Yona Of The Dawn Blew Me Away [spoiler free]

[@captainbryan9233]

I am open to more cat reviews.

[@Ryroe]

Absolutely

[@ace0135]

Was not expecting the cat

[@punctualwizard]

By 0:40 I was hardly paying attention to Merph and became entranced in the cat asmr

[@kristoffer2250]

I DID NOT EXPECT SOMEONE TALKING ABOUT THIS IN 2023!

[@crimsonlilyfairy]

in defense of the central romance angle of YOD, it does play into a specific shoujo trope (the "bad boy" LI), but what's really clever about Yona is how it ultimately subverts every expectation of that (with Hak being the most noble and self-sacrificing of the male leads, which is saying ALOT), and the reverse-harem, tropes (all of which are ultimately resolved with a sigh and a shrug, which isn't exactly elegant, but it works). it only "plays it straight" insofar as to nod at who will eventually be Yona's partner, but that doesn't take away from making him his own character with his own motivations/struggles/challenges/etc. and the one saving grace of Will They, Won't They stories is the time allotted to both the Protagonist and Deuteragonist, and how they relate and differ from one another. In the case of Yona, this is essential given how many moving parts there are in the story, and how young both Yona and Hak both are (16, and 18, respectively). One thing to always keep in mind for most manga is how YOUNG the characters in nearly every story you read is. about 95% on manga are coming of age stories and Yona is no different. so in their cases, it's as much them coming to realize what they want, and how they want to go about achieving their goals, as well as coming to terms with their feelings (at least in Yona's case; Hak's pretty crystal on his feelings, he just ends up finding that he has a lot more to fight for than just his "lady love" as they pick up the dragons/get more and more hands-on involved in the kingdom, etc, so the situation for him just kinda balloons more and more out of his control), and for both, it really isn't as much a priority, even when they finally admit what they mean to each other. No, i do think Hak/Yona is a very well-written romance, and while i understand the complaints you have to towards how that romance is initially portrayed (and i do agree Yona not realizing everything Hak does for her as show of being absolutely devotedly in love with and for her is kinda like...bruh), I do think it is also a far more central focal point in the story; it's just far more understated than it would be in any other shoujo.

[@christina_1313]

I agree with you here. I especially liked that both Yona and Hak had growing to do before that relationship had any chance of working in the first place.

[@klairvoyance]

Omg I watched this anime a few years back and loved it so much but I never see people talking about it😭Thank you for spreading the gospel!!

[@PristineProse]

The Anime is amazing. It covers only the first 8 volumes and the manga is around 40 volumes now!

[@klairvoyance]

@@PristineProse It has always been high priority on my PTR list but I had almost forgotten about it until now, I might get around to finally read it now^^

[@ValadrienLeonhart]

It's not gospel

[@HugaMoga]

came for a video about one of my favorite manga series, stayed for the the cat. 😺

[@Dntmindwhtshere]

Zeno is my favorite character too. He's been through so much and I really wish he gets peace by the end of the series

[@shadowshadowcat]

If you haven't read it yet, I would strongly suggest akagami no shirayuki (Shirayuki of the red hair) and The apothecary diaries. Both have well written lady leads in very different settings.

[@shalice7784]

isn't shirayuki snow white? As in snow white with the red hair?

[@shadowshadowcat]

@@shalice7784 The MCs name is Shirayuki if my memory serves. The literal translation of the name is as you said though. I dont know what the official translation for the title has been.😅

[@cinnamonroll96]

Honestly it’s so underrated, many other works as well. The shojo genre doesn’t get the hype and respect it deserves tbh. Especially in comparison to shonen 😅 it’s always “that’s good considering it’s a shojo”, “its so good it could be a shounen” or to convince other ppl “it’s not like your typical shojo” / “not like other shojo”. A pity!

