Shogakukan will publish a biography manga that chronicles the life of Dragon Quest creator Yuji Horii on February 24 in Japan. The new work, which unofficially translates as “Dragon Quest Creator Yuji Horii: New Educational Manga Biography,” retells Yuji Horii’s life in a slightly dramatic way befitting of manga stories.
The manga covers Yuji Horii’s childhood on Awaji Island to his current position as one of gaming’s most influential creators, designers, and writers for Square Enix, Chrono Trigger, and the Dragon Quest series. Horii’s philosophy is “life is a role-playing game,” and it’s reflected in the manga for children and adults to read and enjoy. Iori Makoto is the illustrator of the manga, which was supervised by Horii himself. The manga will be 160 pages long and feature an interview with Horii at the end. Pre-orders are available now in Japan for 1,210 yen, or roughly $7.81.
Super Smash Bros. series director and Kirby creator Masahiro Sakurai also received his own educational manga titled Manga de Shiru Hito to Shigoto Sakurai Masahiro Game de Sekai wo Motto Tanoshiku (Learn about People and Work Through Manga: Masahiro Sakurai – Making the World More Fun with Games) on November 18, 2025. The manga covers the life of Masahiro Sakurai, including his childhood with games, the creation of Kirby, the beginning of the Super Smash Bros. series, Sora Ltd.’s founding, and his future. Sakurai is supervising the new manga, and East Press publishes the 160-page book.
