Hangout Akatsuki no Yona Hangout Thread

[Brandish μ]

Cool I'll read the chapter in a bit.

Why can't we have both? Personally I hope that nadai will resurface during the possible Yona vs Su-won showdown, and that neither party will be able to properly address it, because they'll be preoccupied with resolving the conflict of power (god/legend vs human). I also hope that nadai will resurface not in Sei, but in the Wind Tribe, since I think it was mentioned somewhere that the drug reached even there, and Mundok was worried? Unless I'm now remembering things that didn't happen... O_o

Sure. I think we can all agree that having all loose ends met would be preferred.

Hmm I can't recall the exact spread of the drug. The merchants are almost certainly from Sei, and the problem is mainly with the Water tribe due to location. The Wind and Sky tribes would be next closest, so there is a possibility it could resurface there. At any rate the supply is the issue so going to Sei is likely I'd imagine.

Adding to Sei, there's also this:

I was thinking about other guy, who was ruling Sei along with Kushibi - Hotsuma. He didn't got a chance to appear yet and according to Soo-won, he's the one, who controls military, he might make a mess.

---

I'd like this to happen. Of course it all has to do with the selfish part of me not wanting this manga to end anytime soon. Due to the limited world building, it may be that conflict with Kai is the final arc of the manga. Unless Kusanagi thinks of other creative arcs without it feeling forced or shoehorned in.

Yea I'd say Kai would be the last major arc (and it should be the biggest). After that a few chapters can wrap up the series.

If we're at 147 now, how many chaps do you think can neatly finish this manga?

 

[@Aylinn]

I'd like it if we did hear about something reasonable from Yu-hon's side to explain the incident. It would make the plot more interesting. Well Yu-hon may have had a more justifiable reason to kill so many people from Xing, but in my opinion nothing can justify the level of brutality and macabre display of the severed heads. In just recent chapter (ch148), we get a picture of some expertly fashioned hanging-head bouquets. Yu-hon must have been wanting to bring out his inner artist. How nice that he had the opportunity to express his creativeness during his campaign in Xing.

Yeah, it is gruesome, but I think that if Xing broke the deal first, the people who did it might not have been perfect gentlemen either, so I suppose I would rather wait and see.

I wonder especially because the people of Kouka think highly of Yu-hon and thought that Su-won will be a splendid King because he is his son, so it doesn’t seem like Yu-hon was a psychopath, as one cannot be a psychopath just towards one’s enemies. Either one is a psychopath all the time, in which case people from Kouka should not think so highly of him, or one is not a psychopath at all, in which case there should be some other reason for the whole incident.

 

[lightningsha]

Lmao at that Yu-Hon comment!

There could have been a retaliation over something Xing did but beheading people and making bouquets out of it IS a bit much.

This chapter is up on Batato now! http://bato.to/reader#abce92aec9233116_1

I honestly really liked Tae-Woo in this chapter. No matter what, the Wind Tribe is grounded well in good principals. This is probably why they had no major problems like Water and Fire tribe. Hak and Mundeok raised the tribe well. They do have a free spirited wild nature, but this is part of their charm. Plus they care for each other so much. It's quite touching.

Also Soo-Won doesn't seem like someone who has dumbed down, just someone who wants to get all this over with so that he can make a decision about war or peace and get on with his plans for Kai.

LOL
Yeah the Wind tribe is what other tribes wished they had. Well at least the capital Fuuga anyway. I don't know if we have ever seen how the residents of the rest of the Wind territory are doing, but I'm guessing they are relatively happy.
Tae-woo looks like a little kid playing at general because of his looks XD I know I should really take him seriously. He looks like he has the potential to be a great leader.

This chapter was most definitely a chapter dedicated to the 5 Stars. I think it's necessary for them to get spotlight in the story. Looks like they are getting closure. We still don't know how Kouren's injury will affect anything. Will she die right there before she can meet with Soo-won, perhaps putting Gobi in an advantageous position? Will she hold on and stumble to Soo-won to make the peace negotiations, then die later after giving Tao the reigns? Or will she survive it all and the injury is for the sake of drama and tension?

Yeah, it is gruesome, but I think that if Xing broke the deal first, the people who did it might not have been perfect gentlemen either, so I suppose I would rather wait and see.

