Yona of the Dawn (Original Japanese Version)

Once upon a time, in the Kohka Kingdom, there lived a beautiful, crimson-haired princess named Yona. There she lived a comfortable life with her father, King Il, and her guard, General Hak. And then one night, all that came to a sudden end...

Stunned by the sudden uprising, Yona is petrified, but Hak rushes to her rescue. The "Lightning Beast of Kohka" has his work cut out for him to get princess out of the castle. And it is only through another's sacrifice that Yona and Hak survive.

As they continue to trek through the mountains, Yona and Hak both remember happier times. Yona is a shell of her former self, only moving at Hak's direction. But Hak is determined to keep his vow to protect the princess, no matter what it takes.

Hak and Yona take refuge in the capital of Fuga, the land of Hak's birth. But when his grandfather Mun-deok indicates he will not support Su-won's ascension to the throne, the Fire clan puts pressure on the Wind clan.

To protect the Wind clan, Hak and Yona both decide to leave the capital of Fuga. Mun-deok advises them to seek the oracle for guidance, but Tea-jung of the Fire clan is determined to capture Yona... and kill Hak.

Having taken a poisoned arrow to save Yona, Hak is cornered and out of options. But a fire is lit inside Yona, and she will not let Hak die. Meanwhile Su-won's coronation day is at hand, and hepromises to be a very different king.

Hak's massive injuries are treated by Yun, the young boy who cares for the long missing oracle Ik-su. Yun distrusts Yona for being of royal birth, but the oracle dreams of Yona's fate, and points her on a new path.

Ik-su wants Yun to leave and travel with Yona, but the "beautiful genius" is torn between his desire to see the world, and his feelings of responsibility for the hapless Ik-su. Yun finds himself thinking back to when he first met the strange oracle...

Yona, Hak and Jun begin their journey to find the Four Dragons, but they have little more than scraps of stories as leads. Frustrated with being a liability, Yona demands Hak teach her to use weapons, but can a pampered princess learn to kill?

Yona is welcomed by the people of the White Dragon's Village, who believe her red hair is a sign she is the king they have been waiting for. Of course, only the White Dragon himself will know for sure if she is the real thing.

Gija proves to be a formidable warrior, but a lousy traveler. The search for the Blue Dragon begins, but with Gija only able to sense a vague direction, Hak and Yun team up to narrow the search. Meanwhile, Yona continues to train...

With Gija's "Dragon sense," Yona and her party find a hidden village inside the rocky mountains. However, the villagers say that they have never heard of any Dragon there. Smelling something fishy, Yona decides to stay and have a look around.