[@lawmanlawman2210]

To be fair, just like shounen, the majority of shoujo series are pretty mediocre, only generally doing one thing well, that being romance. Shounen is much the same, with the only thing most of them have going for them being the fights. The real issue is the shounen heavy hitters- Aside from maybe Akatsuki no Yona and Fruits basket, I haven’t encountered a shoujo as good as series like FMA, One Piece, Gintama and the like, and the gap is even wider when you factor in Josei vs Seinen. It’s a pity, but until we get some shoujo at that level, it looks like it will keep being under-appreciated, even if the overall quality isn’t that much different

[@micow9951]

Yona is one of my favorite shojou manga along with skip beat, 7 seeds and basara I know you're not much of a shojou person but i think especially basara and 7 seeds are right up your alley

[@SamTheGumMan117]

Skip Beat one of my favourites too

[@notrixamoris3318]

​@@SamTheGumMan117you like hana kimi and perfect girl evolution as well...

[@micow9951]

@@notrixamoris3318 Hana Kimi was a fun read

[@notrixamoris3318]

@@micow9951 yup but unfortunately it is dated now...

[@SamTheGumMan117]

@notrixamoris3318 Yeah I do like Hana Kimi but haven't read Perfect Girl Evolution

[@QuezFlow]

OH MY GOD MERPHY 😭😭😭😭😭😭 YES PLEASE THANK YOU FOR CHECKING ON "AKATSUKI NO YONA" 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 I read it first time when i was still in college (9-10 years ago, my friend introduced it to me) and I'm HOOKED. i haven't read since chapter 110+ though. i want to save it until it finished so i can re-read it from the 1st chapter.

[@boohoo723]

Yona of the Dawn is so, SO good. At it's clearly inspired by Fushigi Yuugi, which is always nice.

[@arrozconcanela]

RIGHT? I ALWAYS FELT THE VIBE BUT NOBODY ELSE MENTIONED IT!

[@kennethmendoza1350]

Fushigi Yuugi, ah an anime I haven't heard for a long while now.

[@nicolev990]

It’s really funny you dropped this video today because I rewatched the Yona of the Dawn anime a few days ago and then decided to start the manga from where it left off and completely caught up today after binge reading for the past couple days. The anime basically covers the setup and ends with Zeno joining and Yona asking Hak to teach her how to fight with a sword. I really wish it got another season because the story that follows is amazing. It’s like if the One Piece anime ended at the East Blue saga. I really love how this story handles politics and the themes of revenge, and of course the characters have my whole heart.

[@annmariebusu9924]

I just rewatched the anime. Which chapter picks up after the anime please.

[@nicolev990]

@@annmariebusu9924I started with chapter 47

[@magacofi]

It totally is as if they'd stopped adapting One Piece at East Blue ToT like bruh YOU STOPPED AT THE PROLOGUE HELP I long for a second season so badly

[@Dntmindwhtshere]

Did you also watch the OVAs? One thing that I didn't like with the anime series is Zeno was just an afterthought. Like "oh yeah there should be another dragon, here he is" and then it ended. So I was so happy when they had the OVAs. Sure I would love an actual continuation of the story or even a reboot. Buy I'll take what I got

[@nicolev990]

@@Dntmindwhtshere I might’ve watched the ovas after I watched the series for the first time, but the second time I just went straight to the manga. It has all the ovas and more. I do hope the anime gets a continuation someday.

[@thefictionalscholar]

Yona is such a great series and I love it dearly. The best part of the series to me is the characters. I enjoy the plot - it is FANTASTIC - but it is the characters that I fell in love with. Yellow Dragon and Green Dragon are my favorites, and Yona's character is just top tier. I would love to see character analyses of the characters in Yona of the Dawn, because our Happy Hungry Bunch is full of complex characters (though I will simply bawl my eyes out over any analysis of my precious Yellow Dragon).

[@blackman7186]

The fact that this anime was dropped and discontinued is just such a tragedy to me. This series is literally my Roman Empire, i think about it every moment.

