Anju
- Not to be confused with Cucco Lady.
Anju is a recurring character in The Legend of Zelda series.[6]
Biography
Majora's Mask
In Majora's Mask, Anju is the inn keeper at the Stock Pot Inn and the best friend of Cremia, the owner of Romani Ranch.[7] She is engaged to Kafei, Mayor Dotour's son, and they plan to have their wedding on the day of the Carnival of Time. However, certain circumstances have caused Anju to start doubting her fiancé.[8] Although her father, Tortus, has passed away, her mother and grandmother live with her in the inn.[2] She is one of the characters in the game with an entry in the Bombers' Notebook.
Anju is portrayed as apologizing quite often and appears somewhat nervous. She is not very good at cooking and, according to Kafei's Diary, tends to leave things until the last minute.[9][1] She also seems to have trouble remembering customers' faces, which can cause her to deliver reservations to the wrong person.[10]
Reuniting Kafei and Anju
The Anju and Kafei sidequest is the only sidequest in the Bombers' Notebook that takes an entire 3-day cycle. When they were children, Anju and Kafei promised to marry each other on the day of the Carnival of Time, exchanging the Sun's and Moon's Masks during the event.[11] However, Kafei disappeared with his wedding ceremony mask one month before the wedding. After he was turned into a child by the Skull Kid,[12] his Sun Mask was stolen by Sakon as he was on his way to see the Great Fairy about his desperate situation.[13] Despite Kafei's terrible fate, Anju does not know what has become of him or why he disappeared. She is afraid to meet his fiance and hear the reason as to why he escaped, for she fears his disappearance might have been because of her.[14]
Anju's Mother puts ideas into Anju's head that her fiancé might have run off with her best friend Cremia, who actually has a crush on Kafei.[15] Since Cremia needs strength from a partner and business support from Kafei's mother Madame Aroma to run Romani Ranch, Kafei running off with the ranch owner would allow her to have the stability she needs.[16]
When Link intervenes to help reunite Kafei and Anju, the young hero meets with the inn keeper in the kitchen at her request.[17] She then asks him to deliver a letter to the Mailbox in her stead, hoping to get a description of her fiancé if Link is to meet with him.[18] Anju is too afraid to do this on her own, so she tells Link to pass on the message that Anju is waiting for him.[19]
Link meets Kafei, who explains his situation and hands over his pendant to him.[20] Once Link delivers the pendant to Anju, she will once again believe in Kafei and decides to wait for his return despite her mother's wishes and the fact that everyone else will be taking refuge in Romani Ranch.[21]
On the night of the Final Day, with just a few hours left until the Moon falls, Anju is desperately waiting for Kafei in her room. The two lovers at last reunite and exchange their masks and oaths when Kafei returns from having retrieved the Sun Mask that was stolen from him.[22] In return for witnessing this event, they grant Link the Couple's Mask.[23] Even though the Moon is just hours from destroying Termina, they urge Link to take refuge, for they will stay and greet the morning together.[24]
During the ending credits, Anju can be seen outside Clock Town having her wedding ceremony.
Schedule
The Minish Cap
Template:Figurine Anju can always be found standing outside of her Henhouse in Hyrule Town in The Minish Cap. If spoken to, she will ask Link to help her catch her escaped Cuccos.[25]
Each time, Link must collect at least a certain number of Cuccos within a certain time limit. They are scattered across Hyrule Town, and must be picked up and thrown into the pen. Each time Link completes the challenge, Anju rewards him with a number of Rupees depending on what kinds of Cuccos he retrieved; each white Cucco is worth 10 Rupees, and each gold Cucco is worth 50 Rupees. Anju will also either reward him with Mysterious Shells or a red Kinstone Piece depending on which stage of the challenge he is on; in addition, once the tenth challenge is complete, Anju will give Link a Piece of Heart.[26]
The challenge becomes more difficult each time, with the number of Cuccos needed, their distance from the pen, and the time available to catch them all changing. After a certain point, the challenges become impossible to complete without the Pegasus Boots, and the last few rounds require the Flippers to complete.
| Challenge | Cuccos | Time (Seconds) | Reward |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 25 | 10 Mysterious Shells |
| 2 | 3 | 25 | 10 Mysterious Shells |
| 3 | 4 | 30 | 20 Mysterious Shells |
| 4 | 5 | 45 | 20 Mysterious Shells |
| 5 | 5 | 50 | 30 Mysterious Shells |
| 6 | 5 | 45 | 30 Mysterious Shells |
| 7 | 6 | 50 | Red Kinstone Piece |
| 8 | 7 | 60 | Red Kinstone Piece |
| 9 | 2 | 55 | Red Kinstone Piece |
| 10 | 3 | 55 | Piece of Heart |
Anju is one of the potential characters to have a random Kinstone Fusion available.[27] After fusing Kinstone Pieces with Spekter in the Royal Valley for a second time, Spookter will disappear from in front of Anju's Henhouse, allowing Link to go inside while Minish-sized and climb the chimney to reach a Cucco on the roof. If Link fuses Kinstone Pieces with it, it will mention that it took a Kinstone Piece belonging to Anju;[28] however, if Link has already fused Kinstone Pieces with Anju, the Cucco will be astonished that the Kinstone Piece has disappeared.[29]
Other Appearances
Majora's Mask (Himekawa)
In the Majora's Mask manga by Akira Himekawa, Anju plays a different role than she does in the game. Link first meets her after he is transformed into Deku Link by Skull Kid. She finds him and brings him home to care for him. She also informs Link that he is no longer in Hyrule. Soon, Skull Kid attacks her and chases Link throughout Clock Town. She is also called by Tatl while Link is fighting Skull Kid with Kafei atop the Clock Tower on the Final Day.[30]
The Minish Cap (Himekawa)
In the The Minish Cap manga by Akira Himekawa, Link first meets Anju when he is transformed into a Minish and accidentally traps himself in her chicken coop. The chicks attempt to eat Link while he is Minish-sized, as they mistake him for a bug.[31] Anju then comes in time to save him by distracting the baby chicks by feeding them.[32] Link tries to look up her skirt as a Minish, but instead nearly gets stepped on.
