Yona of the Dawn, Vol. 15

暁のヨナ [Akatsuki no Yona] #15

by Mizuho Kusanagi

A drug known as “nadai” has spread throughout the Water Tribe territory, so Yona and Riri, the daughter of the Water Tribe chief, are determined to end this drug crisis. However, their task is an uphill battle, and they couldn’t have imagined the dangers that await them!

Genres: Manga, Fantasy, Romance, Shojo, Young Adult, Graphic Novels, Adventure

192 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 19, 2014

About the author

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.

Reviews

[tamazawareads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love that more strong women are being introduced this is exactly what the manga needed...

[Dann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such original plotlines though.

[Dani ❤️ Perspective of a Writer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Check out more manga and graphic novel reviews @ Perspective of a Writer...


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 a review of volumes 15-16 which I read together back to back. See the tension section for my thoughts on the individual volumes.

Yona of the Dawn vol 15-16 are some of the most powerful in the series yet... Yona fears to meet with Suwon and Hak hates that the future he envisioned as a child for the three of them can never be... and all of that back history comes to an explosive head in these two volumes! I love that this moment has not happened until this point... sure we got hints and near misses but this is the real deal!! Hak's reaction I think is the most powerful because he'd already sacrificed getting close to Yona in that way for his friend Suwon. And Suwon basically spit in his face. It's powerful. It's real. And it breaks your heart!

The art in Yona of the Dawn vol 15-16 really captures new characters quite well... We have Riri's father who has some really funny frames. And there is also the villain who is after Yona... he's hilarious! These really help break up the tension we have with these two super strong groups coming together and a large number of them being in the dark about their history. I did really enjoy the group frames where a slew of the characters were all gathered together! Yona of the Dawn art has always captured the fantasy nature of this series and in these two volumes I was even more aware of how the story is about two sovereigns!

We are in the midst of the water tribe lands... They have some series troubles with drugs and another country that wants to create a war with them. Lady Riri really has gone a long way in attempting to do something active about what it going on. I really loved seeing her flourish under Yona's example and to see in Yona of the Dawn vol 15-16 her take control of her own fate. It helps that she's humble enough to listen when a young woman and a blonde headed body guard suggest things to her. The use of Jaeha's old tactics was super fun and while pirates aren't normally my thing I just love how Mizuho Kusanagi uses them in so many different but very natural ways.

In Yona of the Dawn vol 15 I was super tense as Hak is separate from Yona and we had special quests converging on her. Relating to Hak and his concern for Yona is easy, so seeing Jaeha and oir special guest bonding... GAHHH it made me shiver in fear for what was coming. Jaeha has sacrificed his own feelings for Hak's and I don't relish anything coming between this bromance. In Yona of the Dawn vol 16 we get to see this situation explode... with our mystery guest and Jaeha. The battles Hak fights in this small section are more powerful than any other so far!! It was intense! This is hands down my favorite volume of the series so far.

Yona of the Dawn vol 15-16 ratchets up the tension... this has always been a creative and fun series, but now our opposing sides have the opportunity to stop the other... Just what goes down? Will Yona break down... Or will Hak?! Childhood friendships are always destined to change through the sheer fact of time passing, but what happens when one betrays the others?! In Yona of the Dawn vol 15 we finally see Yona's aim and its a gloriously grown up version of an empress that we get to see in action... And Yona of the Dawn vol 16 gives us the start of what has been building since Hak realized what his friend has done and it totally wrings you dry!! Both are must reads.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 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...

[Jana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honestly this just keeps getting better and better

[Bethany (Beautifully Bookish Bethany) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel like this one was more violent! But also some really cute moments as the suuuuper slow burn romance plots progress. Loved it.

[Fiebre Lectora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yona, princesa del amanecer mejora a cada tomo, estoy enamorada de todos los personajes y no puedo parar de leerla.
Reseña completa: https://fiebrelectora.blogspot.com/20...

