{Manga Monday #4} The Legend of Zelda - Twilight Princess: Volume 3
Hello, Internet, and good mornight to you all!
My name is Taffryne, shoppekeeper of Midnight on Memory Lane, and it is my absolute delight to welcome you to this week's gathering for Manga Monday!
'Tis a pleasure, 'tis a pleasure indeed.
As the title of this post says, we're going to be talking about the third volume of Akira Himekawa's manga series, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.
AniList Link: click here!
I humbly present my thoughts for your enjoyment and consideration. Accordingly, please mind that there will be spoilers ahead!
Disclaimer: I apologize if there are any crucial cultural notes or nuances that I misunderstand or fail to recognize. I, unfortunately, must trust the accuracy of the translated text to accurately represent the story and characters.
Trigger Warnings: Mentions of Pet Death (NOT EPONA), Children in Distress, Kinda "Out of Body and No One Can See/Hear Me" Experience, Cartoon Fighting/Violence, Suicidal Depictions, Lose of Limbs/Horns, Victory through Killing in Battle, Ominous Warnings
Chapter 18 - Quiet Determination
Recollection
- Link and Midna start travelling through Faron Woods to get to Death Mountain
- Link still feels rather "meh" towards the whole "Chosen by the Gods" thing
- A resident of Kakariko Village (Renado the Shaman/Physician) offers to take custody of Ordon Village's children while they are still defending and recovering from monster attacks
- Renado apparently also has Colin in his custody (though Colin isn't doing too hot)
- Link obtains a lantern and lantern oil from Coro the Lantern Salesman (Coro has a family of birds living in a nest in his hair)
- Link is motivated to restore light to Hyrule in order to save/help the people important to him (notedly NOT to be a hero)
- Link misses Epona terribly
Link missing Epona, even though it's only across a few panels, really hit me hard in my feels. I recently suffered the loss of my pet (honestly, I'm still suffering it), so I can say with the entirety of my being that the whole "I wish I could see them just one last time" is real. It hurts, it's awful, and it's real. Epona better make it out of this or I will burn the boxset.
Hard cutting from that, Colin's alive or at least not dead yet!!! I think he's very clearly comatose, but comatose isn't dead, so yay!!! We're still missing Malo and Talo, though. Thankfully, Link's found his determination (dare I say, his courage) to step up as Hyrule's Not-Hero-Hero. I'm glad he's found a way to rationalize it for himself in a situation where he otherwise has no control over anything.
Chapter 19 - Kakariko Village
Recollection
- Renado, his daughter, and the village kids arrive safely to Kakariko Village
- Colin wakes up and it turns out that Malo and Talo were already safe and staying in Kakariko Village
- Garb the Goron appears and the reader is introduced to the non-human races within Hyrule (Gorons and Zoras)
- Epona is still missing (stupid kids, how dare you), Ilia is still kidnapped, and Colin escaped before he ended up being cooked
- Twilight overtakes the skies about Kakariko Village and the kids transform into souls
- Link and Midna return to the Twilight Realm
I MEAN IT WHEN I SAY, ONE MORE TIME FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE BACK: IF EPONA IS NOT ALIVE AND HAPPY AT THE END OF THIS SERIES, THEN I WILL BURN THE BOXSET. I'm glad the kids (except Ilia for now) are alright...but dangit, the twilight got them. It's not a monster attack, so that's good, but...dangit. It's not been touched on yet since the story isn't at a part where it would even be known, but, I really hope that them all turning to souls is reversible. Maybe the full light of Hyrule needs to be restored first or maybe if they left the Twilight Realm? It would really massively suck if Link (and I guess maybe Zelda) is the only one who can truly travel between the realms with little consequence. Everyone is now "dead" except those lucky enough to not be on the warpath?
