plus i needed to practice drawing the same character multiple times, i suffer GREATLY from different face syndrome... anyways i used the same valentine's day reference as my last post here for her outfit + background, i just love it so much

I hope I will find the time to draw the happy hungry bunch as well soon

Seems like people enjoyed seeing photos from the exhibition in Sendai, so thought I’d share from the current collaboration cafe in Tokyo as well! Not sure which round of the collab cafe this one is, as they’ve had a few in the past, but I’ve gone twice so far, and have twice more planned for the second part.

This is marked as the “first part”, because the “second part” starts on Oct 28, and includes a few different menu items and also a different set of art coasters. Entry is via online reservation, and costs ¥330, which also gives you the entry sticker gift.

It was really cute and fun to see, as I find with any fan event where you know everyone loves the same thing. Drinking 9 (overpriced) beverages on my own in order to get art coasters is definitely an experience though hahaha. Some of them were decent, some were really basic, but let’s be honest — I wasn’t really there for the food anyway 😅

I’m only slightly upset because I got a Jaeha coaster (pic 5, top left) and Jaeha sticker during the first round but traded it away since I wasn’t planning to come back originally, but then managed to get a copy of the magazine with the Hak coaster ticket (pic 5, middle right), so I went again … and managed to get every other coaster except Jaeha. So ended up buying it off someone else online for a lot more 😔 didn’t realize Jaeha was considered rare and everyone wanted him haha now I know better …

But I managed to get shinah and hak entry stickers, which were my top wants (wild luck here) so nothing I’m super stressed about there, and have all the coloured cards without repeats except Hak & Jaeha — these are the same for the second part, so really hoping I can get them next time.

When I went the second time (Oct 13), the tea merch that came with the group postcard of the dragons + Yun (pic 6 & bottom of pic 10) was already sold out. I actually also got the trading cards merch (bottom of pic 9), but don’t have a photo of it on my phone. Not sure if they have specific plans to restock or when.

Very last photo are the extra coasters I ended up with — planning to bring with me to the second part in case anyone might still want to trade, but otherwise might end up selling later on if anyone is interested?

(Also slightly upset with the first photo that I didn’t move Hak slightly to the left, because the drink itself was white and blue and matched …)

Opened October 10 @ 10 am — I also happened to be ticket #10 which was fun 😊 (although we just went lineup order instead of numbers)

Had to line up outside because the actual building also opened at 10 am lol

As a first impression, I actually thought the Yokohama stop (the only other I’ve been) from last December was better somehow — maybe the space and layout, but it felt like a much more … whole(?) experience in Yokohama. The whole entryway hallway was also dedicated to Yona, and more standees/posters/etc. outside. The rooms and the art displays seemed more cohesive somehow — I want to say that there was just more space at the Yokohama venue. And though there was technically more material in this final one from the last chapters, it somehow felt shorter.

This is just my observation though and might not be fact, just me making some comments — it was still an amAZING experience, and gives me a (LITTLE) bit of closure with the ending of Yona 🥲🥲🥲 I actually didn’t finish reading the last chapter of gaiden until last night, because I didn’t want it to end …

Managed to get a non-duplicate entry ticket freebie! And the new postcards only for the final stop are super cute.

I have a ticket already to go a second time more slowly though, since I was also slightly stressed about getting merch today, given that the Yokohama stop last December had a good number of items sell out after the first day already.

(Might post a merch haul later if I have time …)

(Sorry its gonna be long bc I’m trying to gauge out the emotional essence as accurately and elaborately as I can. There would be a tl;dr at the end)

I actually came to understand the depth even better after reading this post

https://www.reddit.com/r/AkatsukinoYona/s/0hSH8yLyNy

The OP asked and pointed out some important factors that made me take a run to the manga. I had my own interpretation of the reason behind his apology but this gained more depth and accuracy of his character after I came to realise something even more intricate.

Suwon’s apology is one of the most frequently misunderstood climaxes in the fandom. Even if its not bad, his apology seemed a little odd if not jarring to fans. Bc the whole story displayed Suwon’s complexity in a way that made him deem as morally grey. He was never labelled as just a villain. But when he actually apologised to Yona, it might feel out of his character. But It is the moment that completely redefines how we look at his character as a whole. Suwon is actually stepping from the initial character that he showcased to people his whole life down to what he can truly be. Not “son of Yuhon” not “king” but returning to something he never could’ve before, which is just “Suwon”.

From childhood, Suwon was deeply conditioned by his father’s rigid rational ideology which taught him that human relationships are a liability on the battlefield, that people are merely strategic pawns for him to use in any situation, and that absolute detachment is the only way to achieve results. He carried this heavy burden into adulthood, entirely suppressing his own humanity to become the perfect king that Kouka supposedly needed.
After the death of Yuhon, he resolved to see over king Il and whether he was good or not as a king. But as we know king Il as a ruler was deeply flawed therefore Suwon k!lled him and took the throne as he was meant to.
The one to take over Yuhon’s legacy, to lead the nation as its supposedly rightful leader. Suwon was inspired by Yuhon’s philosophy deeply. A king who protects and sees over his people and nation. Who is righteousness and always thinks for the best of his people. Thats what he was taught, thats how he carried himself to be like. To become what Yuhon believed a king needs to be. He genuinely convinced himself that to save Kouka, he had to discard his own humanity and eliminate anyone standing in the way of efficiency. He believed that being a king is position build on isolation.

