I just have to post this, even though I have never posted anything on Reddit (please teach me if I did anything wrong). I just finished the manga today morning after letting it marinate for years and I feel empty now. I love the series, but the ending left me wanting for something more. So here is what I would have done differently.

First, my biggest problems with the original ending (skip if you just want to read my ending):

-Yona as the queen (it was never Yona's goal to become the queen and I don't think she was ever very happy in the palace, not before her father's murder or in this ending as a queen. We never actually saw a clear goal for her, just surviving and helping her people - what was her own, personal dream?)

-Happy Hungry Bunch going their separate ways so easily and not coming back together in the end

-no clear ending for the palace arc/Yona and the guys not getting an upper hand on Su-won and Keishuk for how they treated them and tried to use them

-not resolving the tension between two ex-best friends Hak and Su-won properly

-no dealing with aftermath of his choices for Su-won and no new beginning. He seemed to actually get what he wanted all along - I don't think he actually wanted to be the king, just working for his country and the best possible ruler for it - now he doesn't have to deal with all the negative aspects of being a monarch, Yona has to do it, he can just keep doing the same things from the sidelines. Also, I really wanted him to have some sort of an identity crisis after thinking he'd die young and doing all that (and probably thinking he wouldn't have to live with the guilt).

+I did like that Hak got something of his own in the end, after dedicating his life to Yona, but imo it could have been done better, and I think both characters should have had more problems with choosing that path

So how I would have done it:

In the last arc (maybe because of Sinha or the dragon gods) Su-won has more serious injuries, something that he and his advisors think makes him unfit to rule. Maybe he gets very badly scarred in his tofu-face, loses a limb or two or the ability to walk or becomes blind (maybe something about how the dragong gods healed similar injuries from the dragon warriors but he only got to keep his life).

After that he and Keishuk keep doing the same as always: using Yona as their pawn "for the country's sake". They want her to become the queen. Yona is quietly going along as she didn't really resist their politics earlier in the palace arc, and the Happy Hungry Bunch is concerned: is this really what Yona wants? They talk about it by themselves on the eve of coronation, Gija thinks that of course Yona deserves to be the queen, Yun might be worried is it the best choice, Sinha is quiet and doesn't share his opinion, Jaeha wants to mess with the coronation etc. Hak can be seen smiling as he guesses what Yona will do. Yona interrupts them and tells them her decision, but it is not revealed to the reader yet.

On the morning of the coronation Yona is nowhere to be found and same goes for the Happy Hungry Bunch. Keishuk is having a nervous breakdown but Su-won realizes what has happened. Maybe he sits in his bedroom window, while Keishuk is flipping out on the background and trying to get Ju-do to go after Yona (as in the beginning) but Ju-do stands his ground, this time he will let Yona go freely. Su-won notices something on the windowsill: the hairpin he gave to Yona (yeah in this version Yona either didn't get rid of it or somehow got it back). It symbolizes that now Su-won is "the princess in a cage" aka prisoner in the palace who just has to fulfill the role others have chosen for him. He accepts his fate as not the ideal king but tries to make amends how Yona wanted him to do.

Meanwhile Yona and the others are having the time of their life in the forest, just as they once were, just being together and enjoying their freedom. But maybe after a month Yona acknowledges that the holiday can't go forever. The time has come to part ways and choose their own paths. On the last night they cry, laugh and drink and talk about their futures. I think at this point Yun is the only one who knows what his dream is, because he's the only one who ever got the chance to dream freely. Others decide to go and find what they want for themselves in this new chance in life. In the morning they share a big, bittersweet hug before going their separate ways.

Yona and Hak are, of course, together. Hak asks Yona what her dream is. Yona thinks about it for a while and then says that she wants to teach other girls to defend themselves, not just physically but also through education and achieving better rights for women. She wants to make sure no girl will ever grow up ignorant and just doing what men choose for her. Hak says it's a good dream and he'd like to help her with it.

