Animal Crossing: New Horizons was a balm for many fans of the franchise after it released on the cusp of an extended lockdown back in March of 2020. Here was a place where people could escape to an idyllic island of their own making, equipped with the power of choice and incomparable freedom to do what they pleased, whenever they pleased, even as the ability to do so in real life ground to a halt. Now, players will get to experience those feelings all over again in manga form.
Releasing September 14th, a new Animal Crossing: New Horizons manga will make its way to the West, with Viz Media handling the English localization. Titled Animal Crossing: New Horizons — Deserted Island Diary, the series will follow a brand new character as they begin their new life as an Island Ambassador. Given the inclusion of special characters like Wisp and Gulliver and fan-favorite villagers such as Don and Raymond on the first volume’s cover, expect no end to the hijinks everyone will get up to.
While this isn’t the first Animal Crossing series manga or the first manga created about Animal Crossing: New Horizons, this is the first title to ever make its way to localization in the West. While there was hope initially that the Ciao! magazine version of the manga would make its way to the West, Coro Coro’s version seems to be aiming for a simpler style, most likely to appeal to a broader demographic range. Ciao!’s version is heavily stylized and leans more towards appealing to a majority female audience, by amping up the cuteness of the Nooklings as well as having a female protagonist.
With any luck, the potential success of the newest Animal Crossing: New Horizons manga will pave the way for more of the series manga to be published in the West, especially the older manga’s covering New Leaf, Wild World, and the original series title for the Gamecube.
Source: The Verge