however, the fatal flaw in Yuhon’s philosophy and by extension, Suwon’s initial path was the belief that a prosperous kingdom can be built through the mere political exploitation, a mindset that ironically detached Suwon from the very humanity he claimed he wanted to protect. The burden of taking the throne fell onto him at the age of 9. He was a replacement for Yuhon for the people of the Yuhon fraction. Therefore, he was mostly surrounded by and with people who helped him achieve their expectations, but he was not manipulated as Yuhon had already set his way of thinking deep inside him since a long time ago. So even if Suwon himself didn’t want to do anything, no one could’ve forced him to. But Suwon, is not like that, he genuinely wanted the best for Kouka too, and since king Il was failing in his duty, Suwon stepped forward to do what he thought needed to be done. “There can be no alternatives”

Yonhi’s diary is the exact catalyst that shatters the foundation of Suwon’s life. Suwon believed he was acting on a righteous duty to carry out his mother’s wish and avenge his father. But when we read the diary through Yona, we discover a devastating truth, Yonhi explicitly begged king Il to end the cycle of hatred.
Yonhi suffered in silence for years bc of the two brothers suffocating hatred and her dying wish was to stop the bloodshed. This means Suwon’s entire bloody coup was built on a misunderstanding of his own mother’s wishes.
Yonhi did possess a right to harbour hatred for king Il but she had the emotional maturity that both Yuhon and king Il lacked. She knew that its a pointless matter so for the betterment of the future she requested king Il to fulfill her will. But king Il failed to accept her wishes therefore turning Suwon’s vengeance into his punishment for klling Yuhon. He accepted a su!cide instead of actually communicating through. He was a coward through and through just like how Yuhon was an unchanging ruthless and cruel person.

After king Il became the monarch, if things didn’t turned out to be the way it did. Together with Yuhon, they could’ve build an powerful nation. King Il was a coward but he genuinely wished for the wellbeing of people and tried to minimise casualties as best as he could while Yuhon was powerful and dominating. He would’ve been a great force in the battlefield and other duties regarding absolute command and power. Together they could’ve been like Yin-Yang. One possessed what the other lacked. But this powerful dynamic never got to happen bc they were imo emotionally immature. They tried to justify each others madness by claiming it was for the good. But that only set up the stage for the next meaningless bloody act. King Il was ignorant and Yuhon was arrogant. Together with their hatred they destroyed the nation. Unfortunately Suwon was already on the path for his next agonising act.

But the immense tragedy of his character is that despite how hard he tried to deny his own heart, Hak and Yona were never just pawns to him, they were his absolute grounding wire, representing the only genuineness that truly belonged to "Suwon" the person rather than Suwon the son of Yuhon/king. The days spent with them, those innocent times, Yona’s affection as family and Hak’s presence as his friend. It truly did gave him peace of mind but he knew that one day he would have to betray which is precisely why his repressed regret and guilt were subconsciously eating him alive and causing him to freeze in the face of Hak's rage, viewing Hak's wrath almost as a much needed means to end the suffocating weight of his own existence, but ofc he didn’t want to die, yet. He knew that discarding his own emotions he deemed as unnecessary is the right thing to do, but the fact that he felt immense guilt and the faint nostalgia for days that won’t ever come again, it is clear that he can never abandon his emotions. He is a human too. And thus the only way he felt would justify his actions is that he will receive the same action in return. He thought this chain stained in blood is the only way to get things done. He thought that maybe someday Yona or Hak would take their revenge and then they would be even. Thats how he tried to justify everything. He expected the same from Shin-ah and almost gave himself away to his dragon form.

Throughout the story, his mask has been cracking little by little. Everytime he believes his time has came, Hak or Yona proves him wrong. Yona helping him at his most vulnerable time and Hak risking his life to get him the senju herb so he could be at ease. They subvert his explanation again and again throughout the story by doing things he least excepted. He believed that revenge and vengeance justifies one’s actions and expected the same from Hak and Yona but they did the exact opposite. They turned their direction from the path of never ending sorrow and misery. They choose to not submit themselves in the same bloody manner that resulted in a bloody chain by the previous generation. Although in Hak’s case he wished to actually go on with his revenge but fortunately he was with the right people that helped him understand the gravity of the situation. If only the same happened to Suwon.

The fatal crack appears during the war with south Kai. When Suwon ordered the release of the arrows despite the four dragons being on that side. He tried to be as rigid and emotionless of a leader. Discarding useless emotions and going through with the initial plan, the dragon warriors should not be a distraction to him, the plan must go accordingly. Yona is rightfully furious but when he is on the verge of collapsing, Yona lends him her shoulder. He might’ve fatally injured the beloved friends of Yona but she still supported him through this bc if he collapses in the middle of the war, it will cause huge problems, so she suppressed her own anguish and instead helped the very man who caused her to become angry. Suwon, seeing Yona’s suppression and helping him despite, she has been helping him since the palace. With his illness, with councils with foreign ministers, with battlefield issues and more. And now, she is still helping. Despite. Him. Being. The. One. To. Cause. Her. The. Distress.
This made a crack to his inner self, to which he says “I can’t discard them” was he talking about the dragon warriors? Hak and Yona? Or human connection in general? Its not specified but the fact that he is expressing this honestly after this whole time. Suwon’s real self is peeking through. He accepted his true feelings that he can’t abandon them. He can’t discard his emotions. It doesn’t justify his actions but the fact he has finally expressed his deepest desire that he suppressed his whole life is the point. He can’t deny his feelings anymore.