[Laura A. Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

VIDEO REVIEW HERE: https://youtu.be/iT5HciwzgJw

So much happened this volume that I feel I'm still reeling from all the events that took place.

I guess, first! I knew it was going to be awesome because it opens up with Sinha being awesome and ya girl eats up these blessed moments like candy because LOOK AT MY FAVORITE DRAGON SHINE!!!! 🤩🤩🤩 I will never tire of seeing him (and Gija for that matter) show up on page and steal some spotlight! I love their characters so much!

*coughs* Anyway, as I was going to say…

Another intense volume with quite a bit of angst, but not in a romantic or bad way. Okay maybe a little bit on that last one because it was hard seeing how Riri has changed and yet her father STILL won't listen to her. I get it, he's the general. There are things as readers we don't know, but she HAS changed and I feel all her passion and emotions are out there for him to see and he just sends to her chambers to stay there for a week? It is beyond frustrating and trying not to say he's an awful father because again, I don't know what's happening behind the scenes. BUT! I sure am glad that Riri made some choices and TOOK action into her own hands.

Man oh man though! I never expected Su-won to show up! Not only that, but that last chapter had me laughing (or maybe that was cackling? 😅) because OH YES, I WILL GLADLY TAKE THESE INTERACTIONS ANYDAY! Keeping that vague purposely due to spoilers, but not sure what that says about me. HA! I am DEEPLY curious to see what's going to happen next because there are so many layers to this situation that it got a lot more interesting than anything thus far.

*rubs hands together* Lets see what you got for me mangaka!

[Kaya Lynch · Rating 5 out of 5]

i love zeno so much🥹 and pls the whole “i know you and you know me but everyone around us doesn’t know” is killing me

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite all of the many things going on in this volume - not the least of which is how Riri parallels both Yona and Su-won - what stands out the most is that Zeno seems to recognize the king. He's clearly the Red Dragon's shield (although none of the characters have quite figured that out yet), but who is Zeno beyond that?

[TrippyBooks]

Love we got another girl introduced

[Selma O. · Rating 5 out of 5]

So far my favorite arc, the tension is off the charts and I can't wait for the explosive reunions!!!

[Alexandra Elend Wolf · Rating 4 out of 5]

“However, even if it is reckless, I don’t think someone who is making their best effort to try hard and break through the current situation is foolish. As long as you’re thinking about the Water Tribe in earnest you ought to do as much as you can without hesitation.”

My gosh, what a way to set my nerves on fire and make me not want to stop reading ever. Things are intense on all fronts and I can't believe we've arrived at this point.

One of the biggest focuses of this volume is, without a doubt, seeing how Lady Lili starts to come into her own and fight in her own, seeing how Yona has inspired her and already changed her. While she was nothing but a pampered girl with lofty ideals in the previous volume, now she is striving to do something, and I respect her for that.

It is heartwarming, as well, seeing the budding friendship between Yona and Lady Lili, especially because Yona does not usually interact with other women so it allows her to show all the sides of her character and not only those that have been hardened by necessity.

Then, of course, Soo-won decides to make an appearance, and stay, and throws the whole volume, but more importantly my heart, into disarray. Some time might have passed, but I am still reeling from everything.

From the beginning deciding how to view Soo-won has been an arduous battle and while my feelings over the matter have settled some at this point his sudden appearance did nothing to help me reach a conclusion.

On a more positive note, as things stand, there is plentiful hope that things will be settled and fixed, which is great, at least plot-wise, character-wise I'm afraid things are about to get muddled and terribly complicated, even though they already are.

I have to say, though, the antagonist of this arc is quite pathetic, and hilarious in his patheticness. He is a major creep, absolutely, but I always laugh at his melodrama.

“Lady Lili, don’t cry. In the Water Tribe, you are the second most important person, Lady Lili. Lady Lili, if you truly wish for peace within our tribe, there are things only you can do. Suiko Palace is your domain, is it not? That strength is definitely not something you can call powerless.”

