#Zeno sure knows that feel Soowon

[matcha-chai-latte]

“The one who wishes to live, and the one who pleads to die” , so beautiful yet so tragic at the same time. I’ve noticed this anti parallel between Soowon and Zeno a long time ago and I’m happy that the author brought it up.

Even though something huge and painful is definitely around the corner, coming in the nearest chapters, I still refuse to give up on hoping for the best. If the story ends tragically, the whole plot journey and Yona’s character will lose their point. From how I see it, the one way to finish this story, is to end the unending circle of suffering: curses, illnesses and deaths, also the gods living among people. This is why the Red Dragon aka Yona was reborn and that is why she receives precautionary visions. Yona herself pondered over the reason Hiryuu was reborn. To change the course of events. To change fate itself.

As much as it hurts, Yona will most likely end up killing Zeno. Be it of her free will or by means of defending Hak. It is so saddening that he never got and probably never will get a chance to live a normal life, but after 2000 years of suffering I doubt he would be able to sincerely enjoy life again. I hope he can at least die in peace.

It could be, that the ending of the eternal life of the Yellow Dragon will also eliminate the dragon powers from earth, which may lift the crimson illness from Hiryuu’s decedents.

At this point I just can’t believe that Soowon will die. As a person he changed and developed SUCH a great deal that killing him off after all that would be an unnecessary dramatic move (inhuman even). Loosing both of his parents, having to suffer a moral dilemma, removing the only two closest people he had left to save the country and avenge his father, suffering the consequences all alone, while knowing that he is bound to die a long, painful death because of the gods he hates and thus being unable to get married and have children. Then after 200 chapters he realized that despite everything he is still a simple human being with personal feelings and desires, that he loves Hak and Yona (which was obvious) and that he wants to live….and then in the end he dies? I can’t take it.

In the time skip in chapter 1 Yona was still referred to as “princess Yona”, so she didn’t become queen like Soowon wanted in the recent chapters, so maybe he really doesn’t die? (hope dies last).

In the worst scenario that can also mean someone usurped the throne (Soowon can still be alive at this point). If it happens, I would bet on Chagol. His death went suspiciously smooth. There is also the symbol of the Fenix that hints he can return from the “dead” (the Fenix Castle and the tattoo on Chagol’s bald head).

Something will definitely happen to Hak, but I don’t believe he will die either. If he dies, I expect him to return from the dead too, since we still know nothing of his origins (maybe he is also a godly creature of some kind)😅.

If our main trio stays alive, together they could gather strength and by working together, fight back and return the castle.

These are just my superficial thoughts, as I said previously things are so complex now that we can’t be sure about anything, we can only guess.

I believe in the author and wish her all the best❤️

[mii-ruby]

A very interesting theory. And something like that could really happen. Or she could die and come back to life, I’m sure it can also be the case.

Thanks! And yes her being revived after death is a possibility. I just hope she doesn't come back as a baby/child 'cause I've seen this trope a few times and I really dislike it.

But honestly, even though it’s sad, if all of them forget about Yona and the whole dragon story, I guess it’s the only way Zeno could actually live his mortal life. He would not be burdened by traumatic memories anymore.

Honestly I can see why you think he'll commit a harakiri if he keeps his memories, but I can also see him wanting to live a last life alongside his friends. They are important to him, they were the reason he kept his sanity during the last hundred years. He kept waiting for them (and Yona), and when he met them they cherished and protected him, even after learning he was immortal. I can see both visions.

Zeno, Shin ah, Soo-won, Mei Nyan, Jae ha, countless previous dragon warriors. I don’t think I have to explain anything. Especially Zeno and Shin ah, I can’t even dare call what they went through “a life”.  What she went through is horrible, but others went through so much more and for so much longer.

I agree about the dragons. In fact I never said in my original post that them forgetting her was unfair.

I said that about Soowon bcz to me she's not responsible for the Crimson illness: during that meeting with Hiryuu, they only discussed the dragons' matter. The descendants were never brought up and Yona never said "please don't put an end to your lineage otherwise I'll never meet Soowon and Mei-Nyan".

One of the reblogs suggested that maybe Hiryuu was planning to return to heaven which would've spared both dragons and descendants, but Yona's refusal condemned them all. The thing is: we don't know. Hiryuu didn't tell us his plan, just that he was going to put an end to the dragons. It might've included killing Zeno (like he was almost did in chapter 255) and asking the others to not have children. There are a lot of possibilities. As long as we don't have a confirmation I can't blame Yona for that. Hiryuu could've still made the decision to not have children regardless.

Apart from this, Soowon forgetting Yona is fucked up bcz they've both been a big part of the other's life. Like another reblog said "the trio's dynamic is all about memories and learning to live with them". If one forgets the other it'll leave a big hole in his/her past. And what's worse is that they didn't get the opportunity to have a heartfelt conversation yet. A lot of things are left unsaid: feeling of guilt, betrayal, hurt, information about the coup, the hairpin....etc. if he forgets about her before they even get to discuss this, it'll be such a shame.

“I will come for them as many times as it takes”. As many times as it takes? What does that mean? Is it a hint of what she will be doing?

That part confused me too. It almost sounds like "even if I fail in this life, I'll try again in the next ones as many times as it takes". But we know this is not possible. Yona will most likely be the last incarnation of Hiryuu and the story will end with her, so I don't understand what it meant.

Theory about the "Price to pay"

Spoilers 'till chapter 260

So we're finally at the point where Yona has to talk to the dragon gods herself. We knew this was bound to happen and it was honestly the most logical turn of events. What we don't know however is the price she'll have to pay to get such a wish fulfilled.

Two theories come to mind:

1/ The first and most popular one is that Yona will have to leave the mortal realm and return to heaven to be the Crimson dragon King again.

No need for the dragon warriors anymore, they'll simply lose their powers, and the gods can finally have Yona back like they always wanted, which could be the interpretation of the last line from the prophecy "And The Red Dragon Shall Return At Dawn".