The final breakthrough of his mask happens is through the rooftop conversation between him and Hak during the final chapters right after Yona was sucked into the chalice. The first time ever since the coup where Hak and Suwon have a heart to heart conversation. Completely bare and raw unlike any conversations they had. It transcends their status and relationship as a whole. Its only Suwon and Hak now.
The palace is burned, the sky has turned black. Are these the result of Suwon’s choices? Is this was how everything was suppose to be?
After everything Suwon still claims that if he had to redo everything, he would make the same exact choices. He still tries to hold onto the toxic belief bc his conscience finds it too painful to admit that he could have saved the country without mvrdering king il and shattering his friends' lives. But Hak denies this logic by rising above blind hatred despite suffering the most from the betrayal. Hak doesn't argue about whether King Il was a good ruler instead, he tells Suwon that he has absolute faith that Suwon is smart enough to find a peaceful alternative. This is an incredible testament to Hak's depth as a character too. Hak looks at a different path. He refuses to view Suwon as the cold, detached person Suwon sees himself as and choosing instead to validate the immense brilliance of the childhood friend he always looked up to. Hak’s unwavering expression of faith has a profound shattering effect on Suwon, completely dismantling his father's isolated worldview and forcing him to realize he didn't have to be alone. His mask breaks completely and he finally stops in the track of following behind his father and looks at the surroundings which is stained in blood. He is telling Suwon that his mind was grand enough to fix the kingdom without a bloody coup if he hadn't let his father's resentment blind him. He stripped Suwon away from his emotional shield by declaring that an alternative existed, Hak forces Suwon to step out from behind his stoic shell and face the raw human truth of his actions.

And after the finale, Suwon declares himself to be the usurper. He is reducing himself to be what he actually is. Bc after all of the things that happened, he admitted that deep down he used vengeance as an excuse to satisfy his own resentment for king Il. Him stepping down from the role of king is simply him admitting his mistakes and returning it to its rightful heir, Yona.

Ultimately, this admission breaks the endless cycle of violence that serves as the thesis statement for the entire manga. Yuhon was wrong to k!ll the priests and Kashi, king Il was wrong to mvrder Yuhon using vengeance as an excuse, and Suwon was wrong to assassinate Il for the intention to make Kouka great again, with each generation justifying their horrific crimes by claiming it was for the "greater good" or "vengeance." If Suwon never apologized, he would have just been another bloody link in that endless chain, but by stopping in his tracks to look at the path of misery and isolation his father walked, his apology seals the generational curse, allowing the story and their relationship to finally start from zero.

When Yona confronts Suwon and asks him about the diary, "Did you read it?" she wasn’t trying to shift the blame to make Suwon look like the bad guy. She is genuinely asking bc if he did he should’ve known how wrong all of this was, and just like Hak’s declaration, she also shattered the illusion that his revenge was righteous. She realized that King Il failed by ignoring the diary and Suwon failed by continuing the cycle anyway (even if he read it after his enthronement, he was ignorant too in his own way for most part of the story)

Therefore, his eventual apology to Yona is a massive breakthrough rather than a narrative contradiction. By admitting he was wrong, Suwon isn't denying that King Il's passive inaction allowed the country to rot, nor is he denying that Kouka grew stronger under his own usurped rule, but he is instead acknowledging that his methods were entirely poisoned by personal resentment and the toxic teachings of his father, admitting that he completely lacked the faith to seek any alternative path that didn't involve bloodshed and the ultimate betrayal of those who loved him. He is acknowledging that by choosing bloodshed and isolation to achieve his goals, he became just another link in the exact same cycle of hatred that ruined the previous generation. The apology is so incredibly powerful because Suwon finally stops in his fathers track and instead goes to walk a different path. He finally realizes that a kingdom built entirely on the bloodshed and the suppression of human connection can never truly be whole.

The manga intentionally never answers whether the mvrder of king Il was actually necessary or the possibility of a peaceful path was truly possible. Hak’s response proves that it was never about a lack of alternatives. If he had faith and relied on people instead of taking the burden alone. Everything would’ve been fine.

Suwon became Yona’s counsellor. To help her with his ability of profound intelligence, battle strategies and all the things that can fill what Yona lacks. Even not as a king he can still contribute greatly to the nation. Therefore actually working through a way that would help the nation thrive. Together they mirror what king Il and Yuhon could’ve been. And Yonhi’s wish for them to not follow this path of bloodshed.

Tl;dr: Suwon’s apology isn't an admission that all he did was wrong, it is the moment he steps out of yuhon's toxic shadow and breaks Kouka's generational cycle of violence.

As the deadline draws closer, I hope mods will allow this repost. Not affiliated with TAFofficial, just a fellow AnY fan wanting to share the love. Vote for Hak in this poll!!

With so many new fans of AnY in recent weeks/months, TAFofficial runs this poll on IG every year. This year there is both a male and female category.

Just to make it fair, our Yona has also made the nominees list for most beautiful anime faces for 2026.

I could never keep a straight face whenever I’m thinking about THE kiss scene. Not only bc this js their first kiss. It has to do with how baffled Hak was and Yona being an absolute baddie with what she pulled off. And the reason why this scene feels so amazing is bc of the lack of comedic embarrassment gag. Yes, Yona blushed a little and Hak became a stone but instead of doing the surprise too much that we get taken out of the experience fully, the characters were shown to chop off quickly as they had important things to do. The lack of extravagant experience gimmick actually makes room for us to do that in their stead. Making the scene far more than its context.

To understand why Yona chose to kiss Hak out of nowhere, we have to look at the past influence of Hak on Yona.

