What do you think?
暁のヨナ [Akatsuki no Yona] #2
Yona of the Dawn, Vol. 2
A red-haired princess loses her family and her kingdom… Now she must rise and fight for her throne!
Princess Yona lives an ideal life as the only princess of her kingdom. Doted on by her father, the king, and protected by her faithful guard Hak, she cherishes the time spent with the man she loves, Su-won. But everything changes on her 16th birthday when tragedy strikes her family!
While on the run, Yona and Hak head to Hak’s hometown, where she attempts to heal her broken heart. However, she can’t rest there for long once she discovers that Su-won may soon become king! What will Yona choose to do in the wake of this news?
Princess Yona lives an ideal life as the only princess of her kingdom. Doted on by her father, the king, and protected by her faithful guard Hak, she cherishes the time spent with the man she loves, Su-won. But everything changes on her 16th birthday when tragedy strikes her family!
While on the run, Yona and Hak head to Hak’s hometown, where she attempts to heal her broken heart. However, she can’t rest there for long once she discovers that Su-won may soon become king! What will Yona choose to do in the wake of this news?
192 pages, Paperback
First published May 19, 2010
About the author
Mizuho Kusanagi
101 books907 followersKUSANAGI Mizuho (草凪みずほ) used to work as an assistant for Yoko Matsushita.
Circle(s): JAKE
Loves: drawing and considers herself to have a 'super fetish' for voices. As such, she loves seiyuu (voice actors) but also actors with good voices.
Favorite Food: Ramen. Prefers vegetables to meat.
Favorite Movies: Anything by Miyazaki, whom she loves! Also, The Sound of Music and Lord of the Rings.
Circle(s): JAKE
Loves: drawing and considers herself to have a 'super fetish' for voices. As such, she loves seiyuu (voice actors) but also actors with good voices.
Favorite Food: Ramen. Prefers vegetables to meat.
Favorite Movies: Anything by Miyazaki, whom she loves! Also, The Sound of Music and Lord of the Rings.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 829 reviews
April 22, 2023
➽ vol. 1 ★★★★
i really enjoyed this second installment, and learning more about this world and the five tribes. i also really liked a few new characters who were introduced, some i hope we get to see again, and some who i am very confident we will start out the next volume alongside. i love both yona and hak so much already and i feel very thankful to be able to follow them on what i am sure is going to continue to be a long and hard journey. and lastly, some of these art panels actually took my breath away because they were so beautiful and so powerful.
tw/cw: murder, death, grief, blood, serious medical injuries, war, fighting, violence, poisoning, seizure, a few comments on body weight
blog | instagram | youtube | kofi | spotify | amazon
♡ buddy read with Penny
“No matter how much distance lies between us.”
i really enjoyed this second installment, and learning more about this world and the five tribes. i also really liked a few new characters who were introduced, some i hope we get to see again, and some who i am very confident we will start out the next volume alongside. i love both yona and hak so much already and i feel very thankful to be able to follow them on what i am sure is going to continue to be a long and hard journey. and lastly, some of these art panels actually took my breath away because they were so beautiful and so powerful.
tw/cw: murder, death, grief, blood, serious medical injuries, war, fighting, violence, poisoning, seizure, a few comments on body weight
blog | instagram | youtube | kofi | spotify | amazon
♡ buddy read with Penny
Read
July 23, 2024the wind tribe 🥹🥹🥹 hak protecting yona 🥹🥹🥹 YONA PROTECTING HAK 🥹🥹🥹
February 28, 2023
What an action-packed volume!
Hak is really determined to protect Princess Yona. His tribe is so vibrant. 💙
And Suwon 😡
I also admired Yona's association with dawn and fire. Go princess! 💪🏻
Hak is really determined to protect Princess Yona. His tribe is so vibrant. 💙
And Suwon 😡
I also admired Yona's association with dawn and fire. Go princess! 💪🏻
February 27, 2020
I'm really enjoying this series! The romantic tension between Hak and Yona was great in this volume. I loved seeing Yona getting a bit braver and coming out of her shell after the tragedy that struck in vol 1. Excited to continue on with this series!