Chapter 20 - Into Twilight Once More
Recollection
- Midna prefers Wolf Link
- Wolf Link tracks Malo and Talo's scents to the now-Twilighted Kakariko Village where the spirit wisps are hiding
This chapter is just pure dread. Here Link is, fighting through monsters to get to the village where he thinks the kids (and Epona) are...but he's too late. And we know he's too late. Link, I'm so sorry.
Chapter 21 - The Golden Wolf Again
Recollection
- The spirit children and villagers are having various crises of fear
- Link gets emotional whiplash about his Wolf-form again
- Midna keeps being cryptic and coy
- The Golden Wolf shows up again to help Link with the monsters
WOLFIE??? WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE??? ARE YOU ALIVE? ARE YOU FAKE? MIDNA CAN YOU EXPLAIN YOURSELF AT ALL??? WHAT IS NOT-DEAD-BUT-NOT-ALIVE???
I don't quite think it's a true fear of mine, but I do find the whole "out-of-body" concept to be quite daunting. I've had nightmares before of being in situations where I'm trying to yell or get someone's attention and it's like a physical block is keeping my voice from calling out. The way that Link gets torn up about the fact that he can see/hear/feel them but they can't do the same for him is so gut-wrenching. I've toyed around with the idea before of if it'd ever want to have an out-of-body experience or not...I don't really think I've come up with an answer yet. This did remind me, though, of a movie I watched years back during a plane ride called If I Stay (Letterboxd Link: click here!). It's a real tear-jerker and truly goes into the meat of having that kind of experience and all of the emotions and soul-level turmoil that goes on. Sorry for getting off-topic, this was just on my mind through the whole chapter (aside from Wolfie).
Chapter 22 - Life and Death
Recollection
- Wolf Link chases after the Golden Wolf and collapses
- Midna reunites with the Golden Wolf and entrusts Link to him
- The Golden Wolf takes Link into his realm for "training" against the God of Death or insert other title
- Ilia is still hostage and contemplates slitting her wrists with the shard of a broken cup
- Ilia finds an abandoned kitten and decides to hold onto her hope that Link is still alive and will rescue her
- King Bulbin (Ilia's captor) is instructed to "destroy the something from the world of light that has invaded Kakariko Village"
Wolfie, I'm so glad you're alive. That said, must every good person in the Twilight Realm speak in such vague tongues??? Who knows, maybe it's just a true commitment to the bit where since "twilight" is the middle between night and day, they speak "twilight" by only saying half of what they should. So, Mr...Death God or Other Title, will you please explain yourself in the next chapter?
Ilia, child, I'm so sorry. That does nothing for your situation, I know, but I want to write it anyway. I'm sorry that you're in such a position where you're having to cling onto whatever you can just to stay alive and sane. Hopefully I'll read through enough pages soon enough to make it easier on you.
Chapter 23 - True Bravery
Recollection
- Midna gets swarmed by Shadow Insects while Wolf Link is incapacitated
- Link struggled but ultimately wins the training duel with Mr. Maybe God of Death
- Mr. Not God of Death For Now leaves Link and says that they may meet again, for he has techniques to teach the one with "the blood of heroes" and "the noble spirit of a beast"
- Link wakes up and defeats the Shadow Insects, but thanks Midna for protecting him in the meantime and she gets huffy about that
- Kakariko Village is now purified from the Twilight and Midna retreats to Link's shadow
- The Spirit Eldin shows up and blesses Link with a healing spring
- EPONA IS BACK AND ALIVE!!!
- King Bulbin shows up right as Link was about to reunite with the children and villagers
EPONA IS ALIVE!!! HELL YEAH, MOTHERFUCKERS!!! I DON'T HAVE TO BURN THE BOXSET...for now. Oh Midna, just admit you're growing a bit soft on Link. It's only natural given the circumstances and how you've forced him into a partnership! Eldin has a really pretty owl design.
Of course the stupid monster man just had to show up and interrupt a good moment. Good news, I'm pretty sure he's about to get absolutely pummeled by Link and Epona. That final ending panel is the epitome of "I'm going to kill you". The art is so gorgeous and Link's eyes are so determined and even Epona is giving them a side-eye. Immaculate!
