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She can't say anything? There's no proper communication between these two as equals, who see each other as just themselves.

Sigh. True intimacy involves people who can see each other on the same standing, as they are.

That is the real difference between that dynamic, and Hak and Su-Won's dynamic. Su-Won never told Hak to call him by his title, like "lord". He treated Hak as an equal.

That's probably also why I liked that friendship more. It feels more real.

The power imbalance needed to get addressed, I mean like chapters where Hak and Yona are speaking as two people, ABOUT the status difference and how to break it. Too many kissing panels, instead of actually talking.

That's another thing. There's very little communication between them. Yona never told Hak the reason that Su-Won killed her father, he had to find out from Judo, a man from the usurpers. They weren't really sharing the emotional weight of what they'd been through. Yona also never explained anything about Yon-Hi's diary to Hak. All the bad blood of the royal family was kept from Hak... instead it was Su-Won who told it to him, another man from the usurpers. The communication is so bad!

Then Yona becomes queen, and that structure becomes even more rigid. He remains the subordinate; she remains the person above him. There are plenty of kisses and intense looks, but the most basic language between them still says they are not equals.

A real conversation about that imbalance would have been genuinely romantic. But the manga avoids the very thing that might challenge Hak’s central fantasy: servitude presented as absolute love.

Their lack of communication is also astonishing. Hak learns fundamental things through other people. Yona does not share with him the very conflict that defines her inner and political life. She never truly brings him into that world as an equal. She keeps him in the place where he has always been useful: beside her, armed and available.

And about Yona being sixteen, I find the concern remarkably selective.

Apparently, sixteen is old enough to kill, take part in armed conflicts, be wounded, assume political responsibility, face traffickers, soldiers and kings, and eventually become head of state.

But the moment someone mentions a future wedding, suddenly her age becomes morally alarming.

How convenient.

A real conversation about that imbalance would have been genuinely romantic. But the manga avoids the very thing that might challenge Hak’s central fantasy: servitude presented as absolute love. Yona does not share with him the very conflict that defines her inner and political life. She never truly brings him into that world as an equal. She keeps him in the place where he has always been useful: beside her, armed and available.

100%. Remember this man was telling her to use him as a tool, always selfless and devoted, and the series presents it as romantic...

The way Su-Won had a better conversation with Hak about this problem than Yona did... is astonishing. Then again, those two had the better dynamic.

But the manga avoids the very thing that might challenge Hak’s central fantasy: servitude presented as absolute love.

And Hak does the same thing to himself. He does not see himself beyond his role as her bodyguard. Hak repeatedly offers himself as a tool, and instead of challenging that dynamic, Yona largely accepts it because it benefits and reassures her.

As long as both of them see Hak as a tool rather than as a person, he will never stop being a tool.

I dont think Yona as a character loves Hak merely for his acts of servitude. I'd argue it is Kusanagi who believes that's the main reason fans love Hak, which is why the narrative kept pushing the master-servant dynamic throughout the story.

Yona openly expressed not wanting Hak to be her shield, even before falling in love with him. It was her main motivation to gather the dragons as well as learning self-defense.

But what does the narrative do? It makes him into the literal shield from the prophecy, born only to serve her and die for her.

Yona tries to free Hak and create a more equal dynamic (ch151). What does the narrative do? It twists the situation and makes Hak believe that she's saying she doesn't need him. Furthermore, the resolution of that situation is Hak reinforcing that he's "proud to serve her and to be in that position".

What matters is not that Yona says this, but what she actually does to make it true. She had plenty of opportunities. She did nothing.

Hak repeatedly offers himself as a tool and defines himself through protecting her. Yona continues to rely on him always being there. She never dismantles that structure in any sustained way. And in the end, she still occupies the higher position while he remains the useful servant.

One isolated statement does not erase hundreds of chapters of repeated behavior. Intent matters, but consistent conduct matters more.

And yes, gathering the dragon warriors initially seems to be motivated, at least in part, by Yona not wanting Hak to carry the burden of protecting her alone. But the outcome is rather ironic: Hak does not stop being the shield. He simply becomes the shield for a larger group.

The solution to “I don’t want you to sacrifice yourself for me” becomes “sacrifice yourself for all of us instead.” What a relief.

Yona tries to free Hak and create a more equal dynamic.

She may try in isolated moments. The problem is that the structure of their relationship never changes.

When Hak interprets her words as meaning that she no longer needs him, the resolution is not to help him build an identity beyond serving her. Instead, he reaffirms that he is proud to serve her and to remain in that position.

The manga raises the problem and then carefully puts it back into its original packaging.

My criticism is not that Yona never says anything against Hak sacrificing himself. My criticism is that she can say she does not want him to be her shield while continuing to accept and reproduce a relationship that depends on him acting as one.

And I do not think blaming Kusanagi absolves Yona, because the Yona we have is precisely the one Kusanagi wrote. Yona does not exist outside the narrative.

What Yona says, does, omits and tolerates is what constitutes her character. There may be a contradiction between authorial intent and narrative outcome, but the outcome is still the character we are given.

What does the narrative do?

It would be quite something to see Yona break the fourth wall and tell the reader, “I never wanted to say this or act this way, but the narrative is forcing me against my will.”

This is exactly what I'm talking about. Despite Yona's intentions AND actions, the narrative ends up steering events in a way where Hak needs to demonstrate his protector and sacrificial tendencies as well as his servitude.

I am aware that Yona is an extension of the narrative and Kusanagi's will, however, it is the author who creates the circumstances the characters are forced to face. Characters don't choose those situations, they simply confront them. And so, as the author, Kusanagi keeps creating situations where Hak's servitude and sacrifice will shine (such as making him attached to the dragons so that protecting them becomes another burden he willingly shoulders), but Yona herself did not intend for these situations to happen. She couldn't have predicted nor prevented them, so she's often shown doing her best to help Hak so he doesn't have to bear everything alone. That is why we see her desperate to grow stronger, so that she can fight with him on equal grounds.

The final page I included illustrates their battle against Chagol. They were both in a desperate situation which can only lead to death. Hak was once again ready to sacrifice himself to cover for Yona's retreat, however, Yona puts herself on the same level as him. Her life is worth as much as his and she has no intention to let him die for her sake. She is ready to fight as his equal and protect his back, which made Hak, for the very first time in a while, express wanting to live for his Princess instead of dying for her.

