International Comic/Manga School Contest 2021

Thank you for all your outstanding entries!

We received many excellent submissions, with more than 1,554 comic and illustration entries from 1,245 schools in 85 countries and regions! The judging process was fun but challenging one, and after a rigorous review by the judges and sponsors, the winners have been chosen. Congratulations to all the winners!

Comic/Manga/Webtoon/
Bande Dessinée Category Winners

Storyboard Category Winner

Illustration Category Winner

View all entries

Comments from Judging Panel & Winners

Watch the video for words from the judges on the contest, as well as specific critiques on the winners of the Grand Prize and individual category prizes.

Charlie Adlard

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/charlie_adlard/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CharlieAdlard

Charlie Adlard is a veteran in the comics industry with over 25 years of experience. Known for his work on the globally renowned "The Walking Dead” as well as “The X Files”, “Batman”, “X-Men” and “Superman” comics.

Comment:
Thank you Celsys for entrusting me to judge these entries... You’re a very, very brave bunch of people! My first reaction was literally “why me?”, because Manga really is my blind spot as an artist. I grew up very much on western comic art... Marvel comics and Bande Dessinée being my two main influences as a youth. But I saw it as a challenge and, really, comic books whether US Superhero, French cartoons, or Sci-Fi Manga etc. are all fundamentally the same:it’s all about storytelling.
The first thing that struck me was the sheer volume of talent out there. These were school kids, I had to keep kicking myself to remind me! So it made it particularly hard to single out the “best” out of an already brilliant, amazing bunch. I know it’s a cliché but everyone’s indeed a winner here. I had to keep asking my ignorant self... “is this good Manga?” I dunno, I could be judging it by my skewed western standards, but then, hey, perhaps that’s why I was asked, to shed a different perspective on it all.
But what was also very apparent was how international it was. Manga has indeed brought a worldwide community together. And that should certainly be applauded.
So congratulations everybody that made it to the initial list and to the “winners”.
I can see a bright future ahead of you all.

Simone Ferriero

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simz.art/
Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/simzart/

Italian Illustrator & Comic Artist Currently working on various projects including the "Falling in the Blue” webcomic.

Comment:
Every artist's journey starts in a different way and while looking at all the entries of this contest I had a glimpse at the endless paths that every individual artist has in front of them. Paths that can lead in any direction and could change someone's life, both artists and viewers, forever. All thanks to something simple, in a manner of speaking, like a drawing, a short story or just an idea.

It’s amazing to see a bit of your personality behind every line and shape of your works. I had the chance to see different worlds, moods, concepts and many of those have been so inspiring even,
or maybe I should say especially, when they were so different from what I would have done myself.

In conclusion I wish all of you to succeed in any career you’ll end up choosing
and never forget to always stay true to yourself!

Masafumi Okamoto

https://www.shueisha.co.jp/english/

Graduated from Tokyo University of the Arts and joined Shueisha publishing company. After working at a women's magazine & portal site, he participated in digitizing manga. He planned and developed the Comics Digital Archives, which archives and manages a database of major comics published by Shueisha. He was involved in the digitization of manga production for manga magazines like Shonen Jump. After being transferred to the Digital Business Department, he founded Manga Factory and SSDB (Shueisha's comprehensive database).

Takuya Kashima

https://booklive.jp/
https://www.manga-nino.com/

Takuya has experience working on collaborative manga projects with companies and TV series adaptions. After working as editor-in-chief at a major publishing house, he became the head of the BookLive Content Department in January 2020.

Comment:
Showing your creations to the world is your first step as a professional author. On top of that, I was interested in the number of authors who put thought into why a reader would buy their comic. Readers have an insatiable desire to consume entertainment, which doesn’t always match up with authors’ desire to express themselves. Among the shortlisted entries, I felt that there were a few that, due to a lack of experience, didn’t really hit the mark from an expression point of view. So, there was a lot of room for growth there. To hone your craft and entertain your readers, think about how you can weave in specific details into your stories and characters, tickle your readers’ intellectual curiosity, and get them to spend more of their time in your world. In Japan, there are editors who work with authors and raise them to a level where their work can be sold, but you’ve stumbled on the shortcut to becoming a professional author by getting advice from professional editors, so make sure you make use of it and submit lots of work.

Kim Bedenne

Official website:http://www.ki-oon.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kim_ki_oon

Ki-oon’s Tokyo Office representative. After three and a half years as editor-in-chief of PIKA, a major French manga publisher, Kim came back to Japan as the representative of Ki-oon's Japan office.

