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夜明けの唄 [Yoake no Uta] #6
Lullaby of the Dawn, Volume 6
Night after night, Elva steps forth into the black sea, driving back creatures that surge forth from the waves.
He is one of the 'kannagi,' white-haired, ageless warriors chosen to protect the people of the island. Although kannagi are destined to live short and lonely lives, Elva has found a devoted companion in Alto, whose touch heals the black stains left by the cursed sea, and who has sworn to free him from his cursed fate.
Consumed by revenge, Mikhail cuts a bloody swathe through the people of the village — but can Elva bring himself to cut down his long-lost friend? In the traumatic aftermath, Alto begins pulling away from his beloved Elva. Dark secrets are brought into the light and their love for one another is reaffirmed as Elva takes matters into his own hands.
He is one of the 'kannagi,' white-haired, ageless warriors chosen to protect the people of the island. Although kannagi are destined to live short and lonely lives, Elva has found a devoted companion in Alto, whose touch heals the black stains left by the cursed sea, and who has sworn to free him from his cursed fate.
Consumed by revenge, Mikhail cuts a bloody swathe through the people of the village — but can Elva bring himself to cut down his long-lost friend? In the traumatic aftermath, Alto begins pulling away from his beloved Elva. Dark secrets are brought into the light and their love for one another is reaffirmed as Elva takes matters into his own hands.
208 pages, Paperback
Published December 23, 2025
8 people are currently reading
127 people want to read
About the author
Ichika Yuno
10 books30 followersIchika Yuno (Jap: ユノイチカ is a Japanese mangaka of Boy's Love.
The debut work Yoake no uta (Jap: 夜明けの唄; Eng: Lullaby of the Dawn), a fantasy Boy's Love manga, was first at Kono BL ga yabai! 2022 and BL award 2022.
The debut work Yoake no uta (Jap: 夜明けの唄; Eng: Lullaby of the Dawn), a fantasy Boy's Love manga, was first at Kono BL ga yabai! 2022 and BL award 2022.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
December 8, 2025
oh no...what the fuck is that stain????
what if alto cant leave the island without blackening??
not cool, man, not cool.
also, alto's father was such a looker~
what if alto cant leave the island without blackening??
not cool, man, not cool.
also, alto's father was such a looker~
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 24, 2025
I went into this volume genuinely excited only to be punched in the face by pure horror in the first chapter. The opening was incredible, but everything that followed are underwhelming. Even the long-awaited Elva and Alto moment, which should’ve been a huge emotional payoff, ended up feeling unrewarding. I was hoping we’d finally get answers or a clear direction, but the author just keeps circling and playing around. And then Mikael really broke me. What happened to him was horrifying. It’s devastating and infuriating, and it makes the lack of narrative clarity hurt even more.
I really, really hope the next volume delivers something stronger—answers, justice, direction, something—because after everything these characters have suffered, the story owes them (and us) that much.
I really, really hope the next volume delivers something stronger—answers, justice, direction, something—because after everything these characters have suffered, the story owes them (and us) that much.
January 1, 2026
4/5stars
This continuation was SO GOOD but I can't believe I'm back to waiting for the next volume already aslkdjalksdjal but this book was both horrific (the beginning of this volume is just DAMN so intense and emotional) but then we also have such sweet and gentle moments with elva and alto. I adore them so much <3
This continuation was SO GOOD but I can't believe I'm back to waiting for the next volume already aslkdjalksdjal but this book was both horrific (the beginning of this volume is just DAMN so intense and emotional) but then we also have such sweet and gentle moments with elva and alto. I adore them so much <3
December 28, 2025
Very close to 5 stars; the pacing is just a little bit choppy, but all the content is great.
The beginning is devastating, and shows an interesting parallel with the ending. The black sea and its inhabitants continue to be presented as evil, and it seems that at their core they probably are. Or, at least, because they're not human, they don't have human values and don't think anything of taking lives. Their primary motivation at this point is to emerge from the sea and to take over human bodies.
