The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons (2001)

[ゼルダの伝説：ふしぎの木の実　大地の章]

Author/Artist: Akira Himekawa
Publisher: Tentomushi Comics

Synopsis:
A young swordsman in training travels to the capital for the knight's examination, only to be transported to a different realm, where he joins a troupe of traveling entertainers whose star dancer is secretly the Oracle of Seasons.

Story/Characters:
I often complain about the pacing of the Himekawa stories, but this is a nice aversion. We actually get a luxurious four chapters before Din gets captured by Gorgon. The joy of this is that Link's character gets well established and we build a solid relationship between Link and Din that gives him more of a personal stake in her rescue. Among the supporting cast, I rather like Hyoko, but I'm not as enthusiastic about Ricky or Maple. All told, though, it's a pretty satisfying story.

Art:
The art style is rather kiddie, especially with characters like Hyoko and Ricky, but that's not a knock against it unless you're somehow allergic to anything that's not dark and gritty. It looks good and there are a number of frames with some impressive visual punch.

Conclusion:
I rather like this story, in no small part due to the better pacing than most of Himekawa's adaptations. It's definitely worth a read if not a spot in your collection.

Rating:
Read It