This theory, although logical, is just too cruel. Akayona is not a tragedy, I can't imagine Kusanagi will end a story about found family, self growth and overcoming your trauma with the death of the main character. I desperately tried to find another suitable price that didn't envolve Yona sacrificing herself, which leads us to the second theory:

2/Yona gets to stay on earth, but all the people she knew forget about her. I know this might sound just as cruel if not more than the previous one💦, but please hear me out 'till the end!!!!

Yona had done much more to the country as a normal girl than a princess. She went to different tribes on foot, bonded with peasants, pretended to be a bandit, pirate, an entertainer... etc, and fought off traffickers and dealers without ever mentioning she was a princess. Yes those people she helped will probably forget about her, but she can return to them and help them while being herself again. She doesn't need recognition as "Princess Yona". She draws people no matter her title.

On the other, since she'll no longer possess warriors with divine powers, she won't be a target for greedy individuals or people from enemy nations, so the gods can rest assured about her safety.

Lastly, everyone forgetting about her means that the red dragon no longer exists on earth. It's like his memory left the mortal realm and ascended to heaven again "And The Red Dragon Shall Return At Dawn". This could be an interpretation of the prophecy. The red dragon won't literally return to heaven. It's his memory that will leave people's minds and return to be a property of the heaven.

Now, even though I said that everyone will forget about Yona, I'm sure there'll be one exception to this rule. Only one individual will never forget about Yona while everyone else will, and it's Hak. The first reason is obviously the romance that'll just get reset to zero if he forgets about her. I mean, knowing  him he'll probably fall in love with her again, but it's like all their moments and all the development in their relationship will disappear and restart from zero which is something a lot of readers won't accept.

The second and most powerful reason (literally the reason that made me write  this post) is that one scene from chapter 25 that everyone hated. Remember when Yona asked Hak to be the only one to call her "Princess"? Remember when she told him even if EVERYONE IN THE COUNTRY FORGETS ABOUT HER, HE HAS TO BE THE ONLY ONE WHO REMEMBERS?

What if that scene was actually foreshadowing the ending of the series? That everyone will forget about who Yona was, and that he will be the only one to remember? Ofc I'm sure it won't be that easy. Hak will probably have to pass some kind of test to prove that he's worthy of remembering Yona, but I'm sure he'll succeed and the gods will begrudgingly yield to his request so Yona won't live a sad and lonely life after they cast their spell.

Ofc I'm aware this is still a cruel predicament. The family she fought so hard to save will forget about her, but she'll be able to start a new relationship with them. It'll prove that their bond was always genuine, that it had nothing to do with the dragons' blood, and I'm sure they'll love her as much as they loved her before.

The country also will forget about princess Yona. Her achievements will probably all be attributed to Soowon (but it's not like she cares about fame or recognition anyway).

Speaking of Soowon, it's kinda fucked up that he gets to forget the girl he hurt so much. He'll forget that he ever had a cousin, that it was her father he murdered that night, that she was the one who got the gods to heal the descendants from the Crimson illness...etc, It's unfair but we can't do much about it I guess.

What do you guys think about this theory? Would you be okay with it if it happened at the end?

[buri-art]

Suwon's reaction when he wakes up and learns about the current mess

I missed the timing for this Ask, but here we are currently. 

[star-puff]

I'm not caught up on the manga, I need to 😭 GIRL SHIN AH IS MY ALL TIME FAV BUT HONESTLY I LOVE THEM ALL SO MUCH, I HAVE SUCH A SOFT SPOT FOR YOON AND ZENO THOUGH! I ALSO ADORE HAK... REALLY I TRULY LOVE THEM ALL. I haven't gotten to the water tribe arc but I'm 99% sure I know what you're talking about because I saw spoilers and SCREAMED haha. Who are your faves???

girl i am on my knees Begging rn 🧎🏻‍♀️🧎🏻‍♀️🧎🏻‍♀️ reading it is such a lifechanging experience. the stuff that happens. the development. the way it delves deeper into hak's feelings about everything regarding the betrayal and his love for yona being mangled between his previous resolution to let her go vs the grudge and hatred he holds for soowon for breaking Everything i--

ahem. ok so clearly hak is a fav. jaeha is also a fav bc ... Have You Seen Him . he's so sexy im gonna cry. also i can freely ship myself w him bc if i go hak x me i feel guilty bc the only right girl for him is yona ✋✋ UGH ZENO 😭 MY BABY HES SO. UGH. HES SO CARING AND HIS PAST?? DHWJFJ ok honestly i have a soft spot for All of the happy hungry bunch i love them So Much. i think abt the original ao and sinha a lot. & i think abt kija and his dad a lot.

HDJFWKFK ok and. soowon. i just. i love him as a character. i love the conflict he provides and the layers he gives bc its not just He's Evil for the sake of Being Evil, there's so much hurt on both sides bc he sees things as necessary evils and sometimes he just needs to sacrifice everything. bc without his goals there's nothing left for him, esp not after what he did. there's no going back for him, and he knows that more than anyone. UGH.

also geuntae, bc...have u seen him. he is So Sexy. ✋✋✋✋✋

[sokkawordbender]

I agree that they can be upset with him, but I would hope that their care for him far outweights any negative reactions.

This has always amused me of sort.

Now, I know Yo na wasn't mature enough to understand soowon and his line of thoughts in the beginning so his actions felt absolute betray to her. She was most hurt by it. So it affected Hak as well. But Hak personally???? Idk man.

He was always questioning how could Soowon do what he did? How could he ever hurt Yona??? Like how could he pop her bubble of perfect life of lies and happiness? And Hak knowing the reality in the castle and stuff.

His reaction to Zeno is way different, he didn't question Zeno, we don't see any thoughts at all ??? None??? Nada???? Why isn't he questioning it? Like how could Zeno hurt yona? How could Zeno have the heart to hurt her after knowing how she felt about betrayal???? No thoughts?

All we get is, that he promised he wouldn't trust anyone again but ???????