I wonder especially because the people of Kouka think highly of Yu-hon and thought that Su-won will be a splendid King because he is his son, so it doesn’t seem like Yu-hon was a psychopath, as one cannot be a psychopath just towards one’s enemies. Either one is a psychopath all the time, in which case people from Kouka should not think so highly of him, or one is not a psychopath at all, in which case there should be some other reason for the whole incident.

The citizens probably respected Yu-hon for his pride in Kouka's power and getting sh** done in an aggresive/forward manner. He let no other countries step on Kouka's toes and the citizens likely took pride in that. This compared to his brother Il who probably spent his days reading books, eating, and being relatively passive in his political duties as a prince -such as holding lackluster counsels. Perhaps his backdoor diplomatic actions were effective, which might have impressed their father, but they probably were very boring in comparison to his shining brother plowing around the country. Yu-hon probably provided great entertainment for the Kouka citizens. Though Il was chosen by their father and not Yu-hon. We don't know the details, but he might have seen something in Yu-hon that unsettled him and thus chose Il.

It's funny because if Yu-hon and Il merged into one, they probably would have made a superb leader. I think the same for Tao and Kouren.

Yea I'd say Kai would be the last major arc (and it should be the biggest). After that a few chapters can wrap up the series.

If we're at 147 now, how many chaps do you think can neatly finish this manga?

Hmm if we assume Kai is the last arc will be and will be much longer arc then the Xing arc, and if we add an intervening short arc or two, the manga would probably end around chapter 200. Give or take.

Unless Kusanagi throws a curve ball and adds another big conflict we didn't see coming such as major internal strife in Kouka? The country to the west of the Kai empire?? The gods taking the front seat/supernatural conflict? The Nomads to the north of North Kai? (I doubt that last one will amount to anything lol). I don't know it's hard to think of anything beyond Kai because of the limited world building. So yeah, Kai might be it, but I wouldn't be upset if there was something else.

 

[@Aylinn]

The citizens probably respected Yu-hon for his pride in Kouka's power and getting sh** done in an aggresive/forward manner. He let no other countries step on Kouka's toes and the citizens likely took pride in that. This compared to his brother Il who probably spent his days reading books, eating, and being relatively passive in his political duties as a prince -such as holding lackluster counsels. Perhaps his backdoor diplomatic actions were effective, which might have impressed their father, but they probably were very boring in comparison to his shining brother plowing around the country. Yu-hon probably provided great entertainment for the Kouka citizens. Though Il was chosen by their father and not Yu-hon. We don't know the details, but he might have seen something in Yu-hon that unsettled him and thus chose Il.

It's funny because if Yu-hon and Il merged into one, they probably would have made a superb leader. I think the same for Tao and Kouren.

Well, there is not enough information on Yu-hon to judge, but what we have seen so far seems contradictory to me. On one hand in this Xing arc it appears he was not a master of self-control, but on the other hand in Su-won’s memories he took the news that he is not going to be the King very calmly. It, of course, could be that he pretended in front of his son that it is nothing, but this must have been a great disappointment, so even pretending should take a good amount of self-control.

However, it is also a scene that takes place few years later, so it is also possible he changed in the meantime.

As for Il, I doubt he impressed his father by effective diplomacy, since he was not an effective diplomat as the King later on. He was just giving up land. Losing a war would give the same result. If Il was able to maintain the land or gain something without fighting and make Kouka safe from Kai and Sai influences like trades selling nadai, it would be a different story.

 

[Mini_kinkin]

Well, there is not enough information on Yu-hon to judge, but what we have seen so far seems contradictory to me. On one hand in this Xing arc it appears he was not a master of self-control, but on the other hand in Su-won’s memories he took the news that he is not going to be the King very calmly. It, of course, could be that he pretended before his son that it is nothing, but this must have been a great disappointment, so even pretending should take a good amount of self-control.

However, it is also a scene that takes place several years later, so it is also possible he changed in the meantime.

As for Il, I doubt he impressed his father by effective diplomacy, since he was not an effective diplomat as the King later on. He was just giving up land. Losing a war would give the same result. If Il was able to maintain the land or gain something without fighting and make Kouka safe from Kai and Sai influences like trades selling nadai, it would be a different story.

I always wondered why the father chose Il over Yu-Hon.

It could have been to do with the involvement of the priests.

