Super Mario-kun: the crazy manga that has followed Mario since 1990

AnalysisMangaYukio Sawada

One single author, without interruption, since November 1990. Serialized in Shogakukan's CoroCoro Comic and published in France under the title Super Mario Manga Adventures, Super Mario-kun has been signed by Yukio Sawada since its very first volume. This analysis breaks down its completely unrestrained gag humour, the dozens of games it has adapted and its journey across the West.

Behind the most famous moustache in video games hides a manga like no other: Super Mario-kun (スーパーマリオくん), published in France under the title Super Mario Manga Adventures. Serialized without interruption since 1990, it has followed the plumber from the NES era right up to today.

The work of a single, unchanging author, Yukio Sawada, this comedy series adapts dozens of Mario games with a completely unhinged gag tone. Here is why this overlooked landmark deserves your attention.

Contents

• A phenomenon born in CoroCoro in 1990
• Yukio Sawada, a single author since volume one
• Gag humour with no rules at all
• Dozens of games adapted his own way
• The West: France spoiled, the English-speaking world on a diet
• Quick recap
• FAQ

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A phenomenon born in CoroCoro in 1990

It all begins in November 1990, when Super Mario-kun begins its monthly serialization in CoroCoro Comic, the famous children's magazine from the publisher Shogakukan. The first collected volume comes out in July 1991 (Japan), launching a publishing adventure with no equivalent.

More than thirty years later, the machine has never stopped. Volume 61 was released on 26 September 2025 (Japan), and the series is going stronger than ever. It is quite simply the longest-running series in CoroCoro's history and the longest manga ever drawn from the Mario franchise.

That longevity also makes it one of the longest manga ever adapted from a video game. Where most adaptations fizzle out after a handful of volumes, Super Mario-kun has lived through the Super Nintendo, Nintendo 64, GameCube, Wii, 3DS, Wii U and Switch without ever changing artist.

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Yukio Sawada, a single author since volume one

Yukio Sawada, born on 12 March 1953 in Osaka, has drawn and written the series entirely alone since the very first chapter. A case of loyalty that is vanishingly rare in the manga industry, where long-running series often change hands.

Before Mario-kun, Sawada had already sketched the plumber in adaptations of Super Mario Bros. 2 (1986-1988) and Super Mario Bros. 3 (1988-1989). He has also signed several spin-offs: a series centred on Wario (2007-2012) and an instalment devoted to Yoshi's New Island (2016).

His work was eventually rewarded: in 2020, Sawada received a special jury prize at the 65th Shogakukan Manga Award, institutional recognition for three decades of loyal service to the Mushroom Kingdom.

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Gag humour with no rules at all

Do not come here looking for respect for the Nintendo canon. Super Mario-kun is a gag manga aimed at a young audience (kodomo category), where every page overflows with puns, running gags and slapstick.

The Mario that Sawada draws is gurning, greedy and hammy, light years away from the impassive hero of the games. The humour goes all in on the absurd, with winks to the reader, shameless parodies and cartoon violence that is fully owned.

• A parodic tone that freely twists the plots of the original games.
• Plenty of visual gags and wordplay in almost every panel.
• A star trio — Mario, Luigi and Yoshi — at the heart of most of the escapades.

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Dozens of games adapted his own way

The series' great strength is its ability to bounce off every new Nintendo release. As the franchise evolves, the manga digests and twists the games of the moment, which makes it a funhouse mirror of Mario's history.

• 16-bit era: Super Mario World and Super Mario Land 2 lay the foundations of the madness.
• 3D era: Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine (with its famous Shadow Mario) and Super Mario Galaxy all go through the mincer.
• Modern era: Super Mario Odyssey and its capture mechanic, then Super Mario Bros. Wonder, join the enormous line-up.
• Spin-offs: the Paper Mario saga and Luigi's Mansion also serve up their share of unhinged chapters.

The result: across more than 60 volumes, Super Mario-kun forms a genuine comic archive of the franchise, game after game, console after console.

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The West: France spoiled, the English-speaking world on a diet

Contrary to a stubborn misconception, France has not been forgotten: since December 2014, the publisher Soleil Manga has been publishing the series under the title Super Mario Manga Adventures. The French edition already runs to more than thirty volumes and faithfully follows the Japanese order.

The real poor relation is the English-speaking world. Fans had to wait until 8 December 2020 for Viz Media to release Super Mario Manga Mania, a simple “best of” of 160 pages gathering ten episodes chosen by Sawada. No complete English edition exists to this day.

In Japan, the series is also available in digital form since August 2014 via the 3DS app “Bookstore Anywhere”, and Spain has its own version from Planeta Cómic. The mystery, then, is not any absence in France, but rather the timidity of the English-language market faced with this manga landmark.

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Super Mario-kun at a glance

Original title	Super Mario-kun (スーパーマリオくん)
French title	Super Mario Manga Adventures
Author	Yukio Sawada (born 12 March 1953)
Serialization	CoroCoro Comic (Shogakukan), since November 1990 (Japan)
First volume	July 1991 (Japan)
Number of volumes	61 (September 2025, ongoing)
French edition	Soleil Manga, since December 2014
English edition	Super Mario Manga Mania (Viz Media, 8 Dec. 2020)

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FAQ

• Is Super Mario-kun published in French?
  Yes. The series has been published in France under the title Super Mario Manga Adventures by Soleil Manga since December 2014, and follows the Japanese release order.
• Who created Super Mario-kun?
  The mangaka Yukio Sawada, born on 12 March 1953 in Osaka. He has drawn and written the series alone since the first chapter, published in 1990.
• How many volumes does the series have?
  In Japan, the series reached 61 volumes in September 2025 and is still going. The French edition has around thirty to date.
• Which games does the manga adapt?
  Dozens, from Super Mario World to Super Mario Bros. Wonder, taking in Super Mario 64, Sunshine, Galaxy, Odyssey, Paper Mario and Luigi's Mansion.
• Is the manga faithful to the games?
  No. It is a gag manga for young readers that freely twists the plots, with an absurd, parodic tone far removed from the Nintendo canon.

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