After the release of a manga loosely based on his life and career, Masahiro Sakurai — in a rare move — sat down for an interview. The famously private creator explained that he’s always wanted the spotlight to stay firmly on his games, not on himself.

Even though he now runs one of the most beloved YouTube channels in gaming (where he breaks down design secrets week after week), the man behind Kirby and Super Smash Bros. was quick to clarify: “I do everything I can to share my work with people… but I have zero interest in promoting myself.”

When he first heard someone wanted to make a full-blown manga about his life, Sakurai admits he was stunned. “I’ve spent my whole career trying to live quietly,” he laughed. “So when they reached out to me about a comic, my honest reaction was, ‘Wait… seriously? Me?!’”

His games have earned him a massive, ever-growing fanbase — every new title adds thousands more devotees who hang on his every word. Yet Sakurai remains stubbornly old-school about fame. “The ideal,” he said with a small smile, “is for players to lose themselves in the game and never even think about who made it.”

The above content is compiled by ModeZone, a fashion and entertainment magazine.