Majora’s Mask is a game filled with unfortunate events and cruel fates, making it quite different from other Zelda games as the mask-wearing Skull Kid affects so many people, not only in the game but also players of the game. I had been told the game would be a pretty dark one compared to other Zelda games, but I hadn’t fully understood how dark it was before I got to play it. Perhaps the most tragic story in the game is the disappearance of Kafei, and his planned wedding with the innkeeper, Anju.
Kafei is a bit of a complex character in the game. He doesn’t want to be seen, but he also doesn’t seem to be ashamed of his new look. Just recently, Kafei was still a young man about to get married but now, he looks more like a child.
Looking at Salty Catfish‘s illustration of Kafei, he could be mistaken for a child, not only because of his size but also for his position. He’s curled up, hiding behind some wooden boxes. I believe I wasn’t the only child who sometimes liked to hide in cramped spaces; sometimes, you just find kids hiding where they shouldn’t be. Kafei isn’t hiding for fun though. Those of us who are familiar with Majora’s Mask know that he desperately doesn’t want to be seen and recognized until he retrieves a mask he made for his and Anju’s wedding ceremony.
Kafei chooses to sit in a dark corner, where he can lament his cruel fate undisturbed by the carnival preparations in the streets of Clock Town. The moon is quickly getting dangerously closer to the surface, but the Carnival of Time is still planned to be held as usual, giving the townspeople a sense of false security and a reason to be excited for. The joyful mood is quite the opposite of what poor Kafei might be feeling though, who had looked forward to getting married but is stuck as a small boy instead. The orange, warm colors in Salty Catfish’s picture represent, to me, that joy and excitement the town is feeling while the dull, dark corner Kafei is hiding in shows his inner thoughts quite well.
Salty Catfish writes in her description of the illustration that it was just a practice piece, but I personally think it does a great job at conveying a feeling with the color choices and Kafei’s pose. By just looking at him, I can tell that he probably isn’t feeling too well. Perhaps, the picture doesn’t have to be properly finished since Kafei’s world certainly isn’t either. Luckily for Kafei, though, another boy will soon find him and help him get back his mask, which was stolen. In the end, Kafei feels like he can meet his sweet Anju and the wedding can be held after all.
