Scan barcode
A review by keikoreadsmanga
Yona of the Dawn, Vol. 5 by Mizuho Kusanagi
5.0
I'll do a proper review now. I should have done it on volume 1 but I was not in my proper reviewer self last night. I was exhausted and sleep-deprived. I would say that this series began as something to kill time while waiting for Spy X Family Episode 3 (if I don’t do anything while waiting for the clock to strike 23:00 I'll drift to sleep without my knowing). Who knows that the first volume was such an amazing opening for this series! Now, I'm hooked for real.
The Japanese mangas (and the adapted animation ones) that we read and watch today, and even the ones a generation ago (like Card Captor Sakura and Rurouni Kenshin) that we all loved dearly all incorporated European cultures in at least one or two panels if not every page of the main series. This has been going on for generations now, but I guess we find it normal because it's their current lifestyle now and it's our lifestyle too. We find French or British characters appearing with tea and croissant as if it's typical and there's nothing wrong with it. I appear as one observer that thinks nothing wrong of it. And there isn’t. There's nothing wrong with appreciating and adapting a race's culture.
Like, take a look, for example, the Spy X Family's premise is loosely based on Europe, and their names are all in English. And it's all just fine. But what I find unusual is how people are weirded out about Yona of the Dawn's premise being Korean when in turn the writer is Japanese. Why the trouble to use Korean when you're Japanese, they ask.
Is this Eurocentrism that's driving us to be okay with anything Europe but turn our backs on our own continent? Or the Anglo people to question why this series is not Japanese as a whole but gets a thumbs up when given something that is their culture? I find that rude. What is the difference? I don’t see any. Aren’t they just the same. Mizuho Kusanagi and Tatsuya Endo are only respecting the land they used as a material for their stories. I hope people finally see it that way.
I have nothing against Europe, I adored their literature and entertainment too. And I have nothing against Japan for incorporating European culture into their lifestyle. There's nothing wrong with respecting and appreciating one's culture. It's just that I found only a small quantity of series that used Asia as a whole material for their stories. This series is one of those, and the other that reminds me (I think of Chinese influence) is Fushigi Yuugi. And it's refreshing to see that I can still find a purely Asian content in some mangas. Isn’t it wonderful to find source material like that? Like we are echoing what our ancestors stand up for. Isn’t are own cultural appreciation in turn? I guess it's just new and original for me to see people breaking from the usual.
Going back to his volume, the search for other dragons of the myth continues. As Sinha (the blue dragon) joined the group, Jaeha (the green dragon) finally came face to face with Yona despite all his efforts in avoiding the gang. I can't wait for the next volume! This series is really a precious gem. I can now totally understand why people are saying this is better than Fushigi Yuugi. The characters' arcs are so wholesome and pure. It's very impactful and raw that it brought me to tears.
I love the group dynamics so far! And why is Gija so freaking beautiful? I'm dying of nosebleed!!
The Japanese mangas (and the adapted animation ones) that we read and watch today, and even the ones a generation ago (like Card Captor Sakura and Rurouni Kenshin) that we all loved dearly all incorporated European cultures in at least one or two panels if not every page of the main series. This has been going on for generations now, but I guess we find it normal because it's their current lifestyle now and it's our lifestyle too. We find French or British characters appearing with tea and croissant as if it's typical and there's nothing wrong with it. I appear as one observer that thinks nothing wrong of it. And there isn’t. There's nothing wrong with appreciating and adapting a race's culture.
Like, take a look, for example, the Spy X Family's premise is loosely based on Europe, and their names are all in English. And it's all just fine. But what I find unusual is how people are weirded out about Yona of the Dawn's premise being Korean when in turn the writer is Japanese. Why the trouble to use Korean when you're Japanese, they ask.
Is this Eurocentrism that's driving us to be okay with anything Europe but turn our backs on our own continent? Or the Anglo people to question why this series is not Japanese as a whole but gets a thumbs up when given something that is their culture? I find that rude. What is the difference? I don’t see any. Aren’t they just the same. Mizuho Kusanagi and Tatsuya Endo are only respecting the land they used as a material for their stories. I hope people finally see it that way.
I have nothing against Europe, I adored their literature and entertainment too. And I have nothing against Japan for incorporating European culture into their lifestyle. There's nothing wrong with respecting and appreciating one's culture. It's just that I found only a small quantity of series that used Asia as a whole material for their stories. This series is one of those, and the other that reminds me (I think of Chinese influence) is Fushigi Yuugi. And it's refreshing to see that I can still find a purely Asian content in some mangas. Isn’t it wonderful to find source material like that? Like we are echoing what our ancestors stand up for. Isn’t are own cultural appreciation in turn? I guess it's just new and original for me to see people breaking from the usual.
Going back to his volume, the search for other dragons of the myth continues. As Sinha (the blue dragon) joined the group, Jaeha (the green dragon) finally came face to face with Yona despite all his efforts in avoiding the gang. I can't wait for the next volume! This series is really a precious gem. I can now totally understand why people are saying this is better than Fushigi Yuugi. The characters' arcs are so wholesome and pure. It's very impactful and raw that it brought me to tears.
I love the group dynamics so far! And why is Gija so freaking beautiful? I'm dying of nosebleed!!