The priests could have told Il's father that Hiryuu would be born to Il not Yu-Hon (when they were around). Since Il even knew Yona is Hiryuu's reincarnation. Maybe King Joo-Nam was religious or something and didn't like how Yu-Hon eliminated all the priests.

 

[Brandish μ]

Hmm if we assume Kai is the last arc will be and will be much longer arc then the Xing arc, and if we add an intervening short arc or two, the manga would probably end around chapter 200. Give or take.

Yea I think this is a good estimate. Early 200s is my guess as well.

It could have been to do with the involvement of the priests.

The priests could have told Il's father that Hiryuu would be born to Il not Yu-Hon (when they were around). Since Il even knew Yona is Hiryuu's reincarnation. Maybe King Joo-Nam was religious or something and didn't like how Yu-Hon eliminated all the priests.

This is a pretty good explanation, well with what we know. That reminds me, it's been a while since we saw Ik-Soo. Perhaps he knows.

On Hiryuu's reincarnation - I think both Yona and Soo-Won are. The dragons are affected by Soo-Won, and Zeno was taken aback when he first met him (looks like Hiryuu sans the red hair).

 

[@Aylinn]

Maybe King Joo-Nam was religious or something and didn't like how Yu-Hon eliminated all the priests.

I think it is unlikely that Yu-hon did it against his father's will. Most probably he had his father’s consent for banishing the priests and for what happened in Xing.

If Yu-hon went against his father’s orders or did something his father so strongly disliked, etc. then it shouldn’t be surprising for people that Yu-hon was not chosen as the King, but they were surprised, so it means that they didn’t see any good reason why Joo-Nam chose Il over Yu-hon.

 

[Mini_kinkin]

I think it is unlikely that Yu-hon did it against his father's will. Most probably he had his father’s consent for banishing the priests and for what happened in Xing.

If Yu-hon went against his father’s orders or did something his father so strongly disliked, etc. then it shouldn’t be surprising for people that Yu-hon was not chosen as the King, but they were surprised, so it means that they didn’t see any good reason why Joo-Nam chose Il over Yu-hon.

It could be possible that Yu-Hon was getting to powerful for even Joo-Nam to handle. Joo-Nam could have grudged him in secret otherwise why would he have chosen Il?

@Brandish

Yeah there are many split-reincarnation theories though I personally don't think so, but many do so it could be true. The dragons didn't react as strongly to Soo-Won as they did to Yona. I feel from the prophecy Soo-Won is the "King" and Yona is "Red Dragon" so Hiryuu. I also think Hiryuu purposely became reincarnated as a girl in this lifetime in a patriarchal society like Kouka because maybe Hiryuu didn't like being king.

Just my two bits XD!

 

[@Aylinn]

It could be possible that Yu-Hon was getting to powerful for even Joo-Nam to handle. Joo-Nam could have grudged him in secret otherwise why would he have chosen Il?

Maybe he was grudging him secretly and didn’t want to be overshadowed by Yu-hon, but this would mean that Yu-hon was not made the King precisely because Joo-Nam thought he would be a good King and probably a better one than he is.

At least it sounds more sensible to me than Joo-Nam being appalled by Yu-hon’s actions, especially since we have strong hints that Joo-Nam was not a peaceful King at all. Yu-hon was told to led Kouka’s armies to victories, which means that Joo-Nam must have agreed to these wars in the first place.

One more thing why I think that it is highly likely that Joo-Nam agreed to the banishment of the priests is that Yu-hon banished them out of the castle, which was Joo-Nam’s castle at that time. If Yu-hon had done it without his father’s consent, it would mean he had done it under his father’s nose and without his knowledge, it sounds rather improbable to me. It is more probable that he knew about everything. It is also likely that it was Joo-Nam’s idea in the first place.

 

[Mini_kinkin]

Maybe he was grudging him secretly and didn’t want to be overshadowed by Yu-hon, but this would mean that Yu-hon was not made the King precisely because Joo-Nam thought he would be a good King and probably a better one than he is.

At least it sounds more sensible to me than Joo-Nam being appalled by Yu-hon’s actions, especially since we have strong hints that Joo-Nam was not a peaceful King at all. Yu-hon was told to led Kouka’s armies to victories, which means that Joo-Nam must have agreed to these wars in the first place.