I agree that Yona could and should've done much more. For example, she should've never accepted Hak returning to being her personal bodyguard by the end of the story. Hak should no longer need to accupy such a position to be able to stay by her side, though imo, she likely didn't say anything as last time she tried to bring this issue up, Hak and her did end up having an argument.

All of that is true.

But it is also true that she continues to rely on his unconditional presence, accepts that he defines his worth through service, and does not help him build an identity outside that function. She maintains the hierarchy, and the repeated resolution of their conflicts reaffirms that Hak is proud to serve her.

These two things are not mutually exclusive.

The fact that Yona does not consciously intend to turn Hak into a tool does not mean that she does not participate in that dynamic. Relationships are not defined only by conscious intention. They are also defined by what is tolerated, rewarded, normalized and left unchanged.

Yona can sincerely believe that she does not want Hak to be her shield while continuing to live within a relationship whose stability depends on him acting as one.

The images do show something important: Yona wants to reduce the distance between them, accompany him, protect him and avoid being left behind. There is no reason to deny that. It demonstrates a willingness to share the danger.

But wanting to share the danger does not automatically dismantle the hierarchy between them. She can fight beside him and still see him as the person who will always be available.

Supposed physical equality during a battle does not resolve the structural inequality of their relationship.

The final image contains all the usual romantic ritual: standing back to back, the intense gaze, the promise that she will not let him die. But after that panel, Hak continues to define himself as a servant, protector and tool. Yona continues to occupy the higher position and to benefit from his constant availability.

Fighting back to back does not abolish the hierarchy. It merely produces a beautiful panel.

She couldn't have predicted nor prevented them.

Naturally, she could not have predicted every circumstance. But she could have acted afterward upon what those circumstances repeatedly revealed.

For example, she could have refused to let him return to being her personal bodyguard. She could have spoken explicitly about their hierarchy. She could have asked him to stop addressing her by her title in private. She could have asked him what he wanted for himself.

She could have refused to accept his offer to become her tool, created a place for him that did not depend on serving her, or confronted the idea that his value lies in sacrificing himself.

None of that requires Yona to predict anything. It requires her to have a conversation with the man she supposedly loves.

And if Yona did not raise the subject again because their previous attempt ended in an argument, I do not see that as an excuse either. When one important conversation goes badly, the adult solution is not to avoid the subject forever and preserve the same dynamic for the rest of their lives.

However, she does support his independence whenever he himself expresses it, and that's why she respected his wish to travel and even granted him royal authority for his safety and to facilitate his missions.

Yes, Yona accepts Hak’s decision to travel. But this happens after Hak has already decided to leave. She has not previously helped him build that independence or encouraged an identity of his own. She merely reacts to a decision he finally makes.

And granting him the authority to act in her name still binds him to her institutionally. He does not cease to be an extension of Yona; he simply receives a broader mandate.

It may represent an opening, but it does not prove equality or emancipation.

Yona herself did not intend for these situations to happen.

But that “did not intend” is also written by the author. There is no “truer” version of Yona outside the narrative that we can appeal to in order to dismiss her repeated actions.

Yona does not possess an independent consciousness trapped inside the story. There is no autonomous Yona trying to predict events while Kusanagi covers her eyes from outside the narrative.

Yona does not want, predict, decide or omit anything independently. She acts as the author writes her to act. Therefore, she confronts, in the manner chosen by the author, the circumstances created by that same author.

She can't say anything? There's no proper communication between these two as equals, who see each other as just themselves.

Sigh. True intimacy involves people who can see each other on the same standing, as they are.

That is the real difference between that dynamic, and Hak and Su-Won's dynamic. Su-Won never told Hak to call him by his title, like "lord". He treated Hak as an equal.

That's probably also why I liked that friendship more. It feels more real.

The power imbalance needed to get addressed, I mean like chapters where Hak and Yona are speaking as two people, ABOUT the status difference and how to break it. Too many kissing panels, instead of actually talking.

That's another thing. There's very little communication between them. Yona never told Hak the reason that Su-Won killed her father, he had to find out from Judo, a man from the usurpers. They weren't really sharing the emotional weight of what they'd been through. Yona also never explained anything about Yon-Hi's diary to Hak. All the bad blood of the royal family was kept from Hak... instead it was Su-Won who told it to him, another man from the usurpers. The communication is so bad!

Then Yona becomes queen, and that structure becomes even more rigid. He remains the subordinate; she remains the person above him. There are plenty of kisses and intense looks, but the most basic language between them still says they are not equals.

A real conversation about that imbalance would have been genuinely romantic. But the manga avoids the very thing that might challenge Hak’s central fantasy: servitude presented as absolute love.

Their lack of communication is also astonishing. Hak learns fundamental things through other people. Yona does not share with him the very conflict that defines her inner and political life. She never truly brings him into that world as an equal. She keeps him in the place where he has always been useful: beside her, armed and available.

And about Yona being sixteen, I find the concern remarkably selective.

Apparently, sixteen is old enough to kill, take part in armed conflicts, be wounded, assume political responsibility, face traffickers, soldiers and kings, and eventually become head of state.

But the moment someone mentions a future wedding, suddenly her age becomes morally alarming.

How convenient.

A real conversation about that imbalance would have been genuinely romantic. But the manga avoids the very thing that might challenge Hak’s central fantasy: servitude presented as absolute love. Yona does not share with him the very conflict that defines her inner and political life. She never truly brings him into that world as an equal. She keeps him in the place where he has always been useful: beside her, armed and available.

100%. Remember this man was telling her to use him as a tool, always selfless and devoted, and the series presents it as romantic...

The way Su-Won had a better conversation with Hak about this problem than Yona did... is astonishing. Then again, those two had the better dynamic.

But the manga avoids the very thing that might challenge Hak’s central fantasy: servitude presented as absolute love.

And Hak does the same thing to himself. He does not see himself beyond his role as her bodyguard. Hak repeatedly offers himself as a tool, and instead of challenging that dynamic, Yona largely accepts it because it benefits and reassures her.

As long as both of them see Hak as a tool rather than as a person, he will never stop being a tool.

