Akatsuki no Yona is the first series to break the Anime From the Vault and Enzo Loves Manga barrier, and I can’t think of a more worthy candidate. I hope you enjoy this video appreciation, which I think is a big level up in terms of production values – that’s thanks to my RC colleague FJ Freeman, who helped me out on the production side this time.
Most of you know Yona – and my love for it – quite well already. But it never hurts to call out greatness when you see it. And if you haven’t read or watched this series yet, well – that’s an oversight you really need to rectify.
deathslinky
August 2, 2021 at 2:25 pmAkatsuki no Yona really was a great series. I totally feel the love. However, Enzo’s pronunciation of the word “Akatsuki” throws me off. I’ve always pronounced it a-KA-tsu-KI rather than A-ka-TSU-ki. The evil organization in Naruto is also called Akatsuki, and I learned how to pronounce it from listening to the voice actors from that show. There’s a bunch of other shows that use the word “akatsuki” but I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone on those shows pronounce it the way Enzo does.
As far as the anime adaptation goes, the 24 main episodes covered up through Chapter 47 (end of Volume 8). There were 3 OVA episodes. The first covered a bonus chapter from Volume 12. OVAs 2 and 3 covered Zeno’s backstory, which were in Chapters 101-105 (Volume 18). This part in the manga happens right after Zeno has one of the most badass moments in the entire series…which would have been the perfect capstone to a second season, if only they could have made it.
Riv
August 3, 2021 at 4:45 amI’m glad you highlighted Yona! I started with the anime, I think based on an earlier rec of yours, and then got hooked on the manga. I agree with all you said about it’s good qualities. I also want to point out a small moment that happens later in the manga but that really stuck with me. (it’s too small and tangential to the plot to count as a spoiler.) In one chapter, Yona is shown dealing with menstruating while she’s traveling with a bunch of men. Given that menstruation is such a central part of many women’s lives but is rarely acknowledged even in stories with female MCs, it was really refreshing to see the mangaka include it in an empathetic way. In general, I love how she writes the female characters. (And the guys too).
Guardian Enzo
August 4, 2021 at 4:12 pmI’m ashamed to admit I forgot about that moment in the manga.
Kuma Shock
August 4, 2021 at 12:13 pmfirst off let me say i absolutely love Akatsuki no Yona. It is one of my all time favourite anime series ever. I purposefully kept away from the manga in case they made another anime series because I didn’t want to spoil it unfolding for me. This may seem like a dumb question but why didn’t a show of that quality get the second series it so richly deserved?
I really enjoyed the Zeno ovas too. The poignancy of his situation was excellently handled and was very tightly written and produced. it left you with a very good understanding of him afterward… but then it all ends…
Guardian Enzo
August 4, 2021 at 4:15 pmThose OVAs (and the manga) sold me on Zeno in a way the intro chapters in the manga never did. Yoon will always be my favorite in the series but Zeno became my favorite of the dragons.
I don’t think quality has much if anything to do with whether a series gets multiple anime seasons. Shoujo rarely have over the last decade, especially non hardcore romances. Chihayafuru is an exception but it’s a really, really big seller. Yona is too but not on that same level. I just don’t think there was any way the adaptation could generate enough profit for the production committee.
Kuma Shock
August 8, 2021 at 12:11 pmYes that is the reality of the industry isn’t it? It would be nice, when planning a multi-season project like Yona, funding could have been secured for the entire project. 🙁
DukeofEarls
August 9, 2021 at 6:22 amEvery year since its release I check for a new season, always to be left disappointed =(.
Guardian Enzo
August 9, 2021 at 8:33 amNever gonna happen, sadly.
Collectr
August 17, 2021 at 9:10 pmI sadly agree: a great series that will never get the full adaption it deserves. I had hoped that Saiun Monogatari would be a precedent for a long shoujo adaptation, but it was not to be.
See https://collectr.blogspot.com/2015/03/akatsuki-no-yona-retrospective.html for a more in-depth review
Guardian Enzo
August 17, 2021 at 9:18 pmThanks for your hard work on this one.