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暁のヨナ [Akatsuki no Yona] #4

Yona of the Dawn, Vol. 4

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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 a quest to find the Four Legendary Dragon Warriors, Yona and her friends meet Gija, the White Dragon. Gija uses his power to detect the other Dragons, but locating the Blue Dragon proves to be more difficult than expected, and the group runs into a string of disasters!

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 19, 2011

154 people are currently reading
1268 people want to read

About the author

Mizuho Kusanagi

113 books861 followers
KUSANAGI 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.

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5 stars
4,928 (59%)
4 stars
2,622 (31%)
3 stars
632 (7%)
2 stars
41 (<1%)
1 star
7 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 610 reviews
Profile Image for Melanie (meltotheany).
1,197 reviews102k followers
December 9, 2023
vol. 1 ★★★★
vol. 2 ★★★
vol. 3 ★★★

this fourth installment really tugged on my whole heart ;___; i love the blue dragon so much already. in this volume, yona, hak, gija, and yun are travelling to find another dragon. they find a small group of people, living in a cave, where maybe the blue dragon resides. we get to see the backstory, and powers, of him and... ahhh, it was very emotional for me. oh, and i am now also in love with a pet squirrel! i also really loved seeing yona just want to take some agency back for herself, as well. all of her friendships are really so beautiful and so supportive and i love being able to read her story. i truly love these all of these characters so much, and i can't wait to continue on with this series, and meet two more dragons!

trigger and content warnings: a few mentions of bugs, threat of robbing, violence, death, attempted kidnapping, mention of suicide, child abandonment, captivity.

blog | instagram | youtube | kofi | spotify | amazon
Profile Image for tamazawareads.
206 reviews147 followers
June 7, 2017
*SPOILERS*

5 stars because the blue dragon is my baby cinnamon roll that must be protected at all costs.

I really am just completely floored by the execution of this manga. The artwork is beautiful, and the characters are so intricately built. I was so intrigued by Ao as a character (not the squirrel, the blue dragon before shin-ah) i thought he was so horrible at first, I mean, who yells at a kid like that? But then in no time at all we see that he's actually really caring and he's just driven mad by his power and then he just ARGH I WAS SOBBING AT THE BELLS.
Profile Image for Medha .
116 reviews66 followers
March 3, 2022
3.5 stars.
In this volume, Princess Yona, Yun, Hak and the White dragon seek out the Blue dragon to convince him to join them. But the blue dragon has his own fears and he finds it hard trusting these strangers...

This was my favorite volume so far.


The Blue Dragon.


The White Dragon
Profile Image for Sarah Ryder.
1,046 reviews238 followers
November 1, 2025
October 2025 Reread: I always forget how much the Blue Dragon suffered until I rewatch/reread this part and then it just hurts all over again.

And even though I love the art in every volume, I especially love it in this one, the emotions and actions are incredibly done!

******

May 2021 Review: Can I just say Hak and Gija’s bickering is the best thing ever and makes me crack up laughing every single time they go at it? Not to mention Yona then reprimanding them and Yun just saying “what a pain” on the sidelines is just the funniest thing ever and cracked me up at least 20 times while reading this volume.

Gija’s struggles with living out in the wild and being WAY out of his comfort zone was really well done and felt real in his response and actions towards everything.

And the Blue Dragon... 😭 The poor guy! I felt so SORRY for him and all he’s been through and it just made me tear up over how achingly HEARTBREAKING the whole situation was for him and all the previous Blue Dragons.

Also, Yun was totally the first to notice Hak and Yona like each other—just saying. 😉

And where we leave off...well, let’s just say I’m happy I know what happens next due to the anime, or I’d be a basket case right now (even though I already am one, but shhh...).


‼️Content‼️

TRIGGER WARNING: emotional/verbal abuse to a child

Language: gah; pissed

Violence: injuries and blood (PG-PG-13); fighting with weapons (PG-PG-13); a child used his power to kill a whole army (bodies are shown but not the action itself); a sword is pointed at a girl

Sexual: mild suggestive hints/comments; a creepy guy tries to take a girl into underground caverns (nothing happens and she’s rescued)