I'm not sure what I feel about that? I'm guessing the author is cutting panels to conclude the story. Just like with Anlili, she is just being there and no monologue from like it was before? Some are saying her opinions are now invalid to the storyline. Maybe thats why? I don't think so. There was not even a reaction after the information of SW being a descendent was disclosed infrontof her. She is just there to do side quests??? Meh.

I feel like loosing interest, tell me I'm not the only one.

To the person who keeps saying Zeno needs to suffer a little bit of the consequences of his action to hold accountability.

You may go to hell!

Just kidding, but seriously..... Look at the generation of dragon suffering in pure agony.

What Consequences does he need to suffer? He is the victim here. All his actions were in line and reason with it. Not a single action was to make people suffer but to end the suffering. The dragon consider humans insignificant and use them as tools.

[ilikelookingatthings]

Akatsuki no yona chapter 193 thoughts part 3 :a comment I was proud of on youtube

of course the dad protected his son from the damage he would have gotten for the real reasons he killed the priests most likely by spreading rumours that the priests were meddling politically and it was the prince everyone already favored anyway so yoohon basically went unpunished. by showing the implications the priests were innocents who hadn't done anything worthy of those deaths except be excited and show kindness to her family it reminds us they are HUMANS and really lets us feel what yoohon did upfront and personal. even our kid priest who we love went through hardship due to this situation and yna wouldn't have been born if soowons dad had succeeded in killing that priestess which feels different that seeing the heads of srtangers who were important to kouren's people. which was sad and motivated her but her people had been a dick to our heros at the time as well. this was up close and personal. we got to see the humanized parts and extra motivations about soowon's dad so if she says he did something we can guess he did do it. and then we see with the priests being innocent just WHY Il might hate aggression war and death so much he'd avoid it at all costs. and we've got some of the reasons for why king Il might not want soowon to marry yona or go into the mini temple. soowons dad killed the priests and burned down temples so that's a disrespect to the gods and more importantly the innocent priests that were killed. soo-won had the blood of hiryuu which you'd think would cause favor but consider the last time someone with the blood went to the temple many were then killed. like does Il ever think maybe if he hadn't brought the yon-hi to the temple genuinely wanting them to get the blessing to marry properly that the death wouldn't have happened. it also means yoo-hon could have caused the deaths of many people Il found precious and more important was still thought of as  a threat to Yonas mom by Il because yoo-hon hated the priests and its not like Il knows if it was just a excuse or like how yon-hi thought it was to protect her and her family and the promise yoohon made. 

plus soowon could potentially have that sickness that causes short life    

we see the human emotions from prince Il. the hurt/bitterness he'd feel from the big brother insulting him unwittingly(not realizing how much his big brother does love him and sees value in him because his brother is bad at communication), the anger, confusion and horror and betrayal at his brother hiding something and then destroying the priests and killing innocent people who are kouka residents, the fear and paranoia from hiding a priest under his big brothers nose and the want to protect his wife from harm, and we know he is a kind person cuz he treated yon-hi with kindness and was her friend for a while and the loss of that relationship. and we see the negatives from his overly religious side a bit as well. but its not like Il didn't anything to yon-hi after finding out that makes him evil. and it makes us know that prince Il probably didn't have much love for his brother and honestly if he does its understandable even if it seems the older brother still loved his younger brother very much to some degree. It helps set up why king Il might have been able to kill his brother. something we still don't know for SURE that king Il did. and yoohon in his bid to protect his wife ended up causing his precious brother much pain and in a roundabout way was the reason her mother killed herself. getting rid of the priests he never liked hurt the people he loved in unexpected ways. just as him protecting his country and striking fear using the heads tactic almost gave kouka and stubborn enemy with a grudge that was valid/in the right to exist. it makes me wonder if soowon outed the wifes identity to yoohon at somepoint or if Il is still under the wrong impression his brother was at all interested in the religious power or something. So I really didn't see that as backtracking us in anyway because we got the possible motives for why Il might kill yoo-hon. where soo-won got his focus on using people and not relying on gods. we see more proof of why soowon might love his dad so much and that the dads love for the younger brother was real. that yoo-hon had good intentions biu often did really cruel things without asking others and didn't listen to people thinking it was nessacary when it wasn't. why king Il might not be a fan of soowon due to what his dad did and the wife didn't stop it(though honestly we know hr husband was terrible at listening even to her so it probably couldn't have stopped anything). and it keeps us from getting too ahead of ourselves assuming people are bad from the get go like what most readers assumed of the priest despite how everyone is nuanced. like her uncle bringing up that the priests didn't hurt, swindle anyone and were kind and were even able to tell at first glance so they probably could talk to the gods(irony that zeno made the priest hood lying he could still talk to the gods and ended up scamming the country by fighting armys by himself to keep them safe rather than it actually being the gods....just for it to turn out the priest hood legit could talk to the gods or at least sense stuff). and extra things that we could think were reasons for the grandpa king to choose il over the clear favorite yoohon. 

plus in a way we get to see from soo-wons moms perspective its like how we've seen the predecessors of the white, blue green dragons. technically soowon has the red dragons blood so seeing the moms perspective makes me think of that parallel. also we are seeing one of the people that raised and influenced soo-won (the mom) which could give us a little extra something to try to figure out soowon who can be a bit hard to read at times. 

I think the twist that the priests weren't evil gives a extra layer to things. we definitely can see the bad and good sides of religion in the series. its very easy to focus on the bad but its interesting because people bonding over religion at the firetribe brought them to appreciate Yonas group and actually stopped them from killing innocent civilians in the city. they stalled and just wanted yona back but tey weren't cruel or did anything that would make enemys in the city like we had seen happened when yoohon threw the heads in lady kourens country. or how people who lost even a mini battle could hold grudges from their dead and injured. 

 the chapter reminds us that perspective is important in lots of different ways. definitely took me a bit to appreciate it though.

[forevermyland]

Ending of Akasuki no Yona

Beware, it is long but good content! :)

Recently I have been seeing some posts all around different social media platforms about the ending of Akatsuki no Yona on its way. I am here to disagree, although I do understand why people are saying that because we are closer to the ending than we were last year and the year before and the year before that.