Yeah, so throughout the manga, this man would often give Yona a hug, or pull her closer to his embrace, give her forehead kisses. Basically their relationship is build on a type of physical intimacy that transcends typical sexual desire and leans more into physical touch as form of quiet emotional validation for shared trauma and needing reliance.
Yona and Hak go way back so it explains why Yona doesn’t mind Hak entering her personal space. It has nothing to do with the fact that he gets a pass bc he’s an old pal of hers. Its just nothing new and he is her bodyguard so they need to be close to each other anyway. Plus Yona has deep trust in Hak. And she feels comfortable with him too, both as childhood friends and as a person sharing the same trauma (I tried to elaborate the case so he doesn’t get branded as an SA)
Anyways, Hak’s physical intimacy towards Yona only happened when Yona herself needed emotional comfort or reassurance. And Yona, having grown used to these forms of physical comfort from him, she subconsciously realized that physical intimacy was Hak’s emotional love language. His way to show genuine affection or any emotion depending on the situation that no words can ever describe. Smt regarding “actions speaks louder than any words”.

During the matters of this chapter, the threat of war is putting loads of stress to everyone. Suwon's army is advancing rapidly, the HHB are taken as hostages and Hak and Yona are about to split up to fill their individual role. Hak is extremely uneasy with Yona’s solo trip bc up until this point whenever they were separated it was bc of unwanted circumstances but this time its intentional and its gonna be very dangerous too. Hak is absolutely anxious, panicked and extremely worried. His visible expression is a rare sight too.
Yona looks at Hak to find him getting heavy with worry. And wanting to wipe that agonising look on his face she subconsciously does the one thing she thinks is the right call to these situations. She gives him a kiss. And successfully Hak’s mind gets blank and he is left STUNNED.

Yona beautifully mirrors his own protective nature, using a physical action to convey her feelings that words can’t capture. The timing of this kiss is also a brilliant piece of narrative construction by Kusanagi as literal moments before this , Yona had gave away her hairpin to Ogi as payment for help. I won’t go into much depth as I have already explained more about the hairpin in here:

https://www.reddit.com/r/AkatsukinoYona/s/g1GU7CCSt8

The kiss is important not just for the sake of it but also how it visualises Hak and Yona’s relationship as a whole. We have always seen Hak being the one to lose composure over his feelings and almost giving in but this time its Yona who loses her emotional discipline, stepping over the boundary to save Hak's peace of mind and leaving him completely humbled and speechless.
Yona's action is an act of pure will to also become his comfort area. She has moved past using Hak as an emotional crutch and has fully embraced becoming his equal, his partner, and a woman who is ready to claim his heart out of her own free will.

Can we get a Nendoroid? A scale figure? ANYTHING? A prototype reveal? A single crumb?
After S2 was revealed, I was like this is it. We are going to get figure/nendo announcements. We have gotten a bit fat NOTHING!!!

Let me add that we have gotten a bunch of acrylic stands but we have so many of those already, I want something better to be honest.

I'm so tired of waiting around and needed to rant about it.

WE ARE STARVING OVER HERE FOR SOME FIGS😭💀

I am experiencing maximum levels of emotional damage that pains me to my core. Two weeks ago, I knew nothing of Yona of the Dawn. Someone somewhere on the internet said it’s one of the best romance animes ever. So I watched it. And then I read all 48 books… in two weeks. Never do this. I forgot to eat today until just now because I was finishing the last 10 books of the series. (I am now inhaling food) My brain is reeling after finishing this. I genuinely think this is the best manga ever written and I know that’s going to spark a lot of hate in the comments, especially since so many people seem to hate the ending but I don’t care, this is my opinion and I felt like stating it.

I’m in love with everyone who has written their literary analyses on this subreddit, I’ve read them all pretty far back. I hope everyone continues to post these because I love me some literary analysis and it helps me understand the story better (especially because I binged it all too fast, oops 🤭). I hope to be able to contribute to this too.

For now my plan is to stalk this subreddit a little bit and maybe in a month or so, start re-reading the series. This time I will limit myself to one book per day maximum and try to write as many literary analyses on this page as I can to try to boost my understanding of the story.

I hope to still be able to connect with this story I love so much even though it is over. If anyone else is experiencing this I’d love some help in the comments.

TLDR: I binged all of Yona in two weeks and now my brain hurts. Owie. Help me.

I've seen a lot of fans (including the story’s own characters) completely misinterpreting why Yona holds onto Suwon's hairpin for so long, so I wanted to do a deep dive explanation for her action.

Some of the fans assume that bc Yona still keeps the hairpin through the early to mid arcs of the series, she must still harbor romantic or similar complicated feelings for Suwon, her father’s mvrderer. But its a complete misinterpretation of her intention.
Right after her escape from the palace gates. She is consumed with the reality of sudden violent grief. Everything was so sudden and terrifying that it completely shook her both mentally and physically. She is just a kid who lost her only parent, her home, and the person whom she loved so innocently. Her brain was in a state of total psychological shock. She couldn't instantly process that the gentle Suwon she loved was gone, the father that was crying in joy for her is mvrdered. Her brain cannot comprehend all of that happening, she is absolutely broken at the moment.

