Taiwanese manga creators win gold, bronze at Kadokawa World Manga Contest

Tokyo, Sept. 8 (CNA) Taiwanese manga creators Eli Lin (依萊) and MurJi attended the Kadokawa World Manga Contest awards ceremony in Tokyo on Monday, where they received the gold and bronze prizes, respectively, in the contest's Wordless Manga category.

The contest, organized by leading Japanese publisher Kadokawa, attracted 1,959 entries from 118 countries and regions. The winners were announced in May 2026.

Gold, silver and bronze prizes winners receive US$10,000, US$5,000 and US$3,000, respectively.

The awards ceremony brought together the six creators who won gold, silver or bronze prizes in the Manga and Wordless Manga categories. The winners came from Taiwan, Vietnam, France and Switzerland.

Lin won the Gold Prize in the Wordless Manga category for her work "Cells Within the Body."

Head judge Noboru Segawa praised the work for its delicate artwork and its ability to tell a compelling story entirely through images.

During her acceptance speech, Lin said support from Taiwan's Ministry of Culture enabled her to transition from an office worker to a professional manga creator just a few years ago.

Now, being in Tokyo to accept the award felt "incredible," Lin said.

The award and recognition from the judges and editors meant a great deal to her, Lin said, thanking everyone who supported her, read her work and offered feedback.

MurJi received the Bronze Prize in the same category for "Hitokuji," which Segawa praised for its "overwhelming cuteness."

She said she hopes to create manga that can be a companion for readers in the same way manga has been for her, bringing comfort and a smile to those feeling exhausted or discouraged.

Delivering her acceptance speech entirely in Japanese, MurJi said she is delighted her work has been discovered and appreciated.

The winning works will also be published on Kadocomi, Kadokawa's online manga platform.

Kadokawa is known for publishing iconic series such as "Neon Genesis Evangelion" and the manga adaptation of "Your Name."