Now, Kusanagi might not even reveal some of the stuff that I think should be revealed. However, if I was her, I would write about all of the things/topics I am going list. So here we go (these are not in order)!

1. The current arc — the war is not over, Soowon is nowhere to be seen, Hak and Yona need to be reunited, the dragons, Yoon, Hak and Yona need to be reunited and this whole mess with Kueblo needs to end.

2. The relationship between Hak and Yona — it’s been 172 chapters we have gotten a few... eh? kisses from Hak and one kiss from Yona. Hak has confessed. Yona tried but completely failed and left us disappointed smh, but it’s okay because we blame Yoon.

3. Freaking Gobi — the mothertrucker no one likes!

4. One Dragon God Thingy — That dragon that protected Yona in the war Xing vs Gobi’s people, remember that? Well I’m pretty freaking sure that something similar might happen. Key word: similar. That’s the one thing Gobi and I agree on... well he wants it to happen with dark intentions, that I don’t agree on but he thinks it’s gonna happen again and me too.

5. Dragon Warriors Part 1 — Everyone is worried about how much older Jea-ha is compared to the rest of the dragons (other than Zeno), which I understand why, he is getting up there in age and according to the previous dragons lifespans, people should be concerned. However did you ever think that this could possibly be the last generation of the dragons? The whole reason why the dragon warriors exist is for the reincarnation of King Hiryuu (and of course King Hiryuu himself). We’re all pretty confident that Yona is the reincarnation of him, soooo what does that mean? The only reason why the dragons stayed alive all these years is for the reincarnation of King Hiryuu. Anyways, Jea-ha and the others might live as long as the first generation if a new one doesn’t coming popping out.

6. Dragon Warriors Part 2 — Zeno is the one we worry over most for obvious reasons. However, Kusanagi could take this two ways. Keep Zeno alive or send him to the heavens. Like I said before, this could be the last generation of the dragon warriors so why would Zeno need to be alive anymore? Unless the gods want the dragon warriors to remain alive. But, I don’t think so. So, I think that once this whole entire thing is over, Zeno could be stripped of his immortality and finally go to the heavens. King Hiryuu didn’t seem happy when he found out Zeno was immortal. Why keep him immortal once his job on earth is done?

7. Soowon and Yona — They have talked, yes. But not about the thing we really want them to talk about. Yona did say that they needed to sit down and talk but they never really did speak about her father, they spoke about Xing and Kouka.

8. Soowon and Hak — They have seen each other, they have... umm spoken? More like Hak screamed at him but yeah. I don’t know if this will happen but I feel like it might. I don’t know if Hak will even be able to hold a conversation with Soowon but I know Hak wants to know why Soowon betrayed him and Yona. The true reason.

9. Reasoning behind Ill’s Death — this could go with number 7 and 8 but I want to put it separate. Soowon said that he killed Ill because Ill killed his father, Ill’s brother, Yuhon. However, people thought Yuhon died in an accident. Sooo what the heck? I bet there is a story behind it. I don’t think it was an accident, but I also am not sure if Ill killed his brother in cold blood but wait... as I write/type this what if Yuhon KILLED Kashi!?!??! And then Ill wanted revenge?!? Oh my lord, I need to stop, different topic and not much information. But I’m pretty sure (hoping) that this topic will be touched on.

10. Queen Kashi — Another topic I’m not quite sure if it will be focused a lot on. We know very little about her but we know Yona cares about her quite a bit, and wants to know more. She also now knows that Lady Iguni knew her mother fairly well. I really hope that this will be touched on because I’m very interested in Yona’s mother. And the theory I just came up with a number 9, I have to only assume that if that theory is true then she has to be brought up again.

11. The Throne — it’s kind of like Game of Thrones up in there. People want to Soowon on the throne but other people want Yona on the throne. Who will sit on the throne in the end? Yona is gathering up her army with allies and her dragons. Soowon is a good king with good(?) intentions but citizens like the Fire Tribe and Wind Tribe have showed their loyalty to Yona. And both General Joodoh and Advisor Kye-Sook have expressed their worry over this.

12. Hak — I still can’t get over this, I’m sorry! I know now that Hak’s parents died when he was 2 in the war against Xing 16 years ago, along with Mundok’s family. Even so, I just have a feeling that something, anything will be revealed in the actual manga (more like hoping but you get what I mean). Already ranted on all of this so I’m not gonna say much here but I really think that Hak being adopted needs to discussed at some point.

13. Ending — how will this story end, ya know?

- Disclaimer: Don’t take my word for any of this! Im just assuming and hoping. It’s all up to Kusanagi. Also, these obviously won’t have their own arc. I hope these will all be addressed but I’m not demanding it at all, it’s not my story.

- Now, I read somewhere that somebody thinks that the series is going to end in August and I’ve also heard that the series probably won’t go up past 250 chapters, which it’s probably not because this isn’t Fairytail with 500 chapters buuut, there is still quite a bit that should/needs to be revealed.

Kusanagi updates bi-monthly and sometimes once a month. So that means up to 24 chapters at most, however there have already been months where she only updated once so I don’t think we will be getting 24 chapters this year. I know a lot can happen in 24 chapters but Kusanagi likes to take her time and make it good (bless her). She’s also been working on this for about a decade, I don’t think she’ll rush the ending. If you do that math, 172+24=196. Not even 200 (I know it’s stupid, only 4 chapters off but still). Like I said earlier, we’re most not likely getting 24 chapters this year. So no, I don’t think the series will end in August and not this year either.

I could keep going but this is getting lengthy.

Again, this is all assumption. Please don’t take my word for it. Thank you for reading. :)

[carrotcouple]

Those Who Have Fallen (AO3)

“Kan Taejun reporting,” he said loudly. All of the Generals turned to look at him and they all looked tired. None of them looked at him very kindly and that made Taejun feel even worse.

“Ah yes, Young Master Taejun,” Soowon offered him a thin smile. “I’m sorry to ask this of you all of a sudden, but I am currently appointing you as temporary Fire Tribe General.”