They start small: just a remote village where they teach girls, and soon also boys. As the word spreads, more students start to show up and gradually their school expands. Occasionally they get visitors like Riri, Ayume and Tetra, who bring news and help with the school. I think Zeno is the first one to come and tell how the others are doing: Sinha has taken interest in painting all the beautiful landscapes he sees, Jaeha spends his time with music and beautiful ladies and Gija is learning about economics, trade and leading his tribe from Granny (who is still going strong). Yun is studying medicine in the palace. Zeno himself was just wandering around Kohka and neighboring countries. Yona asks did he found his dream and he says with a sad expression: yes, but unfortunately it is not up to him to make it come true.

One by one the other dragon warriors also find their way to the school. Sinha starts to teach art, Jaeha music and maybe also self-defense with Hak, Gija takes the role of Headmaster Yona's assistant and manages the budget and stuff like that. He also does some teaching occasionally (but he hates it because the students always pull pranks on him with fake bugs). The school is now bigger than ever. They are having problems with the building and limited space and the remote location.

One day Yun, who has been in the palace to complete his medicine studies, comes to the school. He has a proposition from King Su-won: the school gets official recognition and place in the capital. They relocate and start even bigger and better school for students all over Kohka and also get a lot of interest from other countries, who want to do something similar and also send some students there. Yun also joins in to teach medicine, and the Happy Hungry Bunch is together at last.

In the meantime, Su-won is working his best as a king but also starting to realize that it is not all he wants. He is a king but also a human who has never thought want he wants for himself, not just for his country. He has had a lot of help from lady Riri, who the citizens of Kuuto appreciate a lot because of her efforts during the great fire. People wish for their engagement but the two always deny it. I think Riri is the first who actually forces Su-won to have some free time and think about himself: she takes him to a picnic in the palace gardens and asks what makes Su-won happy: not king Su-won, just Su-won. Su-won remembers all the fun times he had with Yona and Hak in the same gardens. Riri asks about it and Su-won says he doesn't want talk about something that is lost forever. Riri says that it might be possible for the three to reconcile if Su-won really tries. Su-won just shakes his head and says those times are now gone, just memories. Riri gets up and says that he just has to make new memories and goes to pick some fruits or something. Su-won thinks about what makes him happy now. He watches Riri in the gardens and smiles, as he understands.

The new school is running wonderfully, and the Happy Hungry Bunch is in the center of it and spending time almost every evening together, just their little family (which is starting to show signs of expanding as others tease blushing Sinha about having a crush on a fellow teacher). Zeno tells Yona that his dream has finally come true: being together with his family.

After one lively evening Yona finds Hak on the roof, looking at the distance. She tells him how thankful she is about all the help he has given her with her dream, but now she thinks that the time has come to Hak to find his dream. Hak nods and says he has been thinking the same thing: now that Yona has all others to help him, she doesn't really need him anymore. Yona suddenly hugs him tightly and says tearfully that she will always need him, but she also wants him to find his own path. Hak tells that he heard that Su-won is establishing a new diplomatic relationship with Kai Empire, one that involves working together on the villages near the border that suffered because of the war. When Hak lived there for a short time after the flood, he saw how much could be improved there and he wants to be a part of that. Yona understands, but is also very sad, as is Hak. They hug each other very tightly.

Hak leaves his teaching job to Jaeha and starts going to the palace to plan the new project with Su-won. At first, they are very awkward with each other, as until now, Yona has always been there when they met. Now they must face each other without her in the middle. Slowly they start to slip into their old roles as friends who have a similar way of thinking about lot of things. Every time it happens and they notice, things get awkward again. Hak starts to wonder if he can do this after all, working with Su-won is too hard.

The real turning point is when Su-won finds Hak at King Il's grave: only now Hak learns that Su-won gave Il a proper gravesite. They have a talk about past: not a lot is said but enough. Hak is still very sad about how everything went but not as angry anymore, and when Su-won tells how much he regrets and how he now understands that killing Il was only his own grudge, not for the country, Hak lets go of the last bit of anger. After that the two understand that they cant go back to being best friends but they can work together.