One more thing why I think that it is highly likely that Joo-Nam agreed to the banishment of the priests is that Yu-hon banished them out of the castle, which was Joo-Nam’s castle at that time. If Yu-hon had done it without his father’s consent, it would mean he had done it under his father’s nose and without his knowledge, it sounds rather improbable to me. It is more probable that he knew about everything. It is also likely that it was Joo-Nam’s idea in the first place.

If Joo-Nam did properly consent to the priests being thrown out then why did he choose Il who is shown to be more religious? It unfortunately doesn't add up. Yu-Hon already had a son but he STILL chose Il who has a daughter. It's very weird. That's why I think Joo-Nam knew about Hiryuu towards the end of his life.

It could also be - Yu-Hon's methods are clearly to the extreme of violence - especially the beheadings. Also when he made the choice between Il and Yu-Hon he was probably an old man maybe on his death bed? So maybe he regretted all those violent things Yu-Hon did under his reign and selected Il instead. Not like Il was better in the end.

 

[Aniela]

On Hiryuu's reincarnation - I think both Yona and Soo-Won are. The dragons are affected by Soo-Won, and Zeno was taken aback when he first met him (looks like Hiryuu sans the red hair).

I don't like the idea of Su-won being Hiryuu's reincarnation because it would undermine him as a character (if he doesn't know he is a deity incarnated) and/or undermine his philosophy (the "power of people", where it would turn out that the said people are powerless without a deity guiding them). However, I can't deny that there're some hints it might be true, like Zeno's strange reaction and interaction with Su-won, and the fact that from what we saw, the two seem pretty similar even in the way they handle their country. For instance, Hiryuu also fought wars, and I don't remember exactly, but didn't he actually established Kouka after a war? Even if not, then he definitely wasn't an absolute pacifist with "let them slay us all if they wish" ideology of Il.

Also, since Zeno didn't get the "dragon blood call" reaction when he first met Yona, it could suggest that the dragon warriors only get it once - and hence, since they already reacted to Yona, they wouldn't react to Su-won again, even if he was Hiryuu.

But yeah, I much more prefer Su-won being an ordinary human being.

 

[shinobi]

On Hiryuu's reincarnation - I think both Yona and Soo-Won are. The dragons are affected by Soo-Won, and Zeno was taken aback when he first met him (looks like Hiryuu sans the red hair).

Yeah there are many split-reincarnation theories though I personally don't think so, but many do so it could be true. The dragons didn't react as strongly to Soo-Won as they did to Yona. I feel from the prophecy Soo-Won is the "King" and Yona is "Red Dragon" so Hiryuu. I also think Hiryuu purposely became reincarnated as a girl in this lifetime in a patriarchal society like Kouka because maybe Hiryuu didn't like being king.
Just my two bits XD!

I personally hope that Su-won is in no way related to this Hiryuu reincarnation business, not as a king or as the dragon or anything, I like how Suwon is so far, just a human with no special divine powers (like the 4 dragons) or a reincarnation of previous king/dragon that automatically makes 4 magically individuals your servants… So far he relied on his wits and abilities to achieve his goals, he doesn’t need magic !!! also I think he himself will have hard time to accept it, since in many occasions he emphasized the point of not relying on gods, not needing the power of gods or dragons, and that he seeks the powers of humans instead, so to suddenly make him connected to Hiryuu is like re-writing his character!! The dragons reacted strangely to Suwon alright, but I still hope there would be another explanation to it.

This is also why this arc is getting on my nerves with how Suwon seems to have made questionable moves, totally out of character, as many here already pointed out if really feels his lacking here is forced just to make Yona look good, meh!!!

 

[@Aylinn]

If Joo-Nam did properly consent to the priests being thrown out then why did he choose Il who is shown to be more religious? It unfortunately doesn't add up. Yu-Hon already had a son but he STILL chose Il who has a daughter. It's very weird. That's why I think Joo-Nam knew about Hiryuu towards the end of his life.

Yeah, as I said it may be that Joo-Nam was afraid that Yu-hon will overshadow him.

However, it may also be that Il got the throne because of Yona, which also would mean that the fact that Yu-hon did not get the throne had nothing to do with his actions or merit. Besides, it would be rather ironic if it turned out like this, especially since it looks like Yu-hon might have changed for the better after the incident in Xing, as indicated by how calmly he took the news that he is not going to be the King.

