Super Mario (Kodansha manga)

The title of this article is official, but it comes from a Japanese source.
If an acceptable English name is found, then the article should be moved to the new title.

Super Mario
Artist	Kazuki Motoyama
Publisher	Kodansha
Labels	Comic BomBom Special (first issue) KC Deluxe
Original language	Japanese
Volumes	43

The Super Mario manga by Kazuki Motoyama, also known as KC Mario, is a series that was serialized by Kodansha in its manga anthology Comic BomBom from December 1988 through September 1998, with side chapters published in the sister publication Deluxe BomBom, spanning a total of 183 stories. The manga features original characters, the use of self-referential humor, and occasional references to Japanese pop culture. The manga was never published under a single consistent title, instead changing its title to tie in with the latest game of the Super Mario franchise being adapted at the time, starting from Super Mario Bros. 3 all the way up to Super Mario 64, with the final two collected volumes in this series tying into Yoshi's Story. The manga ceased publication due to Kodansha losing the Super Mario license and has never been reprinted since then. The series includes a large amount of crude humor throughout the series, such as nudity and sexual innuendos.

A total of 43 collected volumes, or tankōbon, was published of this series. The first volume, based on Super Mario Bros. 3, was published as a manga strategy guide as part of Kodansha's Family Computer Hisshō Dōjō series under the Comic BomBom Special imprint. From Super Mario Land and onward, the volumes were published as regular manga collections under the KC Deluxe imprint. The first few pages of each volume contain a mini strategy guide featuring commentary on levels from the games the stories are based on. While the volumes contain most of the mainline chapters and side chapters, there were five chapters, including the finale, that were not featured in any of the collections.

There were also two collections of 4-koma comic strips released under this series, with the strips themselves being drawn by various artists in addition to Motoyama.

Characters

Main characters

Name	Description
Mario	The protagonist of the series, the hero of the Mushroom Kingdom and a ladies man, much to Peach's jealous fits. He is brave and heroic, he can also come up with a quick plan to get out of bad situations.
Luigi	Mario's younger brother, who respects him but also envies. He is more cautious than his brother, but he is often the one being hurt the most from their adventures. While he initially fawned for Princess Peach, he developed a crush on Daisy, the first ever time a romantic note was added to their relationship in the franchise.
Princess Peach	The princess of the Mushroom Kingdom. She likes Mario and often bickers with him when another girl gives him attention. Many characters have a crush on her, especially Bowser, who constantly attempts to kidnap her to marry her. While often his prisoner, Peach has been shown to be able to succesfully fight back her oppressor, often joining Mario on his adventures.
Yoshi	The young omnivor dinosaur that lives in Dinosaur Land. After meeting him in Super Mario World, he joins Mario and the gang in their adventures as Mario's trusty steed. A running gag sees him trying to adapt Yoshi's Cookie, but he barely manages to use something from that game, before being shut down.
Daisy	The kind but bratty princess of Sarasaland. Since her debut she had a crush on Mario and, therefore, a rivalry with Peach. This rivalry was slowly dying down after accepting Luigi's feelings, but she often tries to break up Mario and Peach's relationship just for fun. She has a major role in the Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins arc, offering herself to be the damsel in distress and then turning into the villanous Warudeijī, and then ends up sacrificing herself during the Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 arc to stop a deadly plague.

