#as manga authors we feel blessed that the characters feelings came across so clearly

[caracolcondiarrea]

it´s weird ´cause in the Spanish version he says "que triste" which means "that´s sad".

shadow link is the world's funniest girl

[lucky-clover-gazette]

My dealer: got some straight gas 🔥😛 this strain is called “the legend of zelda: four swords manga” 😳 you’ll be zonked out of your gourd 💯

Me: yeah whatever. I don’t feel shit.

5 minutes later: dude I swear I just saw vio and shadow cuddling on a throne

My buddies Akira Himekawa pacing: There was an especially strong fan response in Japan and overseas to the friendship between Purple Link and Shadow Link. As manga authors, we feel blessed that the characters’ feelings came across so clearly.

[zarvasace]

Another Point in Favor of Vidow

By this point, many of us in the Four Swords manga fandom are aware of the relationship that is (or maybe isn't) implied between Vio and Shadow. I agree that it is up for some debate, but also my opinion is that the relationship is as clear as it can get, operating within the bounds of its context—that is, early-2000s Japan, kids' manga, the bias against gay couples.

This is just another pin on the conspiracy board of red lines!

The moon is present in three main places during the Vio/Shadow arc—very first (and most damning) when the two meet one-on-one, once in a panel showing the Fire Temple that the two are hanging out in, and once behind the two as they ride on the dragon to cause chaos. (Many thanks to @hauntinghyrule for helping me find those!)

There is a common belief in Japan that the author Natsume Souseki once told a student that their translation was wrong. They'd translated "I love you" as "kimi o aisu," and he thought it was far too blunt. He was a product of the Meiji era, and preferred the idea that the Japanese language should be more poetic and subtle. He then proposed the idea that instead of "ware kimi wo aisu," one should say "tsuki ga kirei desu ne" instead, which translates to English more as "the moon is beautiful, isn't it?" (You can read more about that, and why the guy might not have actually said it, here!)

You can see where I'm going with this.

Whether or not Souseki actually said it, the phrase is widely understood to be a sideways way of saying "I love you." The moon has a lot of meanings in Japanese culture and language, and I won't say that this is the interpretation, or if our lovely authors meant this at all, but they might have. They seem fond of hinting at it. ("We feel blessed that the characters' feelings came across so clearly.")

If we can read into the presence of the moon as presence of romantic possibility, what happens then? Well. A lot.

When Shadow first approaches Vio, he's seen hanging out on top of a pine tree with the moon bright and full behind him.

This isn't the actual manga panel, I don't have that right now, but this art was based on that specific scene, and you may recognize it. There are a few other panels this scene that Vidow shippers like to call out—Vio's apparent blush when Shadow casually moves his sword away (a power move regardless of intent that made me fall in love with him), or the way Shadow hangs on Vio when persuading him to turn to the dark side. If we can read the moon's presence as a hint towards romance, then it's pretty clear what's being implied here—there's an element of seduction.

The second place we see the moon is just after Vio and Shadow's heart-to-heart on the balcony, one of the only canon interactions between them during this period without a lot of plot happening. Here's the panel I mean:

Like hauntinghyrule pointed out, if the moon is visible here, it was likely present during that conversation. That feels like reaching, but I think it's pretty significant that we can see the moon in this panel, too. It's here for that bonding moment. It's part of establishing the tone and setting. If the moon is inherently romantic, then so is this scene.

And then the third panel that the moon is seen in is this one, Vio and Shadow flying on a dragon to bring chaos and fire:

If the moon means romance, then this is a date. They've had their moment, they're in love, all is going well.

It might not mean that much. I could be veering into atla-levels of overanalyzation, for sure! However, this feels like something that could definitely be intentional. "月が綺麗ですね" is understood to sort-of kind-of mean "I love you," turning the moon into a symbol of implied love.

And...it's very thematic, even if it isn't intended. Come on. The moon, hinting toward unspoken romance in some of the scenes where Vio and Shadow's dynamic is at its most stable? Dramatic. Amazing.

