Final Fantasy XIV is slowly continuing to expand into multimedia. There’s the Final Fantasy XIV: Dad of Light drama series you can watch on Netflix, and the upcoming Final Fantasy XIV: Eorzea Academy manga that is getting an English release soon. There’s also a second manga on the horizon, however.
Square Enix is publishing Saki & Final Fantasy XIV on its English website at Manga Up. According to the official website: “Saki and the other first year members of the Kiyosumi High School Mahjong Club are recommended a new way to enjoy mahjong—through the video game, Final Fantasy XIV!” If you’re a fan of the moe and FFXIV, it looks like this spin-off manga is for you and there are currently a few published English chapters.
The original manga, Saki, was started by Ritz Kobayashi in 2006 in the pages of Square Enix’ Young Gangan magazine. It focused on the journey of young girl Saki Miyanaga as she enters the world of competitive mahjong. In 2011, a Saki spin-off entitled Saki Biyori, a slice-of-life comedy series written by Saya Kiyoshi.
Saki & Final Fantasy XIV is a spin-off of a spin-off, created by Kiyoshi in the style of Saki Biyori. The Japanese run ran from 2011 to 2018, with a total of seven volumes. One would think that, given the original manga, that Saki & Final Fantasy XIV is about Doman Mahjong, but while the game appears occasionally, it’s more about the characters exploring the world of Eorzea.
It’s not aimed at general FFXIV players, but some readers might find fun in the series. Others minga want to wait for Final Fantasy XIV: Eorzea Academy, which is getting an English release in September.
