#akayona thoughts

[soo-won]

do you think soowon is sociopath? i saw some fans saying he lacks empathy and i don't think he does.

Hey Anon! Thank you for the ask :) I didn't expect to receive that kind of question that was the heart of debates years ago, but I'm more than happy to reply!

Very long answer below the cut. Sorry for being unable to be brief, there's nothing that I love more than talking about Suwon and his emotions!

Short answer is no I don't think Suwon is a sociopath, at all.

I've read people say that many times, especially in response to chapter 196, I don't know if that's what you have in mind. From personal experience, I've never seen anyone call him a sociopath know what that word really means or not being a Suwon-anti and I think most of the time people say this in the pejorative "cold and emotionless" way. The manga has shown countless times the range of Suwon's emotions, and to imply he doesn't feel anything is just, wrong (Kusanagi stated it explicitely too). I guess it's understandable for series going on for years like akayona, but I feel like it's a common mistake to read a chapter as a standalone and not something that adds to what was established before. Like, it's not because the diary and castle arc showed new sides of Suwon (through the eyes of other characters on top of that) and in specific circumstances that it invalidates everything shown to us about him before. It's one piece of the puzzle for sure, but nothing less nothing more. I'm no psychiatrist and I'm not qualified to give anyone any kind of diagnostic, but Suwon feels very much, and he feels guilt, is even paralyzed by it at times and it is sometimes an obstacle to him. Suwon is all about discarding feelings, and for that to be a thing, feelings have to be there to begin with. From what I know about sociopathy, this isn't it. And even if he was, that wouldn't make him any less lovable and deserving of compassion to me.

Now on empathy specifically, it's more arguable, but I don't see lacking empathy as something inherently wrong that makes someone broken or cold. What you feel or not doesn't matter in my opinion, it's what you do to care for others. So like, yeah, if you compare with Yona I guess you could say Yona is more empathic than Suwon, but in no way that alone would make her a better person than him(I don't want to make this about Suwon vs Yona, she was just the first character to come to mind).

Lack of empathy is also not exclusively a sociopath thing. Like, everyone feels it to a different degree and there is a lot factors that can be at play.

Suwon feels and thinks differently, his differences with characters like Meinyan, Yona and Hak being the most obvious examples of that, and it's one of the many things that make me see him as neurodivergent in some way. But in the end, whether he feels empathy or not is not important. Or like, yeah, it can be interesting to explore, but it isn't relevant to define him in the slightest.

That being said, let's talk about what we know. First, what we know for sure, is that he cares! And even if you admit he doesn't have the same level of empathy as others, he tries to help when he can and if it's not in the way of his goals. Whether it's when he was a child comforting Yona and his mother, or reassuring an insecure Lili, or again, trying to comfort a trembling Yona in the way he knows best. It's something that comes naturally to him, something that very much makes him, him. Suwon is someone who wants to help, and who finds joy in making others happy.

He is also intelligent, can understand how people think and feel, and why people act the way they do. He is able to sense very young that Il doesn't like him. He was able to give Yona exactly what she needed when she was mourning her mother. In the present, Suwon understands why Yona or Hak would want to kill him, or how his words would only upset them because he is able to put himself in their shoes. (This, is different than empathy imo. Putting yourself in someone else' shoes is an effort you make to understand others, whether you feel what they feel) It's because he understands how people feels that he was able to come this far and unite the country like he did. He is able to play with how people perceive him to get the upper hand over them too. And he is very aware of the consequences of his colder decisions. Everytime he discards someone, he very much expects their hostility towards him and doesn't ask anything of them again. In my opinion Suwon just doesn't think in term of good vs bad. He can tell between the two in like how it matters to others, but it's not relevant to him, and he rather thinks in term of "is that thing on my way or not". (I think he does struggle to understand the extent of how people feel about him, though. He thinks logically, so it's hard for him to understand things that go against all logic, like Hak and Yona helping him after everything.)

Then I think it's important to mention the part of Suwon that shows a discardment of emotions and empathy, and Yuhon.

