Skip to main content

Akatsuki no Yona



Princess Yona is the child of the pacifist king of Kouka King Il. She is sheltered from all the troubles of the outside world. Her life seemed perfect until on her sixteenth birthday she witnessed her beloved Su-won murder her father. Su-won claimed that he is a better fit for the title and will rule Kouka like a king should. She was saved by childhood friend and bodyguard Son Hak who took her to the Village of the Wind. The village's patriarch Son Mundok suggested that Yona and Son Hak flee the kingdom and search for the oracle Ik-su.

Ik-su tells them of the legend of the four dragons who helped the first king of Kouka unify the kingdom. Yona and Son Hak begin the search for the reincarnated dragons to save the kingdom from Su-won.

During their escape, Yona realized that her kingdom was not the paradise she thought it was. Despite her father's vow of nonviolence, people are hungry, afraid and dissatisfied. Yona has always viewed her father as a benevolent ruler but not everyone outside the palace has he same views. Su-won's betrayal has also baffled her. He seemed competent enough as a ruler and had the best interests of the kingdom in mind. Not only does Yona have to find the reincarnated dragons but she also has to understand why the betrayal happened. 


Yona and Su-won
Son Hak and Yona
From left: Shin-ah, Yun, and  Ki-ja
From left: Yona, Son Hak, Shin-ah, Ki-ja, Jae-ha and Yun

I must admit I was iffy about watching this series. When I read the synopsis the first thought that came to mind was "Oh. A princess and her reverse harem." Initially Yona did fulfill what I expected her to be. Ignorant, pampered, and always in need of saving. Not that she had greatly improved. Her experiences did change her but she's essentially the same.

It's not so different from those series with a clueless leader who's prophesied to bring together powerful warriors. There are episodes though that contrasted the rule of a pacifist (King Il) versus a ruler willing to use force to bring about peace and stability (Su-won). The protagonist Su-won isn't exactly a bad guy. Sometimes I had to question the character of the previous king King Il, Yona's father. Yona and those close to her adored him but what would drive a man like Su-won to betray such a good king?

So, yes, it's more than just another adventure story. More than just about a princess trying to get her kingdom back. If you can see past all the cliche in Akatsuki no Yona, you might actually enjoy it.



Rating: 6.5 out of 10
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Comments are always welcome! Please keep it clean.

Popular Posts

Deities and Mythical Beings of the Davao Tribes

Note: I don't claim to be an expert in the mythology and religion of the six tribes featured here. My source for this information is Fay-Cooper Cole's The Wild Tribes of Davao District, Mindanao. This entry is solely a list for future references. The deities and mythological creatures here are from Fay-Cooper Cole's The Wild Tribes of Davao District, Mindanao . This is a list of the gods, goddesses, and spirits/spirit classes of the Bagobo, Bila-an, Kulaman, Tagakaolo, Ata, and Mandaya. I retained the spelling of the names found in the book. For full accounts of the myths and customs of the tribes, I recommend reading the book. BAGOBO Eugpamolak Manobo/Manama/Kalayagan  - first and greatest creator whose home is in the sky. Offerings for him should be white. Tolus ka balakat - name means "dweller in the balakat"; loves blood but not the flesh of humans and is one of the three deities for whom the yearly sacrifice is made. Mandarangan and Darago - husba...
Read more entries»

An Analysis of the Enuma Elish (The Epic of Creation) or The Seven Tablets of Creation, A Babylonian Creation Myth

*Note: This was a term paper for a class. Since I don't know what grade the professor gave me (or of she even read the paper at all), I decided to post it here. The Enuma Elish is also called The Seven Tablets of Creation. It documents the Babylonian creation epic. It was recorded in seven clay tablets found at various locations including the infamous library of Ashurbanipal at Nineveh, discovered by Austen Henry Layard. The name of the hero of the epic varies depending on where the tablet is found. The most common version tells of Marduk as the hero. In other versions, the god of the city is considered the hero. Introduction The title of the epic is taken from its opening line “When in the height, heaven was not named...” The epic chronicles Marduk’s war against Tiamat. He leads the other gods against the old divinity who had turned against her children. Besides Marduk’s exploits, the epic also tells about the birth of the gods and goddesses and the creation of the universe....
Post a Comment
Read more entries»

The Ghost of Sparta: A Review of the God of War Series

Several adaptations of Greek Mythology in media have appeared over the years. Some were successful while the others have failed to represent the ancient Greeks. Among the most memorable I've encountered is this series. Not only was it able to illustrate the heroes, monsters and gods in myths, but also brought to the fore the often ignored question - what happens to the Greek pantheon after they defeated the Titans? It is unique because the hero in this game is not a hercules-achilles-jason clone. The protagonist is a minor figure in Greek mythology. Kratos (Cratos) is a servant of the gods and one of Zeus' children, which is close enough to the real version (Cratos is not a child of Zeus, but one of his servants along with Nike). And unlike most heroes, he does not carry weapons to save humanity. He seeks revenge to cleanse his past. The series began when he sought to kill Ares, the God of War.  He was finally able to kill Ares with the help of the other gods. The portrayal...
Post a Comment
Read more entries»

Literary Theory and Criticism

Note: This is my final paper for Adv. Literary Theory and Criticism, one of my classes in MA in Literature.  October 2015. I'm posting this here as a backup in case I lose my copy and I need a guide in the future. Literature is the soul of a civilization. It is the collection of dreams, ideas and experiences of a people. It is what separates us from animals. It is an examination of our aspirations, happiness, fears and sadness, ideas and opinions. As a student of literature, I have learned that to get the most out of a poem, short story, novel, play or film, I must go beyond simple reading and observation. To do this however, I have to answer first the question "how do we fully appreciate a literary piece?" This essay is divided into four sections, namely; what is literature for me; the literary theories and criticism; Heneral Luna: a film review using the poststructuralist approach; and what makes a good literature? In the first part, I will recall my experiences a...
Post a Comment
Read more entries»