Comment:
This is the first time that I have served as a judge in this international contest, and I was impressed by the variety of participating countries. It was also interesting to see the various formats chosen. Bande dessinée, manga and comics were classified separately, but the mix of influences was striking. This mix is one of the strengths of today's writers.

At Ki-oon, we try to give the chance to those who want it and who have the capacity to leave the traditional manga format behind, with for example titles in full color, like "Les Temps retrouvés" or "Roji"!

The shortlist had a lot of stories with interesting angles, but could have become remarkable with a simple structural trick: a hook from the start. It is better to use roughly the first 2 or 3 frames to grab the reader with an exciting scene, even in a double-page spread. It can be an intriguing situation, a magnificent image, a classy character ... Anything, as long as it allows you to stand out!

I was really happy to read all of your entries, I hope you continue down the path of drawing!

Congratulations to you all!

Ichihara Takenori

https://www.shogakukan.co.jp/

Editor-in-chief of Shogakukan’s Weekly Shōnen Sunday. He joined the company in 1997 and launched "Gessan" in 2009. He later became the editor-in-chief of Weekly Shōnen Sunday in 2015.

Comment:
The contestants who were able to express what they wanted to draw and what they liked well stood out from the rest. The entries that put an emphasis on being easily read and understood were especially impressive. And the illustration and comic entries where the artist had put a lot of care and passion into the details were also very charming.

As I said before, I think the key to improving your work is to really think about how to communicate your piece to the reader.

I look forward to seeing more from not only the winners, but all of you, in the future.

Takashi Hijikata

https://comic-walker.com/
https://www.kadokawa.co.jp/category/comic/

Manager of Comic Editorial Department. As the editor and designer of comics and light novels, he was involved in the launch of “Comic Alpha”, “Monthly Comic Flapper”, “MF Bunko J”, “Monthly Comic Alive” and launched “Monthly Comic Jean” and “COMIC BRIDGE” as editor-in-chief.

Comment:
It was very interesting to judge such a wide variety of entries. There were lots of entries, especially the color ones, regardless of their genre, that I felt had a lot of future potential because of the unique touches each artist put into them, including how they colored their pieces. As there was a theme and a page limit, the stories themselves were fairly simple to understand and digest.
However, we as editors would have liked to see you break free and show your emotions more. Stories are the essence of manga, but the way you present the visual to convey your story is also an essential skill. When putting your thoughts and feelings into your artwork, the more intense you can make them, the more heightened their effect on your readers.
I hope you continue to cram all your thoughts and feelings into your next storyboards! Thank you for exposing us judges to so much talent from around the world!

Koji Yano

https://www.wacom.com/

Wacom Co., Ltd.
Creative Business Unit Vice President

Comment:
It was very difficult to decide which entries to choose from the many strong entries I had to judge. As this is an international contest for students, I was impressed by the diversity and number of entries and the wide age range of the contestants. I was also surprised that so many junior high school students entered.

Many contestants tried their hand at formats that are maybe not the dominant format in their own countries, like manga, webtoons, and bandes dessinées. This gave me the impression that there probably are quite a few hoping to break out beyond their home country in the future.

Through this contest, I hope you could learn from the other entries you saw and push yourself more based on the judges' critiques.

I hope that the competition has given you the digital tools essential to fleshing out the worlds in your pieces and express yourself freely in a variety of ways.

I look forward to your next works!

Comic / Manga / Bande Dessinée / Webtoon Categories

Overall Grand Prize(1 Winner)

Cash prize: US$3,300 / Wacom Cintiq 16 / Clip Studio Paint EX (3 years, single device)

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Escola Joso

Artist: Konata (Spain)

Title: ¡ÁNIMO PAPÁ! (Spanish)

Comment from the Winner:

When I received the news of the award I was very excited because it is a comic that, due to personal circumstances, I was very insecure about; I was working and studying at the same time I didn't have much time to be able to really plan the process, and I was very scared of not being good enough. But thank you very much, really, for the feedback and for everything.
The hardest part when creating this work was planning the story itself, since there are many ways to admire someone and honestly, from my point of view, I think that the most beautiful one is the admiration towards people who sacrifice their time and their vocation out of unconditional love, like parents to children. And I wanted that feeling to be the one that would reach the readers. So thank you for giving me the opportunity for it to reach the whole world.
Thank you

Critiques from the pros

This entry received detailed critique from KADOKAWA.

See critique

We liked the father-daughter relationship, but thought that it was a shame that the daughter's admiration of her father was only expressed in the dialogue. Because the author makes good use of “dressing as what you want to be” as a device, we think it would have been enough to have the father see his daughter dress up in the suit to convey what the story is about, even without dialogue. It would have been great to see that expressed in the drawings.

