Majora's Mask (2001) / A Link to the Past (2005)
Author and Illustrator: Akira Himekawa | Page Count: 402
"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, but trouble ensues and the 'Hero of Time' ends up in a situation wherein he has just three days to stop a major disaster or everyone caught in the impact will die.
The way the Nintendo 64 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 alter Link and ignore all but the most pertinent side-quest, i.e. the one that offers the most opportunity to pluck at the heartstrings. If you've played MM, you can likely guess which one that is.
Consequently, a lot more changes have been made to the story than was made to Ocarina of Time, but in most cases they were arguably unavoidable and, as before, they're very respectful.
The MM game 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 in the hero's adventure, so it seems fitting that the bonus story that comes after the main one has no Link; but it's connected to the whole, nonetheless, so is certainly worthy of reading.
A Link to the Past (2005)
"Somewhere under heaven is the Golden Power…"
While all The Legend of Zelda mangas can be classed as action / adventure tales, A Link to the Past 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 its very beginning, ALttP grips reader 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 the newly created concerns that drive them onward hadn't been brought to the fore as much as they are, the book would've struggled to rise above its failings in other areas.
NOTE: 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.
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