February 25, 2022
In this volume Yona escapes the palace and her hometown due to a tragedy that took place and she's taken to live in Hak's hometown. But dangers follow her everywhere she goes...
This volume was slightly better than the first one but I'm still not completely hooked! I need more!
This volume was slightly better than the first one but I'm still not completely hooked! I need more!
December 31, 2025
an action packed second volume!
July 23, 2019
[3.5]
Me gustó mucho más que el primer volumen, Yona se lució con su actitud, y Hak me encanta.
Ya quiero leer los demás volúmenes..
Me gustó mucho más que el primer volumen, Yona se lució con su actitud, y Hak me encanta.
Ya quiero leer los demás volúmenes..
September 2, 2025
4❤️❤️❤️❤️
for this historical fantasy manga
“I haven’t fallen yet!”
for this historical fantasy manga
“I haven’t fallen yet!”
November 1, 2023
Great installment! Further developing this political fantasy romance series.
Read
June 25, 2021I love how in mangas there can be a really intense scene going on and the mangaka writes in the margin something like “thank you so much for reading, here’s a link to my blog <3”
August 23, 2022
VIDEO REVIEW HERE: https://youtu.be/iT5HciwzgJw
Much more of an enjoyable volume than the last, though still not completely sold just yet.
However!
I do think that is slowly changing if Yona herself continues to change. I found her much more of an engaging character to follow once she made personal decisions, even though I think her grief was 100% accurate and made total sense. I didn't feel it was dragged out or anything, but I think its still hard for me not to compare her to Shirayuki from Snow White with the Red Hair. I know that is totally unfair to even remotely compare them because they are two very different women and Shirayuki has not remotely experienced the same trauma Yona has, but its still hard for me to currently unlink them when I hold such high regards for Snow White with the Red Hair, specifically how bold and strong Shirayuki is in her decisions.
With that said, I fully understand why Hak has captured so many readers because what an amazing hero he is! You really see him shine in his fighting and he totally fits for the swoonworthy hero. I definitely felt "captivated" by some of his actions! LOL!
Interestingly enough, I still don't hate Su-won. I always assumed I would, but the mangaka highlights his features in certain conversations that don't lead me to absolutely hate him? Also, I really felt some compassion for Kang Tae-Jun near the end of this volume. The art so strongly shows emotions and have taken time to really admire and look at some of these panels.
Onto volume three I go!
Much more of an enjoyable volume than the last, though still not completely sold just yet.
However!
I do think that is slowly changing if Yona herself continues to change. I found her much more of an engaging character to follow once she made personal decisions, even though I think her grief was 100% accurate and made total sense. I didn't feel it was dragged out or anything, but I think its still hard for me not to compare her to Shirayuki from Snow White with the Red Hair. I know that is totally unfair to even remotely compare them because they are two very different women and Shirayuki has not remotely experienced the same trauma Yona has, but its still hard for me to currently unlink them when I hold such high regards for Snow White with the Red Hair, specifically how bold and strong Shirayuki is in her decisions.
With that said, I fully understand why Hak has captured so many readers because what an amazing hero he is! You really see him shine in his fighting and he totally fits for the swoonworthy hero. I definitely felt "captivated" by some of his actions! LOL!
Interestingly enough, I still don't hate Su-won. I always assumed I would, but the mangaka highlights his features in certain conversations that don't lead me to absolutely hate him? Also, I really felt some compassion for Kang Tae-Jun near the end of this volume. The art so strongly shows emotions and have taken time to really admire and look at some of these panels.
Onto volume three I go!
May 9, 2018
Check out more manga and graphic novel reviews @ Perspective of a Writer...
This is a review of volumes 1-2 which I read together back to back. See the plot section for my thoughts on the individual volumes.
Princess Yona is the pampered daughter of her kingdom's king. Isolated and doted on she has two childhood friends, Hak, a general who also protects her and her cousin, Soo-won who helped her mourn her mother's passing and who she is crushing on big time. On her 16th birthday her entire world implodes to to a crippling betrayal... She must decide if she will fall in line or rise up and take back her kingdom.
