Kazuya Hirabayashi has spent much of his life around Magic.
The 44-year-old Tokyo native first played in a Magic Pro Tour 25 years ago. He was a regular on the Grand Prix and Pro Tour circuit, with a breakthrough 2nd-place finish at Grand Prix Sendai in 2011. Today, he works with a local Magic store in Japan, and his days are checkered with cardboard. He traveled to the United States for Pro Tour Magic: The Gathering®—FINAL FANTASY™ at MagicCon: Las Vegas. He's a Magic lifer, and one with nothing to prove; his competitive chops were established decades ago.
But that was decades ago. Hirabayashi thought he was out. He had retired into a life of lightly grinding MTG Arena in his spare time but otherwise staying out of the competitive Magic circuit; his trip to Las Vegas was to watch friend Ken Yukuhiro compete at Pro Tour Magic: The Gathering—FINAL FANTASY, and take in the sights and sounds of the city and the convention. Of course, he had no idea when he booked that ticket that he would actually be watching Yukuhiro play in the finals of the Pro Tour—and win it all over Ian Robb to take down the title and pick up the buster sword.
For Yukuhiro, it was the culmination of a lifetime of dedication to his craft, and a fitting victory for the heartfire hero. For Hirabayashi, watching from the sidelines, it was something else.
"I had been exposed Standard through MTG Arena, but most of my involvement with Magic was casual, like playing MTG Arena and occasionally watching the competitive scene—drafts, Pro Tours and Regional Championships—with friends," Hirabayashi recalled. "After attending the MagicCon in Las Vegas, Yukuhiro's support deepened my interest in Standard."
Conveniently, Magic Spotlight: FINAL FANTASY was right after the Pro Tour. The event in Chiba, Japan, drew a horde of players, with more than 2,200 participants sleeving up Standard decks for the main event, which sold out weeks in advance. With cosplayers roaming the halls and massive Magic: The Gathering—FINAL FANTASY posters around the city, it was an event like no other. And unlike the Regional Championship circuit that represents the highest level of play on the circuit before the international Pro Tour, the Spotlight Series requires no previous qualifications; anyone with is welcome to sign up and compete for their share of prizes, trophies, and Pro Tour invites.
That last one was particularly appealing to Hirabayashi, but with a huge field and little time or desire to cram in hundreds of matches in the short window after the Pro Tour and before a much-anticipated banned and restricted announcement, he was realistic about his chances: he saw the event as an opportunity to hang out with friends while slinging some spells.
What he didn't see coming was the tournament of his life.
"It was the first time I played in a best-of-three tournament in seven years," Hirabayashi explained. "I entered the event because it felt like the return of the Grand Prix, and I had always wanted to win a Grand Prix when I played competitive Magic."
He came close. He narrowly lost to Kazuaki Arahori in that 2001 finals and posted a pair of additional Grand Prix Top 8s at Okayama in 2004 and Kitakyushu in 2007. Perhaps the most impressive finish of his career came when he finished 9th at a Pro Tour, narrowly missing his chance for an even bigger trophy.
Then came retirement and a focus on other parts of Magic and life. But the fuel that lights the fire for competitive Magic players is quick to spark, and whether it was good fortune, good vibes from Yukuhiro's own win, or simply another example of really good Magic players still being really good at Magic long after their "prime," that fire was burning bright in Hirabayashi as he stormed his way through fifteen rounds of Standard and into the Top 8 of the Spotlight Series as a top-two seed—and earned his way right back onto the Pro Tour for the first time in fifteen years.
But that wasn't the end of the story. This time, Hirabayashi worked his way back to the same seat he had sat in one time before, 24 years ago in Sendai.
And this time, things were different. Hirabayashi showcased the power of the Izzet Prowess deck featuring
"It's a great feeling to have achieved this," Hirabayashi reflected. "I chose Izzet because of its strength, and because it is my favorite archetype. I also had the good fortune of being able to borrow the entire deck from a colleague the day before, or maybe I wouldn't even have participated in the main event itself. And I was surprised that after Yukuhiro, who is my junior, won the previous week, that I would win after."
From start to finish, the dream run left Hirabayashi feeling like he was, well, running through a dream.
"I was filled with a sense of accomplishment when I won, but at the same time, I couldn't really feel it completely because of the suddenness of it," he said. "I may not even feel it now. I am working as usual, but after the event, I was congratulated by the president and vice president of my company. And I'll have a victory party with Yukuhiro in Fukuoka, a community we share!"
It's been a whirlwind for Hirabayashi, and with a trip to Atlanta now on his calendar—and he hopes more international trips after that—it's safe to say that the spark that rekindled watching Yukuhiro at the Pro Tour has Hirabayashi right back in the mindset he was in when he was at the peak of the Magic world.
And this time, he's doing it with a trophy already in hand.
"Since I qualified for the Pro Tour, I have started participating in the testing community and practicing Modern," he explained. "My goal is to get a good result at my first Pro Tour in fifteen years. I'm returning to competitive Magic, without a doubt, so that I can continue that passion!"