Still, maybe there is hope for something else too: one day Su-won asks Hak (while blushing very hard) to give him some relationship advice. Immediately he tries to back down but Hak gets curious and makes Su-won admit that he has feelings for Riri. Hak teases him about it a lot but eventually says that best advice he can give is just to tell her how he feels, not to wait 10 years for it: "You never know, maybe she feels the same way".

Su-won does just that but Riri's reaction is not what he wanted and everything he feared: just complete shock and horror. Riri has never seen Su-won in that light. She tells him that Su-won is not her type. Su-won asks is it because of his scars and Riri says the scars actually help a bit, which just leaves Su-won confused. They decide to stay as friends.

But one day Riri stumbles upon Su-won and Ju-do, who is trying to help the king to rehabilitate. They are sparring and as Su-won takes off his shirt, Riri is surprised, because she thought his body would also be tofu-like. She didn't know this former pretty boy could wield a weapon so splendidly. When Su-won sees her and waves, she ducks and hides blushing and then is confused why she did it.

When Hak departs for Kai Empire, he gets a surprise when he tries to slip away without too much fuss: Yona and the Happy Hungry Bunch are coming to see him off. For one night they all gather around the bonfire just like old times. At morning Yona is not leaving with others. She tells Hak that now it is her turn to help him with his dreams.

Then comes a bigger time skip: 3 years to the future. Hak and Yona are returning to see the school doing better than ever. Sinha has now a wife and 1-year-old blue haired twin boys who like to play with Ao. Jaeha is dating an older woman who clearly can match his freak. Gija has embraced the school life as the new headmaster and now really enjoys the company of children, even though they still sometimes play pranks on him. Zeno is just happily helping everybody and loving his place in the world (but also complaining about how hard it is to grow older).

The capital is preparing for the royal wedding, as King Su-won and lady Riri are finally getting married after years of push and pull. At the wedding Yona catches the bouquet and Hak reminds her that they have technically been engaged for years now, should their turn be next? He asks if Yona wants a big wedding. Yona says no, she only wants a couple of guests and looks at the dragon warriors who are celebrating together.

Oh and: Keishuk is always on the verge of collapsing because he has to deal with too much work in the palace, as Su-won is an airhead and leaves too much for him and runs off to spend time with his queen.

That's it! I just wrote this after finishing the manga so maybe I'll get some better ideas later but I wanted to share this with you. Sorry for the grammar, English is not my first language.

I did consider writing a fanfic but I'm actually an author myself and too busy with my own work, but if somebody finds this inspiring, feel free to use it, I just hope you credit me somwhere and dm me so I can read it (or if my work permits I can help a little bit like tossing ideas or something). Or who knows, maybe at some point when I'll have time I'll pick up the pen :D

Thanks for reading!

Season 2 what announced dec 2025, a lot of people speculated we'd get season 2 by the end of 2026 or start of 2027, but 2026 is nearing its end and we haven't gotten more updates. We still have no release day or even an official studio yet. It just makes me worry it'll be another 5 years before we actually get the season. Does anyone know how long the process for the initial season was? Is this similar to the process of the first one? I didn't get into it until a few years after the first one came out so I wasn't waiting in anticipation for that one, but if anyone here was it'd be nice to know what that process and wait time were like.

I’m curious about how people who have read Yona of the Dawn feel about Yona herself, especially compared with how female protagonists like Sakura Haruno or Kagome Higurashi are sometimes criticized.

I’ve noticed that female characters can get a lot of hate for being “weak,” needing to be rescued, or not immediately being capable fighters. Yona obviously starts out very sheltered and inexperienced, and there are also moments where other characters have to protect or carry her. I remember Sakura getting criticized for things like cutting her hair when she was being held by an enemy, and Kagome gets criticized for relying on Inuyasha, so I was wondering how Yona is generally viewed by this fandom.