Other: death and grief; fantasy gods in a fantasy world; reincarnations of spiritual dragon warriors and king; magical powers; dead bodies (PG); emotional/verbal abuse to a child; a character is called cursed and a monster; an earthquake/cave in
Profile Image for Laura Evlolle.
81 reviews282 followers
November 12, 2018
Es war SO GUT. Vor allem die Vergangenheit vom Blauen Drachen hat mir das Herz rausgerissen und ich möchte ihn einfach nur in den Arm nehmen.
Profile Image for vin .ᐟ (hiatus).
258 reviews216 followers
Read
August 3, 2024
i love these characters so much ajskqlqhssks ,,, the blue dragon's backstory was so sad :( and yona bb YOU DESERVE THE WORLDDD 🥺 can we also talk about how CUTE this cover is??? yun ilysm too 🤍 and now that i mention it, hak you as well!! oh and gija, oh and-
Profile Image for Mary Emma Sivils.
Author 1 book62 followers
February 20, 2022
Ok, the banter between Hak and Gija is the best! 😆
The Blue Dragon is interesting (and sad). I want to learn more about him! Meanwhile, I'm really enjoying the way all the characters are starting to interact and get to know each other. I assume they're going to find the other two dragons, but after that, I'm very curious to see where this story will lead!
Profile Image for Katie.
745 reviews639 followers
August 17, 2020
I just devoured this volume and I loved it so much!!!! I truly appreciate yona’s character and how she’s trying her best to be brave and strong even if she is physically not as strong as those around her. And every moment between her and hak makes my heart SQUEEZE! I need more. I already purchased the next volume!!!
Profile Image for Dani ❤️ Perspective of a Writer.
1,512 reviews5 followers
July 3, 2018
description
Check out more manga and graphic novel reviews @ Perspective of a Writer...

This is a review of volumes 3-4 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.

Amazingly the art is starting to really grow on me... It's still very typical but I'm starting to see the artistry in it. It really helps that in volume 4 we get a pretty incredible character design for the blue dragon. The screen tones are also so gorgeous in these two volumes and add a ton to the beauty of the frames... Volume 4 in particular seems totally different from what I remembered in vol 1-2.

I'm LOVING how quickly we are gathering dragons... in fact, we get one in volume 3 and another in volume 4. I won't go into specifics because those are what makes gathering both so fun! But I will say that seeing Hak, who up to this point has no rival go head to head with Gija is a sheer delight! I have loved Hak from the beginning but now he's really getting a personality beyond the "I'm a bum but super powered" stereotype. And Princess Yona is also growing, slowly and quietly...

I LOVE and ADORE the blue dragon's back history! Poor guy... I can see this dragon becoming my favorite... it depends how quickly he overcomes what came before... but I hope it puts Yona through the wringer and we see some great growth from her and the blue dragon. Yun is another that has quickly won me over! He isn't a dragon but he is the brain who makes it possible for them to figure out where to find these dragons.

This isn't the most tense of manga. I enjoy it but I don't fly through it like some of my favorites... I admit though that volume 4 changed that. I was on the edge of my seat!! Hak is another reason I love this manga... he doesn't get very many moments to share what he thinks with us but we get one in each volume and I love for those moments! They hint at a very, very slow burn romance that I want to see happen... One reason this may read a little slow is that Su-won is nowhere to be seen... no villain makes for a rather easy journey.

I am excited for the next volume of Yona of the Dawn... I want to learn the Blue Dragon's name and I want to meet the new dragons! I want to see where Yona is going to head and what form their ACTIONS will take! There is some great story to come... Ignore the covers and pick up this dragon filled manga!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Authenticity
⋆ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Tension
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Plot
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Art

______________________
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...
Profile Image for Laura A. Grace.
1,970 reviews310 followers
September 18, 2022
VIDEO REVIEW HERE: https://youtu.be/iT5HciwzgJw

3.5 stars

This was a pretty good volume! I enjoyed seeing Gija out of his element and really love his strong desire to just be helpful. I think he's extremely sweet and kind and appreciate how he was the first dragon to join since he was so eager to do so.

I think with that, the only thing that makes me a little sad is how these good men HAVE to "serve" Yona. They don't have a choice, even though I'm sure its arguable that though their blood says they will protect her, they also WANT to protect her because of their own choice. The Blue Dragon is an excellent example of this. (His backstory tore me up. Give me a character in need of a friend and I'm sold. LOL!) But as much as I'm glad that Yona reached out to him, I still wish they weren't forced. There would be no series if they didn't, but I'm glad at least Hak is definitely(?) doing this from his own free will of protecting her. (Also was thankful he was less pushy this volume!)

Maybe I'm unintentionally "overanalyzing" this or missing the point, but I can say its because I specifically care for the two dragons we've met so far that I want them to live in freedom without having an obligation to protect Yona. With that, as selfish as she might says it is, I am VERY happy that Yona wants their power for something that isn't involving protecting the country, but just her friends. It feels like one of the most realistic decisions to me I've seen a character have to make that is in a similar position. How could one think of an ENTIRE nation when they are just wanting to stay alive with their dear FRIEND? Good stuff!

The banter was also a lot of fun! Definitely not going to be any dull moments between Hak and Gija around! LOL! Oh, I also liked how Yun was able to help teach Yona a little bit in archery! I thought that a great scene.

