Throughout his adventures, Link has encountered a number of female admirers. From well-known characters, such as Zelda, Saria, and Ilia, to the more unexpected friendships, such as Marin from Koholint Island, the legendary Hero of Hyrule is not lacking for companionship. While certain infatuations might create a rather odd perception, perhaps no encounter is more strange than Link’s date with Rosa in Oracle of Seasons.
Tucked away in the strange underworld of Subrosia, Rosa is a quirky character. The Subrosians are an odd race in the first place; however, Rosa also happens to be one of the few female Subrosians. As a result, the males of the tribe are enamored with her beauty, which only adds to Rosa’s status as a local celebrity. Despite the advantages of her elevated status, Rosa appears to shy away from the attention.
In the midst of these circumstances, Link discovers Rosa in a dire state as the local star has lost her fashionable ribbon. Embarrassed to be seen in public without the proper attire, Rosa experiences quite the conundrum. Ever the knight in shining armor, Link saves the day by purchasing a new ribbon from the Subrosia Market. Upon receiving the fashionable accessory, Rosa offers to go on a date with Link. At this point, the oddity in both story and music merge and crescendo in an equally bizarre and entertaining way.
In a striking improvement to the classic Game Boy Color version, The Noble Demon leverages the power of diversity in her interpretation of “A Date with Rosa.” Arranged entirely by Evelyn Lark, the theme showcases a wide range of wind and percussion instruments. However, instead of blending the two distinct moods, both sets of instruments take turns in creating their own unique environments.
Just as the worlds of Holodrum and Subrosia were probably never meant to intersect, Link and Rosa’s encounter was quite unexpected. The result is a cautious-yet-energetic atmosphere, and The Noble Demon’s composition illustrates this dichotomy marvelously. The wind instruments create an uneasy setting, which portrays the internal feelings between Rosa and Link; whereas the percussion adds whimsical curiosity to the piece and indicates the surprise from the jealous Subrosian locals.
In a similar vein to an awkward first date, the melody concludes without harmonic resolution. Instead, the tune slowly fades into the distance. While this creative choice perfectly summarizes Link and Rosa’s first unscripted encounter, the story does not end there. After unlocking a key door in the Temple of Seasons, Rosa admits that she had fun with Link and hopes that he will come back for another date.
Although initial engagements can be rather uncomfortable, becoming acquainted with another person is often worthwhile. For Link, this chance encounter eventually led to a new power for the Rod of Seasons. Despite the necessity of the date to progress the story, Link is able to revisit Rosa at any time and take her out on additional dates. While doing so does not yield any new abilities or skills, it does afford the player the opportunity to re-experience the same awkward date and the same awkward melody. Just like The Noble Demon’s arrangement, follow-on meetings with Rosa are similarly unscripted and unresolved.