Actually, how much of that comes from how Yuhon raised him, the environment he grew up in, or from how he is inherently as a person is interesting sure, but not that relevant either. Whatever the roots of it, he is able to put his feelings on the side and stay composed in dire situations. But again, it doesn't mean he doesn't feel anything. And what the war against Kai shows is that his ability to not be affected by the deaths of his people is the reverse of the determination-turned-desperation to not lose against Kai. "Even death is acceptable"(his own included) he says to himself. The fact this is a thing he had to tell himself to begin with says a lot in my opinion. He was struggling, and had to remind himself repeatedly to not look back, to think about nothing but the war. Suwon has limits, even if he is more composed and determined than most, and when he reaches these limits he needs to cling onto his father's words, because otherwise he would falter and stop being able to think clearly.

Thanksfully this desperation turned back into his usual determination(still kinda fueled by the urgency of his situation) after the events of this battle. But like, Suwon is not at all a character that is a complete facade when he acts as a King and whose cold decisions go completely against his heart all the time. He really is the King not hesitating to take harsh decisions and make sacrifices to achieve his goals. He really is the King not unfazed in the slightest about losing his own castle and capital, and people dying in war for his cause. That's also what makes him, him, and something more than helpful in war where you have to deal with losses and unpredictable events all the time.

Going back to chapter 196, when Yonhi thinks to herself "How can he be so detached?" or when Yuhon's faction is impressed by how unfazed he was about investigating his own father's corpse, in no way it is that Suwon doesn't feel anything about his father or Yona. He so does. He is shown burning with anger, and he is shown not looking the least enthousiastic about killing Il. The situations and ways in which he expresses these emotions are simply not what you would usually expect from a child, but why should there be any rule about how someone is supposed to react and feel? There's nothing scary about that. When you stop to think about 2 seconds, is it that fearsome for someone to cope by taking the lead and prioritizing dealing with the problems at hand first, and being unable to process things emotionally? Like, isn't that pretty common? I can relate a lot to that personally. I guess what is surprising in this case is how Suwon is able to do it so young and to this extent, but it's nothing more than that. When Suwon asks Yonhi if she wants Il to die, and she gets scared of that, Suwon is genuinely asking too. Is that this far-fetched for him to assume Yonhi would want that when everyone else around him does? When revenge seems to be the very reason Il, supposed to be peace-loving, killed his father?

People might say that Suwon lacks empathy and maybe they wouldn't be wrong, but he constantly tries to understand what people want and answer to their expectations anyway. And I think that's what matters the most, even if he fails at it sometimes. He couldn't understand how Yonhi felt about Il in chapter 196, but he still tried hard to be what he thought she wanted from him: a replacement of Yuhon (Again, logical conclusion when that's what everyone else around him encourage). He still did all he could to comfort her, and he gave her strength.

He became the ideal King most of the generals and Yuhon faction wanted, and a lot of the issues in his relationship with Yona and Hak come from the fact he behaved in front of them as the Suwon they (used to think they) wanted. He cared for them genuinely, but he couldn't show the rest of him because it would go against the idealized image they had of him. Just like he can't show all of himself in front of his supporters either, because what they want is for him is a perfect, never faltering King, following Yuhon's footsteps. When it became impossible to be these two ideals at the same time, he discarded one. Suwon cares and loves, and this has nothing to do with empathy. He is both the caring friend and the pragmatic king and can't discard either.

Suwon might have less empathy than others, yet he is the one who acted to better the lives of his country's citizens, in contrast to Il, that sure, might be more empathic (except when it comes to Suwon visibly) yet barely acted on it.

I'm gonna stop here but I could go on forever. I hope it's not too much all over the place. Sorry I can't help it.

TDLR : no I don't think he is a sociopath, mainly because he feels guilt and regards what people think a lot, and all he does is never for his own personal benefit. But empathy or not, he cares and does his best. There is so much to explore about him, and basing the morality of a character on empathy is just not it. I think the fact he has such a different way of thinking compared to the rest of the main cast is what makes him so fresh and interesting and I wouldn't want him any other way. He doesn't give a fuck and idk it's funny and so cathartic sometimes. We should embrace that.