It could also be - Yu-Hon's methods are clearly to the extreme of violence - especially the beheadings. Also when he made the choice between Il and Yu-Hon he was probably an old man maybe on his death bed? So maybe he regretted all those violent things Yu-Hon did under his reign and selected Il instead. Not like Il was better in the end.

Joo-Nam was the King and it was his job to decide how to handle things, so it would be unfair for Yu-hon to be punished like this. Ultimately, Joo-Nam was the one responsible.

I personally hope that Su-won is in no way related to this Hiryuu reincarnation business, not as a king or as the dragon or anything, I like how Suwon is so far, just a human with no special divine powers (like the 4 dragons) or a reincarnation of previous king/dragon that automatically makes 4 magically individuals your servants… So far he relied on his wits and abilities to achieve his goals, he doesn’t need magic !!! also I think he himself will have hard time to accept it, since in many occasions he emphasized the point of not relying on gods, not needing the power of gods or dragons, and that he seeks the powers of humans instead, so to suddenly make him connected to Hiryuu is like re-writing his character!! The dragons reacted strangely to Suwon alright, but I still hope there would be another explanation to it.

I hope he is Hiryuu’s descendent from his mother’s side or something like this, but a fully human one. It would explain why the dragons have a strange reaction towards him. Zeno may even be aware of it, but it doesn’t have to mean that Su-won is a deity.

 

[lightningsha]

About Zeno's initial reaction to Soo-won. I see this used a lot in 'Soo-won is supernatural/divine like Yona' related theories. When Zeno first ran into him and had that shocked expression, I thought it was just because he recognized his face. It's been established Zeno was a creepy stalker quiet observer of the other 3 dragons and Yona -and by extension Hak and Soo-won when they were younger. He was there too when Yona and Hak were forced to escape the castle, so he must have known about Soo-won's betrayal. Thus it would make sense he gets a shocked expression when he ran into him, right? I didn't see anything more to it, but maybe some of you are seeing something I'm not.

As for the other dragons' regard toward him:
Jae-ha was chill and I think he liked him and respected his planning and leadership skills. I didn't see anything supernatural about this. He did save Soo-won from getting wrecked by Hak though, but that was before he knew who he was and only knew him as Lily's bodyguard who helped them. So if there was any supernatural imperative to protect Soo-won (maybe the 'King' in the prophesy?) it's way more subtle than with Yona.
Kija wanted to enact justice for Soo-won's betrayal of Yona and Hak, but found he couldn't do any harm to him after interacting a little more with him. Was it supernatural instinct, or simply human instinct to not harm someone with an amiable character like Soo-won? I don't know. He also thought he was like Yona in some respect. Again that could have been the supernatural part of Yona or it could simply have been the leadership or caring-of-people qualities they share.
Shin-ah also got rather positive feelings from him. He didn't think Soo-won was a threat.

As said before, if there's anything supernatural going on with the dragons and Soo-won, it's way more subtle. If even there.

 

[Mini_kinkin]

I hope he is Hiryuu’s descendent from his mother’s side or something like this, but a fully human one. It would explain why the dragons have a strange reaction towards him. Zeno may even be aware of it, but it doesn’t have to mean that Su-won is a deity.

This would honestly be a really interesting twist.

I do agree with @lightningsha about the dragons reactions. I think their reactions were not so "strong" but more like, they realized he was an okay person so they couldn't hate him despite him betraying Yona. Something like this rather than a supernatural reaction.

I personally hope that Su-won is in no way related to this Hiryuu reincarnation business, not as a king or as the dragon or anything, I like how Suwon is so far, just a human with no special divine powers (like the 4 dragons) or a reincarnation of previous king/dragon that automatically makes 4 magically individuals your servants… So far he relied on his wits and abilities to achieve his goals, he doesn’t need magic !!! also I think he himself will have hard time to accept it, since in many occasions he emphasized the point of not relying on gods, not needing the power of gods or dragons, and that he seeks the powers of humans instead, so to suddenly make him connected to Hiryuu is like re-writing his character!! The dragons reacted strangely to Suwon alright, but I still hope there would be another explanation to it.

This is also why this arc is getting on my nerves with how Suwon seems to have made questionable moves, totally out of character, as many here already pointed out if really feels his lacking here is forced just to make Yona look good, meh!!!

