Legend of Zelda Complete Box Set (The Legend of Zelda Box Set)

I have a confession to make: While I do enjoy watching anime both obscure and well-known, I've never read a manga before this box set by the duo group Akira Himekawa (I love comics, but that's quite different). I had to learn, from this box set, how to read Manga properly. That's how green I am when it comes to this form of decidedly niche entertainment. I do, however, love the Legend of Zelda. It is by far my favorite series in video gaming, a hobby I personally consider my favorite pastime. That said, when I saw samples of the Zelda manga online and the glowing reception it has received, I took the plunge and bought this box set. From the perspective of a devout Zelda fan, was it worth it? Oh yes, it most certainly was. This is an exceptional rendition of eight different Zelda classics (plus some extra/bonus content), to be sure. Obviously whenever you try to convert a story between two different forms of media as vastly different as video games and manga, there will be liberties taken with the stories. Temples/dungeon will obviously be shortened and narrative complexities will be added to make reading the story more relatable and compelling. There are details and events added that never existed in the games, and there are details or events in the game that are completely left out or remixed and tweaked for the mangas. Generally speaking, think less action, more exposition, and you've got a general idea of what to expect here. Again, I am a Zelda fanatic, and I did not mind these changes one bit. On the contrary, as the differences between these mangas and the games make for very compelling ideas and concepts that can add depth to stories you may have thought you knew everything about. Really great work here. It's not just details or events in the stories that have been changed. The characters all have more explored personalities and the relationships between them is developed quite deeply. I really enjoyed this too. Nowhere is this more evident than in Link's character. No longer the silent protagonist, Link is a fully fledged character with a distinct personality, understandable motivation, and a voice! Just as the games make him a main character we rally behind, the tomes in this set make him a character we understand and root for. To translate that conveyance of great character, despite the radically different methods of connecting the audience to Link, is no small feat, but they did a great job here. What's even better is that every story has a Link that, while having similar core personalities, are quite different from each other. A Link to the Past's Link is quite different than Ocarina of Time's Link, for instance. The two-part volumes for Four Swords Adventures has four Links, and each of those are *greatly* different from each other, making for a seriously entertaining and fascinating story. Link's awesome characterization is one of the greatest strengths of this whole set. I love it! The work done to translate these works into English was done exceptionally well. As I've already said, the dramatic aspects of these manga are great and the translation work was very well done, but so is the humor and none of it is lost in translation. Although I'm not used to the type of quirky nuances of manga in general, I am familiar with the sort of humor you would encounter in any silly, over-the-top anime. That said, I found myself chuckling quite frequently throughout reading the volumes and that was a positive aspect that I had not foreseen before buying the volumes. It's very quirky, to be sure, and some may be put off by it, but I found it to be incredibly endearing. Lastly, there's the art. The visuals of the manga are, in short, spectacular. Character models and environments are drawn and shaded masterfully and, much like the writing, it not only captures the original focus and style of the game, but adds new depth and characterization to them as well. The duo of Akira Himekawa do have their own distinct art style, and it is beautiful. You can tell they poured their heart and soul into these works, and that they were constantly cognizant of the greatness of the original art design for the games. They emulate that style well, whether it is utilizing the "Toon" aesthetics from The Minish Cap or Phantom Hourglass , or whether it's the more mature style of Ocarina of Time or Majora's Mask . Very well done overall, and the versatility on display here is fantastic. So, as a die-hard Zelda veteran and a complete manga noob, I would heartily recommend these tomes. They're really exceptional, and have piqued my interest in a comic entertainment medium I had never really given the time of day before. You can really tell that, in every aspect, the authors/artists loved every second they spent crafting these stories, and that really makes these volumes a delight to take in. The writing and art is spectacular, Link's characterization is completely awesome, the translation work is fantastic, and overall, these mangas are just an absolute joy. It is worthy of the highest recommendation, with no hesitation. Buy it, take in the splendor of these tomes, and enjoy a new take on timeless tales of good prevailing over evil in the magical land of Hyrule.