I completely agree about the wish-fulfillment aspect. Hak is written as the fantasy of an immensely powerful man who willingly places himself beneath one woman, revolves entirely around her, never betrays her, and sacrifices everything for her.

In the same way that I dislike male harems because they objectify women, I dislike HakYona because it objectifies Hak. It is essentially the same dynamic with the genders reversed.

What I dislike is the dynamic itself, regardless of who is doing the objectifying and who is being objectified.

She can't say anything? There's no proper communication between these two as equals, who see each other as just themselves.

Sigh. True intimacy involves people who can see each other on the same standing, as they are.

That is the real difference between that dynamic, and Hak and Su-Won's dynamic. Su-Won never told Hak to call him by his title, like "lord". He treated Hak as an equal.

That's probably also why I liked that friendship more. It feels more real.

The power imbalance needed to get addressed, I mean like chapters where Hak and Yona are speaking as two people, ABOUT the status difference and how to break it. Too many kissing panels, instead of actually talking.

That's another thing. There's very little communication between them. Yona never told Hak the reason that Su-Won killed her father, he had to find out from Judo, a man from the usurpers. They weren't really sharing the emotional weight of what they'd been through. Yona also never explained anything about Yon-Hi's diary to Hak. All the bad blood of the royal family was kept from Hak... instead it was Su-Won who told it to him, another man from the usurpers. The communication is so bad!

Then Yona becomes queen, and that structure becomes even more rigid. He remains the subordinate; she remains the person above him. There are plenty of kisses and intense looks, but the most basic language between them still says they are not equals.

A real conversation about that imbalance would have been genuinely romantic. But the manga avoids the very thing that might challenge Hak’s central fantasy: servitude presented as absolute love.

Their lack of communication is also astonishing. Hak learns fundamental things through other people. Yona does not share with him the very conflict that defines her inner and political life. She never truly brings him into that world as an equal. She keeps him in the place where he has always been useful: beside her, armed and available.

And about Yona being sixteen, I find the concern remarkably selective.

Apparently, sixteen is old enough to kill, take part in armed conflicts, be wounded, assume political responsibility, face traffickers, soldiers and kings, and eventually become head of state.

But the moment someone mentions a future wedding, suddenly her age becomes morally alarming.

How convenient.

A real conversation about that imbalance would have been genuinely romantic. But the manga avoids the very thing that might challenge Hak’s central fantasy: servitude presented as absolute love. Yona does not share with him the very conflict that defines her inner and political life. She never truly brings him into that world as an equal. She keeps him in the place where he has always been useful: beside her, armed and available.

100%. Remember this man was telling her to use him as a tool, always selfless and devoted, and the series presents it as romantic...

The way Su-Won had a better conversation with Hak about this problem than Yona did... is astonishing. Then again, those two had the better dynamic.

But the manga avoids the very thing that might challenge Hak’s central fantasy: servitude presented as absolute love.

And Hak does the same thing to himself. He does not see himself beyond his role as her bodyguard. Hak repeatedly offers himself as a tool, and instead of challenging that dynamic, Yona largely accepts it because it benefits and reassures her.

As long as both of them see Hak as a tool rather than as a person, he will never stop being a tool.

I dont think Yona as a character loves Hak merely for his acts of servitude. I'd argue it is Kusanagi who believes that's the main reason fans love Hak, which is why the narrative kept pushing the master-servant dynamic throughout the story.

Yona openly expressed not wanting Hak to be her shield, even before falling in love with him. It was her main motivation to gather the dragons as well as learning self-defense.

But what does the narrative do? It makes him into the literal shield from the prophecy, born only to serve her and die for her.

Yona tries to free Hak and create a more equal dynamic (ch151). What does the narrative do? It twists the situation and makes Hak believe that she's saying she doesn't need him. Furthermore, the resolution of that situation is Hak reinforcing that he's "proud to serve her and to be in that position".

What matters is not that Yona says this, but what she actually does to make it true. She had plenty of opportunities. She did nothing.

Hak repeatedly offers himself as a tool and defines himself through protecting her. Yona continues to rely on him always being there. She never dismantles that structure in any sustained way. And in the end, she still occupies the higher position while he remains the useful servant.

One isolated statement does not erase hundreds of chapters of repeated behavior. Intent matters, but consistent conduct matters more.

And yes, gathering the dragon warriors initially seems to be motivated, at least in part, by Yona not wanting Hak to carry the burden of protecting her alone. But the outcome is rather ironic: Hak does not stop being the shield. He simply becomes the shield for a larger group.

The solution to “I don’t want you to sacrifice yourself for me” becomes “sacrifice yourself for all of us instead.” What a relief.

Yona tries to free Hak and create a more equal dynamic.

She may try in isolated moments. The problem is that the structure of their relationship never changes.

When Hak interprets her words as meaning that she no longer needs him, the resolution is not to help him build an identity beyond serving her. Instead, he reaffirms that he is proud to serve her and to remain in that position.

The manga raises the problem and then carefully puts it back into its original packaging.

My criticism is not that Yona never says anything against Hak sacrificing himself. My criticism is that she can say she does not want him to be her shield while continuing to accept and reproduce a relationship that depends on him acting as one.

And I do not think blaming Kusanagi absolves Yona, because the Yona we have is precisely the one Kusanagi wrote. Yona does not exist outside the narrative.

What Yona says, does, omits and tolerates is what constitutes her character. There may be a contradiction between authorial intent and narrative outcome, but the outcome is still the character we are given.

What does the narrative do?

It would be quite something to see Yona break the fourth wall and tell the reader, “I never wanted to say this or act this way, but the narrative is forcing me against my will.”

Short form: Royal Eye of the Roads

Official description

A dignity granted to the person who travels across the Five Tribes in the name of the Crown, listens to the people, inspects roads and settlements, proclaims royal decrees, and reports directly to Her Majesty everything he has witnessed.

Actual description

Su-Won and his loyalists should have at minimum been faced formal trial during the transition of power, and he should have publicly acknowledged what he did to the kingdom and explained to the people why he did it. Ugh that would have been SO good and a step forward for his character which was all about deception! Carrying out a coup d'état can't just be glossed over like that. He gets to just keep it all some personal secret until he goes to his grave? Fuck that, that bastard needs some accountability.

