schneefink

A new arc is starting, so I thought it's a good time to dump all of the notes I made while reading the Akatsuki no Yona manga. As usual, only a few in the beginning and then more and more detailed when I was caught up and read them one by one.

I started reading the manga where the anime left off, so with chapter 48 (with the exception of chapter 41 because of Strange Attraction by

EHyde, god I hate love potions.)
"The Dark Dragon and the Happy Hungry Bunch" OMG.
Chapter 61, young Hak and Soo-won, ow ow ow ow . They admire each other so much! ;_; And then shortly afterwards Yu-hong dies, and then… ow.
Yay competent military leader Soo-won! He and Yona look at each other across the battlefield…
Hak and Soo-won raised a falcon together and Soo-won still has it ;_;
I just love how much they all value and respect Yoon. (&call him mom, heh.)
Every once in a while I almost think Hak and Yona could have a functional relationship, but usually only for a short time. Also, does Jae-ha have to meddle…
Chapter 76: …wait, so the dragons feel it when Yona gets very emotional about something? I must be misinterpreting.
Chapter 83, Yona seeing her warriors as dragons in her dream is cute.
I like Lili, and Ayura and Tetora :)
Is Jae-ha actually developing a crush on Yona? Poor Jae-ha! He knows he doesn't really have a chance. (And not only because he's almost ten years older.)
Soo-won and Yona working together to save the Water Tribe :D
Huh, has Zeno seen Soo-won before?
Soo-won still has faith that with Hak on their side they can't lose ;_; and he doesn't even move when Hak attacks him (after effortlessly dispatching Joo-doh), Jae-ha has to stop Hak (chapter 91) the first time Soo-won and Hak meet again. I also love that Joo-doh later calls Soo-won out on not defending his life before he achieved what he promised. "Next time I'll kill him," hah.
Invading Southern Kai, risky… I wonder how much of that he thought through long-term and how much is about his father… Short-term it worked out, but what is he planning next?
Chapter 96, the dragons talking about their short lifespan and Yoon hearing and being worried – and Zeno is just sitting there and they don't know what he is yet…
105 extra: aww, the other dragons telling Jae-ha he doesn't have to be Oldest Brother all the time. (especially now he's found out that Zeno is older ^^ )
106: this is not how Jae-ha wanted to see Shin-ah's eyes!
Everyone thinking of Yoon as mom…
110: Yona gives Hak a necklace! Oh Yona, Hak was always special to you, but in the past in a different way. I feel a bit better about this ship by now, but still very cautious.
Why is Joo-doh accompanying Soo-won all the time? As a general, doesn't he have other things to do? Does Soo-won need a minder? ;)
117: Kija meeting Soo-won, and being utterly unprepared… and Soo-won being impressed but also saying he doesn't need them, and his goal isn't being king anyway.
118: "I will be your legs, until you have no further use of me. Until then." Jae-ha <3
Yep, Soo-won and Hak together would have been pretty much unstoppable on the battlefield.
Hak hugging Jae-ha as a "greeting" and then Zeno explicitly as a reward for saving Yona, aww.
123: Yona, you still think Hak is following your father's orders? *facepalm*
I love Yona and Lily's friendship.
Lily giving Soo-won's hairpin to Hak to return it to Yona lolololololol
125: hey, we finally get some of Hak's thoughts on Soo-won's betrayal :D
128: Yona has her period, I love that this comes up. Though it has to have happened before, but still.
130 Zeno burned alive, fuck :(
131 Hak calling Yona Master *facepalm*
I like Princess Kouren, as a character. And Tao. Both views are understandable. Wow, Soo-won's father was an asshole.
133 Yoon protecting Jae-ha and Kija with his life ;_;
136 Soo-won really has committed himself to being a good king. He sacrificed everything for that. Buth, uh was there really no way to reach his goal without that personal sacrifice…
137 KISS
Oh fuuuuck she's gonna ask Tae-jun for help…
Soo-won says under certain circumstances cutting off all enemy soldiers' heads and throwing them over the wall is acceptable (it was his father), Yona says this is why his father didn't become king, which at the same time must feel like her judging him too.
So now it will become impossible to keep Yona's existence a secret…
145 Yona and Hak still have at least some trust in (certain parts of) Soo-won…
I like Tae-woo :)
146: whoo new superpower!
147: I loved Hak mentally appealing to Yona and Jae-ha (!) to teach him to let go of his hatred.
150: So Yona and Hak are under Xing protection now but Soo-won's advisor will have them investigated, hm.
151: not-really-fiancee misunderstanding, not the biggest fan of that, but Yona trying to give Hak his freedom back is sweet.
152: aww, big brother Jae-ha. And Yoon and Kija too. Her family helping Yona talk about her feelings <3
Aww, Hak says he goes home "here," to Yona. He says he decided to live for her and I'm just cheering the communication happening. And then, confession! Finally!
And Yoon, Jae-ha, Kija and Shin-ah are shocked throughout while Zeno just smiles ^^ (and hands out handkerchiefs hee.)
153: Augh, I dislike Hak so much. "You're so weak! And not sexy at all! Nobody would ever want to marry you! Except me, I'd take you. But not really." What an ASSHOLE. I don't care if he's just kidding or trying to deal with his feelings or whatever, it's shitty.
Hak thinks he's the only one who still "hasn't let go" of what the hairpin means? Please. He is so self-centered when it comes to emotions.
154: Back to Kuuto, hm? Zeno's immortality is slightly less tragic to me since realizing that he could just walk far enough away from Hiryuu Castle and then he would probably die, or at least never wake up again. But apparently he could never make himself, and that's also tragic in a different way.
Lily buys the hair pin! Buying it partially with promising Ogi information about how Soo-won is doing, because Won isn't coming anymore but Ogi still cares about him, aww.
Wait, an actual invasion? xD Are the troops at least still there?

I think the reason why I'm almost more interested in Hak&Soo-won than Yona&So-woon is because pre-canon Yona was so incredibly naïve and clueless, it felt like they were worlds apart. While Hak&Soo-won were on more equal footing. But now Yona is growing up fast while Hak is still somewhat stuck.
Romantic Hak/Yona is my least favorite relationship combination but unfortunately (future) canon, boo.