Yona is a BADASS! It's not often I come across a female protagonist that I LOVE, so when it happens, I get super excited. And I'm SUPER EXCITED about Akatsuki no Yona. Before I go off on that, though, I want to point out that this is not your typical reverse harem. The romantic aspect of the story, while certainly present, is often cast to the side in favor of... you know... things that actually matter when you're living in a world struck with war, famine, and disease. It's really awesome, and I highly recommend this series to everyone, especially young women.

Okay, now I get to talk about Yona. Yonaaaaaa! The thing I love most about her is that, despite the heavy supernatural and fantasy elements in the story, her development feels so real. In the beginning, she's just a spoiled princess whose only concerns in life are her hair and her childhood crush. However, once she witnesses the death of her father and is driven from her home, her character just flourishes. At first she seems completely broken, as you would expect from a pampered girl. She experiences hunger, pain, betrayal, and hopelessness for the first time in her life, but from that she develops a strong urge to survive. She also learns to really appreciate the warmth of family and friendship that she'd always taken for granted in her sheltered life. As she travels around her country in search of the dragons, she sees the reality of her kingdom, which is totally at odds with the idealistic and peaceful vision of her father. Seeing more and more suffering, her will to survive slowly evolves into a will to see her people survive, and she works hard to make it happen to the best of her ability while living as a fugitive.

And here's the best part about Yona, the thing that really gets me fired up about her character. Despite her physical weakness (an inevitability with her upbringing, as her father despised violence), and despite her having numerous incredible warriors at her side, she works damn HARD not to be a damsel. And when I say she "works hard", I don't mean that she continuously whines about wanting to help more without actually doing anything, nor do I mean she develops some mystical powers out of nowhere, nor do I mean that she suddenly becomes an incredible warrior overnight. She trains rigorously with a sword and bow, and we get to see her labor reflected in her calloused hands and bruised body throughout the series. She REALLY works hard and ACTUALLY improves over time.

As for the other characters, they're all really well developed. Yona's companions are a bit "typed" at first glance, but they're far from flat. The main cast consists of Yona, our lovely, wonderful, bestest heroine; her childhood friend, Hak, who is also the leader of the Wind tribe and a renowned fighter; Yun, the self-proclaimed genius bishounen; and the four dragon warriors that Yona seeks out during the first few story arcs. The main group gets quite large by about 50 chapters in, but every character is distinct, they all develop unique relationships with one another, and they all have their own demons that they have to grapple with as they grow.

It's not just the main cast that shines, though. By the time I got to the most recent chapters, I found myself caring deeply about everyone, even the "villains" and minor characters. I really love how your perspective of the characters in each arc shift as you start to see new sides of people that you first thought were obviously "good" or "bad". Really, being able to create such dynamic and relateable characters for minor roles is, imo, a huge testament to Mizuho Kusanagi's incredible storytelling ability.

The story itself has a very "epic" quality to it. The pacing is pretty slow at times, especially in the beginning. The first few chapters, before things start to take a supernatural turn, feel like an entirely different story. But I think the slower pace is really a very good thing, as it allows plotlines to develop more naturally instead of feeling forced. It's hard to pin down a central theme for the story, both because it's still ongoing and because soooooo many different things are explored. There's really something for everyone, whether you're a fan of action, adventure, fantasy, romance, coming-of-age, or you just want something fresh to fall in love with.

>Story-------------------------10

>Art-----------------------------9

>Characters------------------10

>Enjoyment-----------------10

>Overall----------------------10