Man from Curiosity Shop
Template:Character The Man from Curiosity Shop is a character in Majora's Mask.[1][note 1]
Biography
The Man from Curiosity Shop runs two different shops in West Clock Town. By day, he runs the Trading Post and adopts the friendly demeanor of a general store manager. By night, he alters his appearance and manner and runs a shady pawn shop that sells stolen goods.[3][4]
When Kafei was young, the Man from Curiosity Shop gave him a Keaton Mask. Years later, when the Skull Kid changed Kafei into a child again, it was his Keaton Mask that convinced the Man from Curiosity Shop that he was looking at his old friend.[5] During his ordeal, he lets Kafei hide in the Curiosity Shop Back Room, where he spies on the shop's activity and waits for his stolen Sun Mask to make its way to the Curiosity Shop.[6]
No one in Clock Town seems to realize that the man running the Curiosity Shop and the man running the Trading Post are one and the same. The Part-Timer, who works at the Trading Post, cannot explain why his boss has so much money despite their lack of customers.[7] During his adventure, Link can gather clues about his true identity. If he wears the Stone Mask and eavesdrops on the man while he is working at the Trading Post, he will mutter about preparing for the night shift, presumably at the Curiosity Shop, since the Part-Timer runs the Trading Post in the evening.[8] Additionally, he uses the same idiosyncratic phrase, "I kid you not," while working at both stores. Finally, his shift at the Trading Post ends before the Curiosity Shop opens, and he does not work at the Trading Post at all on the Final Day, presumably because he is in the back room waiting for Link.
The Man from Curiosity Shop is also one of the characters that has an entry in the Bombers' Notebook. His entry will be completed if Link gets the Special Delivery to Mama and the Keaton Mask from him in the back room during the Kafei and Anju sidequest and buys the All-Night Mask from him on the Final Day. It is impossible to do both of these in the same three-day cycle; Link must stop Sakon's robbery in North Clock Town to make the All-Night Mask appear in the Curiosity Shop, but if the robbery is stopped Sakon never visits the Curiosity Shop to sell the Bomb Bag, so Kafei never gets the chance to identify and follow the man who stole the Sun Mask from him, so Kafei never leaves the Keaton Mask and the Special Delivery to Mama with the Man from Curiosity Shop.
The Man from Curiosity Shop resembles the Fishing Hole Men that appear in Majora's Mask 3D.[note 2] However, they deny the resemblance.[9]
Personas
Man from Curiosity Shop
The Man from Curiosity Shop buys and sells stolen goods.[10] He usually acquires these goods from the Takkuri flying near Milk Road in Termina Field or from Sakon the thief, who is apparently a regular customer.[11] If Link saves the old lady who sells Bombs at midnight of the first night, he can purchase the All-Night Mask from him on the Final Day. If Link fails to save the old lady, her delivery of Bomb Bags will make their way to the Curiosity Shop to be purchased on the Final Day instead.
The Man from Curiosity Shop will act chummy with his customers, sometimes calling Link "buddy," but has no qualms about rudely turning away business that he does not want. If Link talks to him in either his Goron or Zora form, the Man from Curiosity Shop will tell him not to come back,[12] and he shoos away Deku Link.[13] He also refuses to serve Link if he is wearing a mask.[14] When it comes to dealing with his providers, he will even resort to threats or lower his purchase price to maintain his illusion of control.[15][16] He claims that he is not guilty of any illegal activity, but is acting as a charitable middleman who provides quality products to persons who would not be able to buy them otherwise.[17]
Schedule
| Day | Time | Location | Activity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1, 2, and 3 | 10:00 PM | Curiosity Shop | Opens shop |
| 1, 2, and 3 | 5:00 AM | Curiosity Shop | Closes shop |
| 3 | 1:00 PM | Curiosity Shop Back Room | Waits for Link |
Man from Trading Post
As the Man from Trading Post, he acts as the proprietor of the Trading Post. After 10 PM, he has a part-time worker manning the Trading Post.
When working at the trading post, he is much more polite than when he is working at the Curiosity Shop. He will let both Goron Link and Zora Link shop in his store.[18][19] He does not serve Link if he wears any mask, but he is more polite about refusing him service than in the Curiosity Shop.[20] He seems to recognize Kafei's Mask but then will say he does not know him;[21] he knows about the function of the All-Night Mask;[22] he says his store is not "members-only," so Link should take off Romani's Mask;[23] he praises Link for his hard work if he wears the Postman's Hat;[24] he also congratulates Link if he wears the Couple's Mask;[25] among other responses.[26][27][28][29][30]
Nomenclature
 Names in Other Regions 
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Language | Name | Meaning | |
 |
FrenchCA | Gérant du bazar (MM3D) | |
 |
FrenchEU | Le vendeur du Bazar | Bazaar seller |
 |
German | Mann vom Kuriositätenladen | Man from Curiosity Shop |
 |
SpanishEU | Hombre de la T. de Curiosidades | Man of the Curiosity S. |
 |
SpanishLA | Encargado (MM3D) | |
Gallery
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The Man from Curiosity Shop from Majora's Mask
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The Man from Trading Post from Majora's Mask
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The Man from Curiosity Shop in the Curiosity Shop Back Room
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Notes
- ↑ The Man from Curiosity Shop is referred to as the Curiosity Shop Guy in the Error: invalid game guide.[2] However, as this contradicts the name given in Encyclopedia, it is not considered Canon.
