How can you not love anything animal crossing? Its the best, the cutest and the most wholesome graphic novel suitable for all ages.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book! The title and this beautiful cover drew me in and i was excited to read this book! I will be recommending this book to others for readers advisory.

Deserted Island Diary, Vol. 1 is a very silly manga based on the most recent entry in the Animal Crossing video game series, New Horizons. The book depicts the lives of four youngsters embarking on an island vacation. After landing they meet Tom Nook and learn all about the Deserted Island Getaway Package, which was way more than they had bargained for. And these kids are not what Tom Nook was expecting either. Their antics are often absurd, and you might find yourself starting to feel a little bit bad for Tom Nook.

It’s interesting to see how the story plays out over each short chapter because you assume that these kids will learn from their mistakes. Several characters from the game are introduced, like Blathers, Wisp, and Raymond – and each of their chapters are sillier than the last. The storyline does stick to the basic premise of the game, landing on the island, getting your tent, learning how to use the DIY recipes, starting the museum, etc. However, it’s implied that the actions of these kids brings on the restrictions of what can be donated to the museum or how things can be crafted. Similarly, the art stays true to the video game’s style but adds in that specific manga aesthetic in some panels, which works really well.

The story is definitely geared toward elementary/middle school-aged kids, but adults that enjoy the games will likely chuckle at the antics of the characters. This was localized from the original Japanese version, so there are some jokes that get explained with asterisks. For me, it was a nice, short distraction from the stresses of everyday life. And between reading this and the recent content update to New Horizons, I was really excited to get back to the game this past week. It won’t be out until March of next year, but I do look forward to seeing what kind of ridiculous scenarios play out in Deserted Island Diary, Vol. 2.

I've been a huge fan of Animal Crossing: New Horizons for the past year and being able to read this comic made me feel like I was playing right from the beginning trying to figure out everything. I loved being back in the world. This is a really cute comic and I look forward to reading the other volumes.

A neat concept that was a little oddly/poorly executed. I understand that this is written in a manga style/format, but the plot (basically just a bunch of kids who end up on their deserted island thinking they're going on vacation and run into the Nooks) is a jumbled mess and difficult to follow. Also the kids attempting to eat beloved Animal Crossing villagers is more weird than cute. (Just like the kid that talks in snot bubbles...) I think an Animal Crossing manga or graphic novel series is a great idea, but this one misses the mark.

If you are a fan of Animal Crossing, and let's be honest...who isn't, you're going to really enjoy this graphic novel. The story line is silly and full of fun, and all the shenanigans will keep you reading!

I recognize this book is not completely geared towards me which is why I opted to give it 4 instead of 3 stars. This book is like an introduction to animal crossing and all the fun characters you encounter. We are entered into this word with 4 extreme kids who are off the walls energetic and excited to design their new island. Although I found them to be annoying at times I feel some kids will enjoy their crazy hijinks. Having already played animal crossing a lot I found some of the introductions to be a bit tedious, but for kids just discovering it they can see the rich world that already exists. This will be great for kids just discovering animal crossing, a very easy read.

I love Animal Crossing: New Horizons. I've played several hundred hours on the game (thanks pandemic)
I wanted to love this manga. I really did. It's a very tongue-in-cheek humorous story about 4 friends moving to the deserted island... but the entire gag of the comic is they all suck at it. All the introduced villagers are given weird personalities that will probably clash with fans' perception of them from the game. There's quite a few cultural references to Japan, so some readers may not understand all the gags.
Then half of it is short two-sentence bios about characters and villagers. It's not even a good guide in that sense.

Sorry, I wanted to love it but it's not that great. I was hoping for something that took itself a little more seriously, or at least a half-decent intro comic. It's better for people who have already played than new players.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons Vol 1 was a cute read. It had a fairly loose narrative tying the story together and was full of gags sure to delight children and adults alike who want to wind down for a casual read. Caleb Cook's translation read well and captured the characters' personalities in a charming way. Sara Linsley's lettering and touch-up art was a standout, especially since one character spoke entirely in snot bubbles and there were many textual elements to balance.

A cute graphic novel set in the world of Animal Crossings. I see the appeal, but it doesn’t capture the joy of playing the game in a novel about someone else’s characters.

A cute manga about the extremely popular Nintendo game Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Four kids arrive to a deserted island and are greeted by Tom Nook. He explains to them how they need to start from the ground up and make a home of the island. This is essentially a player's guide bundled in a loose storyline. There's quite a bit of humor in the interactions with the kids and Tom Nook (and Blathers). I especially found the Gullivar section to be hilarious ("distress..."). Also included is a character guide that features the main NPCs as well as a few unique villagers you may encounter.