This is one of those premises where its not the heroine that is going to draw you in at first, because she's the one doing the changing. I thought the setup of this idea was quite good. You knew who you were rooting for HAK! He's the hero right now and basically I hung in there because this was recommended to me as having dragons! In fact, I thought Yona as she is, spoiled and delusional though she may be, has promise. She knew she couldn't go along with her feelings even though she still felt them. And by the end of volume two she had determined to start acting more in line with what she wanted to become.
Soo-won is quite depthful for such a one note heroine. Yona, of course, will grow and as she gets into situations we will witness her depth, as we should. We start out though with quite the villain and I was happy for it... In particular I am curious about Soo-won and Hak's history which we explore some over these 2 volumes. This isn't a simple deceptive, snake like villain whose been lying in the grass. No this is turning his back on something real and something that he felt too! This relationship to our two protagonists added a lovely tension that kept me flying through the pages.
The art isn't my favorite. I favor the modern updated version of the big-eyed characters... but I found that this style suits the story. It has this old fashioned fantasy feel that adds rather than detracts. Plus it also has clean lines and uses a lot of the framing techniques that I love and when used well showcases the story so well. It totally won me over.
So with my rating at this point I rated volume 1 as a 3 star and volume 2 as a 4 star as the story has tons of promise so the average is 3.5 stars and I just rounded up because I have a good feeling about this series. Yes, we had your typical betrayal to steal a kingdom from a naive and spoiled princess... but we also have this lovely world that we get to explore and learn more about... which is a good thing for a princess to do, get to know her people! And we also got to see Yona in action... she isn't going to take this lying down... I look forward to more adventures were she really comes into her own.
⋆⭐⭐⭐⭐ Authenticity
⋆⭐⭐⭐⭐ Tension
⋆⭐⭐⭐⭐ Plot
⋆⭐⭐⭐⭐ Art
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You can find this review and many others on my book blog @ Perspective of a Writer. See my manga and graphic novel reviews in a special feature called Saturday Morning Cartoons...
June 7, 2017
Still can't get over the beautiful artwork and FREAKING HAK
April 23, 2022
Thunderbeast and Raging Firestorm sound freaking amazing
February 27, 2026
just cried over a doomed trio (wei wuxian, jiang cheng, jiang yanli) only to start reading about another doomed trio (yona, hak, soo-won) 😔💔
this volume was so beautiful. we could already see yona’s determination and changes in this volume. i love her already!!
it was kinda intriguing to see soo-won’s pov. it felt quite saddening. not sure how this is gonna go.
and hak!!! hak is literally one of the besttt characters fr :(((
this volume was so beautiful. we could already see yona’s determination and changes in this volume. i love her already!!
it was kinda intriguing to see soo-won’s pov. it felt quite saddening. not sure how this is gonna go.
and hak!!! hak is literally one of the besttt characters fr :(((
September 13, 2026
I really like yona, can’t wait to see her grow more.
February 19, 2022
3.75 out of 5 stars.
It's becoming more fun!!
ᴀᴋᴀᴛꜱᴜᴋɪ ɴᴏ ʏᴏɴᴀ ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡꜱ:
• Volume 1 — 3.5 stars
• Volume 2 — 3.75 stars
It's becoming more fun!!
ᴀᴋᴀᴛꜱᴜᴋɪ ɴᴏ ʏᴏɴᴀ ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡꜱ:
• Volume 1 — 3.5 stars
• Volume 2 — 3.75 stars
August 12, 2022
I love them sm
August 24, 2024
the irony is so painful ugh spare me kusanagi
May 15, 2021
Loving this series so much, and if it weren't for the awkward flirting (which always distracts me from the story a little bit) this would have had 5 stars!
June 26, 2021
Now that we're getting into the characters more this volume worked for me.
Yona is with Hak most of this volume as she learns to finally be a person again. After the events of the last volume she's still recovering and it's in this volume she learns who is truly important to her. With that, we get the Wind Tribe and all the other tribes meeting to accept a new King in the bastard we know who betrayed us all. But mostly I want to know why he really did it as you can tell they leave some clue into the real motivations here.
