On November 28, Kadokawa launched its first ever World Manga Contest, calling aspiring manga artists from around the globe to submit their manuscripts for a chance to debut in Japan. Anyone is free to apply, regardless of their nationality, occupation, or if they’re working alone, as a team, or a corporation. The only exception are mangaka whose works have been serialized in any Kadokawa-owned magazines or websites and published between January 1, 2022 and March 31, 2026, as well as those whose works are currently being serialized by Kadokawa.
Kadokawa’s World Manga Contest contest is spurred by the success of last year’s Wordless World Manga Contest (which saw 1,126 entries from 104 countries and regions worldwide.) This contest adds a new “Manga with Dialogue” category to the roster. While the Wordless category includes several specific rules (such as the allowance of symbols and text used as visual elements, as well as speech bubbles without dialogue), the only unique stipulation of the Manga with Dialogue category is that the languages used must be either Japanese, English, Spanish, French, or Chinese. An unusual rule that both categories share, however, states that at least one character must appear human for the submission to be valid.
Submissions will be judged by participating editorial departments and the Kadokawa World Manga Contest Secretariat Office. On top of having their manga picked up and serialized by the publisher, winners will also receive a $10,000, $5,000, and $3,000 monetary reward for first, second, and third place respectively. A few honorable mentions will receive $300 USD but will not be serialized.
Winners of both categories will receive continued production and editorial support for commercialization from Kadokawa’s newly established Overseas Manga Editorial Department via remote meetings and emails. The company will also provide preparation for the completed works’ serialization in Japan. They will also be published on Kadocomi, Kadokawa’s official comic portal site.
According to Kadokawa’s Overseas Manga Editorial Department Editor-in-Chief Noboru Segawa, last year’s Wordless World Manga Contest brought over three times the number of expected submissions (source: Otaku Soken). Amazed by the amount of worldwide talent, Kadokawa decided to hold the contest on a larger scale and “provide continuous support to the winners until their debut in Japan.” He also hinted at the direction of future events, saying that the company aims to collaborate with their group bases in other countries to “create an environment where works can be read worldwide.”
The Kadokawa World Manga Contest runs from November 28, 2025 to March 31, 2026. The official rules and regulations can be found on the official website.
