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 planned 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]
When Link intervenes to help reunite Kafei and Anju, the young hero meets with the inn keeper in the kitchen at her request.[15] 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.[16] 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.[17] Link meets Kafei, who explains his situation and hands over his pendant to him.[18]
On the Night of the Second Day between 9:00 PM and 11:00 PM, Anju's Mother talks to her daughter about fleeing to Romani Ranch. If Link had obtained the Room Key on the First Day, he can eavesdrop on the conversation by listening through the thin walls of the Knife Chamber. 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.[19] 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.[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.[21][22]
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.[23] In return for witnessing this event, they grant Link the Couple's Mask.[24] 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.[25]
During the ending credits, Anju can be seen outside Clock Town having her wedding ceremony.
Schedule
In any given three-day cycle, Anju's schedule changes depending on whether Link completes the following Events:
- Appointment with Anju: Link speaks to Anju between 2:18 PM and 9:05 PM while wearing Kafei's Mask.
- A midnight request: Link meets with Anju after hours and obtains the Letter to Kafei from her.[note 1]
- Precious pendant: Link gives the Pendant of Memories to Anju before she enters the Stock Pot Inn staff room at 11:50 AM on the Third Day.
- The thief's hideout: Link helps Kafei retrieve the Sun Mask from Sakon's Hideout at sundown on the Third Day.
Anju's schedule is as follows:
| Dawn of the First Day | ||
|---|---|---|
| Time | Location | Action(s) |
| 6:00 AM | Stock Pot Inn lobby | Stands at the front desk. |
| 7:50 PM | Stock Pot Inn lobby | Walks to the front door. |
| 8:20 PM | Stock Pot Inn lobby | Stands outside the front door. |
| 8:30 PM | Stock Pot Inn lobby | Locks the front door and walks to the staff room. |
| 9:05 PM | Stock Pot Inn staff room | Enters the staff room. |
| 10:55 AM | Stock Pot Inn lobby | Leaves the front desk and heads towards the kitchen. |
| 11:10 AM | Stock Pot Inn kitchen | Prepares lunch. |
| 11:30 AM | Stock Pot Inn | Takes a lunch tray to Granny's room. |
| 12:00 PM | Stock Pot Inn, Granny's room | Argues with Granny over her refusal to eat. |
| 12:15 PM | Stock Pot Inn, Granny's room | Gives up trying to feed Granny. Bearing a saddened expression, Anju takes the lunch tray up the staff room. |
| 12:55 PM | Stock Pot Inn staff room | Enters the staff room with the lunch tray. |
| 1:15 PM | Stock Pot Inn | Emerges from the staff room without the lunch tray and walks back to the front desk. |
| 1:50 PM | Stock Pot Inn lobby | Stands at the front desk. |
| 2:08 PM | Stock Pot Inn lobby | Receives a Letter from the Postman written by Kafei. |
| 4:10 PM | Stock Pot Inn lobby | Checks in the travelling travelling Goron named Link, or turns him away if the Hero of Time had already claimed the reservation. |
Appointment with Anju
Appointment with Anju| Night of the First Day | ||
|---|---|---|
| 10:55 PM[note 1] | Stock Pot Inn | Leaves the staff room and walks to the kitchen. |
| 11:45 PM[note 1] | Stock Pot Inn kitchen | Asks Link to put the Letter to Kafei in a Mailbox and meet with Kafei. |
A midnight request A midnight request| Dawn of the Second Day | ||
|---|---|---|
| 6:00 AM | Stock Pot Inn lobby | Appears at the front desk. |
| 10:55 AM | Stock Pot Inn | Leaves the front desk to make lunch. Granny again refuses to eat. |
| 1:50 PM | Stock Pot Inn lobby | Returns to the front desk. |
| Night of the Second Day | ||
| 7:50 PM | Stock Pot Inn lobby | Walks to the front door. |
| 8:20 PM | Stock Pot Inn lobby | Stands outside the front door. |