This is listed as volume 1. I'm not quite sure where a volume 2 will lead, maybe just a straight up story about the four children? Something totally different? Regardless, I'll probably check it out.

This cute and manga gives a story to the Animal Crossing video game, with a group coming to a deserted island and creating their own community, with the help of Tom Nook and other favorite characters. A lot of familiar characters, including recurring villagers, appear in this manga. It is very fun, if not a little silly, and will definitely appeal to fans of animal crossing. The art style and humor is very simple and quick read.

I was so excited for this manga. Unfortunately, it fell flat for me. He was fairly generic and I though it was going to dive more into what a villager may be thinking and a little less of the random and silly. I also felt like the tips at the end were a very basic brochure for the game. I really the bonus feature at the end where the author showed some of her own island designs.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons Deserted Island Diary Volume One is a manga adaptation of the Animal Crossing: New Horizons videogame.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons Deserted Island Diary Volume One
Written by: KOKONASU RUMBA
Publisher: Shogakukan
English Publisher: VIZ Media
Release Date: September 14, 2021

This manga adaptation of Animal Crossing: New Horizons is published in CoroCoro Comic in Japan, which is aimed more at a young demographic. Because of this, I have to go into this review not judging this material through my adult eyes. I was interested in reading this manga, because my kids introduced me to the Animal Crossing: New Horizons videogame in Fall 2020, and I really enjoy it. At the time this review is being written, I still play the game rather frequently.

What I have to give credit for here is that the chapters pretty much follow the series of steps the player takes in the game. For example, the first chapter sees the human characters arriving on the island for the “deserted island getaway.” The concept of DIYs is introduced, the characters move into a tent, then they build a house, and Blathers comes to the island and opens the museum. We also see the islanders encountering the characters of Wisp and Gulliver and having adventures with them.

Some of the expected characters from the Animal Crossing franchise make an appearance here: Tom Nook, Timmy, Tommy, and Blathers are the most notable. Isabelle hasn’t appeared yet, but I have a feeling she will appear in a subsequent volume of the series. The island has to get far enough for her to be needed. This volume also introduced Raymond, one of the animal villagers from the series. Raymond is a villager I have on my island, and I have to say that his depiction here has been exaggerated from how he acts in the videogame. Yes, Raymond can be a little cocky, but the Raymond that’s presented here is a complete narcissist. My guess is that KOKONASU RUMBA wanted young readers to be able to quickly grasp what kind of character he is. It probably also helps that Raymond’s over-the-top narcissism made it easier to write humor for the series. Bill and Dom also appear in the main story.

Now to introduce the human characters. Coroyuki is a boy that is obsessed with fish, Benben is a boy that loves learning, Himepoyo is a girl who loves money and is the “princess” of the group, and Guchan is always sleeping and spells out words with his snot bubbles. As an adult, I may have found these characters to be “over the top,” but the children who are the intended audience will find amusement and humor in the humans characters’ depictions.

When it comes to the art, KOKONASU RUMBA gave the animal characters very “cute” looks. The human characters look more exaggerated, and the exaggeration of this art makes it clear that the manga is being aimed at a younger audience.

The manga also includes an “animal guide,” which provides pictures of the various animal characters in the series, as well as descriptions, trivia, and a mini comic to show the character in action. The characters featured here include Tom Nook, Blathers, Mabel, Gulliver, Saharah, Wisp, C.J., Isabelle, Wilbur, Harvey, Dom, Raymond, Knox, Marcel, Ribbot, Gaston, Limberg, Chester, Al, and Joey. This is a great feature to include for readers who may not already be familiar with the Animal Crossing: New Horizons videogame.

There are also some “Island Life Guides” for the series, with explanations of concepts and tips for things players can do with the game. All of these are accompanied by mini comics. There are also a couple of “Happy Harvesting Life?!” comics that show a little more of island life.

There are also two “bonus diaries.” One is labeled as, “Quartet Breakdown,” with pages for each of the human characters. There’s a drawing of the character, and some quick bite-sized trivia about each one. The other one is “RUMBA’s ACNH Game Diary.” In it, the author is drawn going through the island she’s set up on Animal Crossing: New Horizons, showing off locations she’s created.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons Deserted Island Diary is labeled as being for “All Ages,” and there’s no content that is inappropriate for children. However, after reading the first volume of the series, I feel safe in saying that this title is going to have a much stronger appeal for children, especially for children who play Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Adults who play the game will likely find the character depictions to be “over the top,” but children should be able to identify and understand the exaggerated characteristics that each human character has.