t walking away to fantasize about her or relive the moment. He loves her too much for that, respects her too much. So, when he walks away, he focuses back on their survival. This scene, as early on as it is, sealed the deal for me. I realized I shipped HakYona, had a great love for it, and appreciated the ship that somehow managed to show in a visual story (an anime/manga) that sexual desire can be shown and shown beautifully without any--even a hint of--lust. I’m still blown away at the writing involved, the way that Sensei managed to convey this, without needing to delve into Hak’s psyche, without needing to hop into Hak’s thoughts, and use them as a medium to do this. It’s what allowed it to be translated into anime so well, because it was so visual and you could see the intent and the love there without needing thoughts to do so.

#hakyona #hak x yona #yonak #akatsuki no yona #yona of the dawn #analysis #favorite HakYona scene #leech scene #HakYona leech scene #Son Hak #Hak #Yona #princess yona

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akatsuki-no-yona · 2 years

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This is my second character analysis and I honestly don't know if I succeeded, but I hope I managed to convey what a wonderful and complex character Hak is. I tagged @yonaks as promised.

Hak's wonderful and complex character. He went way to change and succeeded (maybe incompletely because I think to heal until the end he eventually need to confront with Suwon),The present arc just showed how Hak has developed from Chapter 1 to now.

At the beginning of the series, he seemed to be focused solely on Yona and his loyalty to Suwon. It was true, but the Hak of the Beginning was more than just a love interest. He has never been just a love interest and is definitely not only a love interest, his life isn't just about Yona.Hak's a separate character with his own experiences, traumas with a big heart, kindness and loyalty.

The Hak from the beginning knew Yona's feelings towards Suwon, so he pushed aside his own happiness and love and focused entirely on Yona and Suwon's happiness.

Hak's confirmed that all he wanted was to serve alongside Yona and Suwon.

This monologue was spoken in Awa arc, where jeaha immediately noticed Haku's feelings for Yona and his hopeless situation. Hak pushed aside his own happiness for the happiness of his friends.

Jeaha he perfectly stated that Yona and Hak "seem close, but they're separated by a certain distance"

The distance was between them because Hak,didn't want his desire to prevail over him.It is obvious. He expected nothing from Yona. He only wanted the good of his friends, even though he was making himself miserable.

Suwon's betrayal was more very shocking and truamatic to Hak than Yona.Everything he dreamed about was ruined by what Suwon did. Yona managed to come to terms with it faster, while Hak pretended that everything was fine, pretended that he was strong. At the end of Awa arc he had a thirst for blood confirms that Hak it was all directed towards one person Suwon.

He went through the first breakdown. When he met Suwon in the water clan.He was out of control,it only shows how much Hak was hurt by the betrayal of a person whom he respected so much and considered his best friend

Jeaha said he's in the dark all the time and that's true.When Riri and Yona were kidnapped to a labor camp. When he heard Suwon, he had the same thing, that when he dug his fingers against the wall, his fingers were full of blood, yet they cooperated.

At first, Hak wanted to do everything himself. To take on himself the protection of the princess, because he did not think that he could not trust anyone, he closed his own heart.

Gradually, Hak began to change. We see his real smiles. He is as cute as smiles things, more handsome. What's more, Hak admitted that he was grateful to the dragons for being with him because he wouldn't save the princess himself and would not protect her himself.

shows gratitude with a hug. He opened his heart to a new family.

Then he nervously shouted Yona what he felt for her (I really would like to hear it in a voice) I think that helped him in some way too, because he had to always suppress his feelings and finally started to say what he thought about her.

Hak first objected to Yona when she decided to return to the castle. You can see how much it broke Hak, how badly he needs healing, how much he is traumatized

He finally got stabilized, had a new family and had to go back to the trauma (I know he has to work through his trauma) but finally he started to say what to think and not be that obedient to Yona.He began to express feelings.

In the current arc he wasn't allowed into the castle. He cared for dragons in combat shows and joined the army.

Despite his own trauma, he decided to join the army, where he made a good impression and trained the soldiers of the sky clan. After that, he was put in prison, after all, he trained there and intended not to run away.

Then she despaired, and he fought not only for Yona, but for the family and soldiers of the enemy. He begged for rescue that came.

Conclusion: Initially Hak, suppresses many emotions, mostly feelings for Yona. He was introverted. He suffered from the betrayal of Suwon and it was difficult for him to open his heart to a new family, he was distrustful, and over time he appreciated the four dragons and began to say what he thought, he opened his heart to the new family and began to express his own emotions, even towards Yona.At first he thought about Yona and Suwon's feelings. He began to think about himself and his own feelings. He's still deeply wounded, yet he does his best to be useful. Now he protects not only Yon but his own family. Hook needs to overcome his own trauma eventually, but he does everything in his power to be useful nonetheless.

#akatsuki no yona #yona of the dawn #hak #haku #son hak #son haku #akayona analysis #my analysis

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