| 8:30 PM | Stock Pot Inn lobby | Locks the front door and walks to the staff room. |
| 9:05 PM | Stock Pot Inn staff room | Enters the staff room. |
| 9:30 PM | Stock Pot Inn staff room | Speaks with her mother about fleeing to Romani Ranch. |
| 11:00 PM | Stock Pot Inn staff room | The conversation between Anju and her mother ends. |
| Dawn of the Final Day | ||
| 6:00 AM | Stock Pot Inn | Sweeps the bunk room while Anju's Mother mans the front desk. |
| 11:00 AM | Stock Pot Inn | Walks back to the staff room. |
| 11:50 AM | Stock Pot Inn staff room | Enters the staff room. |
Precious pendant- The thief's hideout
- Precious pendant
The thief's hideout
Precious pendant| Night of the Final Day | ||
|---|---|---|
| 6:00 PM | Stock Pot Inn staff room | Unlocks the staff room. Waits for Kafei to appear. |
| 4:30 AM | Stock Pot Inn staff room |
|
| Night of the Final Day | ||
|---|---|---|
| 6:00 PM | Stock Pot Inn staff room | Unlocks the staff room. Waits in vain for Kafei to appear. |
| Night of the Final Day | ||
|---|---|---|
| 6:00 PM | Mama's House | Flees to Romani Ranch with her family. Sits in the bedroom with her head in her hands, wondering whether she made the right decision.[27] |
| Dawn of the Second Day | ||
|---|---|---|
| 11:03 AM | Stock Pot Inn | Emerges from the staff room bearing a saddened expression. |
| 11:30 AM | East Clock Town | Exits the Stock Pot Inn through the front door. Takes out an umbrella and walks towards South Clock Town |
| 12:30 PM | South Clock Town | Enters South Clock Town and continues walking towards the Laundry Pool. |
| 1:45 PM | Laundry Pool | Sits on the bench in the Laundry Pool. |
| 1:50 PM | Laundry Pool | Mentions to Link how she came to the Laundry Pool in search of Kafei.[26] Admits she's afraid to meet him and wonders whether she should wait for him.[14] |
| 3:25 PM | Laundry Pool | Gets up from the bench and walks back towards the Stock Pot Inn. |
| 5:25 PM | Stock Pot Inn | Enters the Stock Pot Inn and puts away her umbrella. |
| 5:55 PM | Stock Pot Inn staff room | Enters the staff room. |
| Night of the Second Day | ||
| 6:00 PM | Stock Pot Inn lobby | Appears at the front desk. |
| 7:50 PM | Stock Pot Inn lobby | Walks to the front door. |
| 8:20 PM | Stock Pot Inn lobby | Stands outside the front door. |
| 8:30 PM | Stock Pot Inn lobby | Locks the front door and walks to the staff room. |
| 9:05 PM | Stock Pot Inn staff room | Enters the staff room. |
| 9:30 PM | Stock Pot Inn staff room | Speaks with her mother about fleeing to Romani Ranch. |
| 11:00 PM | Stock Pot Inn staff room | The conversation between Anju and her mother ends. |
| Dawn of the Final Day | ||
| 6:00 AM | Stock Pot Inn | Sweeps the bunk room while Anju's Mother mans the front desk. |
| 11:00 AM | Stock Pot Inn | Walks back to the staff room. |
| 11:50 AM | Stock Pot Inn staff room | Enters the staff room. |
| Night of the Final Day | ||
| 6:00 PM | Mama's House | Flees to Romani Ranch with her family. Sits in the bedroom with her head in her hands, wondering whether she made the right decision.[27] |
| Night of the First Day | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dawn of the Second Day | ||
| 11:03 AM | Stock Pot Inn | Emerges from the staff room bearing a saddened expression. |
| 11:30 AM | East Clock Town | Exits the Stock Pot Inn through the front door. Takes out an umbrella and walks towards South Clock Town |
| 12:30 PM | South Clock Town | Enters South Clock Town and continues walking towards the Laundry Pool. |
| 1:45 PM | Laundry Pool | Sits on the bench in the Laundry Pool. |
| 1:50 PM | Laundry Pool | Begins to sob when she speaks to Link about Kafei. Admits she's afraid to meet him and wonders whether she should wait for him.[14] |
| 3:25 PM | Laundry Pool | Gets up from the bench and walks back towards the Stock Pot Inn. |
| 5:25 PM | Stock Pot Inn | Enters the Stock Pot Inn and puts away her umbrella. |
| 5:55 PM | Stock Pot Inn staff room | Enters the staff room. |
| Night of the Second Day | ||
