Fans for Animal Crossing all over the world are in for a new spin on their beloved sandbox garden, as the most popular Japanese manga for Animal Crossing’s newest iteration, entitled ‘Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Vol. 1 Deserted Island Diary’ will be receiving an English translation, courtesy of Viz Media. Originally published exclusively in Japan in 2020, the manga that is written and also drawn by Kokonasu Rumba will get its own English translation.
The book will feature a charming journey through the pleasantly quaint world of Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and feature characters in the games such as the irascible and possibly exploitative Tom Nook or the friendly and strangely phasmophobic ghost Wisp in a humorous exploration of the Deserted Island setting found in the newest game.
The book brings the joy of the game to manga. At its heart, Animal Crossing is an all-ages gag manga that recreates scenarios from the game in a hyperactive style by a writer and also an artist named ‘Kokonasu☆Rumba’. The premise also does not stray far from the game that is four human characters, each with a distinct personality, arrive on the deserted island to start a new life. Coroyuki loves catching and eating fish, Benben is smart but apprehensive, Himepoyo is obsessed with money, and Guchan is always asleep. On the surface these four characters seem one-dimensional, but as people read on they pretty accurately represent different archetypes of Animal Crossing players.
‘Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Vol. 1’ is consistently funny and nails the frantic energy of a Saturday morning cartoon while still honoring the game and its beloved cast of characters. And if your favorite villager isn’t featured in any of the chapters, the back half of the book is filled with one-off comic strips with even more clever gags. Rumba herself even makes a cameo at the end to celebrate the manga’s release and show off her own personal style and décor.
Sources: Book Depository.