The official social media account for Yona of the Dawn announced on October 19 that Pierrot Films will produce the animation for the upcoming sequel anime. Executive producer Yoshihiko Tominaga, who previously supervised animation production on both the first television series and its OVA releases, returns to lead the newly rebranded studio [1]. Mizuho Kusanagi launched the original fantasy manga in August 2009, continuing the story through forty-eight compiled tankōbon volumes before concluding her serialization in December 2025. The decision brings the anime back to television screens after a long hiatus following the original 2014 broadcast [2].
The Animation Studio
Studio Pierrot reorganized its operations in 2024 by rebranding its second studio as Pierrot Films under the motto “Make Anime That Wows,” focusing on higher-tier television and streaming projects. Studio Pierrot previously animated the original twenty-four episodes. The official account confirmed that sequel work is underway at the branch [1].
Yoshihiko Tominaga steps in as executive producer for the sequel after serving as animation producer on the first television season and its OVA episodes. Studio Pierrot built its animation catalog over decades, including earlier television projects examined in an analysis of Pierrot classics from the 1990s. His familiarity with Kusanagi’s fantasy world helps Pierrot Films adapt the remaining manga story arcs [1].
The first television season premiered in October 2014 and ran for twenty-four episodes through March 2015 [1, 2]. That run covered only the opening chapters of the story, so fans waited over ten years to learn whether the rest of the narrative would receive an animated continuation. Funimation released the first season on home video in North America, and international streaming platforms distributed the episodes to overseas audiences [2, 3]. The announcement on X confirms that the long wait has ended [1].
Original Yona of the Dawn Staff
Kazuhiro Yoneda (Gleipnir, Kageki Shoujo!!, Do It Yourself!!) directed the first television season of Yona of the Dawn at Studio Pierrot. Maho Yoshikawa (Assassin’s Pride) served as character designer. Their creative work defined the visual style of the series for international television audiences [1].
Crunchyroll’s synopsis for the original television series introduces Hiryuu Palace, where fifteen-year-old Princess Yona grows up under the care of her peaceful father, King Il. She expects her sixteenth birthday celebration to be “a wonderful day spent with her peace-loving father, Il, her servant and friend Hak, and her cousin Soo-won,” whom she loves. King Il opposes her wish to marry Soo-won, prompting Yona to visit his private quarters during the celebration to speak with him. But instead of finding her father resting, she witnesses Soo-won murder the king during a palace coup [1, 3]. She escapes the palace grounds with Hak’s help, leaving behind her protected life to begin a dangerous journey across the fictional kingdom of Kouka [2, 3].
The voice cast established the characters across two languages. Chiwa Saitō voiced Princess Yona in Japanese with Monica Rial performing the English dub, and Tomoaki Maeno played Hak with Christopher R. Sabat delivering the English performance. Yūsuke Kobayashi voiced Su-won in Japan, and Micah Solusod handled the English dub [3]. The manga also inspired three OVA releases between 2015 and 2016 [1, 2].
Kingdom of Kouka Setting
The fictional nation of Kouka draws inspiration from ancient East Asian history and myth. Ancient legends record that the kingdom of Kouka was founded two thousand years ago when the Crimson Dragon God descended from heaven in human form as King Hiryuu. When greed and corruption threatened to destroy the country, four dragon-blooded warriors joined King Hiryuu to cleanse the land of evil. Following the king’s death, the four dragon warriors parted ways. Their departure established the five ruling tribes of Kouka: Sky, Earth, Water, Wind, and Fire [3].
King Il governed Kouka as a pacifist ruler. His complete refusal to engage in military conflict kept the realm isolated from foreign trade, which allowed political grievances to fester among rival regional tribes until Su-won staged his bloody rebellion. Su-won, whose late father Yu-hon was King Il’s brother, believed the king’s passivity would destroy the nation. He murdered King Il to claim the throne [3].
After fleeing the castle, Yona and Hak seek sanctuary in Fuuga, the capital of the Wind Tribe. Hak previously served as the Wind Tribe’s general, earning the title “Thunder Beast” among soldiers for his formidable martial skill with the guandao and bow. With help from his adoptive grandfather, former general Son Mun-deok, the pair discover an exiled priest who tells them that Yona is the reincarnation of King Hiryuu. The priest advises Yona to locate the four dragon warriors to save Kouka. Abandoning her sheltered life, Yona resolves to gather the warriors and protect her kingdom [3].
Yona of the Dawn Manga Finale
Mizuho Kusanagi launched the original Yona of the Dawn manga in the seventeenth issue of Hakusensha’s Hana to Yume magazine in August 2009 [1, 3]. Before this fantasy series, Kusanagi created several manga works, including Mugen Spiral, Game X Rush, and NG Life. The story of Yona became her defining work, running for sixteen years [2, 3].
The manga concluded on December 19, 2025 [1, 2]. Hakusensha published the forty-eighth compiled volume on Tuesday in Japan, which officially completed the long-running physical tankōbon releases following the conclusion of the main storyline [2, 3]. A four-chapter spinoff concluded in Hana to Yume on July 3 [2].
Viz Media publishes the English editions of the manga in North America [1, 3]. Viz Media released the forty-sixth volume on July 3, keeping the translated release close to the Japanese publication schedule. The complete manga consists of forty-eight tankōbon volumes [2, 3].
Theatrical Stage Plays
Hakusensha also adapted the fantasy story into live-action theatrical stage plays in Tokyo. The first stage play opened in March 2016, recreating Yona and Hak’s escape from the castle, while a second production arrived in November 2018 followed by a third play in November 2019. A musical production opened in Tokyo in July 2024. These live performances kept the franchise visible in Japan between anime releases [2].
The later manga arcs follow Yona as she learns diplomacy and military tactics to protect Kouka from invading armies. When external nations threaten the realm, Yona forms an uneasy truce with Su-won’s government. Su-won rules Kouka, but he conceals his battle with the terminal Crimson Illness. Hak continues to fight beside Princess Yona using his guandao and bow, balancing his sworn duty to Kouka with the personal pain of Su-won’s betrayal [3].
Pierrot Films now prepares to animate these mature story arcs for television audiences, with executive producer Yoshihiko Tominaga providing vital creative continuity from the original 2014 Studio Pierrot broadcast [1]. Hakusensha’s finished forty-eight volume manga provides a complete roadmap for the story [2, 3]. The upcoming sequel brings Princess Yona’s journey through Kouka back to anime fans worldwide [1, 2].
- ONLINE NEWS Tan, M. (2026, October 19). PIERROT FILMS to Produce Yona of the Dawn Anime Sequel. Anime Trending. [Article Link]
- ONLINE NEWS Anime News Network. (2026, October 20). Pierrot Films Animates Yona of the Dawn Anime’s Sequel. Anime News Network. [Article Link]
- WEBSITE Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Yona of the Dawn. Wikipedia. [Article Link]
