Yona of the Dawn

• Characters: 1.7 /3
• Story: 2 /3
• Enjoyment: 1 /2
• Art: .7 /1
• Animation: .8 /1

Overall Score: 6.2/10

Yona of the Dawn in one word: Smart

Truthfully, I finished this anime some time ago, I just never got around to writing about it. It’s been a long time since I’d been excited by a new(ish, now) anime….and the fact that it was a reverse harem that got me excited really shows how disappointing the anime industry has become.

Nonetheless, Yona of the Dawn is an anime that can be enjoyed by either gender regardless of it being a reverse harem. Yona, the heroine continued to be a strong character throughout the entire show which I was very pleased with. She’s a heroine to admire and just like I predicted, seeing her grow as her adventure went on was one of the best parts of this anime.

Now, let’s talk about the boys. Basically, I’m a sucker for reverse harems. I have the oddest love-hate relationship with them. Something like “Ugh, it’s so obvious they’re pandering to the female audience. But at the same time, this is a rather rare thing… Ugh, another one of THOSE male characters; I’ve seen that trope a thousand times! But….it’s still cute.”

So as a reviewer I had to take away points for the fact they played on the “types” – i.e. shota, prince, happy-go-lucky, flirt, mysterious, and childhood companion. But at the same time…I guess it’s because I’m a girl but I loved it. xD

The anime is smart because it could’ve gone any way. It could’ve taken the road of normalcy and simply pandered to female audiences. But the story of Yona of the Dawn is what actually kept me to stay. Sure, cute boys are great but I can’t watch an anime just for that. It’s boring. Yona of the Dawn brought on a great story and actually developed its characters. (Except for a certain one but I think the short meeting was the point of his character).

If this anime doesn’t get a 2nd season I will be severely disappointed. The focus of this first half was to introduce the characters and SET UP for something bigger. There was plenty of story, as I discussed above, but it never dove too deeply like I wanted. If a 2nd season comes, they’ll have to push into the actual meat of the story.

The art stayed consistent throughout the whole thing. They never pulled an A-1 Pictures (where the art in the first episode is great but quality slowly declines as the series continues because they blew their budget on moe gestures -_-) You get the same quality in every episode only, and this is rare….the fight scenes have the best animation.

Yes, you heard it here. In a reverse harem anime with romance and drama….the action sequences have the best animation. (Oh how I love you Pierrot Studios!!)

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So to sum it up:

Pros: The story is the best part. And if you’re into reverse harem anime, THIS IS A MUST WATCH. There’s at least one boy you’ll absolutely adore. But even if you don’t like reverse harems, the story is great for anyone. A strong heroine whose kingdom has been usurped and now she has to reclaim it? Reminds me of Fire Emblem, I’m in! The characters are good, the story is great, and it’ll make you wish for a season 2.

Cons: It’s still just a reverse harem anime. And the obvious pandering to the female audience members can get annoying – I’m a girl and even I found it annoying at times. The story also feels TOO slow at times. Focusing on a character for 6 episodes gets rather tedious.

Worth watching?: For a reverse harem anime, Yona of the Dawn is by far one of the best I’ve ever seen. The story is great and yes, the romance in it is well directed. What I love about reverse harems in comparison to harems, is that the majority of them can be for anyone. Because they actually come with stories not JUST pandering. It’s great, I would definitely recommend this anime to anyone interested in a good story. And if you like reverse harems, this is a plus.