[@DefinitelyNotAnUndercoverCop]

I was so sad for the cat every time merphy stopped the pets

[@vincentflannigan2727]

I don't care if a character is a male or female when someone despises support but accepts that help is needed and allows others to protect them but also grow stronger while doing so is such a good trope to me

[@FrostFireTiger]

I love Yona, but I haven't read the manga in two to three years if not more. It had great characters with wonderful character development. The world was also interesting with the different tribes. I really need to get back up to date on it. But there's so many series that fall under that category for me.

[@nikgokuhil]

The chapter release is so slow that I lose track of it. I am just waiting for it to wrap up or near its end so I can just read it again from the beginning

[@leag.d.2495]

I watched the series a few years ago and I couldn’t stop thinking about it. So I started to read the entire series and I’m just going to say… I still read everything that comes out after all this time.

[@annmariebusu9924]

I watched the anime years ago. Do you know where the Manga picks up. I gave up on season 2.

[@lily-_-]

​@@annmariebusu9924 Chapter 47, though it's worth going back to chapter 41 and starting the manga from there

[@annmariebusu9924]

@@lily-_- thanks 😊

[@HanaNoMaude]

First, THANK YOU for making this video. Yona is a series that deserves the attention and you lending your voice with the reach of your audience is no small thing. Reaching volume 40 is a massive achievement for the series and Mizuho Kusanagi’s ending message about being overworked in the latest volume made me worry and feel sad because it’s yet another reminder of how demanding this industry and this medium are, often for little reward. Even if you just touch a few people with this video and get them to pick up the series, that is HUGE and it’s a gift you just gave to the author and to some new prospective fans On a personal note, I may have said as much already in a comment on one of your reading vlogs a few months back when I realized you were into Yona so apologies if I’m repeating but. Yona is the reason why I’m here on your channel, viewing day in day out so hey, hi haha I’m one of those random few. As a young girl growing up watching anime, finding a truly strong female character - let alone an MC - was so rare that when I found Yona and saw what she was becoming, I was so hooked that when the one season series ended, I picked up a manga for the first time because I couldn’t let the journey end there. One piece may have since become my favorite manga, but Yona is the reason why I’m a manga reader in the first place and so still rivals it to this day for me personally. Yona isn’t strong just because she’s special and so strength is handed to her. She isn’t just strong in a fight either. Her growth is believable and it’s those quiet moments - the ones with tears or laughter or just a soft smile - that ground the series for me and make it truly unforgettable Sorry, way too long, ain’t no one gonna read this but I just had to say it nonetheless

[@Ronin11111111]

Yes, everyone should check out this series, it's so SO special. It technically may count as historical/fantasy-romance/drama, but that takes up such a suprisingly small amount of screen-time I sometimes wish there was more. Also here's a funny anecdote from somone who reads the scans if the series: the editor or whatever of the group who used to do the scans for this series for YEARS absolutely hated Soo-won and every time he showed they would put nasty comments about him in the margin (usually variations of "die already!" and "why aren't you dead already !?") It was a pretty unpleasant readung experience, but this series is worth it!

[@kaseyc.johnson9926]

I LOVE Yona of the Dawn. It is hands down one of my favorite series. I personally was invested in Yona the moment King Il was killed by Suwon. I agree that there are times particularly in the beginning that the romance elements get repeated or silly, mostly when the manga is trying to fullfill some expected tropes or divert from the end game romance, but as the story moves along, a lot of that falls away and the author hones in on a more streamlined plot line for the romance, which makes me happy because i definitely ship it! I also love how Hak is just as developed as Yona, he isn't just pretty boy love interest, perfect in every way. He grieves alongside Yona, and we get so much time to explore what Suwon's betrayal did to him as much as Yona, and his struggles to heal from it, how he loves and cares for their found family, and how much pressure and burdens he shoulders. I also love that there's no true villan and it makes you wonder just how the story will end, and what Yona being the Crimnson Dragon and gathering the other dragons will result in. IT'S JUST SO GOOD AND THEY NEED TO MAKE MORE ANIME! 😖😫

[@augury2699]

Yes!!!!! Yona needs so much more attention. I was so heavily invested that a certain seating arrangement later in the story upset me so bad I had to put it down for a while. Such a good story and I'm not a shojo guy by any means.

