It is Princess Yona’s 16th birthday and the question that everybody’s asking is who is she going to marry now that she is of marrying age? Yona has her heart set on her cousin, Su-Won, who she adores. As Yona goes to plead her case with her father, who objects to this union, she finds herself embroiled in a catastrophic event that results in her fleeing from her kingdom into wild, new territory and seeking the help of a band of rogue warriors to reclaim what is rightfully hers.
Story
The show’s premise was not especially interesting. It reminded me of Nickelodeon’s Avatar: The Legend of Aang, what with its motley cast of rebels travelling the world, trying to bring peace to warring tribes each named after a different element. However, this show lacked Avatar’s charm, deeper messages of tolerance, and awesomely choreographed fight scenes. It also suffered issues with its pacing. By the show’s completion its primary conflict had barely begun to be resolved. Nevertheless, I did find myself enjoying the show somewhat. It was easy to follow and made for a nice bit of mindless viewing.
Characters
Whilst no particular character leapt out at me as being especially interesting or lovable, there were a wide variety of them, each with their own unique set of characteristics. Particularly impressive was the fact that the show was able to dedicate time to developing the backstory of every main character and many of the supporting cast. And whilst I expected to be annoyed by the helplessness of the titular character, she really did try her best to become more independent and stronger as the show progressed – even if she did have to be rescued countless times! My only real problem was with that irritating squirrel, Ao. I couldn’t stand that thing or the annoying, un-squirrel-like noises it was constantly making. I’ve never understood the need to give a princess a cute, animal sidekick. It wasn’t cute, it wasn’t funny, it was irritating and actually detracted from my enjoyment of the show.
Art
The art was attractive. At points, it was even quite beautiful. Yona’s world was colourful and every important character had interesting elements of visual design.
Music
This was probably my favourite aspect of the show. Whilst there were a couple of gaffes, e.g., the forgettable techno-pop second opening, the music, which made full use of many traditional Eastern instruments, was generally outstanding and in keeping with the show’s historical drama genre.
Overall enjoyment
Whilst Akatsuki no Yona had its problems, e.g., with its unexceptional premise and pacing, it was better than I expected and was still somewhat enjoyable. What the show lacked in gripping story it started to make up for with its generosity in terms of character development and pleasing art and music. I’m not sure whether I’d recommend it to anybody, but I certainly wouldn’t passionately persuade anybody against watching it either.