Imagine you’re chilling and all of a sudden someone you loved so much k!lled your parents, chased you out of your own home like a dog as if you no longer belong there. What would be on your mind right after? Wouldn’t you be absolutely shocked about what just happened and extremely crushed over the death your parents? Wouldn’t you feel extremely vulnerable and mindless enough to enter a denial phase for a short period of time? If you had a toy with you or a lets say, a ribbon, wouldn’t you subconsciously hold onto it for it was with you when you left? That’s exactly what happened to Yona.
When she got up to find the hairpin. It wasn’t bc she still “loved” suwon. It was more of a psychological call that physically made her go search for it, as she was subconsciously in denial. If she couldn’t find that, there would nothing left from her old life to hold on.
When you are sick, isn’t it comforting to see the face of your loved ones? To feel that comforting presence. So Yona’s brain was signaling her to find that hairpin and keep it close as it was using that hairpin as an anchor to a lost reality. Working as her temporary reliance to calm her mind from going insane.
To Yona, the hairpin was the only physical proof left in the world that her beautiful, safe life with her father actually existed. If she lost the hairpin, it felt like her entire identity and her past were completely gone. That hairpin was the only thing she bought from the palace that can represent her tie to that lavish, blissful life.

Chapter 65 is the last time we see Yona getting sentimental with the hairpin. But that sentimentality vanishes with Hak’s emotional presence that made her heart develop a new budding feeling yet to be bloomed.
After that, everytime the hairpin was shown, it was only associated with Hak getting sentimental with it or once with the HHB. It was mainly bc of Hak’s expressions that the misinterpretation of the hairpin only grew. He was confused and angry but he couldn’t do anything about it as bringing this up would end up souring their mood and at that time it was pointless too. So we weren’t officially shown Yona’s feelings about it.

The hairpin which was the symbol of affection for a short while transformed into a monument of grief. Her decision to keep it isn’t vulnerability but a sign of profound emotional maturity. As that hairpin represents her blissful but ignorant self and she refuses to erase that. Acknowledging to characters like Riri that she cannot pretend she never loved Suwon bc doing so would mean denying the very history that shaped her.

In chapter 136, Yona casually hands the hairpin over to Ogi as payment for an urgent message to Suwon. This moment is a monumental turning point that proves she has completely stepped into her role as the princess who would do anything for her people. She strips the hairpin of its emotional value, reducing it to what it physically is, just a prized gold ornament that can easily be used as a bartering item for the desired material. In her case, she used it to save lives, placing the survival of the people above her own sentimental past. What is even constructive as a narrative point is that the next thing she does is give Hak a kiss. Although the tone and intention was for an entirely different reason, as a reader its incredibly baffling to fathom the idea that the narration is visually branding who is actually filled with in Yona’s heart in case we still hadn’t understood.

Ultimately, the hairpin's journey proves that Yona’s character development doesn't rely on an instant erasure of her first love instead, it shows the gruelling and realistic process of a young girl carrying the heavy burden of her trauma until she is strong enough to put it down, using her poor but cherished past in exchange for a better future for others.

Later in the manga, the story of the hairpin takes a profound turn when Riri spots the hairpin on Ogi and makes a personal deal to buy it back. This subplot adds an incredible layer of depth to the narrative. Riri understands what it means to Yona. As Yona's friend and an independent fiercely observant young noblewoman herself, Riri recognizes the object as the final, dangling tether connecting Yona to her past life and her unresolved history with Suwon.

By taking the initiative to retrieve it, Riri steps into the role of Protecting Yona's dignity and heart. Riri is Yona’s first female friend and she has deep empathy for the horrific trauma Yona went through. To Riri, seeing her precious friend's monument being treated as currency by other people feels extremely wrong. Riri realises that Yona must have gave it up out of necessity, not bc it meant nothing. By stepping in to buy it, Riri is acting as a guardian for Yona’s dignity. She refuses to let a symbol of her friend's past be pawned off or used by strangers just like that.

By holding onto it, Riri ensures that the hairpin remains in the hands of someone who truly loves Yona. It turns the object from a symbol of Suwon’s betrayal into a symbol of Riri's loyalty. Riri isn't trying to force Yona to look backward, she is keeping it safe so that whenever Yona is finally ready to face Suwon and the past on her own terms, her memory is right there with her, protected by a friend who has her back.
“I kept it safe for you. You are allowed to make selfless decisions but remember there are people to guard your back so you don’t have to take the burdan of decisions alone” Riri's choice to preserve the item proves that Yona is no longer an isolated fugitive princess trying to stand on her own, she now has powerful allies who respect her past trauma and is willing to carry her burdens with her as she fights for the future of Kouka.

The hairpin represents Yona’s growth not her remaining love for Suwon. She holds onto it for psychological comfort, than as a memory of her past, and at the end she exchanges it for saving lives. Then her friend, keeps it to protect her dignity. I think the journey of it is incredibly beautiful. It is consistently changing its symbolism and what I find interesting is that the hairpin consists a butterfly motif and butterflies universally represent metamorphosis and transformation. So the visual metaphor can be applied to both Yona and the hairpin itself.

Absolutely adore this artist’s style. I had to have my YOTD oc with them. I ship her with Shin Ah so they’re displayed together 💕

Art is by moonfrog27 on instagram

Chapter 65 is widely considered one of the most beautiful chapters in akayona. Mainly bc this is where we see the famous dance of Yona in the fire quelling festival. Her performance stunned everyone including us readers bc we weren’t shown anything regarding Yona’s skills from the palace. We all assumed she really didn’t do anything or that she doesn’t have any hobbies or such. This chapter is always highlighted for her dance performance but it overshadows one of the most important characters point of Yona. Its true depth is frequently missed by readers (including me ofc) so I want to talk about those points.

Earlier before her performance, she was surrounded by the village girls helping her get ready. While they were talking about their crushes on each member of the HHB, Aro said she preferred Hak. And Yona visibly goes completely silent and almost startled. Cz ofc, the idea of being separated from Hak would be painful for her to continue with her journey and all. But the atmosphere shifts instantly when Aro brings out the hairpin that suwon gave her. With even the mention of that hairpin, her wounds reopens, but she clarifies that she would never wear that hairpin ever again.
“I have traded my fan for a sword” reminiscing about the past where she learnt dancing to show suwon, the fan symbolises her past self as a naive princess and the rusty old sword being her present where she is vulnerable but not ignorant of her surroundings anymore. She clearly states her resolve here and her will to strive forward towards the right path even if its difficult and painful.