- ↑ In the original Majora's Mask, the Man from Curiosity Shop was made to be the Terminian counterpart of the Fishing Hole Man in Ocarina of Time. The latter was introduced to Termina in the 3DS remake, which added the fishing minigame.
References
- ↑ Encyclopedia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 245
- ↑ Error: book title required, Versus Books, pg. 79
- ↑ "Have you some errand in the mountains? It's dangerous at night, so I cannot allow a child like you to... Your sword was stolen? So it's true...Lately, I've been hearing about a shady shop in town that sells stolen goods at night... This must be a result of their activities." — Guard (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ "Buy supplies at the 24-hour Trading Post. The manager looks just like the man at the Curiosity Shop, and it's no coincidence - they're the same person!" (The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask Official Nintendo Player's Guide, Nintendo Power, pg. 29)
- ↑ "Now Kafei... I've known him since he was real little... But when he showed up looking all young in that little brat body, I didn't know what I was seeing! All it took was one glance at that Keaton Mask he was carrying for me to realize that I was looking at my old friend. I gave him that mask a long time ago when he was just li'l Kafei. Didn't know he kept it that well for so long..." — Man from Curiosity Shop (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ "Things that get stolen in this town always make their way to the Curiosity Shop. I'm waiting for that to happen. Stand on that crate and peek into that hole. From here, I check on the Curiosity Shop's customers. That guy will definitely appear. I'll be waiting when it happens." — Kafei (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ "... We don't get many customers, so why does the boss have so much money?" — Part-Timer (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ "That's weird! I thought somebody had walked in here. Ah, well. I have to get ready for the night shift, anyway." — Man from Trading Post (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ "Huh? Ya say ya saw someone with my face in town? ...Nonsense. It's nonsense! I have no idea who yer talking about!! Nonsense, it is. We're not talkin' about this anymore. Got it? Just drop it." — Fishing Hole Man (Majora's Mask 3D)
- ↑ "Man from Curiosity Shop, buys and sells stolen goods. Open at night only." — Bombers' Notebook (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ "The guy's a regular... A greedy thief named Sakon. I think he's from Ikana Village..." — Man the from Curiosity Shop (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ "Eesh. You frighten me. I keep special hours for folks like you. Try comin' back at half past never." — Man from Curiosity Shop (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ "Hey, boy! Shouldn't you be with your parents? Go on! Get!" — Man from Curiosity Shop (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ "...Sorry. I don't serve masqueraders." — Man from Curiosity Shop (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ "'...100.' 'Don't be such a Rupee pincher, you miser. 200!' 'Well, why don't I just offer you even less? And y'know, this is the Bomb Shop's! How 'bout if I tell 'em all about you?'" — Man from Curiosity Shop and Sakon (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ "'I...I understand. Then the total is...' 'It's 50 now. So there ya go.' 'What? You said 100...' 'Ohhhh...So you don't want me to take it off your hands...' 'W-W-Wait! It's a deal! It's a deal!'" — Man from Curiosity Shop and Sakon (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ "A seller of stolen goods is just a middleman who's trying to provide his customers with good product. Look, I know nothing. If it comes to me, I buy it! I'm a charitable organization that helps people in need!" — Man from Curiosity Shop (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ "Whoa-ho-ho! Niiiice sideburns!" — Trading Post Guy (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ "Welcome. Hey, you're pretty fit. I'll bet you do a lot of training!" — Trading Post Guy (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ "No using masks in the store because of past indiscretions!" — Man from Trading Post (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ "Kafei! No, I don't know any such kid. I kid you not!" — Man from Trading Post (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ "If you wear something like that, you'll never be able to sleep. I kid you not!" — Man from Trading Post (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ "This isn't "members-only," so take that thing off. I kid you not!" — Man from Trading Post (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ "That's great for a young kid. Delivery is hard work." — Man from Trading Post (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ "Oh! Who's the lucky lady? Congratulations." — Man from Trading Post (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ "Hey, that's nice... Maybe I can start carrying that in my store... I kid you not!" — Man from Trading Post (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ "My shop is small, so don't go dancing up a storm in here!" — Man from Trading Post (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ "That is one bizarre getup you've got on your head. Take it off..." — Man from Trading Post (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ "Don't go leading some parade through a little place like this." — Man from Trading Post (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ "Careful! Don't go blowing yourself up in a place like this... I kid you not!" — Man from Trading Post (Majora's Mask)