Antagonists

Name	Description
Bowser	The evil King of the Koopas who always tries to conquer the Mushroom Kingdom one region at the time and to marry Princecss Peach. For the majority of the first volumes, he dresses up as the focused game's fictional king. Unlike his game design, his whole scaley body is green instead of being green only in the head.
Koopalings	The seven children of Bowser that help him in his quests. Wendy has a more prominent role than her brothers as she as the second goal to take Mario for herself, much to her father's exasperation and Mario's disgust. Wendy is initially depicted having her whole body pink.
Tatanga	The small but violent emperor of Tatanga-sei who came to Earth to conquer it, during the Super Mario Land events. After his defeat, he is forced to be Daisy's assistant, slowly reforming into a good guy. During the Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins events, Tatanga is convinced by Wario to return to villany, but after being defeated he is once again reformed. He is erroneusly depicted with a brown skin.
Donkey Kong Snr./Cranky Kong	The brute gorilla that used to kidnap Mario's girlfriend. He appears in the Super Mario Kart arc, originally as his son's agent and Mario's enemy, but grows to respect him when he saves his son from a fiery car crash. The two return to be enemies during the Donkey Kong arc: grown bigger, he saves Junior from Peach's circus, accidentally taking Pauline with him. Once Donkey Kong Sr. regained his composure, he grows into the old cranky elder of Donkey Kong Island in the Donkey Kong Country arc.
Donkey Kong Jr.	Donkey Kong Snr.'s son, who also gave Mario some troubles in the past. He appears as a rival pilot in the Super Mario Kart arc and then as the main star of Peach's circus in the Donkey Kong arc. Compared to his father, he is less violent and competitive.
Wart	The king of nightmares in Subcon. He takes control of the kingdom's inhabitants to turn them into his masked slaves, but his plans are thwarted by Mario and his friends. He reappears in the Super Mario All-Stars story in which he allies with The Lost Levels Bowser to ruin the game's celebration party.
Wario	Mario's anti-emulator, who tries to best him in everything. He is the main villain of Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins, Mario & Wario and Wario's Woods arcs, he allies with Bowser in the Super Mario Kart arc, and co-stars with Mario and friends in the Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 arc, appearing more as a supporting antihero than the titular protagonist.
Captain Syrup	The leader of the Brown Sugar Pirates. She steals a golden statue of Mario and Luigi to turn it into a staute of herself, but is defeated and deprived of her treasures. During the after-story of Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 she is looking for her magic lamp, unaware that her former gang has it and is conspiring against her to conquer the world on their own.
King K. Rool	The king of the Kremlings. After recluting the exiled Manky Kong in his Krew, he uses his notions to take over Donkey Kong Island, but he is stopped by Mario and the Kongs. In response, K. Rool conquers the Mushroom Kingdom and tries to take over DK Island again, putting the Toads and Peach's freedom on the line. He is depicted with blue scales instead of green.

Recurring characters

Name	Description
Kazuki Motoyama/Mototin	The self-inserted avatar of the artist. He often takes a jab at himself for being an overworked and overstressed mangaka, even portaiting his day-to-day private life and worklife in various 4-koma. He is often followed by Henshū, his editor, or his sister Risa.
Dr. Areku	A scientist and Tetris professor that helps Mario fight against King Tetris and Torino Daiō.
Mushroom King	Princess Peach's father and current ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom. He is quite calm and relaxed, despite everything happening around him. This is his only depiction in which he does not have a Toad or a Toad-like headwear.
Toad	Peach's subjects and friend of Mario and Luigi. Compared to the games, he plays a more marginal role in the series, often helping the King.
Village chief	The chief of Kinoko Yama, he appears in minor roles but has a major role durin the Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 saga, giving directions to the heroes and helping against the pirates' plague by turning into a mushroom.
Yosshīdamusu	The Yoshi elder and prophet that resides in Star World. He helps Mario by giving him suggestions on how to proceed. A running gag sees him being often unrecognized by the protagonist due to his nature of original character.
Billy and Tony	Two pro-golfers, the former is a powerful giant and the latter is a rich snob. They are seen often competing against Mario at sports or as young students of the local kindergarten.
Kinoppe	A Catgirl-Toad, the mascotte of the series. She is the granddaughter of Dr. Mario Nakamatsu. She often takes the role of a cameo, often as a referee. In later years, she became the protagonist of a doujin series unrelated to KC Mario.
Dr. Mario Nakamatsu	A scientist from the future and grandfather of Kinoppe. He is often taken advantage of by Bowser. During his permanence in the present time, he is the head doctor of the Mushroom Kingdom Hospital. His relation to Mario is unknown.
Lady	Mario's former girlfriend that was originally kidnapped by Donkey Kong Snr. She appears in the Super Mario Kart arc as a mechanic. Despite the fact that Mario and Lady are now just friends, Peach does not like the idea of the two hanging together. Due to the misinformation on the Japanese side of things, she is considered a different character from Pauline.
Jī	Peach's butler and caretaker, predating Toadsworth.
Birdo	One of Wart's right-hand man, despite the fact that (s)he wants to be refered as a girl. She was initially hostile against Mario and the gang, but tired of always fighting her, they convinced her to pass over to their side with the promise of presenting her to Yoshi, to which she immediately agreed, much to Yoshi's displeasure. She is often seen flirting with various guys in the manga.
Wanda	The magical pixie fairy from Yōsei no Mori, who helped Mario to deal with Wario in both the Mario & Wario arc and the Wario's Woods arc.
Pauline	A circus performer hired by Peach. She was supposed to share the trapeze with Donkey Kong Jr., taken away from his home-island, but when his father came to get him, Pauline was taken away by accident, causing Mario, Luigi, and Peach to follow the Kongs to rescue her. Due to the misinformation on the Japanese side of things, she is considered a different character from Lady.
Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong	The heroes of Donkey Kong Island, the former being the grandson of Donkey Kong Snr. They join forces with Mario to stop the Kremling Krew in a couple of occasions.

