yona of the dawn has one of the best first chapters i have ever read. compared to most stories i read, akayona captured my attention from the first moment. the first page shows our main character, yona in a cloak and sword, clearly on the run, and saying how she used to call hiryuu palace her home. starting with a scene so far into the story is an interesting way to hook your readers. it gives us a glimpse of what is to come. we don't know how far this scene is into the story, but it leaves the readers wanting to learn more.
this first chapter perfectly sets up this amazing story. for starters, yona is seen as a spoiled princess who's only focused on her love for soowon. yona didn't concern herself with anything else other than getting married to soowon. everyone around her knows about her love for soowon including her father. we first see her relationship with soowon as one of youthful longing. it's obvious yona has feelings for soowon but his feelings are never explicitly shown. however, as a birthday present, she receives the hairpin that is an extremely important part of the story that represents the love she has for soowon.
however, we quickly see the dynamic she has with hak as well. everyone around her knows about her love for soowon, including her father. while everyone treats yona like the princess she is, hak teases her like it's a normal activity. the banter between hak and yona shows how close the two of them are to each other. it's a simple yet effective way to emphasize the friendship between the two characters. it also begins to set up their love story. the two of them have been side by side for so long, and it's evident that in the first chapter, they are very comfortable with each other. with this simple introduction, it leaves kusanagi room to have a well-developed romantic subplot. i also love how this chapter shows how special yona is to hak and vice versa. it's obvious these two have a special relationship, and kusanagi does an incredible job growing their bond into something so beautiful.
we also see how close hak is with soowon, which is one of the best parts of the story. these two are seen on horseback practicing archery together like a regular, everyday occurrence. these two are best friends despite their class differences. although hak makes it clear that his class is lower than soowon's, soowon admires him a lot. hak as a general doesn't necessarily have to be around the castle all the time, but it's because of his close relationship with yona AND soowon that he stays at hiryuu castle. if hak wasn't with yona, he was around soowon. we're left to infer from these moments between the two of them that they have had a strong friendship for years. hak and soowon are comfortable around each other. although they don't have as many scenes together in this chapter, it leaves much room to explore their friendship as the series continues.
then we have the chapter end with this iconic scene. this chapter does a fantastic job of highlighting the relationships between yona, hak, and soowon. which makes this scene that much more impactful. we see soowon murder yona's father, and when caught in the act, soowon is as cool as he can be.
this entire chapter is essentially about how much yona loves soowon. yet, the same man she wants to marry kills her father right in front of her eyes. everything we have seen and know is shattered. this sets up the story to take a dark approach that completely surprises the readers. i remember the first time i experienced this scene and how much shock i felt.
yona of the dawn sets you up thinking it's going to be a fun, light fantasy series about a young girl who's in love, yet it takes an entirely different approach. this chapter leaves you with many questions, like, "what does this mean for yona?" "who is soowon really?" "did soowon ever really care for yona?" "what happens next?"
i believe this is such a strong introduction to the world of yona of the dawn. it leaves so much to be interpreted and so much room to explore so much more. i just love this chapter so much!! i will always think of it as one of the best first chapters ever written!
