Kirby Manga Mania, Vol. 1

Kirby Manga Mania #1

by Hirokazu Hikawa

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!

Genres: Manga, Fantasy, Graphic Novels, Fiction, Video Games, Comics, Childrens

160 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2021

Reviews

[poet · Rating 1 out of 5]

Yeah, not great. A very different kind of gag manga than I thought the games would inspire. I already have the second volume so I'm sure I'll read it but I really can't recommend this, no matter how elaborate the Dedede expressions.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

As far as kiddy manga goes, Viz's Nintendo titles are one of the safest bets in English, and this "best of" collection of Hirokazu Hikawa's Kirby stories is no exception. It will have the most appeal for elementary school age readers who are familiar with the character from one of his many games; it's not impossible to understand the book if you're not particularly up on your Kirby lore, but it definitely pales a bit in that case. The plots are fun and silly, featuring things like board games, ghosts, body doubles, and a hat that speaks your thoughts aloud when you wear it, and there's a gentle use of humorous violence and gags throughout. Author's notes on each chapter give some insight into Hikawa's creative process, making this a good choice for a read-along or a transition to graphic novels for older readers.

[miah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this manga! It was my first time reading any sort of graphic novel since I wasn’t allowed to as a kid and I’m glad I chose this one. It’s very light and fun and I liked seeing Kirby’s character. He’s very lovely.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

SO MUCH FUN.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

so cutee

[Tim · Rating 2 out of 5]

Chapter 1: Kirby crashes a picnic party that he wasn't invited to while drunk on sake. Wut. It doesn't get better after that. Kirby isn't really the cute, loveable pink puff that he is in the games - he's kind of the ass of all of the chapters, for the most part: he causes all the problems and makes everybody uncomfortable. I found very few moments of this enjoyable. I don't read manga, so this genre is all new to me (my students like manga, so I figured I'd give a few titles a go based on my interests), but Kirby is supposed to be a kid-friendly franchise, and IDK how this got past Nintendo and HAL Labratory for approval. I wouldn't want to give this to any of my friends' kids or my niece or nephew.

This was just a weird comic, and I'll probably give it away to a kid who is a little older.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very on brand for my first manga book to be Kirby. I'm not really sure how I want to rate Manga (I wasn't even sure if I wanted to count it towards my goal, but I've been in a reading slump and this felt approachable).

Giving it 4 stars because it was weird and silly and I love Kirby. :-)

[Heather Fryling · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you want to read jokes about a strange nightmare version of Kirby, this is the manga for you.

[nik drake · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn’t bad, but certainly not what I was expecting. I was expecting stories inspired by the games and not so much silly puffball child has quirky goofs and gaffs with frenemy king babysitter. It did make me smile a couple times with its comedy so like I can’t be too mad at it.

Overall, I think this would be a really good manga for younger readers but probably fine to skip for older audiences who like the games.

[amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

buff kirby :/

[☾❀Apple✩ Blossom⋆｡˚ · Rating 3 out of 5]

cute :3

[Pyramids Ubiquitous · Rating 4 out of 5]

I find that the older I get, the more the Kirby character appeals to me. Kirby (and the universe of Kirby) represents ease, simplicity, and a carefree ideology that is a comfort as life's stressors pile up. True to that, this collection of Kirby manga is more than a quick cash grab or commodity tie-in as many of these stories are joyful and entertaining. The characters aren't necessarily accurate to their video game representation (Kirby is terrifying in some of these issues and it could be argued Dedede is the victim in many scenarios), but that doesn't bother me at all. The perfect read for video game fans in want of revisiting their inner child.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this in Seattle at a popular asian grocery store that has a bookstore. I loved it. I was surprised how goofy it was and I still had good laughs. I bought it and it will be with me forever. Thank you for the cuteness!

[London Heady · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was definitely a different take on Kirby than I was expecting. Some of the stories are really fun, but some are just bizarre and not very interesting. It's a fun read, and very light, but the first few stories really threw me off. In general though, Kirby talks too much. Still an icon though.

[Emma Stallwood · Rating 2 out of 5]

What did I just read?

[Arteya · Rating 3 out of 5]

What just happened?

[Zosia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kirby is such a terrible person I hate him

[dkp · Rating 3 out of 5]

[3.5 stars]

[Brianna · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a lot. In your face explosions, every dialogue is shouted, the mischief was entertaining enough. Probably much better suited for a younger audience with a small attention span.

[Isaac Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Buff Kirby and "Karaoke Voice: Instrumental Edition" is an automatic 6/5. Adding all the others to my wishlist.

[Bell (wicked era 💚🫧) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chapter 1: Kirby gets drunk...literally

[Joanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

[Maddie Coe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five stars for Parker! I can see why he loves it!

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short stories, and every single one of them is absolute chaos. And I loved it!

[Chloe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really lovely quick read! I got this book for Christmas and finished it in a couple of days. I loved the art style and the variety in the stories. I definitely had some that I liked more than others but they were overall really well written and imaginative.

[•Cara• · Rating 3 out of 5]

It wasn’t what I expected it to be like. I’ve just recently started playing a Kirby game for the first time so I’ve never seen any of these characters before but it seems like a quite different atmosphere. I will still read the other volumes though!

[anny ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

so cute aw

[SafeWinner7 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought it was a funny collection of cute stories.

[Emmy]

The cover looks adorable, so I thought that this would be a cute little book. I was wrong. Now, my brother tells me that this is likely a classic "gag" manga, but I'll be honest, if this is what goes for a gag in Japan, then I don't want to read any more. I expected the Kirby of the games, a cute pink puffball who eats things and gains their powers. Now, I've only read two stories (that was all I could stomach), but that was not the story that I was seeing.

In the first chapter, King Dedede is hosting a picnic and Kirby is not invited. At first, you think this is because Dedede is a jerk. But, Kirby's the jerk. He shows up, starts eating everything acts obnoxiously confused as to why people are not happy with this, starts licking Dedede to convince him to let him stay at the picnic, and then gets wasted (they say "loopy," but anyone over the age of 12 should know what's really happening). And that last joke, about him being drunk, goes on waaaay too long.

In the second story, Dedede is turned into a toy by a spiteful witch, and can only turn back once he learns to be kind. But, he mishears this and thinks he needs someone to be kind to him, so he goes to see Kirby, who blatantly ignores the fact that this talking toy not only looks just like his frenemy, but also that it's clearly begging him for help. So, he plays rather roughly with him and then tosses him aside. Like I said, Kirby's a real jerk in these comics.

I was also disappointed because the cover was so cute, but the interior art is pretty grotesque. Would not recommend.

[Cannon Taylor · Rating 2 out of 5]

I bought this as a gift for a sibling, but I decided to read it beforehand to make sure they would actually like it. I’m glad I did, because I’m sure they wouldn’t have liked it (I ended up getting them Star Allies instead). Most of the punchlines in this manga have to do with Kirby being the actual spawn of Satan. He is straight-up evil. I feel so bad for King Dedede and the rest of Dream Land for having to deal with him. My exposure to Kirby is limited (I’ve only fully played one game), but I had no trouble understanding the dynamics and characters. There’s a strange lack of Meta Knight in this manga given his popularity. The jokes are entertaining enough, but too formulaic. There are some genuinely bizarre moments. There’s an entire chapter about Kirby and Dedede reenacting the American Revolution, and there’s a brief joke about Dedede getting arrested for pedophilia (it’s weird, but not nearly as weird as it sounds). If you’re interested in Kirby Manga Mania, check it out. But definitely do not pay $10 for it like I did. Check if your local library has it, because it is definitely not worth the price.