The moment you seriously investigate Il’s reign, the coup itself, the support or lack of support from the tribes, the improvements made under Su-Won, and Yona’s own legitimacy, the story stops being a simple tale of “the rightful heir returning to her place” and becomes a real political conflict. And that would require everyone to get their hands dirty, including Yona.

There is also an uncomfortable question: with what legitimacy could Yona put Su-Won on trial after accepting power directly from him?

Historically, Yona would have needed to remove Su-Won through another coup, a forced abdication, or some other clear political rupture in order to take the throne. And that would have placed her uncomfortably close to Su-Won’s own position.

She would have had to face the fact that a queen’s hands do not stay clean. And then she could no longer remain the morally spotless alternative to Su-Won.

The story avoids that by having Su-Won simply hand power to her, so Yona can become queen without appearing ambitious, violent, or responsible for seizing power. She gets the throne without having to do the politically difficult thing that would complicate her moral image.

Short form: Royal Eye of the Roads

Official description

A dignity granted to the person who travels across the Five Tribes in the name of the Crown, listens to the people, inspects roads and settlements, proclaims royal decrees, and reports directly to Her Majesty everything he has witnessed.

Actual description

She can't say anything? There's no proper communication between these two as equals, who see each other as just themselves.

Sigh. True intimacy involves people who can see each other on the same standing, as they are.

That is the real difference between that dynamic, and Hak and Su-Won's dynamic. Su-Won never told Hak to call him by his title, like "lord". He treated Hak as an equal.

That's probably also why I liked that friendship more. It feels more real.

The power imbalance needed to get addressed, I mean like chapters where Hak and Yona are speaking as two people, ABOUT the status difference and how to break it. Too many kissing panels, instead of actually talking.

That's another thing. There's very little communication between them. Yona never told Hak the reason that Su-Won killed her father, he had to find out from Judo, a man from the usurpers. They weren't really sharing the emotional weight of what they'd been through. Yona also never explained anything about Yon-Hi's diary to Hak. All the bad blood of the royal family was kept from Hak... instead it was Su-Won who told it to him, another man from the usurpers. The communication is so bad!

Then Yona becomes queen, and that structure becomes even more rigid. He remains the subordinate; she remains the person above him. There are plenty of kisses and intense looks, but the most basic language between them still says they are not equals.

A real conversation about that imbalance would have been genuinely romantic. But the manga avoids the very thing that might challenge Hak’s central fantasy: servitude presented as absolute love.

Their lack of communication is also astonishing. Hak learns fundamental things through other people. Yona does not share with him the very conflict that defines her inner and political life. She never truly brings him into that world as an equal. She keeps him in the place where he has always been useful: beside her, armed and available.

And about Yona being sixteen, I find the concern remarkably selective.

Apparently, sixteen is old enough to kill, take part in armed conflicts, be wounded, assume political responsibility, face traffickers, soldiers and kings, and eventually become head of state.

But the moment someone mentions a future wedding, suddenly her age becomes morally alarming.

How convenient.

A real conversation about that imbalance would have been genuinely romantic. But the manga avoids the very thing that might challenge Hak’s central fantasy: servitude presented as absolute love. Yona does not share with him the very conflict that defines her inner and political life. She never truly brings him into that world as an equal. She keeps him in the place where he has always been useful: beside her, armed and available.

100%. Remember this man was telling her to use him as a tool, always selfless and devoted, and the series presents it as romantic...

The way Su-Won had a better conversation with Hak about this problem than Yona did... is astonishing. Then again, those two had the better dynamic.

But the manga avoids the very thing that might challenge Hak’s central fantasy: servitude presented as absolute love.

And Hak does the same thing to himself. He does not see himself beyond his role as her bodyguard. Hak repeatedly offers himself as a tool, and instead of challenging that dynamic, Yona largely accepts it because it benefits and reassures her.

As long as both of them see Hak as a tool rather than as a person, he will never stop being a tool.

Short form: Royal Eye of the Roads

Official description

A dignity granted to the person who travels across the Five Tribes in the name of the Crown, listens to the people, inspects roads and settlements, proclaims royal decrees, and reports directly to Her Majesty everything he has witnessed.

Actual description

She can't say anything? There's no proper communication between these two as equals, who see each other as just themselves.

Sigh. True intimacy involves people who can see each other on the same standing, as they are.

That is the real difference between that dynamic, and Hak and Su-Won's dynamic. Su-Won never told Hak to call him by his title, like "lord". He treated Hak as an equal.

That's probably also why I liked that friendship more. It feels more real.

The power imbalance needed to get addressed, I mean like chapters where Hak and Yona are speaking as two people, ABOUT the status difference and how to break it. Too many kissing panels, instead of actually talking.

That's another thing. There's very little communication between them. Yona never told Hak the reason that Su-Won killed her father, he had to find out from Judo, a man from the usurpers. They weren't really sharing the emotional weight of what they'd been through. Yona also never explained anything about Yon-Hi's diary to Hak. All the bad blood of the royal family was kept from Hak... instead it was Su-Won who told it to him, another man from the usurpers. The communication is so bad!

Then Yona becomes queen, and that structure becomes even more rigid. He remains the subordinate; she remains the person above him. There are plenty of kisses and intense looks, but the most basic language between them still says they are not equals.

A real conversation about that imbalance would have been genuinely romantic. But the manga avoids the very thing that might challenge Hak’s central fantasy: servitude presented as absolute love.

Their lack of communication is also astonishing. Hak learns fundamental things through other people. Yona does not share with him the very conflict that defines her inner and political life. She never truly brings him into that world as an equal. She keeps him in the place where he has always been useful: beside her, armed and available.

And about Yona being sixteen, I find the concern remarkably selective.

Apparently, sixteen is old enough to kill, take part in armed conflicts, be wounded, assume political responsibility, face traffickers, soldiers and kings, and eventually become head of state.

But the moment someone mentions a future wedding, suddenly her age becomes morally alarming.

How convenient.