#akayona is the least and most nuanced story of all times. at the same time. #soowon #suwon #akayona #lumen rants #ask #akayona thoughts #sure he is Yuhon's son and shares a lot with him #but he is also Yonhi's #and above all he is his own person #this is an aside but #i think his tendency to replace ppl (like the role of a mother for Yona + the role of Yuhon) is tied how he perceives himself(not good) #like him is not enough. he is unpleasant. ppl don't want /him/. or so he thinks. #he lives for his goal. and his arc is more about how he can reconcile his irrational feelings with it #than changing his methods and take a different path #smth smth ch243 #maybe you could make a case about whether yuhon has some kind of antisocial personality disorder #(saying this mainly bc of his impulsivity) #but even Yuhon had so much love. and i wouldn't villainize him bc of it.

[ratherhavehopewithyou]

if anyone needs me i will be screaming into a pillow for the next several hours

#head is swirling with thoughts and emotions with this whole chapter but this page really did me in #hakyona #akatsuki no yona #akayona #yona of the dawn #akayona spoilers #akatsuki no yona spoilers #yona of the dawn spoilers #akayona 254 #akayona 254 spoilers #hak #yona

[alphonseelriic]

Zeno for @luffys | Merry Christmas, from your Secret Santa💛

#anyedit #akatsuki no yona #akayona #zeno #yona of the dawn #shoujoedit #animangaboys #fyanimanga #anisource #fyshoujo #myworks #myany #myanimangacreators #AAAAAAHHHH MOH I SO GLAD I GOT YOU AS MY GIFTEE #so nice talking to you anonymously heheh #i hope you like this! i went with zeno bc i thought he might be the less obvious choice #also he's such a good character to edit and in general too #hope this is also yellow enough lol #hope you have a wonderful holiday season!!! love ya #animangasecretsanta

[wrath-of-dawn]

Hey. Hi. Hello. Fuck.

OK just read the new chapter and had to share some thoughts.

1) the resemblance to the beginning of this journey. They looked for jae-ha last and he has been the first to disappear. Shin-ah was second and we are back with just kija. The dragons are being lost in reverse to how they were found. Aside from Zeno of course who, just as he showed up the first time makes his presence known only of his own accord.

2) Zeno being pressed for questions and obviously either lying or avoiding saying anything. Particularly with his quick response to the chalice.

Hear me out.

The chalice was the start of this mess for Zeno. It gave him immortality and with it centuries of agony. What if he suspects that there's a way to use the chalice once more to reverse it? What if it holds the secret that will let him finally die? The palace has been burnt to the ground, the sanctity of the mausoleum breached and the chalice stolen. We don't know what chagol did with it while it was in his possession. Maybe the circumstances combined and with everything on a knife's edge with the dragons and their holy artifacts/places, it all leads up for Zeno to have an out. To finally die. He loves the other dragons as he did his own dragon Brothers but he knows either way they will die and leave him like every generation before. If there is a chance that he can finally join them and all the others before. To join hiryuu in the heavens. I think he would be hard pressed to pass up that opportunity if it ever arose. It's the only thing I can imagine that would tempt him to in any way betray his friends. We know he hides history and info on the dragons many times in the series but this and the behavior surrounding it is all just so different.

This was total conspiracy theory right here but lemme know what you think.

Honestly in my ideal scenario with the dragons this whole issue with their powers leads to a form of death wherein they lose their powers and become human. Maybe that means the eyes of the dragon go blind. Maybe the green and white dragons become amputees. In some physical or metaphysical death they separate their lives from the dragons powers and that let's them stay with their loved ones.

I don't know but God damnit I can hope.

#akatsuki no yona spoilers #yona of the dawn #akayona #akatsuki no yona #jaeha #kija #shinah #zeno #conspiracy theories #new chapter thoughts #wtf zeno #send help im dying

[mintyteatea]

***Spoilers for akayona 251***

I'm sure that Zeno does genuinely care about the Yona and co... despite how suspicious he might be right now. They went through so much together that I find it hard to believe that he's formed no attachments to them. He's definitely doing something behind their backs though and I'm genuinely very worried because it reminds me of something I have always questioned about him; The fact that he never called any of the bunch by their names. It's always been "Little miss" "Mister" "Lad" "Ryokuryuu" "Hakuryuu" "Seiryuu" I'm sure it's his way of trying to not get attached to other people because of his indefinite life span, we've only ever saw him refer to King Hiryuu, the first dragons and his wife by their names (correct me if I'm wrong) and I think that maybe that was Kusanagi sensei's way of foreshadowing that Zeno has always been detaching himself from the happy hungry bunch in some way... FHDSKJFHDSKF Idk where I'm going with this but I'm just... really intrigued by the turn the story has taken and that weird chalice thingie ig, I can't wait to see what sensei has in store for us. Please Jae ha and Shin ah be safe I love you...