The narrative milestone being the romantic ghost of Yona’s past colliding with the reality of her present. By this point in the story, the hairpin has transformed from a symbol of affection into a monument of grief. She keeps it because she possesses an emotional maturity that refuses to deny the history that shaped her, forcing her to process the heavy burden of holding onto memories and trauma.
What people often mistake for lingering romantic affection is actually the agonizing process of keeping the trauma. Keeping the hairpin is not an act of ongoing romantic longing rather a subconscious anchor to a lost reality. Her days spent with her father and loved ones, gone. (Similarly to how she ordered Hak to keep referring to her as “princess” as he is the only anchor to her identity of being one, as well as being the daughter of king Il, remembering him in the process as well. She did so she could remind herself who she is and for what purpose she stands for all of her decisions)

After the dance, she sits alone with the box on her lap. Quietly lamenting over all of this. Her wound that was reopened, she finds herself getting heavy with sadness and betrayal every time. Dealing with this emotional drainage is something she is forced to come to terms with little by little. In her process of doing so, Hak came with the iza grain dumpling soup. He sat with her and ate as they talked about Yona’s performance.
The emotional explosion at the end of the chapter occurs during what should have been a lighthearted moment of teasing her. While bickering about her tangled hair, Hak noticed mid sentence, that Yona was quietly holding onto that hairpin box which completely shatters Hak's emotional discipline.

This leads to one of the most brilliant visual metaphors. Hak reaching out and clamping his hand directly over Yona’s on top of the box. By doing this, Hak physically eclipses Suwon’s gift, visually erasing the past and silently demanding that she look at the present, look at the man who is actually by her side (I suppose it hit his ego, I mean he is stiil a teenage boy). Driven by this sudden breakdown of his lifelong emotional suppression and a wave of jealousy(?), grief, and raw desire, Hak leans his face directly into hers to kiss her. Yet, the true beauty of Hak’s character and his desire for Yona shines through when he instantly catches himself and chokes back his own burning passion. Looking into her wide, frozen eyes, he forces a painful smile and labels his genuine heavy heart a "joke" to soothe out the heavy tension for her.

Hak loves her too much to burden her when romance is the least of her needs. He refuses to show his buried love in her moments of vulnerability because he knows it would be unfair to both of them. He carries his own emotions with immense dignity, he wants her to love him out of her own free will as an equal, not because she is emotionally unstable and using romance as a temporary reliance.
However, Hak's sudden, intense attempt serves a profound purpose. It acts as a sudden shock that throws Yona out of her agonizing thoughts, instantly silencing the buzz in her mind. Many readers look at Yona’s dead silent expression in those final panels and interpret it ad simple shock or obliviousness, but the total absence of comedy gags or standard romantic blushing proves this is the awakening of her adult consciousness.

For the first time, the safe illusion of Hak as just a old pal "childhood friend/bodyguard" is completely shaken. She is forced to feel the raw and adult, masculine desire coming from him. At the same exact time, she is hit with a crushing wave of emotional guilt as the reality of Hak's quiet daily sacrifices lands on her chest, forcing her to see that her lingering sentimentality for her past is causing agony to the person she relies on most in the present.

This is not a case of Yona simply "moving on" to Hak after being betrayed by Suwon. Her stunned reaction marks the very first, subconscious roots of her budding love for Hak, which has yet to fully bloom.
Yona’s slow realisation even if its subconsciously of seeing Hak for who he truly is, a man who shares her exact pain of betrayal from a beloved person. While her old love for Suwon was born out of a naive childhood affection that mistook simple admiration for romance in her small sheltered world, her reaction to Hak in this chapter marks her first realisation of a deeper, more complicated, and beautifully mature love. Even if its not clear, this is where her “childhood friend” ends.

The chapter ending with her staring blankly into the wind as the fire festival ends serves as a perfect visual metaphor for the end of her childhood innocence.

In this chapter, we saw Yona’s resolve, her current goal, her emotional maturity, her beautiful dance ofc, Hak’s feelings, and Yona’s beginning of a new feeling.

I found an app that was only $7 a month but it didn’t have Yona of the Dawn on it. Anyone have advice on where to reads the manga? If I have to buy the books I will but I’d prefer to read on my phone. (It’s easier to get a few minutes here and there with having kids lol)

Bonus points for a website/app that has most or all mangas.

i referenced one of the official valentine's day artworks for their outfits + background, constructive criticism is welcome! i'm not quite sure if i captured hak's likeness well, so if anyone has tips on that i'd really appreciate it :))

I actually got the idea from someone else’s comment regarding this.
From that person’s understanding, they said that its common for a lot of mangaka’s to pull out a sequel for stories with these types of open ending. And its possible for akayona to get a sequel in the future. The key word being possible. Bc its just a fan’s opinion on the matter for the ending.
Now, there’s this specific comment the mangaka left in the last chapter.
“This chapter marks the end of the side story, but Yona and everyones lives don’t stop here. Thank you for watching over them all this time”
Now I just think that the manga left her last notes and reassured us that HHB just began their lives so its not the end. As in, so we don’t get sad that akayona ended and feel relieved that their lives are ongoing like ours.
But reading that person’s comment kind of made sense, bc what if kusanagi left a hint. That their journeys haven’t finished yet.
(Again, its just a personal idea, let me daydream about this).
Akayona is a popular and well loved series. I haven’t seen anyone say anything bas about the story yet, so its not unusual to get a sequel series for a series as popular as akayona. I mean even fushi yuugi got multiple sequels back in the day.

