REVIEW: ‘Yona of the Dawn,’ Volume 29

There have been many epic battles, but none have shaken Hak quite so much as the one in Yona of the Dawn Volume 29. He’s on his own, and every decision could cost a life. The fantasy adventure shojo by Mizuho Kusanagi follows princess Yona after she is driven out of her palace. When many wish her dead, she must leave her spoiled life behind and seek out the four dragon warriors if she is to survive. 

Yona of the Dawn Volume 29 is published in English by VIZ Media under their Shojo Beat imprint. Ysabet Reinhardt MacFarlane adapts it into English, with translation by JN Productions. This volume has touch-up art and lettering by Lys Blakeslee, design by Philana Chen, and edited by Amy Yu.

Priest Gobi’s scheming has placed informant Obi in an impossible position and trapped Yona, Yun, Zeno, and Jaeha. This immediately puts Yona and the dragons in the sights of Ying Kuelbo, the king of the Tuuli Tribe who has taken control of Sen Province in the neighboring Kai Empire. Because of the military threat to both Kohka and his friends, Hak has no choice but to work with advisor Keishuk.

Rage and isolation are major emotional themes throughout Yona of the Dawn Volume 29. Everything simmers dangerously under the surface. Characters have to repress their emotions in order to survive. The tension in Kusanagi’s panels, zooming in on faces and darkened eyes in particular, is pulled taut through the entirety of the near 200 pages. Yona is phenomenal here. She is calculated about when she lashes out versus when she holds in her anger, well aware that her choices can put others at risk. The same goes for each one of the dragons who are forced into painful situations. It really feels like a culmination that every previous conflict has built up to. The true fear of losing each other is being thrown at the beloved Happy Hungry Bunch.

Meanwhile, Hak takes center stage in Yona of the Dawn Volume 29 as the series brings his character arc to a peak. After confessing his feelings to Yona, and acknowledging just how important his friends are to him in Xing, he is faced with losing his family. This is war, and Hak has to make decisions on his own. Even with Keishuk’s aid, Hak knows his death would be convenient. He has been trained as a general, but he has never had to lead in a major battle. His loneliness and despair are a punch to the gut. Kusanagi illustrates this masterfully, and readers will feel just as helpless at the moment as Hak, not knowing what will happen next. 

Yona of the Dawn Volume 29 is a volume that will have readers gripping the edge of their seats. Its use of emotion not through explosive bursts, but a consistent ember throughout the chapters hit home with just how different this confrontation feels for the Happy Hungry Bunch. Yona and Hak are facing the rage and isolation that comes from war, and Kusanagi’s consistent writing pays off in this installment.

Yona of the Dawn Volume 29 goes on sale now wherever books are sold.