Viz announced the release of a Kirby manga and I had to do a double-take when I saw that it was the first English manga release for Nintendo’s lovable, plump pink menace. I thought for SURE Kirby had an English manga release by now. SEVERAL, in fact. How could you NOT want a series that stars a hero who embodies everything we should strive to be: adorable gluttons who absorb our enemy’s powers to beat them at their own game.
According to Viz’s press release, “Kirby Manga Mania shows what Kirby does best: sleeping, eating, destroying, yet saving the day and always looking cute!” That’s right, you can, indeed, obliterate everything around you for the sake of a good meal and manage to be the hero your land deserves.
Here’s the synopsis of the first volume:
Jump into Dream Land with Kirby and gobble up some fun! Everyone’s favorite pink puff teams up with his friends to keep arch-frenemy King Dedede in line. Fans of all ages can enjoy this collection of classic Kirby comics—just take a deep breath and hop on in!
Creator Hirokazu Hikawa had this to say about the upcoming English release:
“This is my first best-of collection. I selected the funniest stories out of the Kirby manga series’ 25-volume run. I also drew the series’ first brand-new chapter in 11 years, as well as some bonus comics. I hope you’ll enjoy those too.”
Not only are we finally getting the localization of Hikawa’s work (which dates back to the 90s), but we’re also getting brand new content from the creator! There’s also (as you’ll see in the preview images below) entertaining commentary from Hikawa, as to be expected when looking back at content you started in 1995!
Trust me, Hikawa, it was most definitely okay!
The stories center on Kirby and the other residents of Dream Land, including King Dedede, Dark Matter, Jukid, Gooey, and Chef Kawasaki (just to name a few). In this sneak peek, you can see that everyone’s trying to live their best life, doing their best to work around Kirby’s insatiable appetite.
But the residents of Dreamland can only take so much.
This manga screams “UwU hijinks all around” with the characters going all out over tennis matches, a board game with some serious Jumanji vibes, and the greatest nemesis of all: Kirby’s picnic ruining stomach. Will Kirby and King Dedede be allowed back into Dreamland? Is there a food that Kirby won’t eat? And, more importantly, who did Kirby eat to get good at tennis?
Kirby Manga Mania will be released on June 8th and is available for preorder right now!
(Image: Hirokazu Hikawa)
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