Never has the idea of spying on someone’s posts I don’t like or don’t agree with (and I saw plenty), taking screenshots of them and posting them on a different platform to create a hate discussion of it, visited my head. It was not cool to see my posts secretly posted on a platform I don’t even use myself (Reddit for example, they didn’t even hide the name of my account, or of other accounts) and see very offensive words directed at me personally over my opinion on a fictional character.

As I was posting here, I was open to any discussions only here and didn’t allow my posts used anywhere else behind my back (even anonymously) for hateful discussions. If you don’t agree with what someone says this much, you were free to join the discussion on the author’s post if you’re so passionate about the topic. If you don’t want to join the discussion directly, then mind your own business and don’t spread hatred, an even better option.

Many other accounts as I saw were in an identical situation over the last years. Now I see similar posts of some people shaming other people’s posts about not liking the finale, hating the absence of a wedding, etc. Some people are unable to differentiate between fiction and real life, neither can be content with their own opinions, sadly.

Every reader has a right for their own opinion regarding a fictional story and its characters, expressing thoughts, feelings and opinions, be they positive or negative, is allowed. Yes, not liking something and expressing disappointment over fiction is allowed, the characters won’t be offended. We are reading a story and are allowed to form different opinions and preferences about everything, have different thoughts and feelings about stuff going on. I too know it is not pleasant to see people hate on a topic you like but I think staying polite and respectful to real people should be taken into consideration.

• Yun is supposedly studying medicine, so I guess he is not exactly available to provide Yona with constant companionship. • Zeno stays at the palace, but has basically become its resident alcoholic, alternating between being drunk and hungover depending on the time of day.

So the great queen finally fulfils her destiny surrounded by:

a busy medical student;

a tipsy former immortal;

a squirrel, whenever scheduling allows. 🐿️

The dragons leave. Hak leaves. Their shared life disappears. Yona is left with the throne, the paperwork, and Zeno trying to remember where he put his cup.

Honestly, as an ending for SuperYona, the irony is exquisite. She wins the crown and loses the daily worship of her entourage.

It almost feels like poetic justice, although I strongly suspect Kusanagi never intended that reading at all.

Yoon´s whole job is taking care of Yona. He wakes her every day, she has a maid, who cares for her a lil like a mother, who takes the work away and forces her to eat something.

Zeno even sleeps in the same bed...history repeats itself. Just like Soo Won. And he reminds her sometimes, that Hak is not there, because - of course - Zeno is lonely, too. But he also appears to be happy, to observe the changes one more time.

Val and Mei Nyan not only protect her, but are also pretty amusing. Ju do is also trying his damnest like always. Screaming at her like he used to do it at Soo Won, while Soo Won is treated like he would consist of literal glass.

Nearly as if Soo Won and Yona have changed places. (As if Soo Won had become suddenly a child again.)

The dragons leave. Hak leaves. Their shared life disappears. Yona is left with the throne, the paperwork, and Zeno trying to remember where he put his cup.

Zeno´s head works pretty well, apparently. I am not 100 % happy with it, too. But everybody concluded, that he had enough work for the last 2000 years.

The dragon warriors have scars, too. I don´t think, it is bad for them to leave and live their own lives apart from Yona, for once.

Grown-up children often leave the house after a while, but they come occasionally, back. To their parents.

Yoon says in the final chapter of the manga that he is starting a medical team, that he will continue studying, and that he will eventually become Yona’s personal physician.

If he is studying, as he explicitly says he is, then I do not think he can also be available to look after Yona twenty-four hours a day. If he were, he would hardly have any time left to study, and studying is precisely what the manga says he is doing. If, only two months after Yon

a’s coronation, Yoon is already supposed to be a fully qualified physician, then I want to move to Kouka, because apparently people there acquire knowledge by osmosis.

The gaiden also never shows or states that the dragon warriors come back to visit occasionally. They might, or they might not, because the text does not establish either possibility.

As for Zeno, I do not see him as happy or emotionally fulfilled. I see him as lonely. The gaiden shows him drunk or hungover, and that does not feel like a peaceful or deserved ending to me. Sharing a bed with Yona from time to time does not erase that loneliness, nor does it automatically turn their relationship into a new family.

The maid caring for Yona, taking work away from her and making sure she eats does not automatically make her a mother figure either. She may simply be doing her job as Yona’s attendant.

Val and Mei-nyan feel, to me, as if they were placed beside Yona so that the absence of Hak and the dragon warriors would not feel quite as obvious. And Joo-doh is still being used mostly as comic relief, just as he was in the manga. I honestly feel sorry for him.

You're drunk on delulu lemonade anon XD

I haven't written anything for my AU in years and never said its written better. People have told me it's better and more healthy, often asked me when I'd continue. I even left tumblr for a while because of toxic rabid HakYona shippers like you that can't handle criticism and bombarded my inbox with messages that to kill myself and that I'm a psychopath for merely stating my opinion. And there are PLENTY of people with problems with the ship, just take a look around. You're so funny that you are so willing to die on this hill XD

To anon.

You are free to disagree with her criticism, but none of this actually answers it. “Childhood friends-to-lovers” and “master/servant” are tropes, not proof that a relationship is healthy or well written. Popularity is not proof either.

You can criticize the age gap in her AU if you want, but accusing her of self-inserting or being “in love” with Jae-ha is just a personal attack. It does not address anything she has written about Hakyona.

@matcha-chai-latte; @thoughtfulstudentsalad23; @starnovana, @sokkawordbender; @kesara-vintage; @only4soo-won; @aylinnworld;@under-my-pillow; @rollzerox; @writer-without-caffeine; @lycheechanz, @yasumire; @noom211; @dreamersintro;

So sweeties, this is a great part of what I have found. It is not perfect either, but it might help some of you to understand this work.

This is merely part I!!!

@merrilyshadowymentor

What you are saying could be true. Or it might not be. They might be euphoric. Or they might not be. They might assess the risks later. Or they might not. This might be only a first draft. Or it might not be. None of that is stated in the scene.

Truthfully, I believed, that she would take her mask down at the end. But unfortunately, Kusanagi didn´t. In a way, she showed a truth, that was quite shocking.

All these people were "wearing masks", were and are playing a role. (Shin ha made it visible).

Merely Soo Won and Hak did not have a mask on. Though I believe, that Soo Won has played a role until recently, too. And this might help by interpreting the events.

