Status Updates From 暁のヨナ 7 [Akatsuki no Yona 7]

……i ship it
i hope we keep getting silly in between chapters like this, especially after adding new dragons to the group. they’re not filler (at least so far) bc they really do serve to show us how the new members are acclimating to the group dynamic, but even if they were filler, i’d still love them cause these characters are just so much fun to watch

of COURSE jaeha frames it like he’s the one asking yona rather than the other way around. this way he has all the agency, it has nothing to do with dragon blood or prophecies, it’s just because he’s exhausted his usefulness in awa and yona has proved herself to align with his ideals of wanting to protect people’s freedoms. i’m excited to slowly see him soften up and embrace the group more deeply

OOOOOO this might be a total throwaway but what if this is foreshadowing the beginning of yona becoming a legend in kohka? the archer girl with red hair who saved awa from a tyrant, and i’m sure she’s only gonna rack up more good deeds to add to her mythos as they continue to travel……

that’s so fucking beautiful. i think yona was trying to be the perfect picture of strength in front of gi-gan, especially after she complimented her for toughening up, but she turns back to hug her and openly cry in her arms anyway. and no one begrudges her for it or sees her as any less strong, least of all gi-gan

i'm gonna sob, the found family is found family-ing
also hak saying he's wherever yona is??? and not pushing her to talk about what happened but letting her know that she can tell her if she wants???? that he'll always be by her side???? and then gija, yun, and sinha in the bushes waiting to be called upon is just. so hilarious but also so fucking sweet. they all love her so much OUCH

GOD okay so many great details to note
once again love how hak always lets yona deal with things on her own time and never coddles her or calls her out for clearly struggling with something in front of other people
hak definitely sensed that yona encountered su-won right?? or at least that he was the reason for her breakdown which reinvigorated his rage towards him
jaeha is so horny for hak (as he should be)

WHAT DOES HE HAVE TO DO AND WHAT THE FUCK DOES IT HAVE TO DO WITH A BIRD????? what symbolism was that and why did su-won seem so affected by the sight of the bird flying away????? i have a feeling i'm gonna be referring back to this moment much later on

my jaw is on the floor at the brilliance of that sequence. yona freezing, su-won immediately deducing that hak must be alive too, su-won concealing her from view of the general so he isn't forced to take her as prisoner or kill her on sight, YONA REACHING FOR HIS SWORD AND SU-WON STOPPING HER GENTLY BUT FIRMLY and acknowledging so bluntly that of course she wants to kill him. i am. so obsessed with this mess

HUH??????? oh my heart is pounding i did not expect that at all, i thought he would be in the dark about yona for much longer. i wonder how she's gonna play this, if she's gonna freeze or be aggressive or let anything slip about hak. and how is HE gonna play it?????

OUCH is this the first time we've seen a real smile from jaeha?? not a seductive smirk or teasing grin??? and a crumb of backstory too???? i'm so glad i was wrong about gi-gan dying, she really didn't need to after all for jaeha to be convinced to join yona. it's actually much more of a compliment to the character writing that he didn't need such a dramatic push like that

OH
OH I WAS SO WRONG
I DIDNT WANT TO HOPE FOR HER GOING FOR THE KILL SHOT BUT I GUESS I SHOULDVE DAMN
hak did tell her that she would have to be prepared to take lives, that she couldn't afford to hesitate. and his expression is pure awe in the immediate aftermath but i wonder if he'll feel some guilt if yona struggles with her decision in the aftermath....

i genuinely gasped out loud oh my god what a STUNNING spread!!!! yet another to add to the collection of pages i want framed. her EXPRESSION????????? i have chills just looking at it i cannot imagine being in kum-ji's position. i don't think she will but i hope she gets him right in the shoulder or something

what an opening chapter holy SHIT?????? i love that all the scrappy fighters have been showcased in this mission and that yona got to use her archery skills again in actual combat!! yun is definitely one of my favorite characters and it's been beautiful to see him mature so quickly with yona's influence and inspiration

okay i really don't know what to expect from the rest of this arc but i'm hoping for jaeha's backstory

I'm so proud of Yona for being so brave 😭

What the fuck!!? WHAT THE FUCK!!? WHAT THE FUCK!!!!!??????

I LOVE when Yona says or does something and cuts to Hak being either completely speechless and mesmerized or with the biggest grin and an expression that screams, "God, I love that girl!"

Her first kill is a human trafficker.


That's MY Princess!!!

I like how Yona didn't immediately get mad or try to kill him. I can definitely understand why she hugs him and even during her moment of rage does not kill him. I honestly feel like he will die eventually (future me did I predict correctly?), I truly believe Suwon will be a good and righteous ruler if he does get to live. Sighss, so sads

SUWON??? WHY IS HE HERE?? DREAM SUWON? REALITY SUWON? SCARED

KEWBDKBEW, THE WAY YONA JUST SHOW DOWN KUM-JI WITH PURE DETERMINATION AND EVERYONE WATCHIN IN AWE. YES, THJE CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT IS DEVELOPMENTING!