[@thedarkvenom93]

Omg thank you. Literally not enough people talk or review this series. It sooooo good

[@fajaar.]

It's so funny that you brought up one pice because when I was reading op there was something telling me in the back of my mind that I had read something like this before. After thinking so hard I remembered the feelings i had while reading yona and it was so similar to my feelings towards one piece 😂

[@coralreeves4276]

Omg if you liked Yona you might actually fall for Legend of Basara! It's a classic manga and I think it's one of the best stories ever told! This and the light novel/anime Juuni Kokuki are why I have such high standards for strong female characters before I've read Yona. I highly recommend them.

[@danamytereads5304]

Yaaas! Basara!!!!

[@williamstephens436]

I love Legend of Basara. I read it years ago, and I still consider it my favorite.

[@coralreeves4276]

@@williamstephens436 Same x1000 percent!!!!

[@notationmusical]

I'm loving Yona. Having characters you didn't know develop and grow so much is one of my favorite things from this manga. And learning about Su won's perspective really wants me to know more about him.

[@laurenlheureux499]

I adore Yona of the Dawn so much. Thank you for talking about it! So so good

[@proy3]

I'm not a shojo fan by any stretch, but I remember watching the anime for this and feeling a compulsion to read the manga. Yona of the Dawn is excellent. "

[@aveille964]

OHHH MY GOD!! I’m so happy you read Yona of the Dawn, its one of my favorites!! Yu Yu Hakusho is up there as well, you should check it out!

[@oleksandrbyelyenko435]

Don't forget that Yu Yu Hakusho id by the same author as Hunter x Hunter

[@Kwigs_kun]

Started watching the Netflix live action as a total newbie and very much enjoying it. Will deffo watch the anime after

[@Akatsukiyona]

I'm so inlove with Yona of the Dawn. Thank you for sharing this, hopefully YOD will get the popularity it deserves and hopefully a season 2 for the anime 😢. After watching the season 1, can't help not to read the manga and each series is a bomb! No boring episodes at all!

[@cielhigh4401]

Yona will always be one of my favorite characters. I also got fooled by the first ep/ chapter thinking this was an obnoxious love story and then her dad gets killed right in front of her and it gets much better. It's actually pretty gruesome for a shojou so it def surprised me there and I love it!

[@fwoop4848]

I just started the anime and am halfway through it, here because I plan to pick up the manga where the anime left off if it's good. So it seems like I'm in the "getting everything into place so the real story can begin" part as you said, where they quickly rush through the events, new locations and characters. I'm relieved to know that it does get better, so I'll try to have patience!

[@lyger8742]

Yona isn't a strong female character because she's better than everyone else, it's because she does what only she can do. She shines in her own way, everyone around her can see that and she had to struggle to get it. I cannot praise the character enough or find the right words to properly convey why she's one of the best written "strong female characters"

[@ange_latte]

I am very much a romance reader (it along with fantasy and sci-fi are my 3 main genres) and I just want to share the opinion here that the protracted will they/won't they of this series always came across as intentional and a part of Yona's character growth to me. She was hurt so badly by her first love, and lost so much, that I think it was a willful forced self ignorance of her feelings. It took her going well down the path of her character growth before she was able to actually let herself feel what was so obvious to us as the reader - because she had grown enough to risk admitting those feelings again. And her found family stays with her and supportive the whole time. Especially now that the series is so far along I don't think that element of the story bothers me the way it did a bit when we were still in that portion of the series. Just my two cents here :) Thanks for making this video, I'd love for more people to find and fall in love with this series.