I feel like your paragraph above was directed towards Yona - automatically making people her servants. Let's all remember that Yona was driven out of her home and forced to live like a pauper and even then the dragons didn't fall into her lap. She had to convince three of them to join her despite the magic blood ties. Zeno observed her for weeks before joining her. Jae-Ha still wants to fight the dragon blood. So no, it wasn't automatic

Let's also not forget that despite being driven to sleeping in the jungle, and being rendered an orphan, she still doesn't use the dragon's power to storm Kouka castle and extract revenge on Soo-Won but actually do stuff for the country. Is only relying your wits important or is having a good heart important too?

Also finally, Soo-Won has not achieved everything on his own. This magical power has helped him in every single arc indirectly.

About questionable moves:

I still don't see it. It still seems to me like Soo-Won is in full charge of the situation and war or peace will STILL be his call at the end of the day despite all of Yona's efforts.

 

[Beleth]

I don't like the idea of Su-won being Hiryuu's reincarnation because it would undermine him as a character (if he doesn't know he is a deity incarnated) and/or undermine his philosophy (the "power of people", where it would turn out that the said people are powerless without a deity guiding them). However, I can't deny that there're some hints it might be true, like Zeno's strange reaction and interaction with Su-won, and the fact that from what we saw, the two seem pretty similar even in the way they handle their country. For instance, Hiryuu also fought wars, and I don't remember exactly, but didn't he actually established Kouka after a war? Even if not, then he definitely wasn't an absolute pacifist with "let them slay us all if they wish" ideology of Il.

Also, since Zeno didn't get the "dragon blood call" reaction when he first met Yona, it could suggest that the dragon warriors only get it once - and hence, since they already reacted to Yona, they wouldn't react to Su-won again, even if he was Hiryuu.

But yeah, I much more prefer Su-won being an ordinary human being.

I agree that Suwon being Hiryuu's reincarnation will ruin his philosophy.

About Hiryyu's incarnation, I used to think it's definitely Yona. However, I doubt if it's really her now.
As the story goes, I don't feel the bond between Yona and Hiryuu. They are alike as they both have a kind and pure heart yes, still I feel some odds in their characteristics. Even Suwon sometimes shares same traits as Yona and Hiryuu, he doesn't want to hurt people if not necessary.
Flashback in Hiryuu's past life shows us some clue of Hiryuu being cold hearted towards enemies in wars tho. I mean I feel Hiryuu is pretty much a warrior type, which Yona is not. Idk, it may be because Yona is not at her best in leadership yet and she's developing it. Suwon's quote of human power is pretty much alike Hiryuu's principle. I doubt why the writer portrays this kind of stuffs through Suwon more over Yona. Plus, Zeno and Suwon looking up to the sky scenes urge my curiosity.

Can that be Suwon might be Hiryuu's incarnation if Hiryuu had transferred/gave away his deity power (blood drinking?) to a girl before his death? and.. that could make Yona become the reincarnation of that girl.

Suwon was born first, no deity blessing = Hiryuu's will just to be a mere human?
Yona was born after, divined = Yona as a red dragon warrior? Yona attracts to other dragons by blood activation, not her soul tho.
Also, Ik-soo once mentioned that Yona should not have born, while Yona's birth was carrying divine power.

 

[Brandish μ]

Yeah there are many split-reincarnation theories though I personally don't think so, but many do so it could be true. The dragons didn't react as strongly to Soo-Won as they did to Yona. I feel from the prophecy Soo-Won is the "King" and Yona is "Red Dragon" so Hiryuu. I also think Hiryuu purposely became reincarnated as a girl in this lifetime in a patriarchal society like Kouka because maybe Hiryuu didn't like being king.

I personally hope that Su-won is in no way related to this Hiryuu reincarnation business, not as a king or as the dragon or anything, I like how Suwon is so far, just a human with no special divine powers (like the 4 dragons) or a reincarnation of previous king/dragon that automatically makes 4 magically individuals your servants… So far he relied on his wits and abilities to achieve his goals, he doesn’t need magic !!! also I think he himself will have hard time to accept it, since in many occasions he emphasized the point of not relying on gods, not needing the power of gods or dragons, and that he seeks the powers of humans instead, so to suddenly make him connected to Hiryuu is like re-writing his character!! The dragons reacted strangely to Suwon alright, but I still hope there would be another explanation to it.

