James and Steven discuss the concluding adult arc of the manga, breaking it down using Joseph Campbell's monomyth template. And even speak of the bonus skull kid chapters, which separate from the full story also acts as a good rendition of the hero's journey formula. Skip synopsis @ 5:14
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124: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time vol. 2
Story and Art by Akira Himekawa
Based upon the work of Yoshiaki Koizuma, Tôru Ôsawa, Kensuke Tanabe, Yusuke Nakano and Shigeru Miyamoto
Translation by Jon Werry and Steven Brown
Lettering by John Hunt
Synopsis:
Previously the young Link used the Ocarina of Time gifted to him by Zelda to unlock the temple of time. In doing so he sees the legendary master sword, and just like Arthurian legend, Link is worthy to wield it, although there is a twist in that Link is only worthy to wield it as an adult, hence forth he falls under a sleepy spell within the sanctum of the temple only to awake as an adult. Raul (or Rauru depending on the translation you read) greets him. Raul is the spirit of the sagely owl that has watched over the young Link and appears to him in spirit as an elderly man. He tells Link that the world is a harsh place now since Ganondorf rules but hope exists so long as Link finds the remaining six sages who can banish Ganondorf.
On this quest Link revisits places he travelled to as a child all whilst being tracked down by the sentient shadow of Ganondorf. He finds that the children of the Kokiri forest do not age nor do they recognise Link. The baby dragon he once fostered has become the beastly creature Volvagia, an agent of evil. The young girls he met are now women looking for suitors but one thing is different. Sheik, a mysterious man who helps Link turns out to be the one who is working for Ganondorf and so seemingly betrays Link.
Through being captured Link can find the final sage and free her mind from Twinrova, the soothsaying witch who works for Ganondorf. This brings Twinrova out from the shadows and Sheik shows their true allegiance by attacking the witch. We learn that Sheik is cloaked in a magical spell and is in fact the princess Zelda in disguise. After Zelda reveals herself to Link Gandorf captures Zelda. And so, the final battle between Link and Ganondorf commences, but this time Link has the sages on his side.
In the end Link puts an end to Ganandorf's reign. But heroes are not needed in peace time and Zelda decides to deal with the consequences alone. Zelda uses the Ocarina of Time to send Link back to his childhood, back to the moment before he touched the master sword and before he first met Zelda. Although Link may not look it, he has changed, branded by the experience it is now with a younger Zelda that he may find a better way to save Hyrule.
Topics:
· The symbolism and archetypes of Zelda.
· The refusal of the call, how it is often ignored in some stories and how it is a player's choice in terms of videogames.
· women representing the final test for boyhood to manhood, winning the boon of love. And what it means to be an adult.
· the skull kid chapters and the monomyth...
the forest is the belly of the beast, the heart of hell. Whilst skull kid is what link may become but he is also the supernatural aid to link. link must prove his worth to his tribe.
· The time travel aspect, the refusal to return.
· Setting up the stakes in the adult arc later rather than earlier, and the effects that has on a plot.
· Why the volvagia fight is not set up very well, relying on flashback.
· OsamuTezuka's ideology is used by Akira Himekawa. This being that any single image in a manga must be striking and be able to stand on its own, this is true but it can be negated if the page itself does not stand on its own. The page must have panels that flow cohesively and be easy to read or else the images look ugly and clash no matter how good a single panel is.
Differences and references to the game:
· The Baga tree is an original character to the manga.
· The fairy Goddess does not make an appearance in the manga.
· In the game Link never rides Epona as a small pony, where as in the manga he does.
· The Skull Kid gets his mask from Link as he does in the game however in the manga the mask is home made and cut from the wood of the Deku tree. Unlike the game where Link (in a side quest of course) becomes a vendor for the mask merchant.
· The chapter that involves Link and a disguised Zelda playing in the Hyrulean square is filled with easter egg sightings of references to the game, be it the Bombchus and the mask shop.
· Unlike the videogame, Ganondorf appears aged during the climax as he fights adult Link. His hair is no longer red and short but thin, long, and white.
· Link never wears an ear ring in the videogame, however the promotional illustrations by Yusuke Nakano shows him wearing an ear ring, the manga elaborates on this as a gift from Impa. Ear rings was also fashionable amongst young men and boys in the 1990's.
· The sword technique that Link uses to defeat the shadow is the spin attack. In the game Link has two version of this attack, one being accessible only as an adult.
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