[@tabsi2436]

I love Hak and Yona ❤😭❤ it is my favorite Thing about the series.

[@alwaysapirateroninace443]

Yona of the Dawn is one of the best series I've read in a long time.

[@hua_tetsu_cat]

Merphy might like Apothecary Diaries 😼

[@JackoVX]

The latest chapters tho... my god the pain. The PAIN

[@amna5506]

I've absolutely adored yona ever since the anime first came out so it's wonderful seeing Merphy talk about it. A spoiler discussion would be great too at some point! And I agree that enjoying the romance in the manga comes down mostly to preference, I really liked the main romance and so does a lot of the fandom I've interacted with, but like mentioned in the video there's plenty of other elements to the story that can appeal to people that don't necessarily enjoy the romance!

[@LuckyVillainess]

I need more people to give shoujo mangas the respect it deserves

[@christina_1313]

Finally got around to watch this video! I'm really glad you gave Yona time to grow on you. I also struggled a bit in the beginning, but the artstyle was so amazing that I kept on reading and by chapter 10 I was hooked xD

[@loupevl]

The found family is so strong with this one !

[@ijacob4]

It's one of the few shoujo series i bought all of during a sale. After a little research of course. I haven't gotten to it yet, but I'm glad to hear it's worth a read!

[@leezer337]

Ironically, I was doing my dishes when listening to this... and you kinda freaked me out.😅

[@cdot32]

I read this because of your tierlist video! I enjoyed it a lot, the character writing is the best part. As for the negatives you mention, most of them i overlooked as just manga things that I'm used to so that didn't bother me much. It was pretty good, sadly its a monthly manga so it will take forever to end ;-;. 8/10

[@quwyn6192]

OMG MERPHY REVIEWED YONA OF THE DAWN THIS SHOW IS BLOOODY FANTASTIC. Love you merphy!!!!!! Pls do manga reviews its sooooo gooood

[@SerenaHikaru21]

Yes! I'm glad you finally reported back in on this. I adore this series. Shin ah and Zeno are also my favorites. Theyre too precious.

[@reizak8966]

Yona of the Dawn is my favorite Manga and favorite anime. It is such a hidden gem that no one ever talks about. Thank you for this!!!

[@fei9165]

Yona and Zeno are not only the best written characters in the series, probably in my top 10 characters of all time.

[@TheSwampian]

This series is very underrated. Been reading it since the anime came out, and I've stayed caught up since. Awesome to see Merphy covering it.

[@PristineProse]

I'm reading this series right now and love it! You articulated perfectly what about this series is so incredible. One of the best fantasies I've ever read in any format. By far the best character development in existence. I've never had my opinions on characters change so much!

[@lucasfernandesgrotto6279]

I know you don't care about the romance but Hak is like THE man and I love him and Yona!!

[@aiurelaiurica]

I love Yona of the dawn, such an underrated gem.

[@blackcatbooks64]

I read the first volume and was really impressed with it. The idea of a girl having her father murdered by the man she loved was really appealing to me. I'm not sure if i'll keep reading because I'm sure I'm not the target demographic, but it was great for what it was.

[@MugenHeadNinja]

Doesn't really matter if you are or aren't the target demographic, most of us aren't the target demographic of One Piece or other Shounen either, Shoujo has plenty of quality works that anyone can appreciate.

[@mo-sl4bj]

i'm not the target demographic for one piece but have been reading it for 20+ years. maybe i should drop it

[@AMAR9933]

Yona of the Dawn is just amazing!!!!

[@AMAR9933]

Also, your cat is SUCH a lovebug!

[@JosefDerKaiser]

I love the action in Yona too! Even the strongest characters are "human" (bar one). Fallable, can get hurt. Even if we know they wont die, they can get hurt so bad, theyre out of commission for thebrest of the fight. You just dont see that in many other pieces of media.

