So I'm still watching Yona of the Dawn

[alias_sqbr]

And remembering that one reason I stopped the first time was that I shipped Yona/Hak/Soo-won SUPER HARD and the show was clearly not going to go there.

I don't normally screencap shippy scenes but goddamn.

Less spoilery than the opening credits, especially since this is a pre-canon flashback.

For context: The anime is set in a fantasy land based on Ancient China. The main character, not shown, is Princess Yona. Lord Soo-won is the blonde aristocratic pretty guy. General Hak, the brunette guy holding a giant weapon and perched on the hand rail of the bridge for no reason but to look badass, is Yona's bodyguard. All three of them grew up as childhood friends.

Soo-won has just expressed jealousy that Hak is Yona's servant rather than his own.











Meanwhile Yona starts canon in love with Soo-won, Hak is implied to be repressedly pining for Yona, and in my opinion Soo-won's behaviour makes the most sense if he's in love with Hak. From all accounts it looks like Hak/Yona is going to be endgame, though since this is a reverse harem story every guy can be assumed to be at least a little shippy with Yona. She does have some great moments with these two specific guys, though.

And this doesn't even touch the ABSOLUTE MESS the Yona/Hak/Su-won relationship has turned into by the time this flashback happens. It's SO TRAGIC and I LOVE IT and I have no idea how it could work out happily for all of them but man I would love to see it.

Comments

[hebethen]

*Ancient Korea!

Despite being annoyed at how some of the Hak/Yona was presented, I enjoyed this show a lot and wish it had more seasons. Apparently the source manga is also enjoyable but... b&w @_@

[alias_sqbr]

DAMN IT, YOU'RE RIGHT. KOREA. I've clearly been reading too much Chinese fantasy.

Yeah I've heard some of the Hak/Yona gets annoying. But not the version in my heart...

[hebethen]

Oh no, now I'm rewatching the whole series, I blame you :P

[alias_sqbr]

Sorry :D

[schneefink]

Yesss co-signed. I don't read a lot of fic for the fandom but my favorite OT3 AU is Biting Her Tongue by ShanaStoryteller.

[alias_sqbr]

Oh my goodness that fic is perfect, thank you!

[schneefink]

Right? :D As far as I know the author is still planning to write a sequel eventually, so fingers crossed.

[alias_sqbr]

crosses fingers

[deborah_judge]

The good news is that the anime doesn't really have an ending, and neither does the manga (although it continues longer), so the OT3 is as much endgame as anything else. :) And Soo-won just keeps getting more complex. I thought about writing the OT3 myself but the obstacle for me was less how bad things are between them now (which, ok, very very bad) and more just how complex and opaque Soo-won's motivations are. The good fics I've seen for them are all AUs, here's one I particularly like:
https://archiveofourown.org/works/4450733

[umadoshi]

neither does the manga (although it continues longer)

The manga's still going! ^_^

[alias_sqbr]

starts reading * "Oh, a highschool AU, ok" *keeps reading "Wait a second..."

[deborah_judge]

Yeah the opening section is much better once you know where it's going. :)

[umadoshi]

I can never remember where the anime leaves off in the story (mainly because I haven't seen the anime, so my info it secondhand), but the emotional threads between Yona and Hak and Su-won in the manga are so complex and fraught and I'm excited to see where it goes.

(The manga is amazing. And I should note that I'm biased about it, because I work on the English version, but being biased doesn't mean I'm wrong. ^_-)

[alias_sqbr]

If past experience is any guide, I will absolutely turn to the manga once I run out of anime! It's good to know it's good, though.