From there...I don't really know what the plan is. Their ultimate goal is for all the black sea creatures to have human forms, to be able to live on the land together. The issue is that once they take over a body, part of that body - who the person originally was - begins tangling with the creature, and over time they can become more and more human.
Elva's kannagi friend, Mikael, is the "newest" to be possessed, I suppose, or at least he's still torn between what the sea wants and what his own human desires are. He joined with the sea out of a sense of revenge, which I continue to think is pretty valid, based on the horrific things he learned about how the kannagi have been treated and the way these beast-like humans behave. The only thing he really cares about anymore is Elva, so if he destroys all humans, like the sea wants, it will make a better world for both of them...a world where Elva can be happy again.
The problem is, Elva's already found his happiness: in Alto, who as Elva's lover is more important to him than Mikael can ever be. That's the argument, anyway, and another source of Mikael's anger as he tries to carry out his mission...failing at the last moment because his human heart still loves the friend he'd sworn to do all this for...the friend who despite all the horrors doesn't want him to kill the humans who caused all this harm.
Two very important things happen here: Mikael stops fighting, and is as a result completely taken over by the sea, which is still a separate entity within him. And Nina, who is also from the sea but who has had a child with the human Shiyan, sends someone to stop Mikael because he refuses to spare any human's life, even Shiyan's.
This, added to the truth we finally learn about Alto's father, shows that the sea isn't all bad...given enough time and exposure, its creatures have the capacity to learn how to be human, including how to love and how to sacrifice for others. Unfortunately, that still seems to be tied to taking on a human form, which means displacing or fusing with an existing person, so that's a pretty big hurdle to overcome. I really don't know what the ultimate solution is going to be with the sea.
On the other side of the coin, we have humans, who are just as horrific, without the excuse of being "monsters." The scene where they tear Mikael's body apart, even after Elva has already killed him, is brutal and disgusting and entirely intended to be. These are the people Elva is protecting, and continues to sacrifice himself for. Is it worth it? That's a genuinely good question that doesn't have a solid answer.
The rest of the plot's moving along at a pretty good pace now, with Letty and Juno taking Alto off the island, to the regular human world. That's going to make the next volume incredibly interesting and different. It also leaves Elva behind for a while, which is distressing for him and me as a reader...not only is the sea still a major problem, but thanks to the secrets Mikael spilled before his death, the villagers are starting witchhunts among themselves, searching for the "possessed," and questioning everything they've known about life on their island.
Loved the relationship progression between Elva and Alto, with them really communicating about their feelings, and Elva struggling with whether he can trust Alto. (And whether he can bear to let him go.)
There are still some lighthearted moments to balance out all the drama, and I continue to adore Manieri. If he doesn't get the blissfully happy ending he's hoping for, I'm throwing this series in the bin.
The beginning is devastating, and shows an interesting parallel with the ending. The black sea and its inhabitants continue to be presented as evil, and it seems that at their core they probably are. Or, at least, because they're not human, they don't have human values and don't think anything of taking lives. Their primary motivation at this point is to emerge from the sea and to take over human bodies.
From there...I don't really know what the plan is. Their ultimate goal is for all the black sea creatures to have human forms, to be able to live on the land together. The issue is that once they take over a body, part of that body - who the person originally was - begins tangling with the creature, and over time they can become more and more human.
Elva's kannagi friend, Mikael, is the "newest" to be possessed, I suppose, or at least he's still torn between what the sea wants and what his own human desires are. He joined with the sea out of a sense of revenge, which I continue to think is pretty valid, based on the horrific things he learned about how the kannagi have been treated and the way these beast-like humans behave. The only thing he really cares about anymore is Elva, so if he destroys all humans, like the sea wants, it will make a better world for both of them...a world where Elva can be happy again.
The problem is, Elva's already found his happiness: in Alto, who as Elva's lover is more important to him than Mikael can ever be. That's the argument, anyway, and another source of Mikael's anger as he tries to carry out his mission...failing at the last moment because his human heart still loves the friend he'd sworn to do all this for...the friend who despite all the horrors doesn't want him to kill the humans who caused all this harm.