Please note: I already own and have played almost every Zelda game, therefore, you may rest assured that I will certainly be able to tell the differences between the games and their respective manga. This Zelda Manga Box Set by Akira Himekawa includes all of the Zelda manga that they have made thus far, with the only two exceptions being their special 32-page Skyward Sword manga (included in the Hyrule Historia book), and the 16-page Ocarina of Time 3D Promotional Manga that has yet to be released in English. I have already individually reviewed each of the books included in this set on their individual Amazon pages, and so, for the convenience of my readers. I will include direct links to each of those within this review; that way, if you would like to learn more details about what to expect from the included books, you can do so, without me having to make this review incredibly long. The included manga books, and the links to the reviews I have done on them: Volumes 1: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time: Part 1: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1IKWKRW8L11G5/ref=cm_cr_dp_title?ie=UTF8&ASIN=1421523272&channel=detail-glance&nodeID=283155&store=books Volume 2: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time: Part 2: http://www.amazon.com/review/RQLURJ5KOR882/ref=cm_cr_dp_title?ie=UTF8&ASIN=1421523280&channel=detail-glance&nodeID=283155&store=books Volume 3: The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask: http://www.amazon.com/review/R3GYBUUVASDUXV/ref=cm_cr_dp_title?ie=UTF8&ASIN=1421523299&channel=detail-glance&nodeID=283155&store=books Volume 4:The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons: http://www.amazon.com/review/RJ8P46EVDUU8J/ref=cm_cr_dp_title?ie=UTF8&ASIN=1421523302&channel=detail-glance&nodeID=283155&store=books Volume 5: The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages: http://www.amazon.com/review/R2CXEZND3F4PQ6/ref=cm_cr_dp_title?ie=UTF8&ASIN=1421523310&channel=detail-glance&nodeID=283155&store=books Volume 6: The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords: Part 1: http://www.amazon.com/review/R24PTAM58RUATG/ref=cm_cr_dp_title?ie=UTF8&ASIN=1421523329&channel=detail-glance&nodeID=283155&store=books Volume 7: The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords: Part 2: http://www.amazon.com/review/R2SK5XM4JPVXX9/ref=cm_cr_dp_title?ie=UTF8&ASIN=1421523337&channel=detail-glance&nodeID=283155&store=books Volume 8: The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1DKLBFPKFB1U0/ref=cm_cr_dp_title?ie=UTF8&ASIN=1421523345&channel=detail-glance&nodeID=283155&store=books Volume 9: The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past: http://www.amazon.com/review/R3KAVSZGI8K8NW/ref=cm_cr_dp_title?ie=UTF8&ASIN=1421523353&channel=detail-glance&nodeID=283155&store=books Volume 10: The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass: http://www.amazon.com/review/R15Q74M020E544/ref=cm_cr_dp_title?ie=UTF8&ASIN=1421537249&channel=detail-glance&nodeID=283155&store=books About the set as a whole: Basic Storyline: The basic storylines always follow the stories of their respective Zelda games, and the end result will still ultimately be the same (although Minish Cap may be slightly more different than the others in some ways), so Zelda fans needn't worry much about that. Additions and Changes: While the main storyline will still be the same as in the games these books are based on, the authors, collectively know as Akira Himekawa, do take some liberties and make changes to some aspects of the quests, locations, and events, as well as very rarely adding a few original characters of their own. For those who are worried about this ruining any chance of making it fit into the official timeline, don't be; in my reviews, I explain how the seemingly contradictory events can mostly actually fit in perfectly if looked at a certain way; however, if you are the type of person who must have everything absolutely canon, and can't stand anything that even slightly deviates from the original game, then this set is definitely not for you. Character Portrayal: Never before have I seen better portrayal of the Zelda characters than in this set. Akira Himekawa truly do love this series with all of their heart and soul, and this is very evident in the way that they faithfully represent each character. I have gotten so tired of reading about stories where Link is portrayed as a sarcastic, selfish teenager, and thankfully, Akira Himekawa doesn't stick to this frustrating trend. Link is portrayed as being a kind, selfless person -- a true Hero -- just as he should be, and that very fact alone is enough to earn them five stars, in my opinion. Emotion: If there's one thing that these stories accomplish extremely well, it's making everything feel genuine. Whether you are reading and looking at a scene of extreme joy, anger, or sorrow, everything is perfectly and touchingly portrayed in both writing and illustration. Never before have I been able to get as attached to any story's characters as I have with the characters in their Zelda manga series. Art: The art in these books is extremely amazing, always based off the official art for the Zelda game series, and then made even more gorgeous by the authors' own styles. The loving attention to detail is sure to steal your heart away the moment you open up one of the books. The illustrations within the books are all done in black and white -- the usual choice for a manga -- and although this may disappoint some people at first, let me tell you