#akatsuki no yona #akayona spoilers #akayona 251 #zeno #just what are you planning zeno #he's not even try to hide his sus expressions #like the only reason yona hak and kija do not notice is because they literally trust him 100% #the thought would never ever cross their minds to even doubt their own family member

[neixins]

and then it was Never Brought Up Again!

[ID: a panel from chapter 41 of “yona of the dawn” featuring jaeha and gija. jaeha has one hand resting on gija’s cheek, and he’s leaning in close as if he’s about to kiss him, while gija stares at him in surprise. a text post by pansyfemme has been edited onto the image; it reads: “can you be utterly and madly in love with me for one second”. end ID.]

#u thought i was done with gijaeha gtuesday posting for today? sike! #happy gijaeha gtuesday <3 #akayona

[bloomxng-per4wxnkle]

Chapter 196

#akayona #akatsuki no yona #yona of the dawn #soo won #suwon #soowon #i thought i should post my old colorings here #so #yea *sobs* #my bby my beloved #manga coloring

[athanora]

WHAT THE HELLLLLL

#????!!!!!?!?!??!?!?!??!?!!??!?!?!?!??! #I HAVE SO MANY THOUGHTS FLYING AROUND MY HEAD #AGHHHHHH #akatsuki no yona #akayona #akayona spoilers #akatsuki no yona spoilers #ch 242 #jaeha #ryokuryuu jaeha

[fuyu-mayoi]

Min-Soo : His head is fine.

Mmmmmmmmmm I don't know, are you sure Soo-won's head never looked very much stable to me

#I never thought one day I would have had to read this medical report #His Majestic neck thank you for your service #The shoulder went munch munch #Akayona spoilers #Akatsuki no yona #Soo-won #Shin-ah #yona of the dawn

[ratherhavehopewithyou]

kija: in other words, these two are still on earth, isn't that right?

me:

#!!!!!!!!!! #like we kinda knew but we also kinda didn't!!!!! #i know we're not out of the woods yet but still!!!!!! #now did i immediately enter full panic mode when i thought this meant kija was dying for real? absolutely #and the end of the chapter still has me STRESSED #akatsuki no yona #akayona #yona of the dawn #akayona spoilers #akatsuki no yona spoilers #yona of the dawn spoilers #akatsuki no yona 252 #akayona 252 #yona of the dawn 252

[rddykilowatt]

ramble ramble ramble ramble zeno beloved ramble ramble ramble ramble

I’m gonna dump akayona thoughts here ‘cause I love this series lots and they make me very happy to ramble about! (warning for spoilers if you’re unaware of anything about zeno or his backstory)

I don’t see a lot of people analyzing or digging at the things that I do, usually they’re more centered around widely known details and fan favorites and such.

So here we go:

Ever since Zeno wiggled his silly way into the group (the dragons, yoon, hak and yona) he completely threw away all of his self preservation. And you can say “well ofc, he’s there to protect yona” but I think you’d be wrong for simplifying it that way. He's such a complex character. Out of all of them he is the one that stands to be the least affected by Yona’s presence same with the presence of the other dragons. He simply decided to approach them on his own accord, they didn’t approach him. This guy has had to kill and run to protect him from others and from himself for millennia.

He’s completely lost his purpose in life by the time we meet him in the series, having lost so much and constantly being at odds with the concept of time. But he found that purpose again in protecting the hhb, which is where I bring this back to the previous statement that he completely threw away all his self preservation, or rather he actually gained some.

During the Xing arc the dragons end up being imprisoned, and Zeno willingly offers himself up to Mizari to have his arm cut off as means to get away easy, but they all outwardly express their disdain toward this. Jae-ha being the one to intervene and avoid Zeno being subjected to such treatment.