Warnings: Blood and Gore

Taejun stumbled into the clinic, his arm was freshly bandaged and he was battered up. Someone from his brother’s army was urging him to rest but he refused. Heukchi and his personal men followed him into the makeshift clinic where the war doctors were slaving away trying to save those that had been hurt on the battlefield. The entire clinic smelled of blood and medicine. It would have made Taejun want to throw up if he hadn’t gotten used to the smell of an overcrowded clinic a long time ago.

King Soowon had ordered for them to fall back momentarily. Not because they were losing the war, but so that everyone could rest up and they could go through strategies again. The other side had also pulled back for the night. Both side had seen several casualties and Taejun himself had only just managed to count his own men as Kilsung had tended to his wounds. Taejun thought it was a good thing that they all had come to learn how to treat others.  

“Taejun sama! Can I please help you and your men?” A tired doctor asked, looking like the last thing he needed was Taejun and his men asking him for help.

“No,” Taejun waved him off. The man blinked, surprised. Taejun turned to his own men. “As of now, these doctors are all your superiors. Work with them to help the other soldiers and do whatever you can. If you feel like there is something you cannot do, come to me. I am going with Heukchi to go see if there are any more men on the battlefield that we can bring in. Am I understood?”

“Yes, sir!” His men all spread out through the clinic and Taejun, followed by Heukchi went back out to the scene of carnage. There were dying fires and fallen weapons. There was blood everywhere and dead horses. The smell of burning corpses was overwhelming and Taejun ended up struggling to not breathe through his nose. Taejun tried not to avert his eyes as he moved forward, calling out for anyone who might still be alive.

Death wasn’t a new concept to him. Before he had met Princess Yona, he had had his men hurt and kill people without a second thought. But a battlefield was something else entirely. Especially since he had grown to try and save as many people as he could. He was honestly surprised that Princess Yona’s group hadn’t shown up to the battlefield. Saving the fallen on the battlefield was gruesome work. He was covered in blood and gore up to his elbows and he had to ignore the bile threatening to rise in his throat.

“H...lp….e” Taejun froze and then rushed towards the voice he heard. There was a man laying there, a sword in his gut and the tip was buried in the ground. Taejun felt his stomach lurch as he could see some of the man’s organs. He was a Fire Tribe soldier, one that often stayed by his brother’s side. Taejun could do nothing to help this man. Taejun knelt down next to the man, ignoring the blood and the ugly squelch he heard as his knees sunk into the wet mud.

“Can you tell who I am? I am Kan Taejun,” Taejun said gently.

“Tae...n...sa...ma,” the man rasped and then choked out blood. “He...lp.” The man stretched out a shaking and bloody hand towards Taejun and Taejun didn’t even hesitate as he reached forward to grasp it.

“I cannot,” Taejun admitted. “I am sorry…”

“I...see…” The man turned his eyes towards the sky.

“I am truly sorry...if I had more power...if I knew more...I could try to help you. But I cannot.” Taejun bowed his head, pressing his forehead against the man’s hand. If he had been stronger physically and more skilled in fighting, he might have been capable of saving this man in the middle of the battle. If he had been more knowledgeable in medicine, he might have been able to at least keep this man alive. But sadly, Taejun was neither. He was horribly weak and mediocre.

“Tha...k...you…” The man said.

“I will stay with you till you pass. You have fought valiantly and surely the Gods will reward you in the next life…” Taejun whispered, just loud enough for the man to hear.

“Than…” The man never finished what he was going to say. Taejun felt his eyes burn but he shed no tears. He sat there, clutching the man’s hand for a couple more minutes, before he stood up slowly. He called for the retrieval team and they came to take the man’s corpse.

“Taejun sama,” Heukchi walked over to him with a Sky Tribe soldier. “You are being summoned to the King’s tent.”

Taejun turned, his eyes wide. He hadn’t done anything to be called. The only thing he could think of was that he had broke formation for a moment to save one of his men, but King Soowon usually allowed him small things like that. Was it because he had sent his men to help in the clinic? Did the King consider them to inexperienced? Or did he think that Taejun was wasting his men’s time or overworking them? Taking a shuddering breath, he wiped his blood stained hands on his armor.

All the Generals were in the King’s tent, standing around a table with strategic planning charts that King Soowon was explaining. All the Generals except for his brother.

Panic instantly flooded Taejun’s senses and his hands went to grip at the robes at his sides. His brother was considered a brilliant strategist that was outshined by only King Soowon. There was no way his brother wasn’t at a strategy meeting. Keeping that thought in mind, he forced himself to calm down, to kick all the worst case scenarios out of his mind, to ignore the nagging voice in his head that told him that his father’s betrayal had been a sudden surprise as well.

“Kan Taejun reporting,” he said loudly. All of the Generals turned to look at him and they all looked tired. None of them looked at him very kindly and that made Taejun feel even worse.

“Ah yes, Young Master Taejun,” Soowon offered him a thin smile. “I’m sorry to ask this of you all of a sudden, but I am currently appointing you as temporary Fire Tribe General.”

Taejun’s knees felt weak and he had to brace his hand against a table to his side to keep from falling to the ground. Regardless of how much he had been through, he was standing in front of the Generals of different tribes and...for some reason, he seemed to be representing his tribe.

What is he talking about?

“I don’t understand,” Taejun said, lifting his chin and trying not to show how weak he currently felt.

“General Kan Kyoga in missing in action. We have not found him among the fallen and I can only assume three things. One, he was forced away from the battle and has taken shelter somewhere else. Two, he was taken hostage by the other side. Three, he has betrayed Kouka-” Soowon said.

“That’s nonsense!” Taejun barked out before he could stop himself. Joodoh sent him a sharp look and Taejun tried to still his trembling limbs. “My brother...is devoted to the Fire Tribe…”

“And so was your father,” Joongi said curtly and Taejun finally tasted bile on his tongue and he willed it away desperately.