BookLive

The story of raising a child across borders made us cry. The composition and emotions of this entry were excellent, showing the love that this family has for each other. The art was well drawn, but we wonder if the extreme difference in the light and dark lines was intentional? Or if it was a way to represent the age difference? We would wonder what would happen if the artist draws a longer story.

KADOKAWA

The father, struggling with raising his only daughter, looking after the house and work after his wife passes away. The contrast between his exhaustion at the beginning and tears of joy in the last scene is great. We also loved the character of the innocent daughter. The author does a good job of drawing facial expressions of joy, anger, sorrow and pleasure, and the little details like the stuffed animal in her bedroom and her lunch box were very well drawn. The scenes on pages 4-6 where the father is busy with work and chores were a bit monotonous - if they had been drawn with a bit more rhythm and emotion, it would have been more engrossing.

UOMO

It was a heartwarming story. The bond between the two is conveyed well in the pages without dialogue and we think that the story, though short, is well told.

Wacom

The art illustrates each situation well and the story is easy to understand even in such a small amount of pages. In the story as it is, you only see the interaction between the father and daughter, but we think it would have been better to see the two characters’ relationship through the eyes of a third person, so the reader can get a better idea of what kind of people they are.

Amutus

The characters are so expressive, and the way the backgrounds and little objects are drawn opens up the reader’s imagination to what life is like for this daughter and father. The story also warmed our heart with the father’s costume dilemma leading to his final salvation in the end.

FUNGUILD

Beautifully told tale of a father and daughter. Nice clear storytelling too… and good backgrounds something I feel is missed in a lot of Manga I’ve seen.

Charlie Adlard

Very cute story and art, good manga technique with an own style.

J-POP Manga

Comic Category Prize(1 winner)

Cash prize: US$1,700 / Wacom One / Clip Studio Paint EX (3 years, single device)

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Escola Joso

Artist: Álvaro (Spain)

Title: Diablo Andino (Spanish)

Comment from the Winner:

First of all I would like to thank the jury for selecting my work as the winner. Having followed previous years' contests I am well aware that the level is very high. Therefore I am so grateful to have won. Honestly, I signed up for the contest with no expectations whatsoever of winning, but wanted to put into practice everything I've learned over the years. As for my comic, I wanted to create a simple story, but at the same time a dynamic and expressive one, which made the most of my cartoon style. I also made the color an important element here. I wanted to bring the whole story to life with a rich color palette and to show different environments... mainly to reinforce the magical aura of the story a little. During the process I have learned a lot, and having been selected as the winner gives me extra motivation to keep working hard and continuing to enter the world of comics.
Thank you very much.

I liked the use of color, but the "great wizard" explanation wasn't needed. When drawing a commercial work, with some special exceptions, an artist needs to be able to complete their stories. It was a pity that the last part had to be dragged out. Even if the coin was not a good sign for the protagonist, if the wizard were to reflect on his joy over the first person who ever did him a favor, he might lie about the unfortunate outcome and accept the protagonist as his apprentice.

BookLive

The unique use of color, the composition's sense of movement, the lively expressions of the characters, and the various perspectives gave a strong sense of the artist's ability to draw. The story had original elements not shared by others, and the ending was interesting.

FUNGUILD

The picture-book-like designs and colorful palette were attractive, and the way the story unfolds and is presented flowed well. It's a shame that in some places the frames are so detailed that it becomes difficult to see. It's good that the story develops quickly in the latter half, so I think it would be nice to create a scene that shows off a big panel.

Solmare Publishing

I enjoy how the characters move vividly in this fantastic world setting. I thought the boss character's spindly attacks, the use of effect lines, and the use of panels to express time were well executed.

Shueisha

Great storytelling. Great cartooning… Incredibly dynamic. Nice melding of characters and backgrounds. Great colouring too. The environment plays as important a role as the characters - something that is missing from many other strips.

Charlie Adlard

I loved this small comic. The story, design and color palette are very mature and give an overall sense of consistency to the world. Some panels are a bit inconsistent in terms of quality and seem like they could have used some extra work. The characters are interesting and the whole piece lets the imagination wonder of how this worldbuilding could evolve.

Simone Ferrierro

Gorgeous use of color in setting the tone of the narrative as we shift from one setting to another! The comic has great flow and movement, and imaginative character design as well. Strong writing with a cliffhanger ending!

Tapas Media

The psychedelic style can fit some comic experts searching for an original style. Please continue in your style!

Glenat

Comic Category Runners-up(3 winners)

Clip Studio Paint EX (3 years, single device)

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Nanyang Technological University

Artist: Jack Zhen (Singapore)

Title: Life's Yearning (English)

Critiques from the pros

This entry received detailed critique from Hakusensha.

