When I heard that a Kirby manga was being translated to English speaking audicences for the first time (legally), I was thrilled. First, I didn't even know there was a Kirby manga, but given the cute cream puff's popularity, it shouldn't have been a surprise. Second, well, there is no second, so that that pretty much wraps that up.
What is Kirby Manga Mania? If you're thinking the title sounds very similar to Super Mario Manga Mania that released last year, you'd be right. Much like Super Mario-kun received a name change for it's first official English release, Kirby's second longest running manga is getting the same treatment.
Written and illustrated by mangaka Hirokazu Hikawa, in Japan, Kirby Manga Mania is known as Hoshi no Kabyi: Dedede de Pupupu na Mongatari, or Kirby of the Stars: The Story of Dedede Who Lives in Pupupu. Knowing what the manga was called in Japan after finishing the first volume, sheds a bit more light on the stories since King Dedede has appeared in every chapter. The manga ran from April 27, 1995 to October 27, 2006, clocked in at 25 volumes. The fact that English speaking audiences are already slated to get volumes 2 and 3 is excellent news for Kirby fans such as myself.
But man, Kirby manga! How cool would this be?! Seeing Kirby go on all kinds of crazy, world saving adventures, defeating gods like he does in the games? Well, there was none of that. The thought occurred to me that Kirby Manga Mania might be different from what I was expecting, but what I got was something else entirely. Kirby Manga Mania is, in a word, bonkers. In two words, really bonkers. In three words, really freaking bonkers.
The premise for Kirby Manga Mania can be summed up as follows: Dedede is trying to live his life and like wrecking ball, Kirby swings in and ruins everything. Being a child, Kirby is often oblivious to making Dedede's life miserable but that doesn't stop him from using his Copy ability to often make things worse. In the first story, Dedede is enjoying a picnic until Kirby descends, accidentally gets drunk (the story says Kirby is "loopy" but we all know what that means) throws a tantrum and rants to his majesty about life. That may sound too crazy and unlike Kirby to be true, but I promise you, I did not make up any of what I just wrote. All of that is a legit.
The Kirby in Kirby Manga Mania is the biggest mischief maker we've ever seen him be. Kirby has the time of his life while Dedede is burned, smashed or crushed over and over again. You might think this makes the manga stale, but the outlandish scenarios Kirby and the gang get into manages to keep things fresh. I think my favorite story involves Kirby and Dedede getting into a fight that escalates to them each founding their own nations. Yes, you read that correctly.
Outside of Kirby and Dedede, Poppy Bros Jr., Adeline, Rick, Coo, Kine, Gooey and other Kirby familiars show up. The art style is very round-ish, reminding me a lot of earlier manga works.
This is very much a children's gag manga and is a wonderful contrast to the more serious, dark manga the market is rife with. But just because children are the target audience, that doesn't mean adults won't get lots of kicks out of it. I sure did and I am eagerly anticipating the next two volumes and hoping we get more.
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