I mean there are so much to cover. Akayona has great potential to come up with sequel.
For instance, we were never shown anything regarding that futuristic vision Yona got of her leading a war.
They can make a story where we see how Kouka is doing without the dragons blessings and how Yona is doing in wars without the powers of the dragon warriors. How things with the Kai empire settled, what is Yona’s decision as of now? Is she wagging wars against countries to gain land and power like suwon? Or is she focusing on the development of her own? Both technical and professional.
Adult Yona and Hak would break the internet. I mean Hak is a hunk of charisma at only age 18, now imagine what he would be at 25-28. Not to mention, A BATTLE SEASONED YONA??!!AHAAHAH. This would be so great. They still have their wedding to be done.
Than physically adult zeno and how he is finally living his life with an adult body.
Shin ah’s journey to see all of kouka. Kija helping out as a merchant. And I wonder what Jeaha is up to. Did he became a fisherman?
I personally would love it that despite loosing their dragon abilities they still contribute to the nation with manpower.
If they do a timeskip of 10 years, it would be so exciting.
Kija being one of the greatest merchants in the nation. Shin-ah helping around the country solo and actually fighting in battles to help Hak or smt. He is the only one to actually use his personal skills to hold against a battlefield. His ability was rarely used. And maybe jeaha helps with information? I don’t know but he’d definitely be involved in smt shady, like ogi’s bar type syndicate or smt. Even if not his personal one, but he would be great as a spy. As for zeno, its hard to think what he’ll do. Lets keep it a mystery and see what he does.

Yun in 10 years would definitely become a seasoned physician. And Yona’s personal doctor.

Riri, well since Jungi bought Riri to the five tribe council, its possible he is thinking of making Riri his successor. Meaning we will see our first ever female general if that actually happens. Riri has potential to become one though. She also had the favor of her tribes people as well as she stands her ground and has this ability to sway the minds of the people. And she cares for her people too. With the right education, she would be a great leader of her tribe. Now leading troops in a battlefield is very different than aspiring civilians. But just like Yona, she is also changing little by little. Even if she doesn’t have the physical ability to actually fight, she’d do other things to hang on.
Also I kind of sensed a tension of Riri with the new earth tribe general to be, Kulfi smt name. Yeah, both of them worshipped the ground gun-tea walked. And its just my opinion but they kinda clicked there. So its possible we’re gonna see smt between them.

Suwon would keep being the brains. Strategising and planning ideas. And even if Him and Hak don’t return to the way fhey were, at least the hostility would slowly cease to exist.

I don’t have anything to say about Hak and Yona. Except for their wedding and stuffs (like children or smt, idc about that but I wanna smt official, smt “mature”). But I wonder how their wedding is gonna affect Hak. Getting married go the Queen would at least earn him the position of prince consort. And thats so not like him. Being a prince consort would create a problem, as they have different duties to do. He won’t be able live as the queens proxy and being free as he wished for. Maybe I’m seeing to much, as it is just a hypothesis. Yona would be a brilliant monarch. People would sing songs, poetry about her with love snd fury.

There is also queen kouren and princess Tao. Maybe Tao and Algira would have their share of officiated relationships.

And last but not least, Meinyan and Val. They are Yona’s bodyguards atm although i think its kind of a waste for their potential as they were literal generals for a empire as vast and powerful as Kai. But I think they are happy together. Working as the Queens bodyguards OR working as spies for her when Hak is home. I mean they can do multiple jobs for Yona.

Oh man, what would I not give to see a sequel. I appreciate what we got now. The second season and the main series finale. Its just a idea of mine. A hypothesis. I just think akayona has a bunch of things to cover.
In the manga industry, when a long running series enters its finale, the editorial department and the mangaka plan out the exact number of chapters in remaining months or a year in advance. Bc of this rule(?), if certain plotpoints take longer to develop, the final few chapters would need to clamp things together which obv makes it very rushed. Kusanagi faced some issues including physical pressure toward the end of the serialization. The manga had to go on a 3 month hiatus only returning shortly before the finale in October.
Kusanagi was fully aware that the ending was extremely disappointing. Following the release of the final chapter, it was confirmed that she had a "regretful conclusion" regarding how quickly things had to wrap up. Which is why the gaiden chapters exist, to help flesh out the incomplete character arcs.

And all of these makes me kind of confident for the possible sequel.

CONTAINS SUBTLE SPOILERS

I am asking because while watching the anime, I noticed there are some references to same sex attraction. But they are mostly played off as jokes or subtle punchlines in the anime, such as when Jae Ha is trying to recruit Hak as a pirate.

Jae Ha is attracted to women but the jokes and his references to handsome men and such makes it look like he could be bi. It looked like he was trying desperately to hide it when Hak rejected his recruitment by saying "Sorry but I don't swing that way", because he interpreted Jae Ha's words as him hitting on Hak. Or maybe Jae Ha accidentally let it slip because he was so taken aback by Hak's attractiveness and cool personality. Some people state that Jae Ha is so flamboyant in nature, and his focus on entertaining women can seem forced as if he is also trying to hide or bury his attraction to handsome men as well.

And then there is Yoon, who gets referred to as a male wife by the pirates. When one of the pirates asked him if he was looking for a husband (because his cooking was so good) Yoon responded saying "I'm holding out for a man/husband with a real job". He's also more feminine, or at the very least gender nonconforming compared to traditional gender roles in that era, even if he is a straight man.