Two very important things happen here: Mikael stops fighting, and is as a result completely taken over by the sea, which is still a separate entity within him. And Nina, who is also from the sea but who has had a child with the human Shiyan, sends someone to stop Mikael because he refuses to spare any human's life, even Shiyan's.
This, added to the truth we finally learn about Alto's father, shows that the sea isn't all bad...given enough time and exposure, its creatures have the capacity to learn how to be human, including how to love and how to sacrifice for others. Unfortunately, that still seems to be tied to taking on a human form, which means displacing or fusing with an existing person, so that's a pretty big hurdle to overcome. I really don't know what the ultimate solution is going to be with the sea.
On the other side of the coin, we have humans, who are just as horrific, without the excuse of being "monsters." The scene where they tear Mikael's body apart, even after Elva has already killed him, is brutal and disgusting and entirely intended to be. These are the people Elva is protecting, and continues to sacrifice himself for. Is it worth it? That's a genuinely good question that doesn't have a solid answer.
The rest of the plot's moving along at a pretty good pace now, with Letty and Juno taking Alto off the island, to the regular human world. That's going to make the next volume incredibly interesting and different. It also leaves Elva behind for a while, which is distressing for him and me as a reader...not only is the sea still a major problem, but thanks to the secrets Mikael spilled before his death, the villagers are starting witchhunts among themselves, searching for the "possessed," and questioning everything they've known about life on their island.
Loved the relationship progression between Elva and Alto, with them really communicating about their feelings, and Elva struggling with whether he can trust Alto. (And whether he can bear to let him go.)
There are still some lighthearted moments to balance out all the drama, and I continue to adore Manieri. If he doesn't get the blissfully happy ending he's hoping for, I'm throwing this series in the bin.
November 30, 2025
I'm having an amazing time with LotD, and have been entertained by some of the twists throughout the series. I love Alto and Elva as a couple and have enjoyed watching their relationship develop in the context of the fantastical (and horrific) elements of the story.
I think some folks may be disappointed by some of Elva's reactions to the horrors he experiences in this volume, but as someone who likes drama, I was all about it. I also like emotional sex so that also worked well for me.
Some open questions:
-This is the only volume of LotD that came out in English in 2025. I saw this was supposed to be published in June, then it was pushed back with the e-book publishing in November (which is now on Hoopla, if you have that) and the physical copy coming in late December. Does anyone know why?
-I've also seen some reviews talk about how this was supposed to be the final volume. I think we're nearing the end, but we need at least a few more volumes to actually wrap up all the mysteries, etc. Does anyone happen to know if the final volume count has been announced?
I think some folks may be disappointed by some of Elva's reactions to the horrors he experiences in this volume, but as someone who likes drama, I was all about it. I also like emotional sex so that also worked well for me.
Some open questions:
-This is the only volume of LotD that came out in English in 2025. I saw this was supposed to be published in June, then it was pushed back with the e-book publishing in November (which is now on Hoopla, if you have that) and the physical copy coming in late December. Does anyone know why?
-I've also seen some reviews talk about how this was supposed to be the final volume. I think we're nearing the end, but we need at least a few more volumes to actually wrap up all the mysteries, etc. Does anyone happen to know if the final volume count has been announced?
December 25, 2025
It was hard to read the emotional turmoil of the characters, but also great to see their relationship deepen. Elva and Alto are facing some serious trials. I cannot wait to see what they learn outside of the island.
December 24, 2025
best manga of our generation
December 24, 2025
Fragmented, confusing, more questions than answers.
December 31, 2025
MY HEART
December 2, 2025
Elva and Alto finally get their moment and the author treats them like garbage and ignores that huge emotional build up over 6 books!!!
The rinse and recycle of the story, the dullness, it's too much. Elva and Alto were the last straw, they deserved better. Not bothering with anymore books.
The rinse and recycle of the story, the dullness, it's too much. Elva and Alto were the last straw, they deserved better. Not bothering with anymore books.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews