It is with sadness and reflection that we share the news of the passing of manga artist Kazuki Motoyama, born April 12, 1956, and reported to have died in 2025 at the age of 69. Mario Wiki While this may not be the widely-publicised death of a major game designer, the loss still resonates within the fandom of the Super Mario series and manga community alike.
A brief life story
Kazuki Motoyama, whose real name was Masumi Motoyama (本山真澄) and who wrote under the pen name Kazuki Motoyama (本山一城), began his career as a manga artist after dropping out of Musashino Art University Junior College. Mario Wiki He debuted in 1977 with the short story Love and Mini. Mario Wiki Over the following years he produced various romantic-comedy, school and sports manga, until in 1985 he began focusing more on historical genres. Mario Wiki
Significantly for fans of Mario, between 1988 and 1998 he illustrated the manga adaptation of the Super Mario series for Kodansha, including game-strategy sections and four-panel comics (4-koma) that often inserted his own avatar character “Mototin” into the story. Mario Wiki
He also faced health challenges in the early 2010s — hospitalized with diabetes and following a major surgery for acute myocardial infarction — and relocated to Nagano Prefecture to recuperate before returning home. Mario Wiki
On October 2, 2025, his sister Lisa Motoyama reportedly announced his death via Instagram. Mario Wiki
His contribution and legacy
While Motoyama may not be the creator of the Super Mario games (that credit belongs to game designer Shigeru Miyamoto and team at Nintendo), his work holds a meaningful place in the wider Mario-verse. Through his manga, he brought Mario characters into serialized story form, imbued with humour, self-reflexive commentaries on being a mangaka (via his “Mototin” avatar), and a nostalgic creative voice that resonated with younger readers of that era.
His 4-koma strips and illustrated strategy segments gave fans a different lens through which to engage with the Mario universe — not just as players of games, but as readers of narrative extensions and fan-adjacent media. His effort helped broaden how Mario culture could be consumed, beyond consoles and cartridges.
A moment to reflect
For fans of classic gaming and manga alike, Motoyama’s passing invites us to pause and remember the variety of creative individuals who help build and shape the gaming culture we enjoy — not only the lead designers and producers, but also the artists, writers, illustrators who create companion works, spin-off media, and deepen fandom engagement.
If you ever read his Super Mario manga, recognise the subtle humour of his self-insert “Mototin”, or appreciated how his comics made the Mario world feel more accessible and playful, this is a moment to honour that craftsmanship.
Next steps
We encourage readers to:
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Seek out collected volumes of Motoyama’s Super Mario manga for a taste of his style and personality.
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Share memories or favourite strips in the comments below — whether it’s a scene that made you laugh, an illustration you loved, or how his work shaped your Mario fandom.
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Consider how many unsung creative contributors there are in game-culture, and appreciate those behind-the-scenes voices.
In closing
Kazuki Motoyama’s talent as a mangaka, his friendly and humorous self-insertion into his work, and his role in expanding Mario’s print-culture presence will be remembered. Though he may not have designed the games, his drawings and comics touched many who grew up reading them. May he rest in peace, and may his work continue to bring smiles to fans of Mario, manga, and retro gaming.
Sources:
– “Kazuki Motoyama” entry, Super Mario Wiki. Mario Wiki
