There are many things in life that take me to the happiest of places. One of those things is playing Legend of Zelda games on an almost religious basis. The second is binge watching Studio Ghibli movies. Both have played a very important part in my childhood and are equally as special to me in my adulthood. Not only do I love getting lost in worlds full of pure wonder and adventure, but I am also someone who is truly captivated by beautiful pieces of compositions and breath-taking sceneries. All of these are mastered by Hayao Miyazaki and Shigeru Miyamoto.
It is no secret that I am part of the fan base that would love to see a Studio Ghibli and Legend of Zelda crossover movie or TV series. To me, it makes perfect sense to combine these two fantasy worlds. So when I came across Redditor _Wahoo_ ‘s “My Neighbor Darmani” piece, I felt like I was looking into a window of possibility mixed with the overpowering feeling of whimsical nostalgia.
Combining Studio Ghibli’s famed painterly style with the bolder yet darker art of Major’s Mask, _Wahoo_ has seemingly banished the dark themes and undertones found in Ocarina of Time‘s sequel, replacing them with something happy and wholesome. A big feat, considering the message of hardship found in both Majora’s Mask and My Neighbor Totoro.
What I love most about _Wahoo_’s Legend of Zelda and My Neighbor Totoro crossover is the vision of Darmani in place of Totoro as the forest spirit. I never gave much thought to the similarities that both entities shared until I found this creation.
Totoro is the guardian of the forest, protecting the trees and animals from the destruction caused by humans. He is the embodiment of hope and optimism, much like how Darmani is perceived to be the same by the Gorons. The tale of Darmani is a sad one to say the least, but in the end, he was a hero who sacrificed his life trying to save his people and continued to protect them even while in afterlife limbo. In spirit form, he aids Link in his quest much like how Totoro aids Mei and Satsuki in their story. Not to mention the small fact that both characters can only be seen by their story’s protagonists.
Much like The Legend of Zelda and Studio Ghibli characters and storylines, there is a lot more than meets the eye in this simple yet effective piece of art. Plus, depicting Link as Satsuki and a Deku Shrub as Mei is just the cherry on top of a cuteness overload sundae.
