An incredibly elegant and flowery-looking anime franchise is Yona of the Dawn. Somewhat based on the historical period of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, the series combines romance, adventure, action and fantasy in one beautiful package. Its original manga is also incredibly long-lived, having started before the 2010s and continuing to this day.
Although the anime might be a bit easier to get into and watch in its entirety, the manga is nothing to sleep on. With no signs of slowing down, Yona of the Dawn breaks convention and is much more than the typical shojo series. Here's where to read and watch this adventurous fantasy epic.
The Plot of Yona of the Dawn
Yona of the Dawn stars the eponymous Yona, a young redheaded girl who's also a rather pampered princess. The sole heir to the throne, her kingdom was once made prosperous centuries ago under the guidance of a dragon-turned-human. Working alongside now-legendary warriors, this dragon turned the Kingdom of Kouka into a haven. Yona still lives off of that prosperity, but the world outside the castle walls is far more turbulent.
When a seemingly loyal loved one betrays her and her father the king, Yona is forced to flee in order to survive. Her only hope of reclaiming her rightful throne and restoring order to Kouka is to find the legendary warriors who once fought with the dragon. Guided merely by myth, Yona begins her quest to save her land.
Where to Read the Yona of the Dawn Manga
Mizuho Kusanagi created Yona of the Dawn, which was published through the Hana to Yume shojo magazine. The series has easily been her longest and most successful yet, with everything else in her bibliography being mainly one-shots. Beginning in 2009, the series is still running today, with 37 volumes collected so far. Viz Media has localized the series since 2015, which was after the anime ended its run. 35 of the volumes have been brought over to the West so far, with the 36th planned for release this summer.
Most major retailers carry the series, including Walmart, Target, Books-a-Million and Barnes & Noble. Online retailers such as Right Stuf Anime and Amazon also have physical versions of Yona of the Dawn, with Kindle & Comixology having it available through digital release.
Where to Watch the Yona of the Dawn Anime
The anime adaptation of Yona of the Dawn came out in 2014, airing until 2015 for 24 episodes. The series was animated by the studio Pierrot, which is known for such shows as Naruto and its two sequels Naruto: Shippuden and Boruto, as well as Bleach, Kingdom and the anime for Black Clover. Funimation licensed the show for the West, later providing a dubbed version of the series.
There were also three OVA specials that were packaged with the manga releases. Despite there still being lots of material to adapt, there's yet to be a new season. The Blu-ray collection of the series can be bought at Walmart, Target, Best Buy, Right Stuf Anime and Amazon. It can also be watched through streaming services including Crunchyroll, Funimation, VRV and Hulu.