Yona of the Dawn Vol. 1by Sheena McNeilReviews may contain information that could be considered 'spoilers'. Readers should proceed at their own risk. Publisher
Credits Grade: 7 It's Princess Yona's 16th birthday. She confesses her feelings to her childhood love, Su-Won, shortly before witnessing him murder her father and stage a coup. Her trusted bodyguard, General Hak, helps her escape.This is one heck of an opening volume! It hits hard. The manga-ka does an excellent job of letting us see the emotional extremes that Yona is put through. The visuals really drive home the horror and the horribleness of the experience. And all of this after the very shojo scenes of a teenage girl worrying about and confessing her love. It even set things up as a bit of a love triangle before the sudden and unexpected betrayal. The only thing that left me a bit confused was why Su-Won played along with the confession scene rather than turning her down. It wouldn't have changed his plans for that evening at all. It feels like the manga-ka wanted to leave the possibility out there for romance between Su-Won and Yona, but it doesn't make sense if (a) he was really pretending all these years and / or (b) he does love her but still planned this particular course of action knowing how it would affect her whether or not she saw the murder. We are first introduced to the relationship between Yona and Hak, which is a wonderful love-hate stemming from being comfortable and familiar with each other. Yona even jokes that they're engaged! By the end of this volume we know he cares for her beyond his "job", but the fact that neither sees the other as a romantic option (yet) is great -- I much prefer this type of relationship, especially with us already seeing him being protective of her and wanting her happiness. One of my favorite parts of this volume was the flashback to when Hak first agreed to become her guard. We learn a lot about Hak's character, and, really, I fell in love with him a bit then. Yes, he had a bit of an arrogant attitude, but it was based on naivety and ignorance and youth. I love that he notices the king's actions and changes his opinion of him. I also love how he stands up for Yona against and unwanted suitor (they pretend to be a couple here too, which is another nice bit of foreshadowing). Of course, I really love that Hak outranks the other suitor; it's a real mic drop moment. There's also a childhood flashback with all three of the main characters, showing us that they were genuinely close friends at one point, which is fun an insightful. I'm really not sure where this will go from here. It almost reads like a stand-alone volume. The back cover shows Yona with a sword, which makes me hopeful that Hak will teach her how to fight and together they will take back her kingdom. However, there is no hints in the story as to this or any other specific direction the plot might take. So, it's a powerful first volume, with a heavy focus on the emotional impact on Yona. But I don't like that I can't get a gauge for the series yet. Written: September 4, 2016
|
|
|
Home |
Features |
Columns |
Culture Vultures |
Report Card
Indicia | Contact | Archives © Sequential Tart, 1998 – 2021 |