that this in no way takes away from the beauty this art has to offer. Translation: The translation itself is also done very well -- my only complaint being that, with pretty much every one of the books series, there is usually at least one typographical error to be found, but this is hardly even a complaint worth mentioning, and I am only doing so in the hope of being as thorough as possible in my review of this manga series. It's certainly not worth taking off any stars in my review. I had already read some fan-translated versions of many of these when I bought them, and so thought I knew what to expect; however, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the official versions are even better. Some fan translations try to place in swear words to make the stories sound more "grownup", however, this seemed awkward and out of place in the Zelda series, not to mention completely unnecessary -- thankfully, the official version remedies this problem and replaces such words with Link simply saying "Curses!" and the like. Some people may think this is ridiculous, but the Zelda series was meant to be without such words, and to add them to the book would be to completely ignore and disrespect a trademark of the stories that these books were based on. The lack of cussing does not take away from the tale; but rather, it shows us just how deep and beautiful a story can be without relying on foul language to keep the readers entertained. On that note, it should be said that these books are in no way written exclusively for children. That is not to say that they cannot be enjoyed by them -- in fact they quite often are, but it is very clear that some of the vocabulary used in the books (e.g., pragmatic, frugal) was not written with children in mind, as it is far too complicated for them to fully comprehend. My Shipping Experience: I know a lot of people have complained that when they received their set in the mail, it was damaged; however, it arrived in perfect condition for me, and well-protected, as well. Delivery was very fast, and it came within a day of placing the order. Very pleased about that. Price: At Amazon, they're currently less than $40, so it is more than definitely worth the price, especially when you consider how wonderful these high-quality books are. I'd even dare to say it's well worth the original price of $80, for someone who truly loves the series, provided that the set is new and unopened. With all of the amazing art, storytelling, and emotion, there is no way that any Zelda fan could go wrong with this book set. The price is excellent, and believe me, each and every book in this set will leave a lasting, wonderful impression on your heart. Don't hesitate; just buy the set now, and never look back, because you won't regret it.

I am a huge fan of the Zelda series. I have been ever since I was around 7 or 8 years old. I have played and beaten the majority of the games in the series. (The exceptions being the first two games.) When I read about there being a manga, I was skeptical. The games do indeed weave compelling tales, but the gameplay wouldn't transfer all that well into a manga format. Or so I thought. I have read the first three volumes in this collection (Ocarina of Time part 1 and 2 as well as Majora's Mask.) I had read great reviews for the manga, and I wasn't disappointed. Despite my fears of the authors ruining Zelda, the manga is a very easy and compelling read, translating perfectly into this format. They don't follow the games to a T. The stories are the same, but the manga focuses more on the character development and the monsters more than anything else. Link himself is a character, and he isn't abd at all. Not only does this give the author a chance to explore what life as Link must be like, but it gives something to the story that the games lacked a ton of; emotion. Now, don't get me wrong, there is plenty of emotion in the newer games. But Link was the traditional silent protagonist, leaving little room for development. Here, Link talks, has feelings, needs and other human qualities. It makes the ending to Ocarina of Time all the more heartbreaking, because we know that Link will be left scarred. It is really quite surprising and amazing that the authors were able to adapt a very "gamey" series into a more traditional story format. The illustrations are also very well done. The black and white art is a treat for the eyes. The formatting is also fairly easy to follow. In conclusion, this is a manga series well worth reading for Zelda fans of any age. EDIT: After finishing all volumes, I can safely say they are all worth reading. Each Link is different, and each game is very well adapted, and some are incredibly creative. For instance, Oracle of Ages almost compeltely throws away the story of the game in favor of a more "epic" and high fantasy time travel plot. additionally, it continues directly from Oracle of seasons, and comes together quite nicely. My personal favorite in the set is Majora's Mask, only because it's my favorite game in the series and I think they captured the spirit of the game very well, while also expanding on the story. (There is a very neat little bonus story at the end that is quite well done. If there was one complaint I could have about the game, it's that the confrontations seem somewhat anticlimactic. This is a sharp contrast to the games, where the buildup is tangible and tense. However, it suits the fast paced storytelling well, and it really emphasizes what the games are all about: The journey, not the destination.