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

AHHH we get so little about Zeno!!! I want to know more!! He's so mysterious and I feel like I like him more as the story goes on, but he barely gets any parts and when he does everything just seems so unexpected.

The story right now is so interesting although I feel like this volume was more... comedic? Like the current antagonist seems more like a caricature than a big scary villain and couple of other parts that seemed more serious turned out to be more funny? like facial feature wise on the characters. It's not a bad thing and it's not super different from the rest of the volumes, but I noticed it more in this one.

[Aleksandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am absolutely obsessed with Riri‘s character development✨


Yona stumbling into Suwon (who‘s 'disguised' as a merchant), and their interaction as a whole - both dialogue and gestures - was kind of painful *my heart couldn‘t take the awkwardness* if I‘m being honest😭🤧
ALSO, gotta love how Suwon was shocked with Yona‘s assertiveness and forwardness, since he had never actually see her act/behave in that way… I mean, he DID try to get her killed so-

*awkwardness who?*


CAN‘T WAIT TO GET THE NEXT VOLUME✨🍀

[Dezel Marie Ocampo · Rating 5 out of 5]

That Jae ha-Yona moment is love love love. Everyone knows that Jae ha likes Yona and we also know that keeping it to himself is hard enough so I'm really sad for Jae ha. :(

It's also nice seeing Soo woon again. He's such a gentleman and he's funny. I wonder what will happen with him and Yona. :(

[Momo-Lune Momo-Lune · Rating 5 out of 5]

RETROUVAILLES RETROUVAILLES
LES PROBLÈMES LES PROBLÈMES
(J’adore)

[Jess | jadecanread · Rating 4 out of 5]

You know, even though I was intrigued at the beginning of the water tribe arc, I wasn't really feeling it.

This volume changed my mind.

Yona has inspired another woman to get shit done and I love it. AND THE DRAMATIC IRONY, I'M YELLING.

Recap: Yona is recovering from injury, all the dragons/Hak feel terrible that she's hurt. They go to another town to investigate the drug. Yona is being hunted down. Riri runs away with her dad's seal in order to get shit done and she runs into SUWON AND HIS GUARDS who then decide to be her bodyguards. Jaeha runs into them first and then later YONA AND SUWON MEET. Sinha spies Kai ships on the coast and Hak stays with him to monitor. Meanwhile, Riri spurs merchants to let her borrow their ships.

The plot is plotting!

[Jayda 🍉 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this manga series and I love seeing strong women in manga. The plot lines were so original and so interesting, and the Yona and Hak scenes were so cute. It feels really good getting back into the Yona of the Dawn series. I still need to finish the tv show (which is amazing btw and very accurate to the manga, even though it only covers the first 8 volumes) (5 stars ⭐️)

[Queens Love Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

“If I were stronger… If I were strong enough to fight on my own, I wouldn’t let anyone look so sorrowful. If that was how things were, would Hak smile the way he used to?”



I’d been meaning to read this volume for a while, and finally diving into it felt like a long time coming. But despite some solid character moments and a few intense scenes, it left me wanting more. The pacing is slow, the tension stays low-key, and even though there's action, it doesn’t hit with the impact I was expecting. It feels more like setup than a volume that can stand on its own.

Yona has some powerful moments—pushing through pain, standing her ground, and continuing to grow into someone who leads with both heart and strength. Her interactions with Hak and the rest of the group carry real emotional weight, and Riri’s storyline is compelling too. But even with all that, it felt like things were circling rather than moving forward. The emotional threads are there, but the payoff just isn’t.

This volume reads like the deep breath before a big fight—the kind of lull where you can sense something coming, but it hasn’t landed yet. If you’re invested in the series, it’s worth reading for the character development alone. But don’t expect fireworks. At least, not yet.

