The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (2009)

Author: Akira Himekawa | Illustrator: Akira Himekawa | Page Count: 190

“…everything changed, and nothing did.”

The game (2007) on which the Phantom Hourglass manga is based is a sequel to The Wind Waker (2002)* but WW didn't get a manga, so if you read PH without having played WW you may be wondering why Link is on a sailing ship with a crew.  Alternatively, you may not care very much because the story of PH offers little to connect with.  Of the ten LoZ mangas I've read, it was the least entertaining.  The saving grace, ironically absent from the game, is the inclusion of a dangerous guilt that eats away at the conscience of one of the characters; it plants a seed of unpredictability within the already shaky group stability.

The elongated midriff and stumpy legs design is recreated.  I was prepared for that but without the eyegasm attained from the beautiful cel shading that makes everything glow, the weird perspectives are harder to overlook.  There’s also more chibi but it’s not as frequent as it was in The Minish Cap (2006).

I'm disappointed that the superior Twilight Princess (2006)* was passed over.  TP has a more dramatic story with a dark ambiguity that could've been brought to the fore.  Taking into account how well Akira Himekawa has handled similar themes in previous books, I've no doubt that it would've been better than PH.

2½ monsters with obvious weak points out of 5

*You can read reviews of both The Wind Waker and Twilight Princess games on our sister site, Nut Load.

The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap (2006)

Author: Akira Himekawa | Illustrator: Akira Himekawa | Page Count: 190

"The road you travel will be dangerous.  Take this."

Link is always recognisable in his green duds and pointy hat but he’s not always the same Link.  There are exceptions but usually the character is different in each game.  It’s not a drastic change; it’s more of a variation on a theme.  Akira Himekawa applies the same principle to each of her Links in the books.  The art in TMC is 100% chibi.  It would've made sense to draw certain parts of the story that way but unfortunately it’s used from beginning to end.  I'm not a fan of the style but judging by the level of excellence shown in the previous books, I'm guessing it’s at least good chibi?

Something else I wasn't enamoured with was this version of Link; he’s a moody child in need of a reality check or a swift kick up the ass (if Hyrulian law allows such things).  Fortunately, he gets it (the reality check, not the ass-kick) when a villain casts a spell on Princess Zelda.  Personally, I’d have left her as she was; she’d complain less and the only maintenance required would be a dusting every now and then, but Link wants her back so he sets off to right a wrong.

When child Link is the protagonist, LoZ fans are required to dismiss questions about why a child is sent into danger with a sword to kill and maim but TMC addresses those concerns wonderfully by providing a valid reason for that kind of irresponsibility to be necessary.

I really enjoyed the game's story* because it explores the ordinary from an extraordinary perspective.  I hoped that behind the eye-bleeding cuteness the book would deliver the same.  It does, but in a much shorter span of time.  I also love the changing history of Hyrule that shapes the societal and religious beliefs each time; that part of it is well represented here.

Hopefully I've made it clear that the problems I had with the book adaptation were predominantly of my own making and based on my own preferences, so take that into account.  The story is good and takes some risks that pay off handsomely.  If you love chibi and you love LoZ, then TMC may be tailor-made for you.

3 pieces of happiness out of 5

*You can read a review of the GBA game on our sister site, Nut Load.

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (2005)

Author: Akira Himekawa | Illustrator: Akira Himekawa | Page Count: 184

“Somewhere under heaven is the Golden Power…”

All the LoZ mangas can be classed as action/adventure tales but ALTTP* is more traditional than the rest.  Its simplicity reminds me of the classic fantasy movies of the late 80s.  Ironically, that’s also its weakest aspect.  It’s too familiar.

It’s not all bad, though.  The emotional content is increased to compensate for the lack of originality.  From the very beginning, ALTTP grips the reader's sympathies more aggressively than any of the preceding books.  It weighs the immensity of the task ahead against the weight in the hero’s heart.  The hero is (of course) Link; he’s kind, gentle, noble and selfless.  His quest is threefold: save the princess, uncover his own origins and protect the innocent by conquering evil.

Akira Himekawa created an original character to accompany Link on his quest.  It might sound heretical to people that hold ALTTP in high regard but it works beautifully; the relationship between them helps detract from the all-too-familiar nature of the story.  They share common ground but have different motivations.   The praise for Himekawa doesn't end there.  Her artwork gives life to the adventure more successfully than the simplistic dialogue; even during a quest montage!  She's an artist that makes contrasts work in her favour.

