LogFAQs > #967834675

(We're officially out of the mediocre idol anime group)

164. Yona of the Dawn
https://myanimelist.net/anime/25013/Akatsuki_no_Yona
Fall 2014 (24 episodes)
My Score: 4/10, MAL Score: 8.03/10
Best Character: Yona

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iPqTVcpmpA

Premise: Yona is a princess who dreams of marrying Su-won, the man she loves. Then Su-won kills her father and usurps the throne, forcing Yona to flee with her trusted bodyguard, Son Hak.

The Good: I like the idea of a princess in hiding, and for the most part Yona of the Dawn handles it well. Yona was sheltered all her life, so this is her seeing the world for the first time in the worst circumstances imaginable. The main plot also has a focus on finding legendary warriors to ally with her. I enjoyed the quest to find those dragon guys.

The Bad: I wouldve liked Yona of the Dawn immensely more if it had gotten another season. This season wasnt bad, but it felt like a prequel to a much larger story. Yonas father was murdered by the man she loved, forcing her to go on the run and gather legendary allies, and go read the source material if you want more, I guess. Plenty of anime are only partial stories, but this one bugged me way more than usual because it felt like it ended right when the story was finally about to get started. I also had a problem with some of the more comedic moments in this. Lots of anime do that thing where the art style degrades into a kind of chibi format for a quick joke. Normally I enjoy those bits, but in this it felt harshly out of place next to the life-and-death situations Yona was in. Her father is dead after a horrific betrayal, her life has been shattered... now its time for a gag or two.

Overall: Yona of the Dawn had a solid premise that I enjoyed quite a bit. Sadly, the anime ended right when it felt like the story was getting started, which soured the experience for me. I also felt some of the comedic moments were out of place.