Pedro fondly remembers the romance that blossomed during the end of times.
The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask is a game that inspires many emotions in players. Throughout the adventure, it is expected that the player will feel everything from desperation and fear due to the presence of the moon in the skies of Termina, to sadness and a deep level of personal satisfaction when a quest is completed. This is due to a series of side quests in which you set out to help the people of Termina while it is under the threat of the evil moon.
But the one story that really pulled my heartstrings was the story of Anju and Kafei. Anju is a shy but corteous woman who is an employee of the town’s Inn. Kafei is the son of the town’s mayor. The two of them were set to get married during the town's festival. The Skull Kid, however, had other plans for the town. When Link first sets foot on Termina, he sees that a little kid wearing a mask is making the rounds around town. If players followed him, they would learn that he was in fact, Kafei, cursed by the Skull Kid to live his life as a child. He asks Link’s assistance in reuniting with Anju and retrieving the Couple’s Mask.
This begins one long quest that will take the players all of the three days the game offers.
What makes both the characters and the plot so memorable is the ending. After enduring a very challenging trial and participating in various fetch quests, you meet up with Anju mere hours before the moon’s impact. Kafei returns to her, asking her hand in marriage. This is one of the romantic and bittersweet moments in the game as players realize that despite them dying during the destruction of the town, they were able to see each other one last time, all thanks to the patience and determination of the player.
Majora’s Mask is filled with many small moments like this, moments where you realize that everything we do in life does have an effect on people. Anju and Kafei best represent that kind of commitment towards the happiness of others, and because of that, they are my favorite side characters in all of the Zelda lore.