Ultimately, if the sensitivity of the protagonists and newly created concerns that drive them hadn't been to the fore as much as they are, the book would've struggled to rise above its failings in other areas.

3 revitalising apples out of 5

*You can read a review of the SNES game on our sister site, Nut Load.

The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords (2004)

Author: Akira Himekawa | Illustrator: Akira Himekawa | Page Count: 196 + 176

"There’s a new Link in this chain!"

I've not played Four Swords Adventures (2004) because the stores near where I lived didn't stock it and I didn't have access to online retailers back then, but after reading the two-part adaptation I'm wishing that I could play it right now!

After some brief but satisfying establishing of Link’s uppity nature and his close friendship with Princess Zelda, the Big Bad is unleashed and the adventure begins.

The environments will be familiar to anyone that’s played any of the previous games (Castle Town, Mountain / Ice / Desert regions etc) but that familiarity doesn't result in reader apathy because the situations that the Links find themselves in holds the attention completely.  The comedy is situational and more often than not caused by confrontation; it’s rarely the goofy kind that I complained about in Oracle of Seasons (2001), so it’s much more enjoyable.

The art is black and white, so the four colours identifier on the cover is redundant inside.  Akira Himekawa gets around that by giving each Link a unique tone / pattern instead.  She also provides each with a unique personality.  There’s plenty of help in the narrative but frantic battle scenes can be confusing.  Rather than try to remember who the darker gray was and who the dotted pattern was, etc, I found it more engaging to remember which colour was impetuous, which was cautious, etc, and then note the expression on each Link’s face as he responds to words or actions.  The temperaments are so well depicted that it made it both simple and fun to match them to their colour.  At the same time I could note the strengths and weaknesses of each one at specific times.

Book I is fantastic and surpasses all the LoZ books that came before it.  If Book II had kept the same level of momentum then Four Swords would've scored even higher but I need to take an average of the two, therefore:

3½ lucky finds in the toy box out of 5

The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons / Oracle of Ages (2001)

Author: Akira Himekawa | Illustrator: Akira Himekawa | Page Count: 194 + 196

"Use your left hand!  Your left!"

Each of the two Game Boy Colour games that were released simultaneously back in 2001 got its own manga adaptation.  The games were connected but also cleverly designed to be enjoyed independently in whichever order the player chose.  You could say the same of the books but it makes slightly more sense to read Seasons before you read Ages; I’ll explain why later.

Oracle of Seasons begins in Hylia.  Link balks at the suggestion that he should practice his sword skills more fervently.  He doesn’t yet understand why Hyrule needs knights willing to lay their life on the line to protect its citizens, but the power of the Triforce will soon change all that…

The main problem I had with Seasons was the exaggerated comedy typical of manga aimed at a younger audience.  I’m aware that the books are targeting a young audience but the previous volumes, Ocarina of Time (2000) and Majora’s Mask (2001), avoided that kind of cliché for the most part.  Having it so prevalent in this volume was unexpected and lessened my enjoyment of the story.

Oracle of Ages is superior to Seasons in every way.  It’s less comical and thematically more satisfying.  There’s also more action but not at the expense of story or character development.  It’s as if the events in Seasons have helped Link grow less foolish, to gain confidence and have faith in his decision making.
The story puts him in a race against time to stop an evil from destroying the present by meddling in the past.  It takes place in a different land than Seasons but the structure is similar in that none of the dungeons from the game are featured and his new-found companions come to his aid when needed.

3 seed abilities out of 5

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask (2001)

Author: Akira Himekawa | Illustrator: Akira Himekawa | Page Count: 208

"As long as I see that in the sky, I can’t rest."

Majora's Mask continues the story told in Ocarina of Time (2000).  Link enters a mysterious forest searching for his missing fairy, Navi.  Trouble ensues and Link ends up in a situation wherein he has just three days to stop a major disaster or everyone caught in the impact will be killed.

The way the N64 game is structured* doesn't make any kind of linear adaptation easy, so Akira Himekawa took the only sensible route open, which was to focus on the acquisition of those masks that directly effect Link and ignore all but the most pertinent side-quest, i.e. the one that offers the most opportunity to pluck at the heartstrings.  You can likely guess which one that is.  Consequently, a lot more changes have been made to the story than was made to OoT, but in most cases they were unavoidable and as before they're respectful.