| 6:00 PM | Stock Pot Inn lobby | Appears at the front desk. |
| 7:50 PM | Stock Pot Inn lobby | Walks to the front door. |
| 8:20 PM | Stock Pot Inn lobby | Stands outside the front door. |
| 8:30 PM | Stock Pot Inn lobby | Locks the front door and walks to the staff room. |
| 9:05 PM | Stock Pot Inn staff room | Enters the staff room. |
| 9:30 PM | Stock Pot Inn staff room | Speaks with her mother about fleeing to Romani Ranch. |
| 11:00 PM | Stock Pot Inn staff room | The conversation between Anju and her mother ends. |
| Dawn of the Final Day | ||
| 6:00 AM | Stock Pot Inn | Sweeps the bunk room while Anju's Mother mans the front desk. |
| 11:00 AM | Stock Pot Inn | Walks back to the staff room. |
| 11:50 AM | Stock Pot Inn staff room | Enters the staff room. |
| Night of the Final Day | ||
| 6:00 PM | Mama's House | Flees to Romani Ranch with her family. Sits in the bedroom with her head in her hands, wondering whether she made the right decision.[27] |
The Minish Cap
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.[28]
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.[29]
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.[30] 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;[31] however, if Link has already fused Kinstone Pieces with Anju, the Cucco will be astonished that the Kinstone Piece has disappeared.[32]
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.[33]
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.[34] Anju then comes in time to save him by distracting the baby chicks by feeding them.[35] 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)[37] | |
 FrenchEU | Anju (MM | MM3D)[39][39] | |
 German | Anju (TMC)[38] | |
 Italian | Anju (MM3D | TMC)[36] | |
 SpanishEU | Anju (TMC)[40] | |
| This table was generated using translation pages. To request an addition, please contact a staff member with a reference. | ||
Gallery
Anju with an umbrella from Majora's Mask
Anju sweeping from Majora's Mask
Anju working at the Stock Pot Inn from Majora's Mask
Anju speaking to Link (Goron) at the Stock Pot Inn from Majora's Mask 3D
Kafei and Anju reunited from Majora's Mask 3D
Anju in her wedding dress from Majora's Mask 3D
Anju from The Minish Cap manga
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Notes
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 (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ "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)
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 "I'm...actually...afraid to meet him...and to hear the reason why he wanted to disappear... It might be because of...me... There are only two days until the carnival... Should I wait? Kafei..." — Anju (Majora's Mask 3D)
- ↑ "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)
- ↑ "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)
- ↑ "I have decided to wait for him. I've made my promise... I'm fine with this. I believe him." — Anju (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ "Anju stayed in her room to wait for Kafei... It's foolish to believe a man like that. I too believed my husband would return out of the blue... Oh, Anju... That child's naive sense of trust may be my fault." — Anju's Mother (Majora's Mask 3D)
- ↑ "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)
- ↑ "I came here thinking I would look for him myself, but..." — Anju (Majora's Mask 3D)
- ↑ "Perhaps I was wrong... But he said so... The morning of the ceremony... He'd come meet me in my room... And I promised him I would wait... But...already...it's too late, isn't it?" — Anju (Majora's Mask 3D)
- ↑ "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?])
- ↑ Encyclopedia, Magazzini Salani, pg. 270
- ↑ Nintendo Official Guidebook—The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap, Shogakukan, pg. 145
- ↑ Encyclopedia, TOKYOPOP, pg. 270
- ↑ 39.0 39.1 Encyclopedia, Les Éditions Soleil, pg. 245
- ↑ Encyclopedia, Norma Editorial, pg. 270