This is also why this arc is getting on my nerves with how Suwon seems to have made questionable moves, totally out of character, as many here already pointed out if really feels his lacking here is forced just to make Yona look good, meh!!!

Hmm as much as I'd like to keep Soo-Won as 'powerless', there is heavy implication for the contrary (ie Sei arc).

Tbh, I'm fine with him having a connection or even power over the dragons... because he's said he doesn't want to use the power of the dragons. If the author keeps that aspect of his character intact, it makes any supernatural powers irrelevant.

As for Soo-Won's moves - I'd rather wait it out tbh. I need to know more about that he knows, and what he will actually do. I'd like to give him the benefit of the doubt her rather than jump to conclusions. That and I'd like more Soo-Won scenes xD. He usually handles things well, and I don't get the feeling he's just a stepping stone for Yona.

Also, since Zeno didn't get the "dragon blood call" reaction when he first met Yona, it could suggest that the dragon warriors only get it once - and hence, since they already reacted to Yona, they wouldn't react to Su-won again, even if he was Hiryuu.

Ah good point. Perhaps Yona is Hiryuu, but Soo-Won is more of a resemblance. They're related too so that could come into play.

 

[Aniela]

About Zeno's initial reaction to Soo-won. I see this used a lot in 'Soo-won is supernatural/divine like Yona' related theories. When Zeno first ran into him and had that shocked expression, I thought it was just because he recognized his face. It's been established Zeno was a creepy stalker quiet observer of the other 3 dragons and Yona -and by extension Hak and Soo-won when they were younger. He was there too when Yona and Hak were forced to escape the castle, so he must have known about Soo-won's betrayal. Thus it would make sense he gets a shocked expression when he ran into him, right? I didn't see anything more to it, but maybe some of you are seeing something I'm not.

What I see, are three entire panels devoted to Zeno's reaction. Half of the next page is still Zeno and Su-won's mild surprise, suggesting that he's got no idea what prompted Zeno's reaction. Overall it take about one and half pages. Now, a few things:
1. Space on manga's page is precious. If it wasn't super important, I doubt the mangaka would devote three panels to something that can be drawn in one.
2. If Zeno indeed stalked Yona from such a proximity that he could actually watch her and whoever she met with, then he should have been in a position where one of them and/or someone else could see him.
3. Zeno's expression seems too dreamy to me to be pure surprise at seeing an enemy. If he knew that Su-won tried to kill Yona, then he should be alarmed, at least for a moment. He doesn't seem alarmed to me.

I mean, it's not like I enjoy playing devil's advocate. But this is what I saw

I feel like your paragraph above was directed towards Yona - automatically making people her servants. Let's all remember that Yona was driven out of her home and forced to live like a pauper and even then the dragons didn't fall into her lap. She had to convince three of them to join her despite the magic blood ties. Zeno observed her for weeks before joining her. Jae-Ha still wants to fight the dragon blood. So no, it wasn't automatic

Let's also not forget that despite being driven to sleeping in the jungle, and being rendered an orphan, she still doesn't use the dragon's power to storm Kouka castle and extract revenge on Soo-Won but actually do stuff for the country. Is only relying your wits important or is having a good heart important too?

Also finally, Soo-Won has not achieved everything on his own. This magical power has helped him in every single arc indirectly.

If Yona didn't get a prophecy to point her to the dragons, she would've never bonded with them. Not to mention, if they weren't dragons, then even if they followed her on their own accord, they wouldn't be able to stand up against an entire army. This is some serious magical help, even if Yona's not the one jumping into the sky or stopping people's hearts with mere sight herself. If not for the dragons, most of Yona's ploys wouldn't have worked. She wouldn't have been able to save Kouren, not to look far away.

On Su-won's part, even if he and Yona did happen to work towards the same goal, it doesn't mean he wouldn't have been able to succeed without it. In the Water Tribe Arc he organized the soldiers' attack under the guise of pirates, and he came up with the idea of using divers to plant explosives on the enemy's ships. This is a pretty good plan, and there's nothing to suggest that if the dragons weren't there, it would fail. Perhaps more soldiers would die in the fight, but that's all. On the contrary, all Yona did was allowing Jea-ha and Kija to take part in the fight, then shot a few arrows.

