Did you like the game during lockdown and after? Did you want more? Well, here is Animal Crossing: The island's newspaper to serve you! Follow 4 friends, a little silly but endearing, during their new life on a desert island. Thanks to the infuriating Tom Nook, they will discover the vagaries of the adventurer's life. This manga is a nugget to decompress or when you want a quick and simple reading. Although this book is aimed at a child audience, fans of successful video games will also be able to find their footing. We embark with Princess Poyo, Boboss, M'sieur Dodo and Koroyuki who go on vacation together but find themselves by accident on a desert island and are greeted by the trio of tanukis – Tom Nook, Meli and Melo. There follows a series of nonsense where our 4 adventurers will learn at their expense that starting your life on a desert island is not as easy as they might think.
Animal Crossing : From console to page
Just like in the video game, the 4 friends start their new life on a virgin island and on the way meet the leading characters of the Animal Crossing universe such as Guilliver, the seagull who does not stop running aground (and who is always ejected from his ship by his crew who have trouble supporting it) or Thibou, Our museum director, fossil fanatic but "allergic" to insects. The first two volumes of this series are fun and light, they will tear readers from smiles, even laughter. They also serve to deepen the world of the game, giving an extra dimension to the iconic characters of the game. We learn a little more about their motivations, their Spectrum of emotions and we learn a little more about the details of the New Horizons game that we liked so much during our hours of play. The chapters are divided into independent episodes, taking our characters on a short adventure with characters from the established universe. One could easily find each episode in the comic section of a newspaper – fast, short and humorous. In one chapter, the 4 find themselves exploring the depths with Pascale the otter scallop collector or discovering the economic system with Porcelette, the turnip seller. 
A rather successful adaptation
Each chapter reminds the reader of a facet of the game and can even shed light on how to improve the quality of their playing time. Unlike other manga that adapt video games, the drawings are identical to the graphics of the game. The author Kokonasu, remains very faithful to the source material, which is pleasing. The Mangaka writes his stories in such a way that even readers who have never played the video game can understand the course and the themes. This manga works both as an independent work of the game as well as a humorous companion. There is nothing to complain about, these first two volumes are a successful, funny and light adaptation. On the other hand, if a reader is looking for a reading with substance, complex themes and well-developed characters, go your way. These books are intended for a young audience, so stay on children's themes, such as the anything and do stupid things that exasperate the characters who serve as "responsible adults". These mangas serve to brighten up the day with gags exaggerated in terms of facial expressions that will make children laugh. The drawings are simplistic, just like in the video game but nice to see. The editors highly recommend these books which would be ideal readings to introduce novices to the pleasures of the world of Animal Crossing! 
Happy reading everyone! Animal Crossing: The Island Diary volumes 1 and 2 by Kokonatsu Rumba, are available now in bookstores.