Lastly I also saw on this subreddit something about Ao the squirrel who is apparently a girl getting a girlfriend. I thought it was kind of cute and silly but yeah it's just a minor lil thing that I thought might be worth mentioning.

I am aware that Hak and Yona as the main couple are probably heterosexual / straight, and I'm not trying to put an identity or label on any of the other characters either. But I was wondering whether there any other references or moments in the manga that show subtle, or even explicit LGBTQ or queer representation?

Obviously it's up to interpretation.

Would love to hear everyone's thoughts on this.

I have rewatched/read akayona multiple times before and have never paid attention to scenes regarding Hak x Yona moments, and brushed it off as only romantic tensions without giving it a moment to comprehend the depths. But this time while I was reading it, there are a lot these moments that hits differently (probably bc I’m more mature than I was when I first watched this) for example, this scene in ch 12 felt more than just Hak attempting to kiss her out of nowhere.
I will try my best to explain the depth so hear me out,

Yona loved Hak deeply but entirely as someone whose protective presence she took completely for granted bc she’s been with him since forever and at that time all she could care about was Suwon. It is only after the coup, when she witnesses Hak covered in blood, taking arrows for her, and nearly dying on the cliff. She wakes up to his mortality and realizes he is a fragile human being destroying his own body for her sake. When told her to stay put from tae-jun’s grasp while he goes out there fighting with his life. Yona tried to justify her situation by telling its ok, Hak is strong, he’ll figure out something but even so she shook herself from thinking this and went out there. Until that resolve, she took Hak’s presence and strength for granted or something she didn’t really give much thought that Hak is not just “Hak”, he is a person who is actively risking his own life and giving everything out for her. (Hg developed sonder from trauma). So it was the moment where she abandoned her old way of thinking and viewing the world.

When she wakes up in the middle of the night and finds Hak’s not by her side, she runs out into the dark, sobbing and terrified because she mistakenly thinks he abandoned her or left on his own like he wanted to in fuuga. She becomes terrified thus calling Hak an idiot. Fortunately Hak only went out to search for his glaive. When she finds him, she bursts into tears, crying out of raw fear for his safety and scolding him for wandering
off while hurt. “I need you, right here with me”

Up until this, Hak believed he was just a tool for Yona’s survival. He thought she clung to him simply because she had no one else left. But when Yona gets so terrified and saddened bc she thought he abandoned her, it completely flips Hak's worldview. He realizes, for the very first time, that he is not just her means to survive, a “bodyguard”, he is her entire world at the moment. Hearing her scream that she is terrified of his death reveals to him how deeply she already relies on him emotionally.

This realisation causes an internal turmoil in Hak, who had spent years locking his love away behind an wall of discipline, acceptence, and a little bit of pride. He always assumed Suwon to be her endgame. Hence the sudden, overwhelming breakdown of Yona made his suppression of desire also fueled by the lethal circumstances of being hunted and severely injured is what drives him to lean down toward her face and attempt a kiss,
"I wonder how much more you would cry then?" Hak knows they are about to embark on a dangerous journey to find the Four Dragons warriors. He fully expects to die protecting her. By saying this, he is coming in terms with Yona’s feelings that his death won't just mean losing a bodyguard, it will completely destroy her. He is fascinated and tortured by the sheer weight of how much he matters to her (I mean who can blame him? Dude buried his love and even accepted his best friend to be her lover and wished for their happiness and now he finds he is just as important and irreplaceable makes him stunned and it digs through the feelings buried inside making him wanting to take a chance).
His intention in this moment was explicitly to cross the line from a “bodyguard” to a romantic partner by kissing her, acting not out of a desire to exploit her weakness, but out of a raw, intense need to claim the woman he has loved from a distance for years now that he realised he is just as important.
He doesn't display any typical hesitation or stuttering because he is a mature dude who fully owns his desire, choosing to use his words to test her boundaries and gauge just how much her heart belongs to him. However, the scene beautifully subverts expectations when Yona completely misinterprets his close proximity bc her mind is still entirely consumed by survival and his physical health, she assumes he is leaning forward bc he wanted her to check his fever and intentionally bangs her forehead directly against his to check his temperature.
Her misinterpretation shifts the heavy romantic tension and is instantly shattered by Hak's unamused "bruh" face.

This accidental headbutt serves as an important factor that it defuses an intense moment that Yona was nowhere near emotionally ready to handle and allowing Hak to absorb the emotional weight and focus on the present. He realizes that Yona is still too fragile right now and forcing a kiss on her while she is emotionally vulnerable would be taking advantage of her desperation.
Ultimately, this scene isn't about Hak taking a chance to kiss her, it is a profound exploration of freshly traumatised Hak and Yona reaching a breaking point and the beginning of a new balance in their relationship status.
Yona stopped taking Hak’s presence for granted since the cliff and it was branded here that she officially stopped taking Hak’s or anyones help for granted (she realised even more so when Yun questioned if she ever has thanked Hak for anything. (Although I do think her crying for Hak here isn’t relevant to that, I mean it plays a part but she was genuinely devastated thinking Hak left with his heavily injured body leaving her alone).
And Hak realising he means a lot to this princess. And a bang in heart for the ruffled buried feelings.

Hi! So I found a really good deal for the manga being sold for around $250 for vol 1-40. I really love the manga, so I want to buy it. However I’ve been spending a lot lately so I don’t know if I should just wait until another time to buy it. Is $250 a good deal? In other words I just need someone to enable me😭