Can that be Suwon might be Hiryuu's incarnation if Hiryuu had transferred/gave away his deity power (blood drinking?) to a girl before his death? and.. that could make Yona become the reincarnation of that girl.

Suwon was born first, no deity blessing = Hiryuu's will just to be a mere human?
Yona was born after, divined = Yona as a red dragon warrior? Yona attracts to other dragons by blood activation, not her soul tho.
Also, Ik-soo once mentioned that Yona should not have born, while Yona's birth was carrying divine power.

That sounds interesting, but I have to think through it to see if I like it or not. I mean, in this scenario Su-won still would be Hiryuu =.=

 

[Mini_kinkin]

If Yona didn't get a prophecy to point her to the dragons, she would've never bonded with them. Not to mention, if they weren't dragons, then even if they followed her on their own accord, they wouldn't be able to stand up against an entire army. This is some serious magical help, even if Yona's not the one jumping into the sky or stopping people's hearts with mere sight herself. If not for the dragons, most of Yona's ploys wouldn't have worked. She wouldn't have been able to save Kouren, not to look far away.

On Su-won's part, even if he and Yona did happen to work towards the same goal, it doesn't mean he wouldn't have been able to succeed without it. In the Water Tribe Arc he organized the soldiers' attack under the guise of pirates, and he came up with the idea of using divers to plant explosives on the enemy's ships. This is a pretty good plan, and there's nothing to suggest that if the dragons weren't there, it would fail. Perhaps more soldiers would die in the fight, but that's all. On the contrary, all Yona did was allowing Jea-ha and Kija to take part in the fight, then shot a few arrows.

I never mentioned that Yona could do things without the help of her dragons...but can Soo-Won achieve things without the help of an army or generals? Can he alone do things? A singular person can't do anything. So why is it wrong to use dragons and so much better to use ordinary people? Why differentiate like this? And storming a castle doesn't require going against an entire army.

My point is that she didn't "automatically" get "servants". She had to convince three of them. And also they are not servants, they are important characters of the series with individual personalities that give this series its charm.

About Soo-Won and doing things on his own- it doesn't change the fact at all that the dragons and the infamous "magic" have been helping him indirectly throughout all these arcs. We do not know how successful he would have been without the dragons because it has not been written in this way. We can only comment on what the manga has been showing us so far. For example, even in Kin province, Kai soldiers were going to rip apart the town Kouka just conquered if not for the dragons, all those townspeople would be dead. Yona's bandit ruse helped the firetribe a whole lot and it was Yoon who brought Iza seeds from Kai. And of course eradicating Nadai, where they worked together the most.

 

[Aniela]

I never mentioned that Yona could do things without the help of her dragons...but can Soo-Won achieve things without the help of an army or generals? Can he alone do things? A singular person can't do anything. So why is it wrong to use dragons and so much better to use ordinary people? Why differentiate like this? And storming a castle doesn't require going against an entire army.

My point is that she didn't "automatically" get "servants". She had to convince three of them. And also they are not servants, they are important characters of the series with individual personalities that give this series its charm.

But they have fought against entire armies in the manga (in the Fire Tribe Arc, for instance). By convincing three people to follow her (Kija didn't need convincing), Yona pretty much got a private army. It's an edge that no other character in the manga has, so it makes her achievements weak in comparison to things achieved by characters who don't get such a special treatment.

About Soo-Won and doing things on his own- it doesn't change the fact at all that the dragons and the infamous "magic" have been helping him indirectly throughout all these arcs. We do not know how successful he would have been without the dragons because it has not been written in this way. We can only comment on what the manga has been showing us so far. For example, even in Kin province, Kai soldiers were going to rip apart the town Kouka just conquered if not for the dragons, all those townspeople would be dead. Yona's bandit ruse helped the firetribe a whole lot and it was Yoon who brought Iza seeds from Kai. And of course eradicating Nadai, where they worked together the most.

No, we can also speculate based off the condition of the world that manga showed us. And I'm not saying that Su-won wouldn't have had a harder time succeeding, or that the outcome would be exactly the same. But take the dragons out, and Su-won is still an active and influential character, and Yona becomes just her archery and fencing skills. Ah, and she also got Hak.