MM had some very dark themes; some of which make it onto the page.  The Happy Mask Salesman is wiggins and the main antagonist is somewhat disturbing in ways that I won’t mention.  What’s even stranger is that, while they’re innocuous enough to be overlooked, the inclusion of a small number of questions asked by some of the characters can be interpreted in such a way that they lend credence to the theory that sprung up amongst fans to explain how Link got from Hyrule to Termina in such a short space of time.  It's interesting, to say the least.

MM is one of the few Legend of Zelda games in which Princess Zelda doesn't play an active role, so it seems fitting that the bonus story that comes after the main story has no Link; but it’s connected nonetheless, so don’t skip it.

3½ shtump steps out of 5

*You can read a review of the N64 game on our sister site, Nut Load.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (2000)

Author: Akira Himekawa | Illustrator: Akira Himekawa | Page Count: 192 + 192

“You’re certainly popular with the ladies.”

The first LoZ manga from Akira Himekawa* was a two part work based on the excellent N64 game of the same name.  It essentially tells the same story but there are some significant differences in how characters are introduced, none of which I found to be in any way disrespectful.  In fact, the opposite was true.  The narrative makes new connections between existing characters, and in doing so enables some very successful emotional moments to surface.
The drama is never underplayed but nor does it ever take itself too seriously, so it's able to have an occasional laugh at its own expense (see above quote).

The artwork is magnificent.  Even the rough sketches that are included are fantastic!  Child Link world has a different feel than Adult Link world and the danger level in each reflects that.  Seeing the locations rendered in comic book form is great fun but it’s the little things lurking in the background that make it extra special.  The cuccos at Kakariko Village and the dogs and sleeping Bombchu lady in Castle Town were my personal favourites.  Akira Himekawa obviously spent time in the game world and drank of its delights.**

The hurried pace as a consequence of content removed is the only thing that drags the books down.  Although it’s not all bad: the Water Temple is reduced to about 4 pages that amounts to Enter / Kill / Exit, which is something that many gamers wish they could've done while playing, myself included.

After the main story, there are two bonus stories.  One is a prequel featuring the mysterious Skull Kid that I liked a lot.  The other is unconnected to the game story and features a new race that was less interesting.

It's presented in the original Right to Left manga format, which seems to have eliminated the usual need to flip the images, so yes, Link is a lefty.

3½ bottles of milk out of 5

*Akira Himekawa is a pseudonym used by two authors / artists whose real names are unknown.  It was simpler just to use the one name to refer to them both.

**You can read a review of the N64 game on our sister site, Nut Load.

The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia (2013)

Authors: Shigeru Miyamoto, Eiji Aonuma | Page Count: 276

'As the stories and storytellers of Hyrule change, so, too, does its history.'

Zelda fanboys / fangirls are an odd bunch.  I can say that without malice because I’m one of them.  The Hyrule Historia that we waited so long for isn't the Zelda bible like some claim; it’s a Zelda history book like the title implies.  The content is spilt into 4 main parts:

1. An in-depth look at the most recent LoZ game: Skyward Sword.

The book has a heavy bias toward Skyward Sword; it begins and ends with it, and fills a large part of the middle.  It makes sense from a developer point of view to push your most recent game deep into the consciousness of the reader but it makes the book uneven.

2. The official History of Hyrule.

It gives the story of each game in chronological order, so expect major spoilers if you haven’t played them.  It attempts to explain the split in continuity in the timeline that occurred after the events of Ocarina of Time, which is interesting.

3. Production sketches and art from the 25 year history of the series.

There are hundreds of illustrations, from all of the games.  Some people might call that filler but I call it treasure.  Getting to pour over previously unseen concept art and line sketches is something I enjoy.  If you 'meh' at the thought of doing similar, you'll hate this section.

4. A manga prequel to the Skyward Sword game.

A short manga written and illustrated by long time LoZ manga creator(s) Akira Himekawa.  If you're a collector of the manga, you'll know what to expect.

Overall, it's a beautifully presented book with a wealth of information and a shitload of artwork that should keep fans happy for a while.

4 decipherable alphabets out of 5