Overall, the fights are bigger and better here, Hak is a badass, Yona is finally coming back to herself, and the plot is moving at a solid pace. The comedic bits work well to break up the heavy story at times, and less exposition and more natural dialogue here. We're moving forward with a interesting Fantasy plot I can dig.
A 4 out of 5.
Yona is with Hak most of this volume as she learns to finally be a person again. After the events of the last volume she's still recovering and it's in this volume she learns who is truly important to her. With that, we get the Wind Tribe and all the other tribes meeting to accept a new King in the bastard we know who betrayed us all. But mostly I want to know why he really did it as you can tell they leave some clue into the real motivations here.
Overall, the fights are bigger and better here, Hak is a badass, Yona is finally coming back to herself, and the plot is moving at a solid pace. The comedic bits work well to break up the heavy story at times, and less exposition and more natural dialogue here. We're moving forward with a interesting Fantasy plot I can dig.
A 4 out of 5.
November 7, 2020
This story made an amazing turnaround for me in just this first volume or two. The story gained some depth and a whole heap more emotion. There are some great lines, too!
"I want you. So please give yourself to me!"Well, out of context they look mildly silly. Trust me, along with the art, they pack a punch. :D
"I said, get away from Hak!"
October 7, 2024
Fajnie było, ale ciężko mi się ocenia pojedyncze tomy mangi xD
February 13, 2021
1). Volume 1 ★★★★.5
2.) Volume 2 ★★★★★
-----------------------------------------------
representation: own voices all East Asian cast (i'm assuming Japanese like the author), character who has seizures.
[trigger warnings are listed at the bottom of this review and may contain spoilers]
★★★★★
love, love, love. I'm officially obsessed.
trigger warnings: murder, violence, loss of loved ones, seizures.
2.) Volume 2 ★★★★★
-----------------------------------------------
representation: own voices all East Asian cast (i'm assuming Japanese like the author), character who has seizures.
[trigger warnings are listed at the bottom of this review and may contain spoilers]
★★★★★
love, love, love. I'm officially obsessed.
trigger warnings: murder, violence, loss of loved ones, seizures.
April 26, 2019
Bueno pues ya están todos los clanes presentados, Yona fuerte y Hak dando su vida... Arranca la historia! Sin duda Yona, princesa del amanecer (Akatsuki No Yona) tiene uno de los mejores inicios de saga que he leido, impresionante!!!👘⚡🌺
October 1, 2019
¡MIL ESTRELLAS!
February 28, 2026
This series continues to build on its strong political foundation. I loved the introduction to the Wind Tribe and learning more about Hak’s upbringing and history.
Yona’s growing mental strength is starting to shine through, and her developing morals are adding meaningful depth to the political storyline.
As always, the illustrations are beautiful and I'm enjoying the dynamic between Yona and Hak.
Yona’s growing mental strength is starting to shine through, and her developing morals are adding meaningful depth to the political storyline.
As always, the illustrations are beautiful and I'm enjoying the dynamic between Yona and Hak.
August 31, 2021
4 stars ｡･:*˚:✧｡ oooff Hak is just the biggest flirt I have ever seen. I’m loving this series so far, can’t wait to read the rest. I’m excited that we have met some new characters! 💗 I really want to start the anime but I should read a few more volumes first.
September 2, 2026
Gosh Su-won is such an interesting villain. Yona’s development is starting to take in place, I love that it is slow and realistic because she came from being a spoiled privilege brat to now have the capacity to understand that the world doesn’t revolve around you—I love LOVE her so much!! And Hak. Oh Hak my prince my knight my man!!!!
The slow burn between Yona and Hak will kill me and I’m willing to die for it!!!!!
The slow burn between Yona and Hak will kill me and I’m willing to die for it!!!!!
August 24, 2025
I'm loving this so far!
On a manga kick recently, if you couldn't tell. XD
On a manga kick recently, if you couldn't tell. XD
Displaying 1 - 30 of 829 reviews