Are you such a devoted fan of The Legend of Zelda that you’ve played every game to completion (perhaps more than once), and read every related book in print? This October, VIZ Media comes to your rescue with an English adaptation of the Zelda manga to keep you immersed in the world of Hyrule.
The Legend of Zelda manga series, officially approved by Nintendo, began publication in Japan in February 2000 and covers nine of the most popular Zelda games. VIZ Media’s adaptation will mark the first time the fan-praised series has been officially released in English.
The first title set to be published in North America is Ocarina of Time, the dustjacket description of which reads, “In the mystical land of Hyrule, three spiritual stones hold the key to the Triforce, and whoever holds them will control the world. A boy named Link sets out on a quest to deliver the Emerald, the spiritual stone of the forest, to Zelda, Princess of the land of Hyrule. The journey will be long and perilous, and Link will need all his skill and courage to defeat evil. The battle for Hyrule and the Sacred Realm has begun!”
In Ocarina of Time , the adventures of the game’s hero, Link, are divided into two volumes — known as the “Child Saga” and the “Adult Saga” — that relate the story of how the young Link left his forest home and grew up in the process to become the destined Hero of Time. The story and art by Akira Himekawa, including the bonus preliminary sketches he did in preparation for the project, are consistently top-notch, and the books remain mostly true to the video game plot, occasionally adding extra material to expand upon or explain things from the game series. Ocarina of Time reads from right to left, as in the original Japanese book format, and is rated “A” for All Ages.
Now VIZ Media just needs to produce plush toys to accompany the Zelda manga. Cuddling an adorable little Link or Zelda doll while following their stories on the page would add a whole extra layer to the reading experience, and allow the reader to act out the cute crush between the two characters as portrayed in Ocarina of Time.
Pre-order at Amazon.com:
The Legend of Zelda , Vol. 1: Ocarina of Time, Part 1
The Legend of Zelda , Vol. 2: Ocarina of Time, Part 2
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time‘s English translation is distributed by VIZ Media. For more information on the full range of The Legend of Zelda titles, see Manga from The Legend of Zelda Series.
The Legend of Neil, a NSFW-rated Web series that spoofs The Legend of Zelda, is also recommended for adult Zelda fans. Its creator is Sandeep Parikh, who plays Zaboo in the award-winning Web series The Guild.