[@mcosmos-h2w]

you have no idea how happy this makes me😭😭😭 akatsuki no yona is TOP TIER shoujo storytelling!! Also merphy, if you loved akayona and beautiful slice of life stories filled with character growth and found family, you need to watch Kono Oto Tomare (sounds of life). i dont usually watch high school animes (this one is sort of sports/music themed anime) but that show and the original manga is so exceptionally well written and wholesome, it will make you cry and laugh and feel so much love for the characters. hope you check it out some time!

[@TheNeojanus1]

Love watching you pet your cat while talking about manga.

[@magacofi]

Yona is totally one of my favorites, I'm so glad you made this!!!!

[@micow9951]

Merphy: do your dishes I feel so called out 😂 i was really doing dishes

[@californiapenguin9434]

Thanks for the great recommendation!

[@Akixkisu]

I dropped the series after a few episodes when it aired. I'm glad you provided me with a seedling interest during the tier list that blossomed after this review. I'm enjoying the read much more than the show.

[@VincentTornude]

I went into this knowing nothing and after the first volume, I was like "ooo this is berserk for babies". I questioned a lot in the first few volumes. Their movement for one felt unburdened which is just crazy. Also the number of times she was unnecessarily put in a dangerous situation and nobody bat an eye is even crazier. Like the time she had to go get that plant in awa. How is that a test and how did no one object? Then volume 16 chapter 91 happened and i was like hell yes. But overall i really like the series and I like how it grows as Yona herself grows. It's almost like world and story is presented at which ever level she's at. The more her eyes open the grittier the story gets. I really love that about it.

[@Amster_dam]

Honestly, Yona was one of my top mangas right beside one piece!

[@isaiasramirez8224]

Huh...I've not read shoujo in a real long time. I'll give this one a read. Thanks Merph!

[@kaceyflynn2837]

Posting this right before I watch the video (I know, blasphemy), but it's so wild you posted this today because I JUST added this to my anime list to watch next week. Weird coincidences!!!

[@Lynn-CA]

Warning, the anime only got one season and ends pretty much where Merphy talks about where she was totally hooked 😂

[@TalksNChill]

I watched that anime a couple years ago and I was surprised when people didn’t hear about it. I keep up with it now through the manga but it’s unfortunate that it never got a second season

[@minsnail2276]

Absolutely love this series. One of my friends recommended it to me and at first I thought it was your basic shoujo, but it became so much more. Like you said, the political elements add so much to the series, but what I particularly love is that this series has all the makings of a revenge arc.....and it's just not.

[@theonlyslagathor]

AHHHH merphy saying Yona is worth it makes me happy ❤

[@notrixamoris3318]

Merry Christmas Merphy!!! And again that cat...enjoy the holidays with your family!!!

[@raitorino7520]

Heyyy I've last read it years agooo. This manga is a hidden gem for real. I was just thinking of rereading it. Thanks for the review!

[@osbre8110]

you should try reading shojo/josei, it goes understated because anime has always been doninated by boys but some of the greatest stories in the medium have been in those demographics. One I recommend to everyone is Blank Canvas, a coming of age autobiographical story that is just so sweet and tender, and devastating in its honesty and introspection. It's about the universal expierence of growing up, and growing apart from your roots, so i think there is something there that anyone could enjoy, if not relate. P.S. Its just 5 volumes :)

[@aarondubourg3706]

Yona of the Dawn is by far my favourite modern shoujo manga. It almost feels like a "classic" shoujo but with modern sensibilities. I personally liked volume 1 as we see Yona's world crumble around her and the start of her character arc. It's one of the best character arcs I've read. I also didn't mind the pacing, but I very much prefer "complete" chapters that "long" monthly series usually have over the "short" and "incomplete" weekly chapters that WSJ usually have. I took a break from the manga and want to get back into it. The author said the manga was around 70% complete a few years ago so It'll probably be a good time to get back into it. I definitely recommend Fushigi Yûgi and Basara based on Yona of the Dawn. Fushigi Yûgi is a huge influence on anime and manga, very much an "author's author" kind of situation.