Volumes

This section is under construction. Therefore, please excuse its informal appearance while it is being worked on. We hope to have it completed as soon as possible.

Comic BomBom Special

Title	Image	Description	Release date
Super Mario Bros. 3 Kanzen Kōryakuhon		A strategic guide of Super Mario Bros. 3 told in the style of a comical manga.	March 1, 1989

KC Deluxe

#	Title	Image	Description	Release date
1	Super Mario Land		A four-chapter adaptation of Super Mario Land: Mario and Princess Peach are celebrating Princess Daisy's birthday, when she is suddenly kidnapped by Tatanga, an alien prince that wants to force her to marry her. Mario goes to her rescue, while Peach follows him with a Mecha Kuribō suit to ensure he does not cheat on her.	August 17, 1989
2	Super Mario Land 2		Tetris story arc: Mario and Peach discovers a map to the pyramid of the Tetris Ningen. The group overcomes the tribe's traps and trials, until they have a face off against King Tetris, who is revealed to be a disguised Bowser. After Bowser steals the tribe's rocket ship, he begins an attack on Earth by dropping from the sky Tetris blocks and turning the Toads into blocks.	December 16, 1989
3	Super Mario Land 3		A volume dedicated to Mario's sports entries: Golf, Baseball and Tennis. The Tetris story arc from the last volume also gets a new final chapter, with King Tetris challenging the heroes at ice hockey.	March 17, 1990
4	Super Mario Land 4		Qix story arc: Bowser kidnaps Daisy and forces Mario and Peach to save her by beating various Super Mario Land enemies to a Qix-styled game. Solar Striker story arc: Mario and Peach are contacted by their descendants from the future, where Bowser is wrecking havoc in the galaxy.	July 17, 1990
5	Dr. Mario		Dr. Mario story arc: Bowser develops a monster virus army to invade the Mushroom Kingdom, while he runs to safety with Peach and Daisy. Mario discovers that the viruses hate a mountain mushroom, from which he creates the capsules to defeat them. After all viruses are defeated, Bowser releases a final one that he made invulnerable to the capsules and infects Luigi. In order to save him, Mario and Peach enter his body.	October 17, 1990
6	Super Mario Bros. 4: Super Mario World 1		First part of the Super Mario World story arc: while on vacation on Super Famicom Island, Mario, Luigi, and Peach find a dinosaur named Yoshi. He explains Bowser has taken over the Dinosaur Land and trapped his friends in eggs. Right then, some Super Koopas capture Peach and take her to Bowser. Mario, Luigi, and Yoshi go to rescue her, traversing Yoshi's Island and Donut Plains.	February 6, 1991
7	Super Mario Bros. 4: Super Mario World 2		Second part of the Super Mario World story arc: the trio is continuing on their journey, traversing Vanilla Dome, Twin Bridges, and the Forest of Illusion. Peach manages to escape Bowser's clutches, but she is captured by Roy and Wendy.	May 9, 1991
8	Super Mario Bros. 4: Super Mario World 3		Third part of the Super Mario World story arc: the trio continues to chase Peach in Chocolate Island and the Valley of Bowser. Luigi gets hypnotized by a Magikoopa, but, in fighting the brainwashing, seemingly falls in lava.	August 6, 1991
9	Super Mario Bros. 4: Super Mario World 4		Fourth part of the Super Mario World story arc: after traversing Bowser's Castle, Mario challenges him, but he fails due to a protective barrier around the Koopa Clown Car. Luigi and Yoshi save him, and hide in the Star World, where they gain the help of the colored Yoshis and improve their skills in the Special Zone. After crashing Bowser and Peach's wedding, Mario defeats him and rescues the princess.	October 5, 1991
10	Super Mario World! Mario Open Golf		NES Open Tournament Golf story arc: Mario and Luigi compete in golf to see how they can impress both Peach and Daisy (who develops a crush on Luigi), but are then approached by Mr. K, who invites them to join a golf tournament. The champions Billy and Tony are also interested in joining to win the money prize, unaware that it is a setup from Bowser to humiliate Mario.	February 6, 1992
11	Super Mario Bros. 4: Super Mario World 5		Mario, Luigi, and Peach return to Dinosaur Land to enjoy a vacation with Yoshi, but their plans are halted when Bowser and his minions keep trying to ruin their plans and kidnap Peach in any way possible.	March 6, 1992
