Yona of the Dawn

2014

Original language: Japanese

animation
action & adventure
sci-fi & fantasy

The story

Currently, Hiryuu Palace has no one else next in line for the throne other than the fifteen year old princess, Yona, who had been raised with care. Finally, the night of her sixteenth birthday arrives. She expects it to be a wonderful day spent with her peace-loving father, her servant and friend Hak, and her cousin Soo-won, who she had feelings for... However... That night, Yona goes to visit her father to tell him how she really feels, because he opposes to her getting married to Soo-won. However, when she gets to her room, she encounters a shocking truth.

What it’s like

Yona of the Dawn is an animated series with lush, painterly watercolor-style backdrops: warm sunlit palace courtyards giving way to misty mountain passes, forests dappled in green, and dusk skies bleeding orange and violet over war camps. Character designs are clean and expressive, with bright, saturated costumes in reds, golds and deep blues, and the action is fluid and sword-driven without becoming frantic. The score leans on sweeping strings and traditional-sounding flutes and drums, with quieter piano moments for tender scenes. Its vibe is wistful and adventurous, a slow-burn journey story with a steady sense of hope under heavy grief. The pacing is measured, spending real time on travel, camp life and quiet conversations between companions, and the arcs follow a sheltered young woman hardened by loss who grows into a determined leader and learns to trust the people around her. Violence is present and occasionally bloody, including battle deaths and a few harrowing betrayals, but it is not graphic for long stretches. Romance stays gentle and slow. It suits a long-form comfort watch, or viewers who want political intrigue and a coming-of-age arc in a fantasy setting.

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