[@Siennamerdein]

Omg did you just read yona 😍😍 One of my favorite ship and story to follow

[@Piratesaregay12322]

I loved Yona of the Dawn. I saw the anime on crunchyroll a while back and realized that it's a shojo pretty quickly but I still watched it and enjoyed it thoroughly. People do find it odd that I as a man can enjoy shojo manga and anime so much but hey I like romance and shit too. You should check out the manga or the anime adaptation of Banana Fish. Really good and underrated in my opinion.

[@mystory2914]

the constant tension to see if the fluffy cat would get bored and leave kept me invested

[@screamname7742]

I started watching the anime today and I am on episode 7 and I am loving it so far. Its sad that there is no new season.

[@SnakeAndTurtleQigong]

Kitty story time is the best! 🐈

[@dan1a_636]

Yotd strong suit, to me, is def the characters, and that's such an important thing cause its through amazing characters that you get an amazing emotional story, the cast of characters are loveable and honestly my fav of all time, their arcs are so well written and on top of that the Yona is a phenomenal mc and isn't just one of the best fl in fiction but one of the best main characters ever, her character development is unmached it is so well written, couple that with Su won, a phenomenal antagonist that I honestly consider to be on par with someone like Askellad from vinland saga, the nuance and emotional impact of the betrayal is time and time again emphasized that the more you read the heavier its impact gets, and ofc with such well written and nuanced characters you also have a political masterpiece with so much conflicting opinions, all being fair in their own right, and so much complexity that I find myself conflictedi Its such and underrated series and I'm so glad you talked abt it, I only wish it could get a full anime adaptation cause if people would just give it a try it really would be one of the greats

[@LK.Cynric]

Its one of my favorite manga of all time glad to hear your opinion even though it differs from mine at some points. I fell in love with it instantly, because of the setting and the instant "plot twist" or hook in the first few chapters. Also fell in love with yona as a character, glad to hear a perspective from someone who probably knows more and understands better that she is indeed a strong female character. I always thought she was and liked it but as a guy well, i simply cant comment or understand some things of female characters portrayal. I find the author amazing for pulling all this off since its her first time doing a story like this and its also cool and fun to read her thoughts and what she struggles with deciding the story. The series needs more fans, but at least those it has (which arent few) really love it. As for my personal opinion, I love it all. the beginning, I enjoy the "no clue where this is going" part of it, then you have a mission but after it you get the "not the time yet" so back to "where is this going?" love what they decide to do and how they arent the only ones doing "that" and find many people following the same path. I like the romance, its not too much, yes shes dumb, but we need to remember she loved only a person and the betrayal of it also it allows for some cool comments like "I would do the opposite, I would show you off to everyone and show how hard your work". The one thing I dont like is how often s**t hits the fan.... some many capture scene after capture scene. Give them a break. But I also love how everyone has a backstory and motives and reasons to act they way they do. Somone wants to go to war even if it means death to everyone.... ok but that person has a very good reason for it, its not because the person is insane, and thats cool.

[@phantom-pr6op]

Yes!! Yona is incredible! If you want to go further down the Shojo rabbit hole I really love Ouran and QQ Sweeper. Those are the big 3 shojo in my eyes. :)

[@hopethevampireslayer3791]

Yona of the dawn is favourite manga series 🤧🥰

[@Plasmagon99]

I remember watching the anime, and I enjoyed the core concept. I'm still debating if I want to buy the manga, same for Snow White with red hair.

[@hannahthiessen6987]

AHHH! I’ve been reading this series since 2015 and it’s in my top 3 favourite manga! I’m so glad you read it and enjoyed it! I too have shed SO MANY tears over I am sure the same character.

[@dastard12]

My favorite cat review channel, tbh i agree 10/10 cat review.