12	Super Mario Bros. 4: Super Mario World 6		Mario and his friends are nominated detectives after Peach's museum is robbed by Bowser, unaware that the Koopa King was framed. The volume follows other adventures from the new Mario detective agency.	June 6, 1992
13	Super Mario World! Yoshi no Tamago		Yoshi story arc: As Yoshi begins his own pizza place, Bowser tries to ruin it while also searching for a way to summon a powerful dragon, discovering that Yoshi's Eggs have very interesting magical properties.	August 6, 1992
14	Super Mario Bros. 4: Super Mario World 7		Super Mario Great story arc (largely based on SimCity and Alleyway): to protect Mario City from Bowser's kaiju army, Mario becomes the gigantic superhero Super Mario Great.	October 6, 1992
15	Super Mario Kart 1		First part of the Super Mario Kart story arc: while repairing the Mushroom Castle pipes, Mario breaks a very expensive vase. To repay it, he decides to win the money prize of the BomBom Cup Grand Prix. While supported by his friends, including ex-girlfriend Lady, his biggest rivals are ready to humiliate him on the track.	February 6, 1993
16	Super Mario USA		Super Mario Bros. 2 story arc: Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Toad follows a thief that stole their farming seeds to Subcon, the land of the dreams, where they are pleeded by the inhabitants to stop the nightmare king Wart, who has taken over Subcon to then spread nightmares to the world.	March 6, 1993
17	Super Mario Kart 2		Second part of the Super Mario Kart story arc: Peach organizes a special battle tournament while the King accidentally appoints her daughter as the prize. The second story, is a story about Daisy's origins.	June 5, 1993
18	Super Mario Land 2 - 6-tsu no Kinka 1		First part of the Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins story arc: Wario, Mario's evil lookalike, took over the Mario Land, brainwashed its inhabitants, and closed off the passage to the castle with the six Golden Coins. To add insult to injury, Wario also kidnaps Daisy. Peach and Mario, aided by Mario's pet Battle Beetle, go to take back the coins from the guardians of Tree Zone, Macro Zone, and Pumpkin Zone.	July 6, 1993
19	Super Mario Kart 3		A special two-pilots race is about to begin, the Super Mario Cart Rally. Team Mario, which includes the brothers, is joined by the Princess, going against her father wishes to take part to the race. To protect the trio from Team Bowser and Wario's sneaky tricks, the masked hero Cannon Ball Z come to their aid.	November 6, 1993
20	Super Mario Land 2 - 6-tsu no Kinka 2		Second part of the Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins story arc: while Luigi, the Mushroom King, and Toad join the battle, the heroes face the guardians of the Mario Zone, Turtle Zone, and Space Zone, and a villanous Daisy.	January 8, 1994
21	Super Mario: Yoshi no Road Hunting 1		First part of the Yoshi's Safari story arc: Bowser kidnaps Dr. Mario Nakamatsu to force him to make powerful mech for him and his kids to use to take over Jewelry Land. Mario and Yoshi are instructed by Peach to go and save the land, with the help of Nakamatsu's Scope gun they retrieve from Big Bertha.	March 5, 1994
22	Super Mario Land 2 - 6-tsu no Kinka 3		Third part of the Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins story arc: the Mario Bros. enter the castle, while Wario, short on allies, attempt to ressurect them all, also bringing back Mario's. After a long power-up battle, Wario is defeated and Mario takes back his kingdom After story: Mario returns to his royal duties in Mario Land, while Wario organizes a couple of plans to get his revenge.	May 6, 1994
23	Super Mario: Yoshi no Road Hunting 2			June 6, 1994
24	Mario & Wario		Mario & Wario story arc: Wario invites Mario, Luigi, Peach to a picnic, with the real intention of kidnapping Mario by placing a bucket on his head, but due to a hat switch, he instead takes Luigi, so Mario, Peach, and Yoshi go after him. During their chase, the realm of the fairies gets shocked by Wario's evildoing, causing a fairy named Wanda to join and aid the heroes.	August 5, 1994
