#I will always and forever applaud her genius mind (even as I continue to suffer at its hand)

[ofrandomthought]

I love the detail about how the dragon gods choose to present themselves to Yona.

They are desperate to get the crimson dragon back and so they are doing everything in their (considerable) power to force yona to stay in Heaven.

Thing is, they don’t want yona, not really, they just want what she represents— Hiryuu’s soul. Which is why when they do this, when they take the form of the people yona loves the most, first in order to deceive her into thinking that she’s finally been reunited with them and could now live with them in peace and harmony forever more in this place of perfect beauty and tranquility

And then, when that fails, they wear the faces of her loved ones still to try and get her to let her guard down, to trust them, because not only are they all powerful, they’re familiar and safe and dedicated to her and her only.

They use the identities of the people whom Yona holds dearest to her heart as masks and from there they set off on trying to convince (manipulate) her into staying. But even for all the lengths they’re going to, you can see they will fail because even their masks betray them.

The longer they keep on negotiating with her (threatening her into staying) the more the masks slip. At most panels they look like they’re melting right off, collapsing inwards

and it’s not for a lack of trying to cling to the lie — even as their forms oscillate back and forth you can still see some parts of the disguise holding on; the shape of hak’s eyes, his hair, kija’s face, the slash of a smile that should be familiar……..

All parts of her family, all dearly beloved, all deformed almost beyond recognition by the obsession of the dragon gods.

And I like to think that that is a direct reflection of the way our perception of the four dragon gods has changed throughout the story.

Kusanagi has managed to expertly craft this journey that took us gradually but seamlessly from the beginning where the four dragon gods started off as this legendary beacon of noble hope and righteousness, this ever watching eye sworn to protect Yona and all those loved by her, this source of vindication that yes! You’re rooting for the right person! Look at her! She is divine! She is the chosen one! She is Heaven’s Will made flesh!

To this

Something other. Something cruel. Creatures so far removed from humans’ understanding of them, so apathetic to human’s pain and suffering and love and joy (even that of the human they are currently obsessed with by virtue of her soul), so wrapped in their loneliness and self imposed isolation that they have become the very destruction we thought they were guarding against.