The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has often been compared to the works of Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli, and in particular, the movie Princess Mononoke. The design elements of Link and Ashitaka with their blue tunics are very similar, and the infection of Ganon’s Malice hearkens visibly and thematically to the curse placed on the boars. And now with the sequel to Breath of the Wild announced, viewers have drawn a parallel between the deadly curse placed on Ashitaka’s arm and the mysterious green energy that seems to envelop Link’s hand in the sequel teaser.
Fan art celebrating these two fictional worlds is always a joy to see. It has come in the form of fan-made trailers in the past, such as the impressive work of Matt Vince, striking anew the flame of desire for an anime adaptation of a Legend of Zelda story. Now, to ring in the new year, a Korean animation team has come forth with a stunning rendition of Breath of the Wild as it would be envisioned by Miyazaki.
The trailer opens with Link gaining speed with the paraglider in much the same fashion as Nausicaa with her glider in Miyazaki’s Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. It takes the viewer through many familiar memories and moments experienced in Breath of the Wild: Link camping and traveling with his horse, Zelda walking among the judgmental subjects and gossipers of the kingdom, the four Champions coordinating their Divine Beast assault on the Calamity, Link and Zelda delivering the final blows to Dark Beast Ganon, and finally the Master Sword resting in its pedestal in Korok Forest.
The trailer is beautifully animated, harnessing every desirable aspect of Hayao Miyazaki and Hidemaro Fujibayashi’s separate efforts. The rising and falling action syncs up perfectly with Breath of the Wild’s official theme. The emotion is visible when Zelda collapses tearfully in Link’s arms, and the action is tangible when Link and the New Champions fight to reclaim the Divine Beasts. The trailer is a genuine work of art throughout, and until Nintendo officially greenlights a Zelda movie themselves, this is some of the best work we’re going to get.
You can visit the YouTube channel of the video above to show your support for this dedicated team of fans.