Chapter 24 - A Fierce Battle for Someone
Recollection
- Link and King Bulbin have a fight on horse/demon boar-back in the prairie while Bulbin doesn't understand how Link is alive
- Renado gives Link backup via bow-and-arrow
- King Bulbin takes Link to a bridge for their showdown
This "chapter" was so short but ooo, my anticipation is raised!!! I'm ready to see bloodshed and near-fall moments and I absolutely wanna see this guy get his comeuppance!!!
Chapter 25 - Duel Atop the Bridge of Eldin
Recollection
- Link and Bulbin taunt and argue about good/bad/strength/right/wrong before charging at each other
- Link cuts off one of Bulbin's horns before falling off Epona and clinging to the edge of the bridge
- Bulbin tells Link to beg for his help in order to live but Link says hell no
Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!!! AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!
Chapter 26 - Reversal
Recollection
- Epona charges Bulbin and his demon boar to knock them away from Link
- Link gymnastics himself back onto the bridge, going over Bulbin, and uses his sword to slash Bulbin's throat and send him over the edge
- Bulbin vows that Link will be betrayed one day too before falling to his presumed death
- Link vows to protect Hyrule
- Link cries while he reunites with everyone
- Link and Midna head to the mines for the Shadow Crystal and to help the Gorons as the Golden Wolf watches on
"B-boy...don't think that justice...is just how you imagine it. It is certain, one day you too...will be betrayed!"
Guysss, I know this is probably supposed to mean Midna, but I'm really, really scared somethings gonna happen to Ilia...
However, HOLY SMOKES THE FIGHT?!?! INCREDIBLE. AWESOME. HOLY SHIT! Epona came in like a badass to help out Link and then Link finding his determination just aggghhhh. I feel so amped from reading it. His reunion with the village kids too was so sweet. I've never seen Link cry and just...agghhhh. I hope the Gorons aren't in too much trouble, but knowing what happened the last time a Shadow Crystal got involved...something tells me this is gonna be rough.
Volume Reflection
Volume #3 out of eleven, basically a quarter of the way through the story. Holy jeez did this volume dial up everything. It was truly the pacing of a rollercoaster. We started with the slow ascent in the first two chapters, then just a series of high ups and low downs. Full on "the kids are alive, but now they're wisps!" and "Epona is alive, but now she and Link have to kill this dude!" with a bit of "Link wins, but now there is more ominous stuff afoot" and of course a dash of "Ilia found a kitten, but to do so she had to stop from killing herself!". A whole 200-ish pages of adrenaline and anticipation and dread. I am eager and fearful for what volume four has in store for us...
It was great to see Link start out the volume as really uncertain and a bit apathetic almost to his role as "Hero". I think often times a lot of media either skips over this dilemma or has the character raised with the expectation of becoming such. That isn't bad, but it loses out on the interesting bit of having to watch a hero actually come into their heroics. It adds a grand amount of depth to Link's character by showing that he has these doubts and emotions and how he ultimately conceptualizes it for himself. He grows into the "hero" not to "be the hero", but because he becomes so passioned to help the people he cares about. Honestly, it also just helps make the whole "this Link can talk and express" part feel normal.
In conclusion...WOLFIE AND MIDNA, I STILL NEED YOU BOTH TO EXPLAIN YOURSELVES JUST LIKE A WEE ANY BIT AT ALL MORE PLEASE!!!
Thanks for Reading!
I hope you've been able to red (or play) and enjoy the story for yourself! If you haven't, that's okay too! My thoughts are here to keep you updated and entertained in the meantime.
This caps off this week's gathering for Manga Monday, so off into the nighttime we go in preparation for tomorrow!
I hope you'll come back for tomorrow's Taffy Tuesday! I'll be announcing the plans for September alongside an introduction into the Midnight Series.
May we meet again when the clock strikes 12:00!