Yona of the Dawn is a series that seemed to hold so much promise for me. It has been on my queue since I started watching anime almost 3 years ago, but I only recently got around to watching it. At the outset of the series, I was very excited to see the beautiful world that the story took place in, and was immediately drawn to the characters, with the first few episodes were very enjoyable. However, the series started to get too big for its own good, with the politics of Kouka needing attention but not receiving it, while the seemingly aimless quest that
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was introduced halfway through the first season taking precedence over both the growth of characters, and the politics of the kingdom. It lost the focus and precision that were hinted at in the first few episodes.
Alright, now to the breakdown. Beware of spoilers.
Art: 9/10
By far the best facet of this anime was the beautiful world that it took place in. No two villages were alike, with unique architecture and style denoting each place they visited. The lush greens of the forests they traveled were beautiful, along with the many cliffs and other natural wonders included in their journey. For me, when the story was lacking, I would admire the world that they were journeying in and choose to get lost in the landscape. One of the highlights for me was in the episode “The Senjuso test”.The setting of the test was beautiful and portrayed very believably. Again, the best aspect of this anime by far.
Sound: 7/10
While I acknowledge that the music and orchestrations were amazing (I especially loved the main theme of the show, or the title sequence for the first season), the same songs were recycled too often for my tastes. I remember one episode near the end (I believe it was 21) where they played the exact same theme with the same instrumentation within 3 minutes of each other. This is just lazy in my opinion. Also, I believe sometimes the music hindered the action or dialogue and took away from what was going on onscreen. Another aspect of the sound that was somewhat frustrating was the fact that the dialogue was sometimes incomprehensible over the loud music that was blaring (although this problem was solved by wearing headphones as opposed to using my tv speakers, it still is a problem nonetheless).
Story: 4/10 *SPOILERS*
This was the weakest part of the show by far for me. The show began with a murder and an escape. I guess maybe my expectations for what I wanted for this show may have gotten in the way, but the beginning definitely set up a very different story than what actually happened. The show goes between light hearted comedy and very dark themes and instances way too quickly. The introduction of the quest for the 4 dragons only confused the plot even more for me, with the end goal becoming even more obscured than it already was (the 4th dragons introduction was so mediocre and rushed). A show should not operate on the basis of keeping it’s watchers guessing about what the hell is the point of everything. The tipping point for me that really severed my trust was when the man who murdered Yonas father encounters Yona. Although Yona seems like she wants to kill him, there is NOTHING more said about it this for the duration of the series. Shouldn’t Yona be pursuing the throne? Or at the very least, wishing to use the power of the unified dragons to obtain revenge on her childhood friend turned murderer? Nope, she only wants to “help people”. In addition to this, I wanted to see so much more of the inner workings of the Kingdom under Su-Wons rule. However, all that I got were vague hints that he was just this great guy and that everyone was beginning to like him. I am all about compassion, but the setup for this show implied something different from the ending, which is not always inherently bad. However, in this instance, it hindered my understanding and enjoyment of this show.
Characters: 5/10
Another weak aspect of this show was the growth and development of the characters. While I greatly enjoyed the personalities of Yun and Jaeha, the stagnation of other characters angered me. For instance, let us take Yona. Can you really describe Yona as anything other than dainty and delicate? Yes, she takes up a bow, and yes she has the weird anime stereotype of “I just want to help everyone ever”, yet it was so unbelievable for me. Where was the constant motivation that the murder of her father should have brought? Where was her anger, her turmoil? Finally, how did she grow as a character? These questions remain unanswered and contribute to a portrait of a flat character who I really did not care about and a protagonist that had no clear goal in mind. The implied romance between Yona and Hak was weird, underwhelming, and just downright confusing. It’s like the creators couldn’t decide if they should be romantically involved so they just either didn’t address it or chose to hint at things that never were meant to happen. I could go on and on but I think you get the picture.
Overall: 6/10
Would I recommend? Yes, if only for the good music and awesome graphics. The story was underdeveloped, the characters were mostly flat, and the ending was meaningless. However, it was somewhat enjoyable to watch if you are able to put aside these confusing elements. It’s quirky sense of humor was fun and I admit I laughed a fair share. Sadly, this was not enough for me to get past the setbacks that I mentioned. Also, the amount of crying in this show was honestly staggering (So. Many. Tears.)
Jun 19, 2018
Akatsuki no Yona
(Anime)
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Yona of the Dawn is a series that seemed to hold so much promise for me. It has been on my queue since I started watching anime almost 3 years ago, but I only recently got around to watching it. At the outset of the series, I was very excited to see the beautiful world that the story took place in, and was immediately drawn to the characters, with the first few episodes were very enjoyable. However, the series started to get too big for its own good, with the politics of Kouka needing attention but not receiving it, while the seemingly aimless quest that
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