“My brother is not my father. My brother would give his life for King Soowon if he could.” Taejun sent an icy glare at Joongi. He felt small in front of all of these war seasoned generals, but he would protect his brother’s honor. And although he knew his father was a traitor, he would protect his father as well if he could.

“So I believe as well,” Soowon’s smile was still tired, but seemed genuine. Taejun didn’t know what to believe. He knew the other was a fantastic actor and had fooled the Princess and the Thunder Beast for a long time. For all Taejun knew, he could be lying to him. He could be thinking that Taejun and his brother were traitors. “However the fact remains that he is missing and as of now we don’t have anyone to lead the Fire Tribe into battle tomorrow.”

“I can’t,” Taejun said, feeling very insignificant. “I am not as skilled as my brother and I do not have his leadership qualities. I cannot abandon any of my men on the battlefield if they fall.”

“But you are also a fine fighter of the Fire Tribe. You grew with your father and your brother’s training. You are only a little behind your brother when it comes to skills. It is true that you don’t tend to use those skills, but they are there. We could see it on the battlefield today. Those of the Fire Tribe look up to you and are willing to follow you. I can choose no other person to lead the Fire Tribe in your brother’s stead tomorrow.” Soowon sounded kind and empathetic and Taejun wanted to give in and let the other comfort him by only speaking, but Taejun had become better than that.

“I canno-” Taejun began desperately. He was not his brother and he was definitely not his father.

“That’s an order,” Soowon said firmly, fixing burning eyes on Taejun. Taejun blinked, suddenly feeling like he was looking at Princes Yona.

“Understood, Your Majesty,” Taejun bowed his head.

“I understand that this is a lot to deal with. You are dismissed for two hours. Return to this tent when that time is up.” Soowon nodded at him. Taejun bent down further, his nails cutting into his palms. He walked out of the tent and then headed to his tent. Heukchi followed him quietly, asking nothing. He nodded at Heukchi and then unfolded his tent flap and it fluttered shut. He unbuckled his sword and was about to put it on the table when his legs finally gave way. His knees buckled and he fell to the floor. He clutched his sword to himself, trembling violently.

“Brother...brother...where are you?” Taejun whispered, his fingers shaking. “Help me...I don’t know what to do. Where are you?” Taejun cried. “I don’t want to take your place.”

“You seem distraught, Young Master Taejun.” Taejun’s head shot up and he saw a familiar head of blond and his heart rushed into his mouth. The Ouryuu, known as Zeno, stepped forward and planted himself in front of Taejun. “Zeno is here on behalf of the Princess. She wanted to know how things are going.” He gazed down at Taejun’s dirty face and sighed. “Things do not seem to be going well, though…”

“My brother…” Taejun croaked out. “My brother is missing. Taejun bowed his head till it touched the ground and he felt his eyes burn again. “Help me. Help me find my brother. If…” Taejun squeezed his eyes shut, the words heavy on his tongue. He didn’t want to think of such a scenario, but he had to be ready for anything. “If he has turned against Kouka...please...just return him to me. I will hide him and protect him.”

“Young Master Taejun, you do not bow to Zeno.” Taejun shakily raised his head to see Zeno frowning. “You are a friend of the little Miss. We would help you without a moment’s hesitation. Zeno will report this to the little Miss. We will contact you again.” Zeno nodded at him and then was gone before Taejun could even figure out how he had come to such a place.

Taejun continued to sit there on the ground, clutching his sword to himself. And he prayed to the Gods that his worst fears wouldn’t come to pass.

[hakyonalove]