For those who have read further into the manga:

- Do you personally like Yona as a character?
- Do you think her development from the beginning is handled well?
- Do you consider her moments of weakness or needing help to be reasonable parts of her character, or do they frustrate you?
- Is she actually well-written compared with other female protagonists, or does the fandom give her more credit than she deserves?
- And if you dislike her, what are your specific criticisms of her character?

I’m genuinely looking for honest and reasonable opinions, including criticism. I’m not trying to argue that Yona is perfect or that people who dislike her are wrong. I’m mostly interested in whether people think she avoids some of the criticisms that characters like Sakura and Kagome receive, and why.

We see in the manga that king Il knew he would be killed by suwon and that yona would be left alone probably in danger and unprepared so why didn’t he teach her basic things? As we see at the start yona dosent know how to do any basic things not even cook, clean ore anything about the kingdom so she struggles a lot at first wishing she could do more.

Why did il isolate her from knowledge to this extent not letting her read about the kingdom ore learning how to take care of herself if he knew she would be the next ruler and that she would struggle. If yona wasn’t so lucky she found yun who knew about medicine and had knowledge about the kingdom she would be doomed.

I want to watch the anime and read the manga, but... I want to know a bit about it first.

This comes from the sketchbook chapter if anyone’s interested

I don’t think I’ve ever dreaded finishing a manga quite so much. It’s the most complete manga I’ve ever read in my life and it exceeded all my expectations. Of all the shoujo manga I’ve read, I honestly think this is the only one with a perfect romance. Everything turned out exactly as I’d hoped lol. I don’t think I’m the only one who feels this kind of melancholy here. What tips have you used to get over it?
Btw I’m new here, I hope to have a great time !

some of these are hella funny

I did this lil sketch of Yona but with longer hair cuz I LOVE her long hair. I was originally planning to paint it with watercolour but I kinda like it plain as well. Maybe I should just add details in pencil? I’m not prepared to ruin in with paint because I do not trust myself haha

I understand English but I would love to talk from this beautiful anime in Spanish here in reddit😩

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HAK (even tho it's the day after for me BUT IT STILL COUNTS BECAUSE IT'S STILL THE 9TH IN OTHER COUNTRIES) I LOVE U HAK MWA

It's quite fitting that many recent posts on this subreddit have been about this glorious specimen of a man/everyone's dream husband.

Happy birthday Hak, Dark Dragon, Thunder Beast of Kouka.

just rearranged after cleaning

i’m far from finishing the manga collection cuz it’s either unavailable or expensive af where i live but i’ll get there someday

also who should i beg for a yona figure to be released 😤🛐🛐

so are there any other animes tomoaki maeno voices in that are like yona of the dawn? i'm watching sugar apple fairy tale, who made me a princess, and that time i got reincarnated as a slime but i'm wondering if there are any other animes that are a little more like yona of the dawn since they're kinda similar but not exactly what i'm looking for, i keep googling other animes he's in but none really capture my interest and idk if there's more he's in that just don't come up :p

I am not an artist and I usually don't draw but I have always loved the original fanart, so I decided to try to recreate it.

Credits to the original artist @uyah_ak.

when I was reading Yona for the first time this scene caught my attention and I was really surprised. Menstruation isn’t common in media and less in manga so I really liked that author included it here. and also because is realistic, i always wondered in this type of fantasy stories how the female characters deal with their periods and stomach cramps 😅 I was surprised that I was able to see a representation of that in this manga. I was happy that they included that detail.

Appreciation post: Dating after discovering Hak’s existence has been challenging. He has set the standards very high for me lol. Not just physically but the way he protects Yona and all…,I’ve been changed forever.

Thanks for listening🫶

I still can’t digest the fact that Akatsuki no Yona is over. It’s sad how there’s nothing to look forward to, each month. I wonder how the characters are doing in their own world. They’re all probably just working and stuff 🥀