Akatsuki no Yona – 17-20
Best girl
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Well, a few more episodes to go, and Yona is still dealing with Jae-ha. …Are they going to recruit the yellow dragon any time soon? |
But I guess the important thing is that Yona has finally found the green dragon. Things are complicated since Jae-ha doesn’t really want to join Yona’s group, but that doesn’t mean that he’s a bad person. Obviously he’s the opposite, since he’s part of the pirates that are helping out the town against the corrupt government. Plus he seems to have a complex about freedom, since he was worried about following some person he didn’t know’s orders and that flashback of his childhood had him restrained for some reason.
Ki-ja was the most interesting choice of guardian to talk to Jae-ha due to their conflicting views, and since Ki-ja didn’t really have a solid reason for following Yona other than “the voice in my head told me to”. At least with Sin-ah (…maybe one day I’ll learn how to spell these names correctly), Yona saved him from loneliness. Ki-ja was just saved from boredom. Though to each their own, and if Ki-ja is perfectly happy following Yona around for that reason, then he should be allowed to. Jae-ha called him a puppet, but Ki-ja is with Yona under his own will and his bond with Yona seems just as strong as the bond anyone else in the group has (minus Hak, because he’s ~special~).
At the same time, Jae-ha’s side of things certainly made a lot of sense. Who would really want to follow some person they had never met just because they inherited some dragon’s will? He wasn’t born with a choice to be a dragon, so at least he has one now. The dragon’s voice seemed just as strong as everyone else experienced, but it’s interesting to see that he can still deny it. Sin-ah had no idea what was going on when he met Yona, but Jae-ha knows what this all means and still doesn’t want to follow it. …Or at least he says he doesn’t, but his actions after Yona’s cliff adventure seems to speak otherwise.
Thank goodness Yona is reasonable though. It’s nice that she didn’t stalk Jae-ha around once he rejected her request in attempt to change his mind, since that seems like the cliche decision in these kinds of things. Then shortly after, Yona had to go out and prove herself. Aside from this being a chance to endear herself to Jae-ha it was also good for character growth. Yona hasn’t done a whole lot action-wise recently and with Hak and the others around, she doesn’t really need to. Even after this, she still hasn’t done a lot action-wise. Sure, she’s infiltrating the enemy now and putting herself in danger, but that seems to be what she normally does. Yona does something brave, which impresses her harem, but then in the end she usually needs one of them to come bail her out. But the important thing is that at least Yona tries to do things. Her shortcomings are to be expected, since she’s been a sheltered princess her entire life.
Though really, to join the pirates, couldn’t Yona have said that she’s okay with a bow and arrow? She probably still can’t shoot to kill, but seeing how the pirates aren’t allowed to do that anyways, it doesn’t seem like it would have been a problem. But oh well, that part is over and done with now. She didn’t really retrieve the medicinal herb on her own either, but at least it worked in bringing her closer to Jae-ha.
They’re kind of doing more with the romance again, but it’s basically still Hak making the occasional move on Yona while everyone else sits on the sidelines. Maybe Jae-ha will change things up again once he joins the group officially. It would be nice to see Yona and Hak’s relationship maybe actually go somewhere, but since the pacing is already pretty slow with the plot, I’m not expecting the romance part to be any better. Though Hak seems to be finally realizing some things about Yona, which may lead to something. Though probably not anything in the rest of the anime, since they need to focus on finding the yellow dragon. Or more immediately, dealing with the human trafficking and other various corruption issues this town is suffering from.
Despite the slow pacing, the story telling has been pretty good so far, so I’m glad they took their time with the development instead of rushing through everything. …Or maybe they’ve still taken out a lot from the manga (I wouldn’t know), in which case, I’m glad they haven’t taken out more. Maybe they’ll just end off the anime with Yellow joining Yona, and have this whole anime framed kind of like the first two episodes were. We know how Yona’s team ends up, since she has her harem fight those soldiers, but it looks like the anime won’t go past the events that led to the formation. Hopefully this means that there will be a season 2 or something. Despite a lot of things happening, the plot hasn’t really gone anywhere extremely significant past what happened in the first half with Il’s death and Yona finding out that she’s entitled to a dragon harem.
About Karakuri
University student and the one at Metanorn who's known for wearing glasses. Likes blood, insanity and plot twists, but also plays otome games and adores cute romance anime. It balances out... somehow.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
They have done such a great job advancing the relationship between both Yona and Hak. It’s not quite OTP, but they are working the details quite well.
Yellow Dragon? Will there be and S2 to get into the nitty gritty of the story?
POWUH: Meta Team and Megane-chan with 3214 comments
Hmm, personally, I wish it could move along faster. But oh well, I like what they’ve done so far with it. Yona probably has to sort out a few things regarding Soo-Won before anything really significant can occur.
I hope there will be an S2. They’ll be ending this anime right before the action (presumably) starts, it seems.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
Yes, everything seems like it’s going to end before any resolution can happen with Soo. Drat…
POWUH: and Athenaeum Châtelaine with 2212 comments
I love this series so much.