I genuinely like that you are able to imagine a hopeful outcome. I also appreciate the way you read the manga and try to find the best possible meaning in every scene and panel. I do not read it that way anymore. I am so disappointed with the manga that I tend to notice its flaws first and imagine the ways in which these ideas could go wrong.

I am genuinely sorry, that you feel like this. I have to admit, it is very difficult to interpret this work. I can understand, that this is frustrating. I have tried to make a whole series of metas, but my work at times was crumbling between my fingers.

Until I have found answers, I can accept at least.

"Akatsuki no Yona" is not an easy work, at all. In a way, it is, because, you can take, whatever you wish from it. But if you really want to understand this work of fiction a little better (truthfully, I am still at a loss in so many ways), you have to "deep-dive" into the history of Japan.

I. You have to think about the past of Japan.

1. About the Phoenix and the Dragon of Japan.

Luckily for Japan, Soo Won stopped before he could kill the "Mirror" of Kouka. Before he could kill his "own kind".

Because the "Phoenix and the Dragon" symbolise Japan. The Dragon is the sign of the "Emperor" and the "Phoenix" the sign of the Empress.

"A symbol of good fortune and divine wisdom, the phoenix is believed to appear only in times of peace and prosperity bringing with it a message of hope and rebirth."  

"In Japanese culture it (the Phoenix) also represents the goddess Amaterasu. A sun deity whose presence evokes the vital energy of the sun itself. In addition, Amaterasu is, according to Japanese mythology, the progenitor of the imperial family. Hence the connection between the phoenix, which precisely represents the sun goddess, and the Emperor’s companion."

Little Hoh/Ho-ou, the "little Phoenix". The sign of the Empress and Yona´s mask has the dragon on it.

The dragon and the phoenix: a symbolic union 

"The joint presence of the dragon and phoenix in Japanese art and culture also reflects the balanced union between the Emperor and Empress.  Their symbolic union represents the harmony between male and female power. The complementarity of their strengths and the maintenance of the nation’s stability and prosperity. The importance of this union, which symbolizes harmonious leadership for for Japan, has been celebrated in a number of artworks depicting both figures together. The typical image of the dragon and phoenix dancing above the Imperial Palace is one example."

2. Darkness

Both sides have been "ill"- King Il and Yu hon alike.

King Il and the Priest (The role of belief and "pure blood" in terrorist groups in Japan)

(League of Blood Incident 1932) Showa Restoration (The Restoration of the true blood, the japanese emperor or in the case of the manga Hiryuu. The emperor is thought to be the descendant of the "Sun Goddess", Amaterasu)

This is the example, she was most likely more directly refering in her work. Keep attention that their terror lasted for 16 years. About as long as the serialisation of this work lasted.

"Aum Shinrikyo, whose name means "supreme truth", began in the 1980s as a spiritual group mixing Hindu and Buddhist beliefs, later working in elements of apocalyptic Christian prophesies. The group's founder, Shoko Asahara, declared himself to be both Christ and the first "enlightened one" since Buddha." "The group, whose name is often shortened to just Aum, gained official status as a religious organisation in Japan in 1989. Asahara picked up a sizeable global following, speaking at universities and writing books. At its peak, Aum had tens of thousands of members worldwide."

"Many of Asahara's followers in Japan were students at elite universities. They were young people from academically pressured backgrounds who had similarly pressured careers ahead of them - and the cult promised them a more meaningful life."

Like King Il, these people followed a dangerous cult.

Yu hon´s side, too,

was a sort of "Cult of Death", that has its origin in the "sense of honor" cultivated in old Japan. Human life did not really count much.

Also a sort of dead cult, where you give everything for the sake of a nation.

The pictures are not exactly child friendly. So do not look, if you do not wish for it.

It is very well illusrated in Soo Won´s iron will to never give up, no matter what, until he finally gives up his quest against Kai Empire.

And like we can see above. Even the people themselves sacrificed themselves for the right cause.

The will to sacrifice their own life and the ones of others to the extreme is also a topic in this manga. Everyone is willing to sacrifice themselves with the exception of Yona.

Being "selfish" is therefore not frowned upon in this work, but the solution to this "Cult of Death".

This dates apparently back until the Edo period in Japan. There was a movie "Harakiri" by Masaki Kobayashi, who greatly criticized the "cult of honor".

"Released in 1962 and directed by Masaki Kobayashi, Harakiri uses the story of one ronin’s final request to deliver a devastating critique of the samurai code of bushido, and by extension, the systems of power that use honor as a smokescreen for cruelty. When asked about the movie, Kobayashi said, “All of my pictures … are concerned with resisting an entrenched power. That’s what Harakiri is about… I suppose I’ve always challenged authority.”

At the end however, the message was received, that sacrifice is not always necessary.

3. Kusanagi´s likely intention - EMPATHY

In fact, I do think, that the "iconic speeches" of the characters are messages of the mangaka to her readers. Honestly, I tried every trick to get a meaning out of certain scenes. Until I finally tried it with the easiest way. Just follow the "suggestions" of the characters.

The messages are:

"People are mirrors". (by Zeno)

"I think/ascertain things by myself"

And the last came from Shin ha:

"I want to see the country/the world with my own eyes."

"Is that so?"

Time and time again, we are seeing this question presented. Above else in the last chapter and gaiden.

Here the characters wonder about certain "facts". Mostly this questions seems to appear, when a change in the character him- or herself happens.

What was very interesting to me, was also this: "Compassion". The very feature Yona was celebrated for.

It is a very "religious" term for "empathy".

And really. "Empathy" appears to be the key.

Zeno´s words at the beginning, were literally, the lead.

4. Empathy as cornerstone of OUR CULTURES - A PART OF BEING HUMAN

Empathy is not just a nice and sweet feeling, that holy people appear to possess, but the very essence of OUR BEING.

So much of what makes us human can be somehow related to this very fact, that human beings possess empathy.

It is literally

"SCIENCE"

"Neuroscience" to be precise. I think this might be related to your field @only4soo-won

The "mirror neurons" in our brains enable us to imitate actions of others and therefore are the origin of the fact, that human beings don´t have to start by point 0 every time, but that knowledge is spread horizontally (between human beings in near locations) and vertically (from generation to generation). Literally, that "cultures" exists.