Nomenclature
 Names in Other Regions  | ||
|---|---|---|
| Language | Names | |
 Japanese | アンジュ (Anju) (TMC)[36] | |
 FrenchEU | Anju (MM | MM3D)[38] | |
 German | Anju (TMC)[37] | |
 Italian | Anju (MM | MM3D | TMC)[33][34][35] | |
 SpanishEU | Anju (TMC)[39] | |
| This table was generated using translation pages. To request an addition, please contact a staff member with a reference. | ||
Gallery
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Anju with an umbrella from Majora's Mask
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Anju sweeping from Majora's Mask
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Anju working at the Stock Pot Inn from Majora's Mask
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Anju speaking to Link (Goron) at the Stock Pot Inn from Majora's Mask 3D
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Kafei and Anju reunited from Majora's Mask 3D
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Anju in her wedding dress from Majora's Mask 3D
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Anju from The Minish Cap manga
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References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "It might be early, but I finished my wedding mask. I wonder if Anju has made hers? She tends to do things at the last minute, so probably not." — Kafei (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Grandmother...I am Anju! Tortus was my dad... And you haven't had lunch yet!" — Anju (Breath of the Wild)
- ↑ "I think I'll take several of Gampy's favorite books." — Granny's Diary (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ "If Kafei is there, your mother will give him a smack." — Anju's Mother (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ "Isn't her bridal dress lovely? We promised each other when we were children that we'd marry on the day of the Carnival of Time. ...But my promise... I couldn't keep it." — Kafei (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ Encyclopedia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 245 (MM) & 270 (TMC)
- ↑ "Cremia will take us in. She is your best friend, right?" — Anju's Mother (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ "I wonder if Kafei is really at Cremia's place..." — Anju (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ "What is Anju, the innkeeper, bad at doing? Cooking" — Keaton (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ "My mother is always telling me to remember our customer's faces, but I tend to forget them..." — Anju (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ "We promised each other when we were children that we'd marry on the day of the Carnival of Time." — Kafei (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ "I was turned into this by a strange imp wearing a mask..." — Kafei (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ "When I was turned into this, I went to see the Great Fairy in the shrine near the North Gate... But on the way, my precious mask--a wedding ceremony mask--was stolen from me by some prancing man with a grinning face!" — Kafei (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ "I'm...actually...afraid to meet him...and to hear the reason why he wanted to disappear... It might be because of... me..." — Anju (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ "Romani knows... My sister, Cremia, has someone in town she likes... But that person is supposed to get married the day of the carnival. It's hard for my sister... Going into town..." — Romani (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ "Besides, think about Cremia. She needs strength from a partner and business support from Madame Aroma. If Kafei really has run off with Cremia, she'll get both." — Anju's Mother (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ "Tonight at 11:30, please come to our kitchen. We'll talk then..." — Anju (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ "Here is my letter. Please put this in a postbox. When this is delivered...When he receives my letter... You should be able to meet him!" — Anju (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ "Please tell him that Anju is waiting for him. And please, after you've seen him... Tell me how he looked. I'm scared...I...I can't go." — Anju (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ "This pendant... Give it to Anju." — Kafei (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ "I have decided to wait for him. I've made my promise... I'm fine with this. I believe him." — Anju (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ "Let us exchange the promised masks. We have exchanged our oaths and have become a couple." — Anju (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ "You are our witnesses. Please accept this mask." — Anju (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ "Please take refuge. We are fine here. We shall greet the morning... together." — Anju (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ "Oh, no! This is horrible! My cuccos have gotten out! Can you catch them for me?" — Anju (The Minish Cap)
- ↑ "Thanks! Here's your reward." — Anju (The Minish Cap)
- ↑ "You want to fuse Kinstones, don't you? Well, OK! Let's give it a try." — Anju (The Minish Cap)
- ↑ "I have secretly taken possession of Anju's Kinstone piece! Hm? No, I didn't steal it, you rude boy! I just borrowed it...secretly." — Cucco (The Minish Cap)
- ↑ "Wha--? The Kinstone piece fused and disappeared, BRRKAWK! Now, I can't give it back to Anju!" — Cucco (The Minish Cap)
- ↑ "That fairy told me to come." (Majora's Mask manga, VIZ Media, [which page?])
- ↑ "Wha-? A bug? I love bugs! And I'm hungry!" (The Minish Cap manga, VIZ Media, [which page?])
- ↑ "Here, cucco chicks! It's dinner time!" (The Minish Cap manga, VIZ Media, [which page?])
- ↑ Enciclopedia di Hyrule, Magazzini Salani, pg. 245
- ↑ "Anju" — Bombers' Notebook (Majora's Mask 3D, Italian localization)
- ↑ Encyclopedia, Magazzini Salani, pg. 270
- ↑ Nintendo Official Guidebook—The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap, Shogakukan, pg. 145
- ↑ Encyclopedia, TOKYOPOP, pg. 270
- ↑ Encyclopedia, Les Éditions Soleil, pg. 245
- ↑ Encyclopedia, Norma Editorial, pg. 270