[@parinashah5854]

This is one of the most underrated shoujo manga.

[@Kushmish26]

I started reading Yona after watching your tier-list video and I LOVE IT , I am not caught up but everything about it just kept getting amazing

[@bastion4975]

I am so glad you got to make this video. I wanted, if possible, for it to be spoiler free, but the discussion was comprehensive enough that I was satisfied. Before I say anything, I call BLASPHEMY!!! Can't believe you don't love Tae-Jun unconditionally. SMH!!! I'm joking, of course. I think that something that I love about this story the most, just like you, is that it doesn't feel that it has any urgency to get to the plot or big exciting conflicts. At least in the first few arcs. It can take two or three chapters in between arcs for in-group shenanigans that allow us to get more attached to them as individuals and their relationship as a whole. Like, I just love everyone in the Happy Hungry Bunch, and I love their dynamics between each other. I believe that every single member cares for every other member and not just a singular person in the group. They all feel like a family, and it's fantastic. Kusanagi does an excellent job at making each member feel equally important, and it doesn't feel like anyone is being shafted to the side or ignored in sake for the others. It's one of those things that I wish more manga or stories in general would focus on more. I think that getting to see a group of people interact with each other in their downtime between conflicts is just as important to get attached to them and their relationship just as much as when they interact in high tense situations. If anything, the fact that we get to see how close they are in their downtime make the high tense situations much more urgent. Then there's the whole situation with the cousin and the other nations, and how everything affects each other, but this comment is already long enough. Lol.

[@tyriquesmith8850]

Merphy telling me to do the dishes while I'm using this video to procrastonate doing the dishes is crazy 👀

[@giulia2766]

Everyone should read Yona, and another one I highly recommend is Chihayafuru. My two favorite Shoujo and Josei manga. I love how female characters are written in Chihayafuru, and I would love to see Merphy read it. It's difficult to put into words how much Chihayafuru moved me, how many feelings this manga brought me, and how much I loved the construction each character received individually. And the art!! The art is wonderful. The Josei mangas I'd love to see your opinion on, Merphy, are Chihayafuru, Nodame Cantabile, and Kids on The Slope 🙏

[@Thorndelwyn]

Check out "From far away" (Kanata Kara). It should match your preferences.

[@fluffyluffy9307]

Hi Merphy, thanks for making a video on Yona it makes me so so so happy! anything within the shojo demographic is scarcely talked about by content creators online. While Yona is really loved within the Shojo community, very few people who are fans of fantasy series or action series ever pick it up because they assume that due to it being a shojo, it won't have much going on outside the romance. There are many shojo series that focus more on the fantasy, or political aspects just like Yona but unfortunately the english manga publishing industry is very stuck on this ideo of "girls like romance" and so many of these kinds of shojo series never get licensed in english. I hope thanks to this video more people will be inspired to pick up Yona and give it a try, it's one of my all time favourite series. Thanks for your in depth review!

[@vampirevore]

yonabros, we've won

[@MariaOneMoon]

Finally someone who talks about this series, is sooo good

[@strawnut6652]

I SO LOVE THAT YOU'VE DONE A REVIEW FOR YONA!! IT'S MY FAVORITE SHOUJO!!!

[@kevinkoyle]

I love your co star in this one 😂

[@omniscienttraverser]

Anyone else who had to rewind and watch again because they got distracted by the Catto?

[@Vodija]

I love that for most of the video I hear your cat purring 🤣🤣

[@leeannsnyder6024]

Thank you so much for making this video. Yona of the Dawn is one of my favorite stories and it deserves more love. And the yellow dragon and the blue dragon are my favorite too 🥹💕

[@nightlydata2181]

I've had the series on hold for forever lol.

[@Shaomander]

Thank you for talking about this gem! I never see anyone talk about the manga or the anime even though it's incredible. It's amazing that the manga is still going strong since 2009