Hold My Pixel: Is Super Mario-kun About to Level Up… Into ENDING?!

Okay, gamers, buckle up. Your favorite cyber-skeptic is about to drop some truth bombs hotter than a freshly overclocked RTX 4090. We're diving deep into a Nintendo deep cut that's been quietly running in the background of our collective childhoods – Super Mario-kun. And, folks, the rumor mill is churning like a poorly optimized game engine: this beloved manga might actually be reaching its final arc. Yes, you read that right. Prepare for a wave of nostalgia… and maybe a little bit of existential dread.

What in the Mushroom Kingdom is Super Mario-kun, Anyway?

For those of you who haven't spent your formative years devouring Japanese manga like a hungry Yoshi, let's break it down. Super Mario-kun is a long-running manga series that kicked off way back in 1990. That's before the internet was even a thing – a dark age, I tell ya! – and predates more modern Mario spin-offs. Yes, even before *Paper Mario*. This isn't your typical side-scrolling adventure; it's a comedic take on the iconic plumber and his world, infused with a healthy dose of Japanese humor.

Think of it as if Shigeru Miyamoto decided to throw a "what if?" party and invited a crew of comedians. The manga features Mario and friends in all sorts of wacky situations, often playing with the established lore and character dynamics in hilarious ways. It's a fan-favorite in Japan, but its reach outside the country has been… limited. Until now, that is. It's been somewhat of a hidden gem, buried under mountains of Pokémon and Dragon Ball Z.

A Bit of a Lost Cause (Until Recently)

Honestly, trying to track down the entire Super Mario-kun saga outside of Japan was like trying to find a stable connection during a Twitch stream hosted on dial-up. A fragmented mess of scattered volumes and questionable scanlations. But there was a glimmer of hope for us Westerners. This glimmer came in the form of Viz Media's "Super Mario Manga Mania" released at the end of 2020. Score!

Viz Media swooped in like a hero in shining armor (or maybe just a well-funded publishing house) and compiled a collection of key Super Mario-kun stories. You can snag this collection on Amazon [here](https://www.amazon.com/Super-Mario-Manga-Mania-Vol/dp/1505908857/ref=sr_1_1?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.jHj-r7Y6Bf4Jv4-eN1V5VlR32Teqk2t8D29uO6o6c0U2x4TmLX2o-34tK1w5A_pYfW9tT-h97k32Jd0uV45j9h7G6u3eVj2Jq8o9uW_aF011A7X7f9o3m6MqB20HhM5gK09tX-i-M0eJv4z9sE1dDqD3tG5wG0dP0x4zJg-M49vW49rN-e49P2-i5fU3L0iM0Q0K8Q5qD-X5o4fU3L0iM0Q0K8Q5qD-X5o4fU3L0iM0Q0K8Q5qD-X5o4fU3L0iM0Q0K8Q5qD-X5o4fU3L0iM0Q0K8Q5qD-X5o4fU3L0iM0Q0K8Q5qD-X5o4fU3L0iM0Q0K8Q5qD-X5o4fU3L0iM0Q0K8R7H_yEwD48P6-R2lZJ15n2Jd9jW52iVQt8Uo0J853cK24bM7U589eU-nB4iD8B57a034M-zF-qL5hY0-d-kLzM5eA9gC-4C4vG-j5cK0b-Yyk4zU29-2M2B1-zYj8M-gM1eS5_Q4q7K8b61kK-h6s4u47M0mH8wG6c3E7s4q7M8h5T-6Q2x0eX9JdH4VqJ-wW-nQnQYg3O36D7Q0jI1G5P-6J-j3l8I_Y4Q0-u4pC-sYwN5y-4k7dE7_w7X9a4J-8H4pP–uK5V1I6HlI-Y-d8I47r8Q3jR6vG57G5W6jZ4fM5mY-0H7a7Ggr3Y7t6R5s8J-r9g3W-H6H4U7s6r3YwF-0H3Y8vL9U5p7R-0H7a7Ggr3Y7t6R5s8J-r9g3W-H6H4U7s6r3YwF-0H7a7Ggr3Y7t6R5s8J-r9g3W-H6H4U7s6r3YwF-0H7a7Ggr3Y7t6R5s8J-r9g3W-H6H4U7s6r3YwF-0H7a7Ggr3Y7t6R5s8J-r9g3W-H6H4U7s6r3YwF-0H7a7Ggr3Y7t6R5s8J-r9g3W-H6H4U7s6r3YwF-0H7a7Ggr3Y7t6R5s8J-r9g3W-H6H4U7s6r3YwF-0H7a7Ggr3Y7t6R5s8J-r9g3W-H6H4U7s6r3YwF-0H7a7Ggr3Y7t6R5s8J-r9g3W-H6H4U7s6r3YwF-0H7a7Ggr3Y7t6R5s8J-r9g3W-H6H4U7s6r3YwF-0H7a7Ggr3Y7t6R5s8J-r9g3W-H6H4U7s6r3YwF-0H7a7Ggr3Y7t6R5s8J-r9g3W-H6H4U7s6r3YwF-0H7a7Ggr3Y7t6R5s8J-r9g3W-H6H4U7s6r3YwF-0H7a7Ggr3Y7t6R5s8J-r9g3W-H6H4U7s6r3YwF-0H7a7Ggr3Y7t6R5s8J-r9g3W-H6H4U7s6r3YwF-0H7a7Ggr3Y7t6R5s8J-r9g3W-H6H4U7s6r3YwF-0H7a7Ggr3Y7t6R5s8J-r9g3W-H6H4U7s6r3YwF-0H7a7Ggr3Y7t6R5s8J-r9g3W-H6H4U7s6r3YwF-0H7a7Ggr3Y7t6R5s8J-r9g3W-H6H4U7s6r3YwF-0H7a7Ggr3Y7t6R5s8J-r9g3W-H6H4U7s6r3YwF-0H7a