Manga / Comics

I read this comic after reading Akira Himekawa's manga, and it's so much better! First, the colors on the pages really help with enjoyment. The action is much more readable. The characters, however, are not always very well drawn, finished with a few pencil strokes, but you still understand who is who.

As for the story, it's pretty well adapted. A few elements were skipped, among others the passage through the Outlaw's Village as well as the Skull Forest. Otherwise, everything is there with a fairly accurate fidelity, which I really appreciated: the fact that the Wizzrobe is in the Misery Mire (that's where it first appears in the game), the three-headed dragon of Turtle Rock which directly references Trinexx, the way to open Turtle Rock as well... They even included the suspended bridge that connects Turtle Rock to Ganon's Tower in the Dark World, which I greatly appreciated.

Afterwards, the addition of extra characters, like the kid from Kakariko, the fairy Ephremelda, or even Roam, didn't bother me. Each of them isn't omnipresent, so it works well. The other changes help to get into the comic, because let's be honest, if you were to tell the game with exact fidelity, the comic would be boring, even though the game is fun. It's not the same format, you know. But the differences with the game are generally well-introduced, the action is, I think, well-controlled, the fights are dynamic without overdoing it (although some bosses are completely rushed, like Moldorm, for example).

Finally, a small remark to say that some elements were created through this comic even though they didn't yet exist in the game: the fact that a fairy accompanies Link, which we would only see 6 years later in OOT, or the fact that Link has to wear a Zora mask, even if it won't look like that in OOT and MM. Perhaps this comic directly inspired some elements of the following games, but we'll never know 😉.

In short, it was a very enjoyable comic to read, and I recommend it if you like the game!

Well, as someone who is generally a bit reluctant to read manga, I really enjoyed this one 😀. It is generally quite faithful regarding the dungeons and their bestiary. However, don't expect too much, because just like the comic, we won't see all the dungeons, nor all the bosses. But we will see most of them. The fidelity to the game doesn't stop at the dungeons, and we'll see many details and many story elements taken directly from the game; for example, Zelda being kidnapped not before, but after collecting the three Pendants. Likewise, we have an Agahnim who, at the very beginning of the story, is a generous priest in the king's service, and it is only afterwards that he reveals his true nature, as explained in the game manual. These kinds of details are very pleasing.

But well, this manga isn't 100% faithful to the game either! As I told you, we have the addition of two main characters besides Link: Rahska and the Captain. These two will accompany Link everywhere, even in the Dark World. Consequently, there will be no story of Moon Pearl and animal versions of oneself in the Dark World, so that everyone remains human. They will later meet Kanika in the adventure, a rather interesting character. It might be shocking that Link is accompanied, but frankly, it's well done and you get used to it. And besides, the characters have time, thanks to the 3x ~200 pages, to be more developed than in other books, so that's pretty cool too.

But (because there's always a "but" 😛), as much as the characters are more developed than in other works, it doesn't reach great heights either. For example, in the first volume, Rahska and Link engage in a petty war up to Moldorm to see who kills the most enemies. This completely breaks the immersion, which is quite a shame. Furthermore, there are many lengthy passages (especially in volumes 2 and 3); the characters constantly question themselves, ask existential questions, and ponder the meaning of life. And above all, the POWER OF FRIENDSHIP. Oh yes, you'll get a taste of the power of friendship, and the power of love! A big cliché of Japanese entertainment, this manga is no exception to the rule, and it's a real shame, because we could well do without certain scenes.

But still, the story is well-paced, the drawings are generally good, the action phases are legible (which Akira Himekawa's manga sorely lacks), the characters are pretty cool, and even if the story follows the game's plot and is conventional most of the time, there are quite a few differences that sometimes make it slightly unpredictable, and you always want to read more.

In short, a good manga that I recommend, whether you've played ALTTP or not 😉.

Rubbish 😛. Just rubbish. It's basic shonen. The characters are very underdeveloped, everything is conventional, no surprises. I get the impression that the character of Ganty is there to add an extra pair of boobs, and to create a kind of romantic ambiguity between the three main characters (Link, Zelda, Ganty). Here, no Moon Pearl anymore, anyone can wander in the Dark World and live a peaceful life (whereas originally it was Ganon who transformed the Sacred Realm into a hostile world, you know).

However, we can commend the fidelity of the legend, recounted in the game manual, and transcribed here. We also see different artworks redrawn by the author, which is always a pleasure.

Finally, often during battles, the action is rather illegible, and the author clearly felt this, as there are ultimately few battles, and when there are, there are few fighting scenes. For example, when Link arrives at Hera's Tower, you see Moldorm on a panel (which, by the way, resembles Skorn from Majora's Mask), but you don't see a fight, just Link taking the pendant and leaving.

Finally, the Dark World is rushed through at a rather impressive speed. To such an extent that 4 or 5 dungeons are listed in a single bubble (no image, of course), and Link goes directly to Turtle Rock. Needless to say, we don't see much of Turtle Rock or Ganon's Tower either; endless dialogues with Agahnim and Ganon are preferred.

After reading Shotaro Ishinomori's comic, I realize that many elements of this manga were borrowed... But most of them are worse. The classy but discreet character that was Roam is here transformed into Ganty, a rather heavy character. Link's uncle dies in the same way at the beginning. In both comics, Zelda is kidnapped not after recovering the three medallions, but before, and the journey through the Dark World is similar, except that it is not confined to a single bubble in Ishinomori's comic. In short, the latter is superior to Akira Himekawa's manga in every way.

As you will have understood, this manga is a very disappointing read for anyone who has played the game. Only read it if you have time to waste... Instead, I recommend the comic, which is well worth a look.

It's amateur animation, and it shows. That said, it's rather well done for an amateur production, because 8 minutes requires colossal work. Afterwards, there are things to criticize, such as even choppier animation than a classic anime, a global realization quite similar to a flash video (I wonder if it wasn't one originally, by the way), and thus of poor quality. As for the acting, it's passable, but not trash as I've read here and there.

Furthermore, basing it on Himekawa's manga, which is the worst piece of work (by far) dealing with ALTTP, is not a good idea in my opinion. I refer you to the paragraph My opinion concerning the said manga a little further up.

Finally, I'm quite glad this Kickstarter campaign didn't succeed. It might be mean of me, but honestly, asking for $24,000 for one episode, I think it's a scam. What they made is far away from being worth $24,000. So yes, one can suspect it would have been of better quality, but in that case, it would have clashed with this first episode (unless they redid it later). That said, I remain convinced that they could have done a very good thing without reaching such an astronomical sum. As for $298,000, that's a big joke. And then, hello Nintendo lawyers.

Let's end this review on a good note, because I still salute the initiative of wanting to animate A Link to the Past, a Zelda little recognized compared to the 3D episodes. They could have chosen Ocarina of Time or Twilight Princess, more "hyped" Zeldas, which would have attracted many more people, but they chose the Zelda of the heart instead. And for that alone, hats off.