25	Super Mario Land 3: Wario Land 1		First part of the Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 story arc: a golden statue of the Mario Bros. will be exposed in the Mushroom Kingdom plaza, but the statue is stolen away by the Black Sugar Gang pirates. Mario, Luigi and Mario chase them to their lair, Kitchen Island, where they also meet Wario, with whom join forces to take the statue and the pirate's treasure.	October 6, 1994
26	Super Mario: Wario no Mori		Wario's Woods story arc: young Mario and young Peach are fantasizing on how their life will be when they will grow up. Meanwhile, a young Wario, jealous of Mario, finds in the middle of the forest a seal, releasing the demon Fauster after breaking it. The demon gifts to him his army of monsters to satisfy any desires of his in exchange for setting him free to take over the Peaceful Woods and then the world.	November 2, 1994
27	Super Mario Land 3: Wario Land 2		Second part of the Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 story arc: the statue arrives to Captain Syrup, who immediately fuses the statue into one of herself. The group them faces against Syrup and her Genie and wins, but losing all the treasure collected in their journey.	December 6, 1994
28	Super Mario: Donkey Kong 1			January 9, 1995
29	Super Mario: Donkey Kong 2			March 6, 1995
30	Super Mario Land 3: Wario Land 3		Post-story of the Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 story arc: with the Black Sugar Gang disbanded, Syrup has lost everything and search for the Genie's lamp, who Wario tossed away after getting a bird house as his new "castle". While Syrup convinces herself that Mario had got the lamp stuffed in his pants, the Black Sugar Gang remaining members enter in possession of the lamp, with the intent of ruling over the world.	May 6, 1995
31	Super Donkey Kong with Mario 1		Donkey Kong Country story arc: Mario is taken to Donkey Kong Island where he is asked by his former and aged rival to help his nephew fight back the invading Kremling Krew, who just welcomed in their ranks Manky Kong, an exiled Kong member that wants to make they pay for chasing him out of the island. Mario helps them and the Kremlings are defeated, while King K. Rool is stuffed into a Steel Keg and tossed into the sea.	June 6, 1995
32	Super Donkey Kong with Mario 2		Mario's Picross story arc and post-story of the Donkey Kong Country story arc: Mario cannot leave the island with Funky Kong's Jumbo Barrel broken. Meanwhile, King K. Rool drifts off the Mushroom Kingdom coast, where he is freed by the Toads, who are immediately conquered by him. He then returns to DK Island to challenge Mario and the Kongs to a Picross tournament, if they win, the Mushroom Kingdom will be released by his clutches and he will leave DK Island in peace, otherwise they will both fall under his regime.	September 6, 1995
33	Super Mario: Yoshi Island 1		First part of the Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island story arc: Mario and Luigi are yet to be born and are currently carried by the Stork to their parents, when Kamek, Bowser's tutor and adviser, kidnaps the baby knowing they will grow into nuiscances for his young king. Mario falls from Kamek's clutches and lands in Yoshi's Island, where the Yoshi decides to reunite him to his brother before returning him to the stork, all the while Kamek try to stop them. During their travel, Baby Peach also helps Mario in his journey.	February 6, 1996
34	Super Mario: Yoshi Island 2		Second part of the Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island story arc and first part of the post-story: Baby Mario and Baby Luigi are reunited and Baby Bowser is defeated and, in the post story, also kicked out from Yoshi's Island.	June 6, 1996
35	Super Mario: Yoshi Island 3		Yoshi Help Team story arc (second part of the Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island post-story): Baby Peach has just been delivered to the Mushroom King, and Baby Bowser (already infuatuated with her) goes to kidnap her, while Baby Mario, Baby Luigi, and Yoshi become the princess' bodyguards: the "Yossi Help Team".	October 5, 1996
36	Super Mario 64 1			November 6, 1996
37	Super Mario 64 2			January 8, 1997
38	Super Mario 64 3			June 6, 1997
39	Super Mario 64 4			September 5, 1997
40	Super Mario 64 5: Mario Kart 64			March 6, 1997
41	Super Mario 64: Yoshi Story 1			June 5, 1998
42	Super Mario 64: Yoshi Story 2			August 6, 1998