Terms you may not know: Manga - Japanese comic books read right to left Mangaka - The author/illustrator of manga Scanlators - People who scan original Japanese manga and translate them. They then distribute their work for free typically over the internet. Typically I find that translations available for sale [especially for different audiences] often dampens the enjoyment of the original work due to localisation issues and trying to keep it understandable for the new target audience. Despite that, I bought it [being a Zelda fan]. Although I've only read the first three books so far, the translations are rather nice and jokes have been rather well adapted. I've no qualms at how they condensed the story and removed elements from the games during the adaptation as the mangakas probably had no choice due to the size of each manga. The humour works fine for the target audience and personally, I find it quite enjoyable because the jokes are so obvious and bold. The character himself receives several overhauls that can only really be summarised with "he talks". If you don't like it like that, it's fine. He becomes a really interesting character like that because no longer does he do whatever you feel like doing, he struggles with himself and why he's doing things sometimes like a normal human [despite the fact that he's ridiculously overpowered]. The parcel however was left outside my door for a day apparently. The corners of the box seems to be damaged. Although that being expected it was also somewhat a disappointment as the box was rather simply made [cardboard]. I guess I'm not too picky. I honestly miss the Japanese sound effects and terms that you often see in manga. There are often a lot of cases where scanlators choose to leave known terms that can't be translated into English very well as they are. I personally miss them but it works just fine without it. If you feel you're missing them, consider learning Japanese and buying the originals. Rating: Out of 10 Translation: 9/10 Story: 9/10 Character: 10/10 [Link is awesome] Overall, very enjoyable. Naturally, the choice to buy it is yours. I was open-minded [still am] and got it out of interest and I definitely don't regret it. Now for my Skyward Sword to arrive~ [EDIT]: I've read through all the individual manga volumes and now I can confidently say I do no regret my decision to purchase the box set. The adaptation from game to Japanese manga and then to an english one have all been done very well and to a high standard. All other issues have been previously mentioned and thus need not be mentioned once again. Also, I've finished Skyward Sword now~

My son loves these books he reads them again and again, age 10.

Just for starts; ten books for less than 50 bucks is a great deal. Where else do you find new books for that price? Certainly not at any bookstores. That alone is worth a star. For those who are not use to these "Japanese Comic Books" they are read right to left and l had to read the pages a couple times before l could follow the conversations correctly. The words themselves are not backwards but unlike American comics the character on the right speaks first then the left, the right box is read then the left, the pages are turned left to right. Once my brain was trained out of the habbit formed back in Kindergarten reading them was a breeze. I bought the box set for my son who was turning 5. He is a big LoZ fan and loves to read and be read to. We read two chapters of a chaptered book ever night before bed and when he was introduced to graphic novels via an Old Testement Bible written in that form he loved it and wanted comic strips to read. I began searching for something appropriate but let's face it most comics and graphic novels are full of gore and sex. What's a mom of a 5 year old to do? He absolutely adores this Zelda box set. He wanted to start with Ocorina Of Time (of course) and has been enjoying reading a couple chapters with me each night before bed. These books are not walkthroughs. I played many Zelda games in my teens and played with him too; we own Ocorina Of Time, Majora's Mask, along with others not included in this series. There is a lot of "artistic license" taken, adding in back story, and bringing a bit more personality to the characters Link meets along his quest. Like watching a movie that is based off a book, expect differences but the spirit and structure of the story to be the same.

