Yona of the Dawn, Vol. 1

On Princess Yona’s 16th birthday, she’s trying to plot a course through her marriage proposals—until a coup forces her to flee her castle with a childhood friend, the edgy General Hak. Add in a likable villain she loves and you have a shojo love triangle ready to rumble... but not much rumbling happens. The story’s fictitious setting is reminiscent of the fantastic ancient China in the classic reverse harem manga Fushigi Yuugi, but without the humor or the magic. In fact, aside from the eye candy of the costumes, the book is lacking all around: the plot and characters are simple and stale. By the end of this first volume, Yona hasn’t developed personal agency or become the warrior the cover suggests. However, what story there is has good pacing and layout, and the art is high quality. There’s promise for the future volumes, if Kusanagi (NG Life) can bring the characters to life. (Aug.)