Though I think it should be said that he could’ve easily sacrificed himself for them here, it's just his arm right? But he let's Jae-ha intervene and sway the topic away from him. Despite the fact that he could at any moment throughout the series (after his power has been revealed) when there’s a battle or confrontation, power his way through fights and run away or get help at the drop of the hat but guess what? He doesn’t do that, he stopped doing that for the sake of the others. He instead he chooses to stick by the side of his companions even if he could just as easily tear himself apart or be torn apart in order to help them escape.

A good example is this scene in the current arc:

Even with the artifact from Hiryuu castle in their presence that causes there powers to amp up and everything, Zeno sits tight, literally. He sits there tied up tight with the others. I bring this scene up as an example because like I previously stated he could just tear himself apart here, now more than ever to help them escape. But he doesn't.

(Whether this is due to his wisdom beyond years or because he doesn't want to upset the other dragons is up in the air for sure but we're gonna say it's cause he doesn't wanna upset the others for the sake of this post)

I feel like it should be explained further, it’s been brought up multiple times throughout the series where Zeno’s partook, especially in anxiety inducing parts, the others don’t like to see Zeno hurt even if he heals, even if he’s used to the pain. They don’t like it, they’ve been very upfront about how much they hate it, how much it scares them to see him injured in ways that would kill any mortal being, in ways it would kill any of them. Seeing him bleed is the worst experience for them. And I think Zeno makes the conscious choice to no longer completely tear himself apart just to escape in order to save them because he doesn’t want to scare them more than they already are in the situations they get involved in. As well as when it wouldn’t be necessary to do so, when they work together just as well to escape without unnecessarily blood being shed.

Zeno is honestly an enigma of a character, he says a lot but simultaneously says nothing. Which makes me love him even more.

What I’m saying here is all me reading between lines and using my own brain to come up with something that would make sense rather than it being a verbal statement or thought being stated in the series. There’s no real textual evidence that outright states that Zeno has made any of the choices I’ve stated, it’s just my own thoughts surrounding him.

At the end of it all here, I personally believe this is one of the best ways his character could be written, especially as the only one remaining from the original dragons. He gives things away to the group and the readers but only with bits and pieces. The rest is speculation or a matter of putting things together. In my opinion he keeps us hooked into the series, he’s the one character still present that carry’s so much weight and wisdom with him. He’s the one character in the hhb that understands the pain that each separate individual has faced that even they amongst themselves can’t understand.

They’ve all learned how cruel the world can be, how painful being alive is in their own ways but in my opinion Zeno is the only one that understands their individual experiences infinitely. For crying out loud he knows things that the characters around him don’t even know and that we the readers don’t as well. He’s seen and lived through more life than them all combined, but he still holds onto his humanity albeit rather stubbornly. He still continues to learn and grow and above all else he sees that everyone is human and that there can be/is still good in the world even with all the bad.

Yona maybe be in the title of the series, but Zeno is still just as much of a main character as she is.

#there's no real point or theory here I just wanted to lay my thoughts out #just rambling #spoiler warning #any spoilers #akayona spoilers #akayona zeno #yona the girl standing in the blush of dawn #akayona #akatsuki no yona #yona of the dawn #zeno #akayona manga #I practically live and breath zeno #akayona is so special to me #i’d die for them #making a new tag for my acc here #rddytoramble #maybe soon I'll write a whole post analyzing zeno as a whole character

[ella390-the-potato]

I feel hoop earrings are more pirate-y...

#Akatsuki no Yona #ANY #Yona of the Dawn #YotD #Jaeha #Jae Ha #Green Dragon #Ryokuryuu #AkaYona #ANY Fanart #YotD Fanart #Akatsuki no Yona Fanart #Yona of the Dawn Fanart #Fanart #Digital Art #My Art #Drawing my Random Thoughts

[mythical-donut]

Akatsuki no Yona ch 242

For some reason I found these little panels amusing.

Puny humans

You dare to restrain us?!

#seriously I thought it would be cool to be able to turn into a dragon and squash humans #but apparently it’s very distressing for them #akatsuki no yona #yona of the dawn #akayona #four dragons #shin ah #Shinah #jaeha #jae ha #zeno #pathetic south kai soldiers #dragons are cool #still satisfied they broke out on their own and trashed their captors though

[kazumasamaanimesblog]

Thoughts:

if the castle burns down then our dragons will be in serious trouble.

