The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Vol. 1 (2024)

A very good first volume. This is a good origin story and set up to the next volume. This really brings the game to life. However, it suffers from the same problem as the Wii game. The introduction is too long. Whereas in the game, I would use this time to learn the controls, here it is really Link moving around the peaceful village. This is for around 85% of this volume.

The book starts off with the introduction and formation of the Twilight realm. Then, a magic duel for leadership. The majority of the book is following Link doing his chores/jobs. Then we learn Links backstory, then the invasion of the dark realm. This is where the action is, but it is a bit late, and the rest is a bit too slow. This is just the way the first volumes usually are in manga comics anyway, the set up in one the battle in the next. Very good start and must have for Zelda fans and a great jump on point for new fans.

I have to play Twilight Princess right now.

I haven't played the game this manga is based on, so don't know how closely it follows the game's story. This feels a little dark, to me. The main reason, I think, is because in the Zelda games I've played, Link bears the major risks (I'm not counting Zelda getting captured, because she's only ever damseled, not fridged). In this volume quite a few villagers are injured, threatened, or possibly killed, and Link himself suffers a pretty gruesome injury. I can see why the publisher decided to serialize it in a different venue than the children's manga magazines of the previous installments.

The art and storytelling are fine, but nothing sticks out as extraordinary here. I suspect I'd forget it in moments if I wasn't posting reviews of my manga reads these days.

A very well-executed first volume that successfully implemented world-building, character depth for several characters, and backstory for the protagonist, as well as teasing future characters. All the while being supported by beautiful and expressive art.

Surprisingly, this vol doesn’t skimp on the violence and had more gore than was to be expected. Although it did push all the action to the end of the vol, it still ended up being a well-balanced plot, leaving time to form layers to the protagonist and create more effective bonds between characters. The world-building, in particular, was the first focus and the foundation was laid early on so that both fans of the game and noobs like myself could understand and enjoy this vol.

I am a sucker for origin stories. I really like it a lot, the story starts off with Midnas origin shortly, but mainly focusses on Link and his life in Ordon. The pace is very slow in this book, but I think it is necessary to show how peaceful and beautiful life in Ordon ist and how loveable all this characters are to make it even more painful when they are in danger. Towards the end of Volume 1 events get quite gruesome and brutal. You feel that this is the start to something big.

Excuse me, I have to go and play Zelda now!

As a Legend of Zelda fan, it was about time I read this! The art is simply phenomenal, and it’s interesting to see them develop the characters in new ways. This manga is definitely for teens on up due to the dark atmosphere, serious themes, and violence. It is a little funny how young Link looks at the beginning of Book 1 compared to the end. I guess anger ages you. 😂

My one complaint is that despite the art being beautiful, the action can be a bit crowded and hard to follow on such small pages. There was definitely not enough of a gutter in this binding as compared to other manga I have read, and this can make some scenes almost get cut off on the inside edge.

This was my first ever Zelda manga and it was a lot of fun!!

There was more violence/gore in this than expected, but I'm not complaining. If you're coming off other Zelda manga, the degree of violence is a shock, but I think it's suiting since the game this is based on was intended to be a darker, more realistic style Zelda game. I will say the whole beginning with the introduction to the Twilight realm was unneeded. It felt unnatural and I could've gone without.

Overall not a bad start to the series and like how Link's character is set up here. I don't think it aligns with the game persona in the sense that Link was just a rancher that liked cozy village life, but the spin and added motivations is a nice take.

4/5 stars

This is making me seriously nostalgic. Twilight Princess is what got me into the Zelda franchise back in 2012 or so, and it was beautiful. I’ve played it more times since, but every time has been a revelation. This manga just breathes more life into a beloved adventure, giving Link a voice and a backstory and trauma and making everything more gruesome and gritty than it was. I can’t wait to see what else is in store.

To start off with, I'll list the positives. Like my friends have mentioned in their reviews, the ART. *chef's kiss* Link's expressions are fantastic. Dunno how I feel about him talking--I think they missed out on an opportunity to offer representation as well as link back to the games more closely. I wasn't expecting him to be as cheeky as he ended up being, but after my initial "whut" reaction, I rather enjoyed this Link.

A lot more than his rendition in the video game, actually. *coughs* floozy *coughs*

And Ilia wasn't as annoying to me, either, though I think she came off appearing really young in some panels. Which, considering how "manly" Link looks in certain scenes, just *facepalm* Can we not?

I also really loved Rusl and his family. I stan Rusl. He's a kind, loyal, warm father figure to Link, and gahhhhh he and his beautiful little family just give me all the warm fuzzies.

Now, on to the reason why this is 3 stars instead of 4 or 5.

So the three stars is merely a matter of personal taste in regards to the violence depicted in the story. I love the Zelda franchise, and I enjoyed the play through of Twilight Princess that I watched. I loved the eerie atmosphere, the music, how the darkness was present but didn't overwhelm the adventurous feel of the story (at least in my opinion).