The following article is one of the "easiest reads" - even for younger ones, I guess.

There is also a video to it. A short and very comprehensive summery - I believe.

Here is another article - more difficult, this is a scientific paper - in relation to "empathy" and "culture".

• Yun is supposedly studying medicine, so I guess he is not exactly available to provide Yona with constant companionship. • Zeno stays at the palace, but has basically become its resident alcoholic, alternating between being drunk and hungover depending on the time of day.

So the great queen finally fulfils her destiny surrounded by:

a busy medical student;

a tipsy former immortal;

a squirrel, whenever scheduling allows. 🐿️

The dragons leave. Hak leaves. Their shared life disappears. Yona is left with the throne, the paperwork, and Zeno trying to remember where he put his cup.

Honestly, as an ending for SuperYona, the irony is exquisite. She wins the crown and loses the daily worship of her entourage.

It almost feels like poetic justice, although I strongly suspect Kusanagi never intended that reading at all.

Soo-won’s line, “We can trace a line and connect Kouka, Xing and Sei just like this,” sounds as though he were solving a children’s connect-the-dots exercise.

Then they say that Kouka does not have to bear the burden. If the line had at least been “the burden doesn’t have to be taken only by our country,” it could be understood as the costs being shared among the countries involved. But it does not say only.

The moment a route enters another country, Kouka no longer has authority there. It cannot hire workers, lay out roads, occupy land, or decide priorities in foreign territory without formal agreements. Even empires usually have to pretend to negotiate before planting a road.

And there is another question: why would the neighbouring countries accept the exact routes designed by Kouka? Xing might want to connect different markets, Sei might prioritise its ports, and Kai might have neither the money nor the interest to restore a corridor that mainly benefits Koukan merchants.

The proposed solution is to mobilise the merchants and wealthy people interested in the routes, without clarifying whether they are from Kouka, foreign, or a mixture of both. And somehow, national and foreign money will simply flow.

The rich pay for it, and the poor build it. Perfect.

The text itself says that those who invest will receive priority use. If the investors are foreign, Kouka would be allowing foreign merchant capital to finance strategic infrastructure within its territory and receive preferential access to it.

The most charitable interpretation would be that merchants from all interested countries jointly finance the network, while each state regulates the sections within its own territory. But that would require treaties, cost-sharing arrangements, limits on privileges, and public oversight. The scene mentions none of that. It simply moves from “Kouka does not have to bear the burden” to “the merchants and the wealthy will pay,” and then to “they will have priority.”

If the investors are domestic, the system encourages internal oligopolies. If they are foreign, it adds external dependence over strategic infrastructure.

Either way, the proposal is a recipe for privatising the routes and granting preferential access to those who finance them. It creates an obvious incentive for the concentration of economic power: those with priority access can earn greater profits, invest in further routes, and strengthen their position even more.

This is neither a new nor an innocent mechanism. The history of chartered companies shows how far the combination of private capital, commercial monopoly, and state-granted power can go.

Whoever controls access to a route can influence transport costs, which goods circulate, which markets prosper, and which regions are left out. This is not some remote possibility. It is the logical incentive created by the model, unless the state imposes strict limits that the scene never mentions.

And the real problem is that this idea is placed in the mouth of the character who, for almost twenty years of manga, has been portrayed as someone capable of calculating consequences several generations ahead.

With Hak, one can accept that political economy is not exactly his battlefield. But Soo-won is supposed to be a strategist who understands incentives, resources, and power. It is difficult to believe that he would fail to see that granting priority to investors amounts to creating a class with institutionalised commercial privileges.

Soo-won should see the trap. That, to me, is the real narrative failure. Not simply that the idea is simplistic, but that it is given to the one character who should be able to recognise exactly what is wrong with it.

I guess, they mean the people in this country with a good amount of cash, goods and connections. This people, rich merchants, would likely pay for a better connection. A better connection could mean them exchanging more goods, more safely. If the countries provided a sort of protection. Of course contracts are the key in this scenario.

The moment a route enters another country, Kouka no longer has authority there. It cannot hire workers, lay out roads, occupy land, or decide priorities in foreign territory without formal agreements. Even empires usually have to pretend to negotiate before planting a road. And there is another question: why would the neighbouring countries accept the exact routes designed by Kouka? Xing might want to connect different markets, Sei might prioritise its ports, and Kai might have neither the money nor the interest to restore a corridor that mainly benefits Koukan merchants.

It does not have to be a pretense. Contracts to join certain parts of the economy could be beneficial for all countries.

Besides Kai Empire has big structural problems. The emperor is losing more and more power, since "old stories" do not sell so well, as they used to be. A "pure blood" isn´t likely worth as much as it used to be.

The legitimation for the Kai emperor´s rule is crumbling. The people inside are most likely quite disatisfied. And of course with nobles trying to attain power, this guy needs quickly a way to stabilize this little bomb.

Also, if the Kai Emperor resembles King Il, like Zeno suggested, he might be glad for a more peaceful solution to the present problems in Kai Empire.

Additionally, if Sei, Xing and Kouka connect their economies, then goods and people could flow more naturally between them. People could find more easily work ect.

If the connection of the three countries are a success, then Kai is likely to join. This has happened in the past ,too. Countries gave up "certain parts of their power" voluntarily if they could gain benefits - help and economic advantages.

The proposed solution is to mobilise the merchants and wealthy people interested in the routes, without clarifying whether they are from Kouka, foreign, or a mixture of both. And somehow, national and foreign money will simply flow. The rich pay for it, and the poor build it. Perfect.

Those two - Soo Won and Hak- are right now exchanging ideas in order to attain a rough structure for a plan. This is not necessarily the end result. But it is very likely that more merchants from one country join this plan. Soo Won apparently has connections to the Kai Empire merchants, as he recommened them Yun ho´s tea during the Earth Tribe Arc.

The rich pay for it, and the poor build it. Perfect. The text itself says that those who invest will receive priority use. If the investors are foreign, Kouka would be allowing foreign merchant capital to finance strategic infrastructure within its territory and receive preferential access to it. The most charitable interpretation would be that merchants from all interested countries jointly finance the network, while each state regulates the sections within its own territory. But that would require treaties, cost-sharing arrangements, limits on privileges, and public oversight. The scene mentions none of that. It simply moves from “Kouka does not have to bear the burden” to “the merchants and the wealthy will pay,” and then to “they will have priority.”