2025.10.16

[libby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lili and Yona >>>>>

[Δανάη Ιμπραχήμ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lily is amazing. She and Yona are a great duo. Also, how many times do we have to see HIM? Like, stay at the castle and leave the people you traumatized alone.

[Brooke (B for Books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chapters 83-88

83. The Sound of Invisible Tears
84. We Part Here
85. To Sensui
86. Meetings Which Create People
87. Pursuit
88. Those Eyes are the Same Color as the Sea

[Victoria ✮⋆˙ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love riri so much!! Go girlie!!

[Sofia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Riri ist super. Und die Dramatik des Bandes hat mir auch richtig gut gefallen. Bin gespannt wie es mit Su Won und Yona weitergeht 😬

[Ren (A Bookish Balance) · Rating 5 out of 5]

May 29, 2020
4.5/5 stars

Volume 15 continues on with the Water Tribe arc. Yona and her crew are leaving Shisen and heading to Sensui to try and beat this nadai business.

Majority of this volume is used to build up to the climax of the story arc, which will happen next volume. This volume starts off with some really heartbreaking and sweet character interactions, and from them it’s clear just how deeply the dragons and Hak both care for Yona. The HHB are one of my favourite found families and its so obvious to me that their bond is based off so much more than the blood that connects them. In particular we got another really great scene between Jaeha and Yona (this whole arc has some great Jaeha moments). As much as I love seeing the whole group together, it’s these quiet moments between two characters that are always much more memorable and having me feeling all the emotions. And as much as I love the guys it is nice to see Yona developing a strong friendship with another girl her age, her relationship with Lili is so sweet and cute.

In regards to Lili and Yona's characters, while this series has very few female characters, the ones that are important are always so awesome, and so empowering. It was also an absolute pleasure getting to see both Yona and Lilli take control of the situations they’re placed in and truly rise to the occasion. As for Lili’s father, while I can see where Jung-gi is coming from, I don’t like how passive he is about the whole situation.

And now for some random Su-won & team musings. I’ve always loved the Lili and Won dynamic and I’m hoping for more of it in the future. I did find it strange though that Lili didn’t at least recognize Ju-do given that she knows who Geun-tae is. And Su-won encountering any member of the HHB never ceases to put me on edge. I found it so strange seeing him getting along so well with Jaeha. As for Su-won's interactions with Yona, I thought Kusanagi did an amazing job at capturing the tension and distrust felt by Yona and I liked that Yona was able to keep a clear head and work past her emotions.

Again, villains are not the strong suit of this series and I don’t think Hyo was particularly well developed, nor do I expect him to be in the next volume. I think that's fair though, given that this isn't a series that features one malevolent evil, and as of right now Yona's goal is to work through the various issues going on in the kingdom.

2014
4.5/5 stars

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[Chantaal · Rating 5 out of 5]

OHHH BIIIITCHHHH THIS SHIT JUST GOT GOOD!!!!!

This is tense and sometimes there's a lot of happenstance that I have to suspend disbelief for, but I enjoy it all the same. Like of COURSE that person shows up and OF COURSE they have to team up now. It's all so tense and wild and this was a GOOD volume.

Also I love the cover of this one so much. From Mizuho Kusanagi: "For the cover of this volume, I wanted something very feminine with pink flowers, but it turned into one that seems to say, 'Come near us and we'll cut you!'" We love to see it.

[Ken Yuen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Still enjoying this story arc. Everyone seems to be working hard. I've been thinking this a while, but they really like doing the crazy scream face lately.

[Lucía Cafeína · Rating 5 out of 5]

Buf, el arco del clan del agua está siendo tan pero tan alucinante, después de ese final es que no puedo esperar para leer el siguiente. Personajes nuevos, localización nueva, todo brillante.

[Sory]

Perché ho come l’impressione che l’autrice abbia in mente di far mettere Suwon con Lili? Sinceramente Lili come personaggio non mi piace e non mi piace nemmeno l’idea che spesso farà parte del gruppo 😬

[taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5