Kazuki Motoyama Mario
Kazuki Motoyama was a Japanese manga artist and writer best known for the Super Mario manga that ran in Kodansha’s Comic BomBom magazine from 1988 to 1998. He died in October 2025 at the age of 69. His sister, fellow manga creator Risa Motoyama, shared the news on Instagram.
He did not invent Mario, and his name rarely appears in mainstream gaming history. Still, for Japanese children growing up in the late 1980s and 1990s, his comics were one of the main ways to experience Nintendo’s games outside the console. This guide covers who he was, what he made, what is known about his death, and why his work still gets attention.
Who Was Kazuki Motoyama?
Kazuki Motoyama was a Japanese manga artist and writer whose real name was Masumi Motoyama. Kazuki was his professional name. He wrote and illustrated his own stories, so he is usually described as both author and artist.
His career started well before Mario. According to Time Extension, he debuted in 1977 with a story called Love & Mini, published in the bi-monthly shōjo magazine Deluxe Margaret. That is a long way from the slapstick humor he later became known for, and it shows he had been working as a professional for over a decade before Comic BomBom picked up the Nintendo license.
What Did Kazuki Motoyama Do for Super Mario?
He wrote and drew the officially licensed Super Mario manga published by Kodansha, a series fans often call KC Mario. According to the Super Mario Wiki, it was serialized in Comic BomBom from December 1988 through September 1998, with side chapters in the sister magazine Deluxe BomBom, for a total of 183 stories.
The series worked as a running adaptation of Nintendo’s releases. Anime News Network notes that it began with Super Mario Bros. 3 and went on to cover games including Super Mario Land, Super Mario World, Donkey Kong and Super Mario 64. His final Mario manga was based on Yoshi’s Story in 1998.
A few things set it apart from other Mario comics:
- A self-insert character. Time Extension reports that Motoyama appeared in his own comics as an overworked manga artist called Mototin, and CBR notes he also acted as narrator.
- Adult-leaning humor. The same report describes outrageous gags and occasional nudity and innuendo, which tends to surprise modern readers given the Nintendo branding.
- Original characters. He created Kinoppe, a female Toad based on the mushroom characters from the games. In 2019 he began self-publishing a doujin series called Kinoppe-chan Forever around her.
- Strategy guide art. GoNintendo says he also drew artwork for various Mario strategy guides.
A Quick Overview of His Career
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1977 | Debuts with Love & Mini in Deluxe Margaret |
| 1988 | Begins the Super Mario manga in Comic BomBom |
| 1997–1998 | Nintendo ends the manga license; final story based on Yoshi’s Story |
| 2019 | Starts the Kinoppe-chan Forever doujin series |
| October 2025 | Death announced by his sister at age 69 |
Outside Mario, Anime News Network lists Dokkiri! Angel and Kirara QQQ among his other works. The Super Mario Wiki also notes that the Kodansha line included 4-koma (four-panel) collections where he worked alongside other artists, including his sister, who is credited there as Lisa Motoyama.
Did Kazuki Motoyama Create Mario?
No. Mario was created by Nintendo, and Kazuki Motoyama was a licensed manga artist who adapted the character for comics. The distinction matters because several headlines called him “Super Mario creator,” which is misleading. A more accurate phrase is “creator of Kodansha’s Super Mario manga.”
There is a second common mix-up. Super Mario-kun, the long-running manga that VIZ later published in English as Super Mario Bros. Manga Mania, was created by Yukio Sawada, not Motoyama. Anime News Network states directly that Motoyama did not work on it. Some early obituaries blurred the two, so it is worth checking when a source credits him with that title.
When Did Kazuki Motoyama Die, and What Was the Cause?
He died in October 2025, aged 69, but no exact date or cause of death has been made public.
Here is what the reporting actually says:
- Anime News Network reports that Risa Motoyama announced his death on Instagram on October 2 and did not confirm a date or cause.
- IMDb’s news item says that, going by the date of her post, he passed away sometime in October.
- Time Extension and Nintendojo both note that his sister did not disclose a cause, and that she thanked everyone who had supported him during his life.
- Wider coverage in the gaming and manga press followed in November 2025.
Because the family has not shared more, any specific claim about illness or circumstances should be treated as unverified. Respecting that silence is the right approach here. Source: Facebook
How Old Was Kazuki Motoyama?
He was 69 when he died. Every major outlet that covered the news gives that age. No source in the coverage gives a confirmed birth date, so it is best not to guess one.
Does Kazuki Motoyama Have a Wikipedia Page or Net Worth?
Readers often search for a Wikipedia entry. The most detailed fan-maintained coverage of his Mario work is on the Super Mario Wiki, which documents the series, its compilations and the license history. As for net worth, there is no reliable public information, and figures that appear on celebrity-style sites are estimates at best. This article does not offer one.
Why His Mario Manga Still Matters
The series is an unusual piece of Nintendo history: an official licensed work that was allowed to be weird. Looking at it as a whole, three points stand out.
It reflects its era. The Super Mario manga lived in a children’s magazine, yet its tone was closer to gag manga than to a polished corporate adaptation. That gap is part of why it is discussed today.
It documents the games as they arrived. Because the manga followed new Nintendo releases, from the NES to the Nintendo 64, it works as a snapshot of how Mario’s world was introduced to Japanese readers.
It stayed mostly in Japan. Its limited English availability has kept it a niche topic among Mario fans and manga collectors. That is the main reason the news of his death reached many Western readers as a surprise.
The license ended when Nintendo pulled it in 1997, according to the Super Mario Wiki, which cut short plans the series still had. The ten-year run remains the core of his legacy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Kazuki Motoyama?
Kazuki Motoyama (real name Masumi Motoyama) was a Japanese manga artist and writer. He is best known for writing and drawing Kodansha’s Super Mario manga in Comic BomBom from 1988 to 1998, and for original works such as Kinoppe-chan Forever.
When did Kazuki Motoyama die?
He died in October 2025. His sister Risa Motoyama announced it on Instagram, and Anime News Network reports the post was dated October 2. The exact date of death has not been confirmed.
What was Kazuki Motoyama’s cause of death?
The cause has not been disclosed. His sister did not give one in her announcement, and no reliable source has reported it since.
Did Kazuki Motoyama create Mario?
No. Mario is a Nintendo character. Motoyama was a licensed artist who adapted Mario and other Nintendo games into manga for Kodansha.
What Mario manga did Kazuki Motoyama create?
He created the Kodansha Super Mario manga series, often called KC Mario, which adapted games from Super Mario Bros. 3 through Super Mario 64, with a final story based on Yoshi’s Story. He also made original spinoff material such as Kinoppe-chan Forever. He did not create Super Mario-kun, which was by Yukio Sawada.
How old was Kazuki Motoyama when he died?
He was 69.
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