I would say, this is not just the "most charitable interpretation", I think it is the most logical. Not merely the foreign merchants, but Kouka´s, too, would gain.

In order to gain something, you sometimes have to give up power. Kai Empire and Sei were trying to gain "workers" from Kouka by attaining slaves; so Sei and Kai need people. Kouren and Tao are the most likely pair to join Yona´s suggestion. Wouldn´t it be beneficial, if the right people with the right know-how were at the right place?

Additionally, this could even lead to an outcome, that the countries invest more in their citizens - building schools. People like Yoon and Keishuk, who are bloody commoners, but are geniuses or at least very capable, might be in more places.

The ingredients are already there.

If the investors are domestic, the system encourages internal oligopolies. If they are foreign, it adds external dependence over strategic infrastructure.

Indeed, due to this dependence - whic would apply to all countries involved- wars would be less likely to happen.

Either way, the proposal is a recipe for privatising the routes and granting preferential access to those who finance them. It creates an obvious incentive for the concentration of economic power: those with priority access can earn greater profits, invest in further routes, and strengthen their position even more.

Priority would however not suggest, that those people - merchants or nobles- would have an exclusive right to use it. The people with more power, money and benefits will still have the greater advantage, but they had this from the start.

It, however, also grants a saver route for all people to travel between countries.

This is neither a new nor an innocent mechanism. The history of chartered companies shows how far the combination of private capital, commercial monopoly, and state-granted power can go.

In the era, this work plays, this might be a rather new idea.

Whoever controls access to a route can influence transport costs, which goods circulate, which markets prosper, and which regions are left out. This is not some remote possibility. It is the logical incentive created by the model, unless the state imposes strict limits that the scene never mentions.

Yes, these are important details, they would need to consider. It would still be beneficial for more people. For the foreign countries, who wish for workers and for the people in Kouka without work. Of course, the states would need to make sure, that no human trafficking happens again and other related crimes.

With Hak, one can accept that political economy is not exactly his battlefield. But Soo-won is supposed to be a strategist who understands incentives, resources, and power. It is difficult to believe that he would fail to see that granting priority to investors amounts to creating a class with institutionalised commercial privileges.

Those people have already had the privileges from the start or they would not be needed. Those people are rich after all. Kings have always needed people with money and influence. This is how the world unfortunately works.

I once heard the joke, that if an ape, would hord all the bananas, people would call this behaviour sick, but it is unfortunately accepted as not only normal, but as a prefered behaviour in human beings.

The economy in Kouka is in shambles right now. They need money and goods, people are out of work, as far as I could see. So they need investors. And so the merchants need a reason to give them money in the first place.

If you take into account certain examples, this still could be a "win-win-situation" for so many people inside and outside of Kouka. Like the Panama Chanel, where there appears to be also a priority use. The chanel used to be in the hands of the US (actually, they are still the ones, who use the chanel mainly), but the chanel has proven to be quite useful also to the countries of Latin America.

The mere fact, that easier connections between the countries exist, could help all people - directly or indirectly.

In fact, Kusanagi is most likely refering to the past history of Japan. Her own country is the "proof".

The Second World War left Japan in ruins, grappling with the consequences of its engagement in the conflict, which culminated in the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945. Following its ultimate surrender, the Prime Minister of Japan, Shigeru Yoshida, gradually disengaged the country from its former aggressive policies and embraced policies of peace and reconstruction—a strategy otherwise known as the Yoshida Doctrine. Prioritizing economic development over military endeavours, Japan forged strategic alliances with nations around the world, invested heavily in technological innovation and made its education system a cornerstone of its recovery. The result was nothing short of miraculous: the emergence of Japan as the world's third-largest economy. The remarkable economic success of Japan underscores how a commitment to peace can propel a nation from ashes to eminence.

Soo-won should see the trap. That, to me, is the real narrative failure. Not simply that the idea is simplistic, but that it is given to the one character who should be able to recognise exactly what is wrong with it. Maybe I simply think too much.

You are adding the rules and safeguards that the manga itself never mentions. What the scene actually says is that private investors will pay for the routes, get priority use, make more money, and then invest in more routes.

Could there be rules and safeguards? Yes, of course. Or there might not be. The manga says nothing about it.

I guess, this is part of the novel. After all, the narrative has holes in it. For example, we do not know, how Jon Gi betrayed his wife, if this was even the case, but his wife and daughter still think about it.

Do we know, if the nightmare, Soo Won dreamt about was, what actually happened in the night of the murder of Il or was it merely just his own guilty unconciousness, that played a trick on him? After all, we did not hear King Il talk at all, when Yona entered the room.

Therefore we can fill the blanks ourselves. It happens too often, so I conclude it is an intended narrative choice.

A single sentence showing that Soo-won understood the risk would have been enough. Something like:

“We would also need rules to prevent the investors from gaining too much control over the routes.”

That would be enough for me. It would acknowledge the risk and establish that limits would be necessary.

As the scene stands now, however, no one raises any objection at all.

Currently those guys are in the middle of exchanging ideas. Hak and Soo Won are having a "flow experience". Both feel most likely a little drunk with euphoria.

This is nothing but a very first draft. Like when you write a story.

It is merely the skeleton and nothing more. The details have to be worked out, when both are calmer.

They might be euphoric. Or they might not be. They might assess the risks later. Or they might not. This might be only a first draft. Or it might not be. None of that is stated in the scene.

From that point on, imagination is the only limit. I can imagine that they spend the next eight months carefully working through every detail of the plan. I can also imagine that the whole project turns into a disastrous failure.

I genuinely like that you are able to imagine a hopeful outcome. I also appreciate the way you read the manga and try to find the best possible meaning in every scene and panel.

I do not read it that way anymore. I am so disappointed with the manga that I tend to notice its flaws first and imagine the ways in which these ideas could go wrong.

And because the writing often lacks clarity and precision, both readings are possible. The future you imagine, in which they carefully work out the details and prevent abuse, could happen. The future I imagine, in which the plan creates serious problems, could happen too.