Akatsuki no Yona is a story about a princess who is on a journey to reclaim her kingdom. To do that she needs to reunite the legendary four dragons and do something about poverty and crime spreading through her country.
She also has to deal with her throne usurping cousin, who, as an antagonist, is an intriguingly complex character. Yona herself initially comes across as very sweet but boring, which is one reason why I was a bit reluctant to continue this at first. The other characters, who join her as the story progresses, are much more entertaining than Yona. BUT: this show does not employ an ever repeating formula with no character growth and a never changing status quo. Yona does grow and changes as she realises that she has lived a sheltered life, which made her ignorant of the troubles that she now faces. And as she slowly gains this realisation she starts to do something about it and works on herself. Which is honestly so damn enjoyable to watch and excuses the rather slow progress the show makes in the first season.
As it is now, the story has only just begun and the first season only collects all the main characters, which does for a sometimes uneven pace. This is one reason why I'd say that this isn't a perfect anime. Another reason is the animation. I personally find it somewhat lacking, the fight sequences especially are rather mediocre. The soundtrack is fine and so is the art style, but a more dynamic animation would have made this so much better, given what a suspenseful material it is trying to illustrate.
There is so much potential though and as the manga readers know, this is going places! So I truly hope that Yona gets a second season.
She also has to deal with her throne usurping cousin, who, as an antagonist, is an intriguingly complex character. Yona herself initially comes across as very sweet but boring, which is one reason why I was a bit reluctant to continue this at first. The other characters, who join her as the story progresses, are much more entertaining than Yona. BUT: this show does not employ an ever repeating formula with no character growth and a never changing status quo. Yona does grow and changes as she realises that she has lived a sheltered life, which made her ignorant of the troubles that she now faces. And as she slowly gains this realisation she starts to do something about it and works on herself. Which is honestly so damn enjoyable to watch and excuses the rather slow progress the show makes in the first season.
As it is now, the story has only just begun and the first season only collects all the main characters, which does for a sometimes uneven pace. This is one reason why I'd say that this isn't a perfect anime. Another reason is the animation. I personally find it somewhat lacking, the fight sequences especially are rather mediocre. The soundtrack is fine and so is the art style, but a more dynamic animation would have made this so much better, given what a suspenseful material it is trying to illustrate.
There is so much potential though and as the manga readers know, this is going places! So I truly hope that Yona gets a second season.