SooYona and the Hairpin

I was reading chapter 62 of Akayona and... We, of course, run into Yona's hairpin. And we are given a small flashback of when Soo-won gave it to her. I just want to reflect on this hairpin and Yona's feelings and the development through this manga. First off, I want to acknowledge how much of a CORE and significant element this hairpin is. Lets start from when Soo-won gives it to her. This hairpin was given to Yona on her sixteenth birthday and there are lots of things the reader may not acknowledge. Firstly, this hairpin is EXPENSIVE and HIGH QUALITY. So many people realize that, therefore it is seen as a beautiful gift and beautiful item, something a princess would totally own. What I think is important is Soo-won took the time to search for an item for Yona's birthday and came across this hairpin (while plotting his murder in Il). (If he only cared about murdering Il, why buy her a gift? Why buy her an EXPENSIVE gift?) He spent money on its quality, having thought she would like it and it would fit her. It shows how much he KNOWS yona. Like literally, Aro, a kai empire woman mentions it goes with Yona's hair perfectly. Now there's two things I've considered with him purchasing this hairpin. 1. He did it to keep her from suspecting he would kill her father and keep this idea that soo-won is her perfect, beloved cousin and not a murderer. 2. He genuinely wanted to give something to Yona that she would like and appreciate. A gift that's tangible and able to be shown off to others. Small enough to not be over the top but big enough to mean something. I've concluded there's a little bit of both of these in his actions. Soo-won DOES care for Yona, despite killing her father. In soo-wins mind, king Il is evil. He's a heinous leader and he can't stand him. Yona, however, is someone soo-won deeply cares for, but his love for the kingdom seems to overpower his care for her. I also want to acknowledge the fact that Soo-won had many chances to kill Yona: - Literally right after he killed Il - In the courtyard - When he met her in the earth tribe after kumji's death (CRUCIAL PART OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF THEIR RELATIONSHIP because 1) he didn't kill Yona 2) he was shocked and relieved she was alive and so was hak 3) he hid her from judo and the guards 4) he LOWKEY said she can kill him after he finishes his duties as king 5) he tells her a very heartfelt goodbye) - When they met with lilli - When they met during the Nadai arc Many more. BUT HE DOESNT. He does not hate Yona and he does not despise her. There is LOVE there. Certainly. Whether it be romantic or platonic, he has love for his cousin. Back to this chapter, I've realized that a lot of people hate how Yona has held onto this hairpin. But let's reflect on why. I'm sure many of you can relate to having a first love. Try putting yourselves in yona's expensive customized royal shoes, okay? Soo-won in Yona's eyes is the definition of perfect. He's intelligent, good looking, friendly, accepting, considerate, and incredibly optimistic. Really, there's no point for anyone to question his personality, especially Yona. So for years, yona's love for him built up and up and up with every good thing he did for her and others. Who, ever in their right minds, would think that he would do any wrong, let alone murder her father? It's such an irrational thing that it probably shocked her more than frightened her when she saw soo-won kill her father. And JUST DAYS BEFORE, soo-won gave her something that halted her hate for her hair. He's been in Yona's life forever and he's been her best friend, her crush, hell he was her mother at one point. Soo-won literally is everything she's always wanted. Now imagine your first love giving you something that is so thoughtful and beautiful, and then SAYS YOURE BEATIFUL ALONG WITH IT. Can you imagine?! If my first love said that, I'd cry in happiness. Seriously. Like, Yona has been in love with this guy who she deemed beyond perfect for YEARS. YEARS, she has been dancing for him, practicing the harp for him, preparing sweets and wanting to engage in dangerous activities because she was that in love with him. I mean cmon guys, Yona had it so unbelievably bad for him. Probably way worse than we did for our first loves. He is such a crucial part of Yona's life. She wanted to MARRY this kid and hand him the throne. Okay? Now just imagine, IMAGINE your first love betraying you just once. And really all it took was once for him to shatter her image of him. But even though it was incredibly painful and so wrong on so many levels, she can't forget what he was to her before and how he treated her for sixteen freaking years. Let's also acknowledge that 99% of the time, first loves never leave. That's what sucks about first loves. They stay. You may move on, you may develop feelings for someone else, but first loves will always have that hold on you. In Yona's life, there was no other guy except for hak and he was SO much more different from soo-won. Seriously, in Yona's head, as much as it sucks for Hak, there was NO WAY at the time that Yona would ever consider hak. Ever. No way. And could you really blame her? Sure, they're both incredibly hot and great guys, but I would personally choose the guy who wasn't an asshole to me, who didn't tease me, and who protected me when someone important to me died as a child. (Hak probably awkwardly would've done the same thing, but he got OFFENDED when soo-won and Yona held hands). Soo-won is literally Yona's and our Prince Charming. Without even realizing it, he's incredibly romantic and kind and loving. Like seriously guys, Soo-won is so freaking important to Yona. That hairpin isn't just a hairpin. It's the precious memory of the Soo-won Yona fell in love with. It's the precious memory of being his best friend since childhood. It's so much more than a hairpiece. Losing that hairpin would be accepting reality and letting go of the boy who meant the absolute world to her. And that's why this hairpin is so freaking important AND WHY IT WAS SO SHOCKING SHE FINALLY LET IT GO AND LET SOOWON GO. Give Yona credit. That must've hurt like hell. And she did it for her dragons. Sure, from the outside, she gave away a hairpin that she liked but she literally let go of the past. She accepted that the Soo-won she knew and loved is not who he is now. Even though that girl was a spoiled princess, she hit ROCK BOTTOM and look at the way she's grown and developed and become a SOLID WOMAN. A WARRIOR. No wonder Soo-won can't move when she confronts him. No wonder Hak can't help but brag about her. No wonder kija has a crush on her. No wonder shin-ah and yoon cry at the thought of Yona hating them or getting hurt. No wonder Zeno wants to shield her from danger. No wonder Jaeha wants to tease her. The girl is a piece of art.

[matcha-chai-latte]

Thanks! And yes her being revived after death is a possibility. I just hope she doesn't come back as a baby/child 'cause I've seen this trope a few times and I really dislike it.

Oh no I surely hope not.

Honestly I can see why you think he'll commit a harakiri if he keeps his memories, but I can also see him wanting to live a last life alongside his friends. They are important to him, they were the reason he kept his sanity during the last hundred years. He kept waiting for them (and Yona), and when he met them they cherished and protected him, even after learning he was immortal. I can see both visions.

I’m not sure about that for now. He cares for them, I have no doubt. And yet he still betrayed them by hiding his true intentions this whole time and placing the dragons into the chalice. He would have killed himself and sent the remaining three dragons to the heavens if he had the chance. Then after failing, he went far enough to hurt Hak while fighting. He wasn’t waiting for them for 2000 years to meet them and be friends, he was waiting for them because they are key to ending his eternal life. He cant take it anymore and is extremely determined to end it all. Though I have a feeling that if something happens between Yona and the gods, if something “special” happens there, if he sees just how much Yona and co. love him, then he could make up his mind and live his mortal life. It’s still a possiblity.

I said that about Soowon bcz to me she's not responsible for the Crimson illness: during that meeting with Hiryuu, they only discussed the dragons' matter…

I definitely agree that it’s still early to jump into conclusions until everything is confirmed. But I formed my opinion on the information we were given for now.

From how I see it, if Hiryuu ended the dragons, there would not be any need for cursing his descendants. If the dragons were ended back then, there would be no need for the red dragon’s reincarnation, as he only reincarnated to assemble the five dragons together again. If he’d ended the dragons, he would have been the last dragon remaining in the human world and upon dying, he would probably return to the skies. Without the dragons waiting for him here, his soul wouldn’t have had a single reason to stay. But he remained in the human world for 2000 years because he made the deal with Yona and knew that he would resurrect.

«That I alone will depart from this world is far too cruel”. Depart from this world. So he could depart from this world but he didn’t want to leave them all behind. Maybe by “ending” he meant liberating them from their powers or maybe he meant killing them. Either way, he knew how to do it with them and Zeno. To me personally, it seems more humane than what happened in the end.

But Yona persuaded him to leave the dragons to her, so that she could meet with them. She is absolutely responsible for the suffering of hundreds of dragon warriors that were only rebirthing in await for her to be born. Hiryuu's descendants are not connected to her personally and she didn’t discuss it with Hiryuu, but this does not change the fact that them suffering from the Crimson Illness is directly related to the fact that the dragons remained on earth because Yona wanted it. That’s what the crimson illness is. A pain sent to Hiryuu by the dragon gods to return him to the skies. And because the dragon warriors continued existing and Hiryuu remained on earth, the illness also continued killing his descendants.