Non-tankōbon chapters

• Super Mario World 8 ("Mario Olympics"): an Olympic event between the Mushroom Kingdom, Sarasaland, Golf Kingdom, Dinosaur Land, and the Koopa Empire. Kinoppe makes her debut. It was planned to be a volume, but due to copyright complication, it did not make the cut.
• Super Mario World 9 ("Time Traveler"): a visitor from the future, Dr. Mario Nakamatsu, invents a time machine, but Bowser steals it.
• Super Mario 64: Yoshi Story 3^{[conjectural]}: the final chapters of the Yoshi's Story arc. Due to Nintendo revoking the licensing, it was never made into a volume.

Compilations

Title	Image	Description	Release date
Super Mario Sōryoku Tokushū-gō		A compilation that includes chapters from Super Mario Kart 1; Super Mario Land 2 - 6-tsu no Kinka 1; Super Mario USA; GO! GO! Mario Paint Theater; Super Mario Bros. 3 Kanzen Kōryakuhon; Dr. Mario; Super Mario Land; and Yoshi no Tamago.	December 8, 1992
Super Mario 4-koma Daikōshin		The first collection of 4-komas by Kazuki Motoyama and other artists.	May 1, 1995
Super Mario 4-koma Daikōshin 2		The second collection of 4-komas by Kazuki Motoyama and other artists, including Risa Motoyama, the author's sister.	December 6, 1995

Gallery

For this subject's image gallery, see Gallery:Super Mario (Kodansha manga).

Notes

• This is one of few instances of Mario media where a main character dies. In this case, volume 26 shows that Princess Daisy sacrifices herself to save the people of the Mushroom Kingdom from a fatal disease, turning into spores. However, Daisy is later revived, as the spores touch down and bloom into flowers, which then grow into a horde of small versions of Daisy. Daisy subsequently appears in several gag strips, having returned to normal size.
• In 2019, Super Mario author Kazuki Motoyama started publishing a series of doujin books titled Kinoppe-chan Forever (キノッペちゃんForever), starring the manga's original character Kinoppe. Due to their self-published nature, these are not considered official Super Mario material.
• According to the author's note in the 2nd installment of Kinoppe-chan Forever, a former editor of Kazuki Motoyama had pitched him a spin-off manga starring Kinoppe. These plans were halted when Nintendo unexpectedly pulled ComicBonBon's Super Mario manga license in 1997.

External links

• Author's website