Well, in the manga, for me, it *does* overwhelm. Especially when there are *very* light story sections that act in very stark, and sometimes abrupt, contrast to the violence that literally occurs the next page over. The tone doesn't feel quite as consistently darkly whimsical as the video game, which for me made things feel slightly jarring and even more upsetting.

Also, I'm a very visual person, so I appreciated how the video game alluded to but never dwelt on the horrors that occurred. Viewers can guess what happened without having it shoved down their throats. With novels, I can handle a lot more than in visual genres--I can skip paragraphs, I can control what my brain decides to translate into images in my head. Well here, I could neither really escape it nor control it. The violence literally got smushed into my face, and some of the stuff that happens is horrifying. So, I didn't appreciate it.

That being said, I *will* be continuing the series, because I think friends' reviews have mentioned that the first few volumes are the darkest and roughest parts of the story. I'm gonna solider through so I can reach the quest aspect of the Zelda franchise that I love so much.

As a huge fan of the game, I really enjoyed this manga adaptation. This is just the very beginning of a grand adventure, and it provides a great deal of exposition. Link is given a voice and characterization beyond “really strong, cool hero guy with a sword,” and more time is spent developing the side-characters. If you love the game, you’ll likely really enjoy this manga—but you don’t have to play the game to understand the plot.

currently reading: Volume 3

A lot darker than I was expecting, but still a lot of fun! It's super interesting to see how the authors develop, change and add to the story from the video games. The art is absolutely gorgeous.

There are so many parts of this that just got me like "Wooow woooow wooow, what was that? That's new"

*RIPS OFF SHIRT* MY FAVORITE GAME HAS A MANGA IM SO f*ckING READY FOR THIS

Hot

Also literally what is happening

Tougher review to give, as I have not played through the entire video game to know how much it matches with it. However, this first volume definitely matches up fairly well with what I remember having played.

This is a MUCH darker story than (which is the only other manga book that I've read). This story does take a bit longer to get into than The Ocarina of Time did. There is a lot more back story and lesser events that are focused on.

Will I read Volume 2 in this series? Yep! Does this make me want to play the video game and complete it? Definitely! Fun, quick read.

3.25 stars

Not sure how I feel about it, but for now..3 stars

Twilight Princess was the first Zelda game that I got really into. I first got interested in it when my brother's friend showed us that you could fly if you jumped off a ledge while holding a chicken. :) I was hooked.
This game fueled so many great memories for me. My cousins and I got really close as we played through the game together. I also found my love of writing through imagining how the game would continue after the ending. This game made me a writer. I found my voice through writing "episodes" between eighth and twelfth grade. I am SO thankful that I found this game.
The manga is incredible. Love the art style and the added story lines. I felt very connected to the characters and the world even more so than when I played the game. Would definitely recommend to all Zelda fans.

OMG I LOOOOOVE THIS I AM SOOOO GALD I GOT THIS!!!! i love the game and i thought to myself maybe i'll try out the manga....SO GOOD!!! i love the manga style, i love the new story and i just love everything about it.. Link is so cool and awesome (as ever), ilia is nicer in the book and talo is annoying more than ever which is not a surprise, hahahahaah!!! i love this and i cant wait for the second one to come out!
And i strongly recommend this to anyone who love legend of zelda or who love manga

As a huge Nintendo fan, I was so entranced into this manga based on the Legend of Zelda universe 🗡. It was definitely different seeing the hero Link have dialogue, where in the video games, he’s a silent protagonist. The first volume has great art and a story that has plenty of fantasy, humor and emotion (Grade: A).

Feels great to be in the Zelda world again. I've always wanted Link to be a spoken protagonist with some sort of depth and that's what you get with this manga. Top notch art design as well.

I love Midna

Twilight Princess is by far my favorite tLoZ game ever. I've played it 3 times, and I've been thinking about playing it again lately. But I don't have a lot of time to game these days, so I thought maybe the manga would still my hunger. So far, it's only fed the fire, so to speak, as I WANT MORE! WHY DID I ONLY BUY THE FIRST BOOK?!?!

The art is pretty and just right for me, and the story is true to the game as well as having a lot of original elements. I'm really looking forward to reading on and learning more about Midna and Link's past.

little bit annoying that we dont have part 2 at work so i can read on and see what happens with that cliffhanger

Amazing! I will say that it is a lot darker than the other Zelda books by the author, and some parts may be disturbing to younger readers, but overall, I loved it! I'm excited for when I get volume 2.

This is the first manga I've, and it was a cool experience. The artwork is amazing with an interesting story line.

good book but very short needs more words

***** 5 stars *****

I've read volumes 1-5 so far, and just waiting on the sixth to be released in English. I've been a Zelda fan since my dad played the first game on our old Nintendo game system. Yip, the ol' gold cartridge. I'm such a nerd for Zelda and all the different stories that have followed throughout the years. The last Zelda game I played all the way through was Ocarina of Time on Nintendo 64.
Twilight Princess is a collection of awesome stories that start with Link trying to escape his past and is drawn into a mission to save (you've guessed it) Hyrule. You can actually see how Link matures from being a boy fighter to a young man warrior in each installment. I love the artwork and the storyline is exciting. I'm dying to see this be turned into an anime TV series.