But you’re right about Hiryuu, we don’t know what was going on in his head and what were his original plans. I can’t help but wonder. Did Hiryuu even know that all of them would be cursed? He was aware of his own illness and it was definitely a mean to get him back to the skies. But did he even know it would pass onto his children and that all of his descendants would be dying of immense pain? Did he know that the dragon warriors that did not have a crimson dragon to serve would have a short lifespan and a senseless cursed life? Did he know that they would live as cursed monsters, feared by humans (blue and green dragons for example)? Did he know exactly how much would Zeno be suffering, to the point of going crazy and tearing his own flesh off? He could only imagine.

But Yona did know! She knew everything about his descendants, she knew what kind of lives the dragon warriors were living for 2000 years and she knew all about Zeno and his wish. And yet, she didn’t care to think of any of that and had it her way. That’s my main complaint about her: she didn’t think about the countless victims of the curses, she didn’t ask Hiryuu about his plan and what will it lead to, didn’t weigh her options and choose the best one. It’s not like she is wiser than Hiryuu and knows something he doesn’t. Yes, she decided to save her friends, the current dragons. But what about the past generations? Why did they have to suffer so much for that wish of hers? If Zeno had a choice, I don’t think he would have chosen that fate willingly, only to meet Yona. Who will be responsible for what happened? People were dying like flies, in pain, sorrow and desolation only for her to meet the dragons again. Unfortunately they weren’t given the choice she was.

Too much text, sorry.

In any case, even if it turns out that all of that couldn’t have been prevented by her, it still happened because of her mere existence. No matter the details, all these tragedies happened because of the conflict between the crimson dragon and the other dragon gods. Everyone else was just caught in the crossfire and suffered way more than they did. And it’s time they solve it just between themselves, without dragging anyone in. I mainly blame the dragon gods, since if it wasn’t for them, none of that would have happened at all. They were the ones that couldn’t accept Hiryuu leaving them and cursed everyone he loved so that he would return. The crimson illness, the dragons’ short lives and Zeno’s eternal life is all their idea, not Hiryuu’s or Yona’s. She is absolutely right for being angry at them. It’s time for payback.

Theory about the "Price to pay"

Spoilers 'till chapter 260

So we're finally at the point where Yona has to talk to the dragon gods herself. We knew this was bound to happen and it was honestly the most logical turn of events. What we don't know however is the price she'll have to pay to get such a wish fulfilled.

Two theories come to mind:

1/ The first and most popular one is that Yona will have to leave the mortal realm and return to heaven to be the Crimson dragon King again.

No need for the dragon warriors anymore, they'll simply lose their powers, and the gods can finally have Yona back like they always wanted, which could be the interpretation of the last line from the prophecy "And The Red Dragon Shall Return At Dawn".

This theory, although logical, is just too cruel. Akayona is not a tragedy, I can't imagine Kusanagi will end a story about found family, self growth and overcoming your trauma with the death of the main character. I desperately tried to find another suitable price that didn't envolve Yona sacrificing herself, which leads us to the second theory:

2/Yona gets to stay on earth, but all the people she knew forget about her. I know this might sound just as cruel if not more than the previous one💦, but please hear me out 'till the end!!!!

Yona had done much more to the country as a normal girl than a princess. She went to different tribes on foot, bonded with peasants, pretended to be a bandit, pirate, an entertainer... etc, and fought off traffickers and dealers without ever mentioning she was a princess. Yes those people she helped will probably forget about her, but she can return to them and help them while being herself again. She doesn't need recognition as "Princess Yona". She draws people no matter her title.

On the other, since she'll no longer possess warriors with divine powers, she won't be a target for greedy individuals or people from enemy nations, so the gods can rest assured about her safety.

Lastly, everyone forgetting about her means that the red dragon no longer exists on earth. It's like his memory left the mortal realm and ascended to heaven again "And The Red Dragon Shall Return At Dawn". This could be an interpretation of the prophecy. The red dragon won't literally return to heaven. It's his memory that will leave people's minds and return to be a property of the heaven.

Now, even though I said that everyone will forget about Yona, I'm sure there'll be one exception to this rule. Only one individual will never forget about Yona while everyone else will, and it's Hak. The first reason is obviously the romance that'll just get reset to zero if he forgets about her. I mean, knowing  him he'll probably fall in love with her again, but it's like all their moments and all the development in their relationship will disappear and restart from zero which is something a lot of readers won't accept.

The second and most powerful reason (literally the reason that made me write  this post) is that one scene from chapter 25 that everyone hated. Remember when Yona asked Hak to be the only one to call her "Princess"? Remember when she told him even if EVERYONE IN THE COUNTRY FORGETS ABOUT HER, HE HAS TO BE THE ONLY ONE WHO REMEMBERS?

What if that scene was actually foreshadowing the ending of the series? That everyone will forget about who Yona was, and that he will be the only one to remember? Ofc I'm sure it won't be that easy. Hak will probably have to pass some kind of test to prove that he's worthy of remembering Yona, but I'm sure he'll succeed and the gods will begrudgingly yield to his request so Yona won't live a sad and lonely life after they cast their spell.

Ofc I'm aware this is still a cruel predicament. The family she fought so hard to save will forget about her, but she'll be able to start a new relationship with them. It'll prove that their bond was always genuine, that it had nothing to do with the dragons' blood, and I'm sure they'll love her as much as they loved her before.

The country also will forget about princess Yona. Her achievements will probably all be attributed to Soowon (but it's not like she cares about fame or recognition anyway).

Speaking of Soowon, it's kinda fucked up that he gets to forget the girl he hurt so much. He'll forget that he ever had a cousin, that it was her father he murdered that night, that she was the one who got the gods to heal the descendants from the Crimson illness...etc, It's unfair but we can't do much about it I guess.

What do you guys think about this theory? Would you be okay with it if it happened at the end?