...You could read even more into it, and say that Vio is Shadow's moon—reflected light of the Hero or the Princess, guiding him to see the good, a desirable light in the darkness that Shadow insists he has to stay in. There's something lovely about that interpretation, too. :)

[tornadodyke]

you get a different point of view on things when you actually read the story and understand what's going on but like. at first glance. the loz four swords manga was so so so so SO funny for deliberately excluding vio from the other three links in thinking a girl is cute:

only for vio to then go on to be EXTREMELY touchy-feely with link's evil shadow self while pretending to be on his side:

this isn't even all of it. and the thing about it is that the closeness between them was totally intentional. there's a fucking author's note in the legendary edition that reads "There was an especially strong fan response in Japan and overseas to the friendship between Purple Link and Shadow Link.  As manga authors, we feel blessed that the characters’ feelings came across so clearly." which is already funny enough but then what gets me is that even after vio betrays shadow like he was planning to do all along he's still. he's STILL

like. girl. i have questions. ultimately it was zelda who moved shadow enough to sacrifice himself in the name of stopping one of the Big Bads but. gesturing incoherently at this. HILARIOUS that they were pulling this shit in 2004

[silentprincessandsweethibiscus]

taken directly from the authors note at the end of the legendary edition of the manga. it reads

"...There was an especially strong fan response in Japan and overseas to the friendship between Purple Link and Shadow Link. As manga authors, we feel blessed that our characters' feelings came across so clearly."

with the context that the fan respose has always, overwhelmingly been to ship them, id say the message the authors are trying to potray here is pretty clear.

also, on the intellectual properties thing, if you dont like fans making fanfics and the like, get out of fandom spaces. block the tags. you dont need to be here. curate your own experience, stop trying to make other people cater to you. we are our own people with our own lives trying to find joy in whatever we can while the capitalist hell scape we live in tries to bleed us dry. fuck off.

-sincerely, an aroace who wants to ship in peace and is sick of seeing your rude ass in the tag of its comfort fandom.

@shipmonthfs stop stealing the intellectual property of someone else without consideration of their feelings, as a writer I would not want my characters to be used for the exact opposite of what I intended to communicate with them.

Vio is aro ace,

Shadow is anti-pro ship,

And all of them are confirmed to be children in chapter 1.

They said they wanted to be friends, the moon was never said to be beautiful, and rainbows symbolize EVERY part of the lgbtqia+ community. Including aro ace.

What's wrong with being alone, introverted, and enjoying anything other than being with people? There's more to life than that. Why can't you appreciate all types of beauty? Not just people that aren't real.

[kaenith]

From the Four Swords: Legendary Edition authors’ note:

We aimed to show teamwork, with readers liking all four Links plus Shadow Link.  There was an especially strong fan response in Japan and overseas to the friendship between Purple Link and Shadow Link.  As manga authors, we feel blessed that the characters’ feelings came across so clearly.  Enjoy the banter between the five!

I was beyond thrilled to see Akira Himekawa’s nod to the fans in the new Legendary Edition.  Four Swords means so much to me - the happiness of reading the manga, the inspiration to practice and improve my own art and writing, the friendships that have been made through the fandom.  I wish I could tell Akira Himekawa how blessed I feel to be able to enjoy this amazing story they’ve created 💚 ❤️ 💙 💜 🖤

[silentprincessandsweethibiscus]

here, i needed it somewhat recently, so i still have the picture on my phone.

i know its not the best quality, but the notable line is "There was an especially strong fan response in japan and overseas to the friendship between purple link and shadow link. as manga authors, we feel blessed that the characters' feelings came across so clearly."

So I was just in a library and saw the Perfect Edition of The Four Swords (I have the single volumes) and they're really not trying to find the Shadow X Vio allegations with this cover

[caracolcondiarrea]

'As manga authors, we feel blessed that the characters’ feelings came across so clearly.' WHAT FEELINGS EXACTLY?!?!

My dealer: got some straight gas 🔥😛 this strain is called “the legend of zelda: four swords manga” 😳 you’ll be zonked out of your gourd 💯

Me: yeah whatever. I don’t feel shit.

5 minutes later: dude I swear I just saw vio and shadow cuddling on a throne

My buddies Akira Himekawa pacing: There was an especially strong fan response in Japan and overseas to the friendship between Purple Link and Shadow Link. As manga authors, we feel blessed that the characters’ feelings came across so clearly.