Lastly, I really really love this cover!
Profile Image for Iris.
302 reviews43 followers
March 13, 2025
Another very interesting volume from this series! I really am enjoying this quest to finding the four dragon warriors, it has been really fun to see the group on the move (and to witness Gija's first experiences with camping lol), while learning more about the world of Yona.
Yona herself is a character that is developing in a very satisfactory way and her inner strength is growing. I really like the way she tries to learn to defend herself, even though Hak and Gija are willing to protect her without question!

The Blue Dragon has such a sad story though, you can't help but feel for him. The experience of finding the Blue Dragon is completely different to the one of finding Gija's village, which makes me think every encounter with a dragon warrior will be unique! I really want to see how the Blue Dragon develops further, because he seems to be a character with a lot of potential, if or when he joins Yona's cause!

As always, the art in this volume is so pretty which enhances the reading experience so much, and tense and serious moments are very well balanced with fun and sweet scenes, making this a very enjoyable story to read. I can't wait to read the next volume!!
Profile Image for Violet ♡.
287 reviews142 followers
March 1, 2023
I don't know what his "curse" entails but I do know that he has breathtaking beautiful eyes.💙

*The following statements contain spoilers.*

In this volume, you can see how different the treatment of the blue dragon is from the white. And it is sad because the tribe believes that the power is a curse. 😥

Well, back when I first watched its anime, the blue dragon was one of my favorites, and of course his little friend.



Now, at the end of this volume, our princess is facing a very dangerous matter. They are trapped! Hak is so worried! 😱
Profile Image for Elaina.
350 reviews223 followers
October 28, 2022
I just want to give the Blue Dragon a hug :( lolol I'm excited to continue on with this series! Already have the 5th one, but might have to wait a bit for the 6th volume. I've watched most of the show recently so these next few will still be covering stuff they showed there. Really looking forward to reading what goes beyond it though!
Profile Image for Sofia.
268 reviews49 followers
August 1, 2023
Ich war nicht darauf gefasst wie unfassbar traurig die Geschichte des blauen Drachen ist 😭😭😭
Profile Image for megan.
201 reviews86 followers
March 29, 2023
i hate caitlin for making me addicted .
Profile Image for EllieJellyBean :D.
70 reviews38 followers
February 21, 2022
I love this one! It might be my favorite so far. But, that’s not saying much since it’s the 4th book! 😉
I love the rivalry between Hak and Gija! They are both such good characters, and make the book even better! I don’t know how many times I laughed out loud! 😂 I feel so bad for the Blue Dragon, and can’t wait to read more about him!
I would list my favorite character, but 3 are basically my favorite, so I can’t!
Profile Image for Rebecca.
4,320 reviews69 followers
January 30, 2017
It's a testament to how good this story is that even though I know where we're going (thanks to the anime's faithful adaptation), I'm just as excited and impatient to read each volume as if I was completely in the dark.
Profile Image for Grumpy.
228 reviews19 followers
April 2, 2022
4.5
Une fois encore c'était super cool ! J'ai passé un super moment en compagnie des personnages.
La quête de nos héros est lancée pour de bon et j'ai hâte de connaître la suite
Bon, ce n'est pas un immense coup de cœur comme l'avait été pour moi le 1er tome à l'époque (que j'avais lu pour la première fois au lycée, ça date), mais cela reste une super lecture.
Les personnages sont toujours aussi attachants et j'aime beaucoup le développement de Yona (ni trop lent, ni trop rapide, ça se tient pour moi, son évolution est assez logique)
On découvre un nouveau personnage et SURTOUT on a un chapitre sur son passé, (en fait, je me rends compte que jusqu'à présent, à chaque fois qu'on avait un personnage important on a eu un chapitre sur son enfance et j'aime trop trop trop 🤭)

Donc toujours aussi bien, hâte de me procurer la suite, j'avance doucement mais sûrement 🙃
Profile Image for Luz.
306 reviews23 followers
May 8, 2019
Me ha encantado este tomo. Me han hecho reír mucho los enfrentamientos de Hak y de Kija. Y es el tomo de aparición de mi querido dragón azul 💙🐿️👁️‍🗨️👁️‍🗨️
Profile Image for Estíbaliz Montero Iniesta.
Author 62 books1,408 followers
January 19, 2020
Estoy devorando este manga. El pasado del dragón azul casi me ha encogido el corazón pero también hay muchos momentos de humor que me hacen reír a carcajadas, algo que no esperaba antes de empezarme este manga, la verdad.

Una parte de la trama que me ha gustado es ver lo diferentes que han sido las vidas y experiencias del dragón blanco y azul. Lo diferente que ha sido su entorno, uno de valoración hacia lo que su herencia de dragón supone y el otro todo lo contrario. No me había parado a pensarlo, pero está muy bien que tengan un pasado diferente porque eso los diferencia como personajes y los hace más interesantes a pesar de que los dos sean dragones.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 610 reviews

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