We know that when the dragons are near the castle because of the temple they heal faster than normal.

If the temple burns down is there any chance they won't be as strong as they were before!? Remember when they first went with kalgan (can't remember how we spell his name) outside kouka kingdom, they were weak.

So my question is : What will happen if the temple is destroyed!?

#My thoughts for the future #Sorry for spoil your mood but I had to do it #kazumasamaanime #akatsuki no yona #akayona #yona of the dawn #yotd #暁のヨナ #hakyona #the dark dragon and the happy hungry bunch #4 dragon warriors #The fate of the dragons #akatsuki no yona manga #manga #manga anime #yona of the dawn spoilers #akayona manga spoilers #manga spoilers #shoujo manga #shoujo

[neixins]

[ID: panels from the “yona of the dawn” bonus chapter “upon his back”. the first panel shows jaeha coming across gija, who’s sitting hunched over, holding his head in his hands. in the second panel, jaeha is holding a hand up to his mouth, thinking; he looks concerned. his thoughts, spanning across the two panels, read: “uh-oh. it looks as though…this is more painful for him than i realized.” a text post by afghan-blood has been added to the bottom of the second panel; it reads: “source? i was overthinking”. end ID.]

#i love backing up my tags on posts by immediately editing them onto corresponding panels. in case anyone doubts the accuracy of my claims #jaeha in the hot springs chapter u will always be famous…. he was off the mark but it’s the thought that counts <3 #oh wait it’s still tuesday for some of u. in that case #happy gijaeha gtuesday <3 #akayona

[crehador]

parting thoughts on amatsuki (anime)

so first of all bonten is such peak character design we need to go back to this

yaoi hands shoujo legs makes a man go [whistle noise]

secondly WHO is that motorcycle guy who is somehow not toki’s dad

long and short of it is the anime leaves me curious enough to add the manga to my planning list but probably not curious enough to read it anytime soon

this was an absolute delight to watch, and even though it came out in 2008 it made me nostalgic for early 00s studio deen nonsense (which sounds like a dig but i mean that affectionately)

it’s not the most unique thing but it reminds me that i like this flavor of shoujo fantasy, specifically portal fantasy, way way way more than the generic ecchi isekai that proliferate today

actually not even just shoujo, i was thinking of fushigi yuugi specifically but on the shounen side of things yyh and even bleach to a certain extent fall under that “we go to another world but in like a cool way” umbrella so basically

when and why did this good shit get replaced by such mediocre isekai!

(obligatory “i’m an isekai hater but everyone should watch fabiniku” disclaimer)

anyway amatsuki boasts an overall likeable cast of characters, toki can be a bit insufferable at times in the way a lot of protags can be but overall i found him to be idealistic yet still endearing

shinonome has a banging character design too and so does kuchiha except i’m SORRY she has to lose some points for the hair scarf thing i CANNOT stop thinking about how scratchy that would be

(that said she IS adorable and definitely best girl material, also the ot3 vibes between her and shinonome and toki were off the charts)

also one more gratuitous bonten gif bc PEAK

ofc yeah i’m biased bc of a certain voice actor factor (suwabe) but honestly when did the morally ambiguous pseudo-mentor types stop looking like this and start looking like boring ass gojo instead (sorry to the gojo girlies your man has nice eyes but otherwise looks as interesting as a communion wafer)

but in all fairness i shouldn’t be comparing shoujo aesthetics to shounen ones so anyway moving on

the human vs ayakashi conflict stuff can be found anywhere but i think amatsuki does a pretty good job of executing that classic trope, though the vr stuff (at least in the anime) doesn’t really seem to play a role beyond providing the portal to the other world which eh is fine and all but might have been cool to see it be more relevant

all in all i feel like amatsuki would be a nice hidden(?) gem for anyone who enjoys older series (not even sure if it’s a hidden gem or if i just never heard anything about it personally) but would probably be a miss for anyone who isn’t into that

which is to say it was certainly a hit for me

#crab watches #amatsuki #parting thoughts #i should get to akayona soon... #or one day at least #unfortunately whenever i say soon i mean like within 1-5 business years #oh eta: best thing about bonten's shoujo legs is he USES them #like a lot #he's constantly flying in from off-screen to kick someone in the head #and i think that's very sexy of him