Oh, I think I’m going to like the Green Dragon. Jeaha seems so cool, he’s a playboy and a narcissist. He’s not sheltered like Ki-ja, but not horribly abused like Sinha. He’s lived a pretty normal sort of life except for the fact that he knows about the dragon legend, he has faced some prejudice because of it, but he sees the prophecy as a chain that would hold him down.
I had wondered what he’d think when he found out that the “king” he’s been avoiding is actually a woman? That will probably make the reality of his situation a little sweeter.
And I do mean reality, as no matter how much Jeaha wants to outrun his destiny, it was the gods that gave him that powerful right leg in the first place. He will probably fight this, but we all know how it will eventually end, and there’s really no turning back once that contract is made.
I like how they put this situation in which Jeaha wants to stay free, and when he does become contracted to Yona, he feels that irresistible pull to her. However, Yona actually allows him his own choices and asks rather than commands. He’s beginning to be swayed by her, but he’s denying that it’s of his own will.
Ki-ja gets confronted as well, in what is it he himself wishes and if he never really had any desires of his own because he’s been told all his life what his destiny would be, he never bothered. It is a startling revelation, and one that is hard to grasp when you know for a fact that you were born for a divine calling.
Also, with the whole cave thing, I know what the story and the captain are doing, but are not all of Yona’s guy protectors like a package deal? Just be savvy. “If I don’t come, neither do my men. You either take all of us, or none of us.” It’s been done before, usually with good results if the person that wants them is desperate enough. And the captain would be a fool to not take all of these amazing fighters, and a healer! Just have Yona cook and clean or something. It’s really not that serious. I mean, I understand her resolve and everything, but how the heck does that help you when you’re dead? I mean, come on Yona, don’t you realize your importance to these dragons? What your death would mean to them? Think a little girl. I know you want to prove yourself, but getting help when you need it is a better show of strength than trying to stick it out alone.
I look forward to Yona developing her friendship with Jeaha, he looks like he can’t stand to see her in danger anymore than any of the other dragons. That divine will is pretty powerful, hopefully his own mind comes around to her before his right dragon leg drags him after her of its own volition. 😛
And then there is poor Hak, he’s struggled for so long and Yona still seems as clueless as ever, though she might have gotten a bit of a wake up call from that “sticky” situation. 😉
Also a lot of really good characterization for characters and between characters. Between Yona and Gigan was a sweet moment, for a girl who has been orphaned not that long ago, she really needs that emotional connection and support from someone older, and for a young girl, the comfort of an older female figure is sometimes irreplaceable.
However, the highlight of the episode was the connection between Yona and Hak. He’s been her protector since even before he was made her bodyguard. He loves her, but he’s had to hold it back for several reasons: she’s immature of mind and body, Soo-yon, his duty, his social standing, etc. But now, most of those obstacles are gone, and he doesn’t know what to do. And Yona is maturing and changing into a woman he doesn’t know, but yet he wants to. And he’s struggling with doing his duty as well as his natural desire to protect the person that he cares for the most, and yet also letting her grow and become her own person. And Yona still can’t see for some reason what is obvious to everyone else–that he loves her. She sees him as friend and protector, but has never thought of him as more than that. That side of himself that he showed her last episode scared her, and I still don’t think that she understood it, but hopefully with her beginning to learn more about herself and grow, she’ll begin to finally notice the millions of hints and signals.
However, I’m still enjoying Yona’s growth just as a person. She’s learning the lessons that I wish other anime princesses would learn *cough*
Asseylum*cough*, that as a princess she does have a duty to her people and to learn about them and what is going on in her own kingdom. Like her father she stayed in the palace and in this little bubble that everyone outside was as happy as her, and not knowing what was really going on outside the palace walls. Now I definitely blame her father more than she, since he carried way more responsibility. However, I do like that she’s taking that initiative now.And so, Yoon and Yona have infiltrated the human trafficking ring, and Yoon makes a pretty good cross-dresser. Ao the squirrel has come to join them too! She just wants to be with the “girls”. (Ao was recently confirmed on Twitter to be female.) 🙂
Well, this arc looks like it’s going to last for at least another episode and a half. At this rate, the gold dragon is only going to have like two episodes for his arc! 🙁
Hopefully, they give this series a sequel.
POWUH: Meta Team and Megane-chan with 3214 comments
Ah, sorry for not replying in the last post to your comment. As always, you seem to have written a novel xD’
Yes, I like Jae-ha as a character too. Plus he’s adding an interesting dynamic to this whole dragon thing and how compulsory it is to follow what his blood is telling him. Though that being said, Yona giving him a choice is great to see too. It’s better for him to come to terms with this on his own instead of Yona forcing him to do it.
Yeah, having Yona risk her life was kind of needless. Though knowing her, she wouldn’t have not lent her fighters, since she wanted to help the town pretty badly. Plus this way, Jae-ha became closer, and we got to see just how great Yona’s character is. She might not be as powerful as everyone else, but at least she’s determined.
