After Smash Bros. streams, Direct presentations and more YouTube uploads than we can count, we'd wager that you probably have a pretty good understanding of who Masahiro Sakurai is by this point. But seeing his life story told through a manga? Now that's new (thanks for the heads up, VGC).
Famitsu has revealed that the legendary creator of Kirby and Smash will soon have his very own manga biography, titled "Masahiro Sakurai: Making the World More Fun with Games' (via Google Translate). The book, on which Sakurai has lent a helping hand, traces his life from a childhood passion for gaming, through the creation of Kirby and Sora, and up to the present day. There's even a conclusion that Sakurai himself appears to have written.
According to Famitsu, the manga's six chapters are titled as follows (again, via Translate):
- Chapter 1: "Boy Sakurai and Games"
- Chapter 2: "The Birth of Kirby of the Stars!"
- Chapter 3: "The Beginning of the Great Battle"
- Chapter 4: "Sora Limited Company Established!"
- Chapter 5: "Inheritance"
- Chapter 6: "A Light for the Future"
The book will launch in Japan on 18th November for 1,430 yen (roughly £7 / $9), and while an English translation hasn't been announced at the time of writing, Famitsu has revealed a peek at the following three pages:
Sakurai's YouTube channel provided us with an unparalleled look into the developer's mind, so we're not exactly sure what else there is to know. That said, a manga biography wouldn't have made our bingo card any time soon, so it sure is a cool announcement.
The next time we see Sakurai will likely be in his second Kirby Air Riders Direct, which was teased last month. The pink puffball's upcoming racer arrives on Switch 2 on 20th November, so there's only so many weeks left for another info dump from Sakurai himself. Keep those eyes peeled for a Direct announcement!