Over the years, The Legend of Zelda has produced various forms of media. Some of the most notable are The Legend of Zelda comics from the early 90’s based on the infamous cartoon show. There is also Hyrule Historia, Encyclopedia, and Arts & Artifacts, a book trio that chronicles everything from the first Legend of Zelda all the way up to right before Breath of the Wild. Last but not least, there is the amazing Japanese manga series by the extraordinary manga artist duo known as Akira Himekawa. The series finally received official English translations in recent years.
Akira Himekawa’s latest graphic novel is based on The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess video game. This is the first time the duo has done a graphic novel of The Legend of Zelda series that contains more than one or two volumes. The Twilight Princess manga spans across 11 Volumes and the story is truly captivating. Published by Viz Media, the series finally sees a digital release that spans the entire 11 volumes.
The pen name, Akira Himekawa, is the collaboration of two awesome women, A. Honda and S. Nagano. Together they have adapted numerous Legend of Zelda titles, starting with The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time back in 1999. Other titles they have worked on include but are not limited to Majora’s Mask, The Minish Cap, Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons and my personal favorite, A Link to the Past, just to name a few. The love and energy they have put into these stories shines through each volume. One of the reasons these stories do so well is that Akira Himekawa has managed to give Link more of a personality that the reader can relate to. Akira has found a way to make Link into more of a character than he is usually depicted as in the video games. One of my personal favorite touches is how in the Majora’s Mask manga, Link retains his memories and skills from his time in Ocarina of Time but because he was sent back in time by Zelda, he is still just a kid. The only way he can show that he is someone of importance is by carrying around the Ocarina of Time from the royal family. When the villagers hear about a “famous swordsman,” they get excited until they see this little kid show up only to eventually learn that one should never judge a book by its cover.
So, if you love any and all things Zelda and are looking for a great telling of one of the best games of all time, then please check out Twilight Princess by Akira Himekawa available from Viz Media. And if you love other games in the Zelda series and would like to read more about them, you can support them by purchasing their other mangas, too. You’re in for a treat!