As slow as it is, I’m enjoying Hak and Yona’s relationship too. Basically for the reasons you just said. I really love Hak’s respect for Yona and how he wants to protect her, but also lets her do what she wants. It allows Yona to mature. Both of them are growing, and hopefully they can reach some sort of mutual understanding for each other’s feelings.
POWUH: and Athenaeum Châtelaine with 2212 comments
Also, something I forgot to add:
I actually always kind of liked the element of the fact that the dragons do have to sort of follow her, and that it is a match of their own will and that of the dragons as well. It makes it known first hand that their is some actual divine factor at work here and it’s not just a theory.
I do like that Jeaha addressed the idea of freedom and will, but I do hope they also address the fact that despite all his words, the fact that he’s continually running away is just as imprisoning as if he followed her out of duty.
Everyone dumps on poor Ki-ja just because he had the easiest life and was raised to believe wholeheartedly in the myth. But I’ve come to like him more and more, because despite what Jeaha says, it’s his own desire as well as the dragons. If it wasn’t he would have felt that restlessness before meeting Yona. I think there is a measure of worth in a person who has known what they were supposed to do their whole life and devoted everything to it. Yes, there is free will and all, but if you use that free will to follow that path, then why should you be ashamed of it.
As for Sinha, that poor boy was just trying to survive and stay sane in that horror of a village, and actually in a way, I think that whatever divine pull he had towards Yona was a blessing. I think if it was just him, his mental immaturity, shy nature, and fear brought on by all those years of abuse would have stunted him from ever seeking out anyone or going out into the world on his own. That extra push of feeling a sense of security and affection towards Yona allowed him to be pulled from that dark world he was imprisoned in. It sort of like when a child is afraid to go out and play after having an accident and the mother guides him by the hand and stays with him as that layer of security to tell him everything is alright. His own will would have the child stay in the house, but the mother’s will pushes him out to do more with the promise that the rewards might just be worth it.
Jeaha is that rebellious kid that wants to be free just for the heck of it. He doesn’t know what he’s going to do with all that freedom and he’s really kind of lost, but he at least wants to have the illusion that he has the choice to do what he wants. However, despite the fact that he has the choice, he doesn’t really know what to do with it. In an essence, he’s really just running around in circles without any sort of guidance. Yona and the other dragons are home, but he equates settling down to being tied down. He’s afraid to commit, because he thinks it will be a loss of freedom, not realizing that he can freely chose to give up some of that reckless freedom for a sense of stability.
It’s an interesting look at all the different facets the dragons can have. I’m interested in what the 4th one will be like, but we’ll see.
POWUH: Meta Resident and LN Informant with 1529 comments
In case of no Season 2, shall I provide light spoilers for what happens next to Yona and gang?
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1692 comments
Why not wait until after the last episode airs? Sometimes they announce Season 2 at the end the last episode of Season 1.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
I agree with HannoX. Better to wait and see what happens as it’s still too early to make any calls.
POWUH: Meta Resident and LN Informant with 1529 comments
Ok, after the last episode then. 🙂
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
In the meantime, you could dig up some dirt on the shows for next season. 😛
POWUH: and Athenaeum Châtelaine with 2212 comments
No! You are not allowed to spoil! I must believe there will be a sequel! 😉
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Be sure not to have your hopes up too high.
POWUH: Meta Team and Meta-Analyst with 3844 comments
We are still waiting for the mondaiji sequel. 🙁
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Which we probably won’t be seeing any time soon.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
I continue to admire how much detail in storytelling is given to this show, especially to Yona’s growth whereas she could’ve been written off as any other typical sheltered princess. The best of her qualities lies in her self-awareness. She acknowledges her weaknesses fully, what caused them and perseveres to overcome them.
While the current events do their part in entertaining, it has been rather lengthy. I can already see by the time this pirate arc concludes, we’ll be left with a cliffhanger and no immediate closure on how Yona plans to deal with Soo-won. Plus, seeing that the preview for the 21st episode showed no trace of the yet-to-be-recruited Yellow dragon, we may not get anything out of him until the episode after. Of course it’s a guarantee he’ll make an appearance as he was in the visuals for both OPs. And if a second season gets confirmed after the finale, odds are the date will be set for a Fall 2015 release.
Side note: If I didn’t already know Yun was a guy, I’d have been tricked by his disguise. It’s working a little too well.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
For those who haven’t yet seen the 21st episode, I can tell you it was awesome. If there’s no second season announcement, I’m going to be pissed.
POWUH: and Athenaeum Châtelaine with 2212 comments
Completely agree. Yun and Yona may be the weakest physically, but they are extremely strong of spirit.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Both of them sure do what it takes to make up for any and all shortcomings they may have.
POWUH: Meta Team and Meta-Analyst with 3844 comments
Everything is awesome! Everything is cool when…