Akatsuki no Yona is a manga that I completely fell in love with a decade ago. During these 10 years, there are times I hated it, where it annoyed me, but to its core it’s a manga that brought me a lot of comfort. I can't say it’s perfect, but it’s one that was part of my life for so long I feel like I grew a little bit with the characters. I was absolutely terrified to read its conclusion, but the author managed to write what is one of the best volumes of the manga as its finale.
The intensity of the plot is through the roof, as our beloved characters are giving everything in order to save each other. Up until the climax, I had no idea if all of them would manage to survive, and what would be the cost of it all. Each chapter brought beautifully drawn action scenes and very good conclusions for the character development, that made it very hard to wait for the next release.
The ending itself is very satisfying, as everything is brought to how it should be. I was so scared it would feel rushed, or too easy, but it came to be as the natural conclusion of a decade long struggle. It’s bittersweet, but it’s so full of hope, and isn't that the core of AkaYona itself?
Ultimately I’m so grateful to have had this story in my life for so long. I’m thankful to have fallen in love with Soowon, who will always stay as one of my favorite characters. I can only applaud the author for maintaining such high quality for so long. I’m so happy I’ll get to rediscover this manga with the continuation of the anime. And I will always be recommending this story to others, for years and years to come.
The ending itself felt a bit cold after everything they went through, but the arc itself is very cool and I liked where most of the pieces ended up. I wish we had a bit more time for the falling action, but it's been so long that I understand the creator needed to wrap it up. And I wish some things had been more permanent and/or explored more. Regardless, this series will always be close to my heart and I'm very grateful for the effort and love Kusanagi poured into it throughout the years.