I'm going to start off by saying a few things. First, is that i absolutely love the books i've read so far, OoT 1and2, I'm so glad I bought them regardless of the price and my brother telling me they would not be worth it. My true rating would be a 3, but i don't want people to lean away from buying them. There's just a few things that I think people will be put off by, including myself, and would've been better if there were a few changes. I'm going to be reviewing each book i finish. The changes and complaints that i have are my opinion, some people might not agree, but seeing the potential the books could've had to be great, I feel like i need to express my thoughts. This book was awesome, funny, cute, cool, touching, sad, but not epic. What made it somewhat epic though was the music that I played while i read it. It consisted of songs from zelda, and also from naruto, which went beyond perfect for some scenes. Ocarina of Time Part 1: The first downfall, personally for me was a huge one, it was the page where Link and Saria say bye in the bridge. In the game it was SUCH a touching and remarkable moment. The sound of silence broken by Links boots quickly hitting the bridge and the air carrying a melancholy feel to it. And then their silence as they stare at each other for a while before Link runs off. But in the book it ends kind of joyous and happy. And to me, sadness and despair can lead to a beautiful story and you learn to sympathize and feel more in touch with the characters. This books WAS made for 8 and up, but the game came out in 1998, most of the people who've played it are most likely above 17 years old. The author should of focused it more for that age group. Any complaints that i make, i'm not intentionally insulting the author, if that's how it sounds, i think she did a good job. But just good, even great, but nothing that makes my body feel electrified by the intensity of the books like the games did. Another thing that other reviewers have been saying is that the scenes skip or go by really fast. Which is very true. Some fight scenes are like 2 pages, and thats nothing considering it takes, if you're not paying attention to the awesome artwork, less than 30seconds or less than a minute. Which kind of doesn't really get you hooked or like i said it doesn't really give you chills, because it doesn't last very long. The scene where Zelda and Link first meet up is well done. She adds them playing in stores in the "Market" which gives a really nice connection between the two, so good job to her for adding that. When they're in the castle looking out the window, like in the game, it's done pretty good too, but nothing remarkable or too touching. I can't think of anything else, im definitely thinking of reading this one again, especially since i feel like my playlist is complete for this book. If anyone is interested in hearing or knowing the name of songs i have just leave a comment reply and i will if there's enough people for me to do it for. I'll be adding more things if i think of any. Ocarina of Time Part 2: Again, i know this book is also for little kids but i wish it could of been a bit more darker, it really kills the quality of the book when they act TOO goofy and cute. Although, some scenes actually fit in. Sheik is AWESOME! The artwork of these characters were well made indeed. It gets somewhat but not really a bit darker. But theres a scene where Ganondorf says "hee hee hee" really?? Man, this book could of been sooo good. Ganondorf really should have been made like a true villain. But oh well, i'm not done with the book. But so far it keeps me on the edge of my bed. It 2:00am and i was reading so it IS good, but idk if it's just because i'm a big zelda fan...noo, the characters are brought to life. Link's personality is great. He gets treated like a dummy sometimes, but also as a hero as well.

First off, for the anyone giving these books negative reviews due to the book being backwards... This is a manga and this is the way they were meant to be printed. Meaning you read the books from right to left. Quality - All my books 📚 arrived in brand new great condition. The Manga box that they come in was not damaged during shipping. The print on these look great and the books seem durable. Impression - These exceeded expectations, after seeing some reviews I was worried that I might get a beat up box set. My box and books all arrived in great condition. Enjoyment - it's great to revisit Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask 🎭 after so many years. I'm not sure if I want to replay those games but reading the book refreshed my memory on those games. The stories have been tweaked a bit but I really don't mind. These books are to short to cover the entirety of the games but I really did enjoy these. I have yet to get to A link to the Past but that's next on my to read list. Rating - I give these books a 5/5 if you are a Zelda fan and want to revisit these stories or just add these books to your collection I highly recommend it.