See critique

With only a few pages and limited descriptions, the work gives just enough to exercise the reader's mind.

Shogakukan

More than the level of drawing, it's the way the comic is presented, the unique sense of style, and the way it's painted with dry markers in this age of digital technology, that gives this comic a nice flavor. But, the characters lack distinctiveness and weren't compelling. If I had the ability to draw so well, I'd hope to be able to draw works that will make people feel what I feel.

KADOKAWA

The atmospheric images are very attractive. Why is the character so drawn to him that they want to go from being an angel to a human? I'd like to read more about the relationship between the two, because the story progresses without understanding the "why" part.

Amutus

This is in the top 3 because of the story. A very emotionally engaging tale with a beautiful ending. The colour choices of the pages are very well thought out and bring the whole design together. Probably my favourite cover too - beautifully painted and atmospheric.

Charlie Adlard

The art in this comic is stunning and inspired. The limited color palette is a very nice choice but would be interesting to see how this style evolves with more complex color choices for an extra punch. However I appreciated the color palette and the aesthetic choices. Story wise the comic is very emotional and has an high readability.

Simone Ferrierro

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Bo’ness Academy

Artist: Greyson Adams (United Kingdom)

Title: It's the Stars that Make Us (English)

I like the picture-book-like familiarity of the illustrations. I think that if you can depict not only the monologue but also the events of the character's life as they grow, readers will be able to better connect with them and like them even more.

Amutus

The character design of the main character is striking, which makes the first page graphically interesting. She could have been introduced in full to make the page even more impressive. The lines are neat from start to finish, with beautiful poses and facial expressions that make the protagonists endearing. On the other hand, it's a shame that there is no real story. You can feel that there's a start for a story but it does not connect very well with the rest of it. It doesn't allow for a strong connection with the main character. She looks cool, I would have liked to know her more!

Ki-oon

Nice art, good use of colours and daring page structure. Interesting plot.

J-POP Manga

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Escola Joso

Artist: Helz (Spain)

Title: Plumas (Spanish)

Critiques from the pros

This entry received detailed critique from Glenat.

See critique

The heartwarming animal characters match the warmth of the story. Even though it’s a simple short story about a little fox who longs to be a bird and fly, it has the power to make you to make you feel emotionally involved and want to root for him. The absence of dialogue and the conscious use of multiple angles and back-and-forth shots make the story less monotonous and more expansive. The last scene, that's looking up from the ground, is wonderful and lingers in the mind. It made us feel happy.

UOMO

Although there were no lines in the story, the characters' feelings were well conveyed. The lack of dialogue made us think about the meaning of the story, and how the impression of the story can change depending on the reader.

Wacom

I always like successfully executed non-dialogue strips - always signifies great storytelling if you can do it without those.

Charlie Adlard

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Manga Category Prize(1 winner)

Cash prize: US$1,700 / Wacom One / Clip Studio Paint EX (3 years, single device)

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Aichi Prefectural Toyohashiminami Senior High School

Artist: 帰田 (Japan)

Title: 初夏 (Japanese)

Comment from the Winner:

Thank you for choosing me as this year’s Manga Category Award Winner. I entered the contest was because I wanted my friend in Austria to read the manga I drew. It is difficult for me to go abroad and translate my work into English, so I entered thinking that it would be great if I could get some kind of award for my work. The manga I entered was originally something I was already working on, to which I added an endingthrough a bit of trial and error. In the manga, Wakamatsu Konatsu’s name came from a mishearing, but I liked the rhythm and how it sounded, so I put it in. Also, it was easy to understand the way that the main character, Minase, thinks and based on that, put her into motion in the story. In the future, I’m looking forward to writing a lot of different character types and pick some good scenes for them. I will do my best to push myself further as an artist!

Critiques from the pros

This entry received detailed critique from Shogakukan.

See critique

The designs were cute and moving, and the girls feel like real students. The title could be better so it should be reconsidered. The scenes were very well written and even the little details like the book in the infirmary are incorporated into the story. The characters are great - they are ordinary without being boring.

BookLive

I found the dialogue and the pauses between them to be very organic. The line "That's where it was!" combined with the line of sight, was a very effective choice. The sense of dialogue and pacing is not something that can be improved later, so I think this skill will be a great asset to this author.

Shogakukan

This artwork takes place in everyday life and successfully portrays the feelings that everyone has about wanting something they don't have. Two girls share a secret, and a little courage brings them together. Instead of envying what they don't have, they take a step forward to get it.

Solmare Publishing

In a low number of pages, the author has created a story with a strong climax on the conflicts that everyone feels as a teenager. The ending is also well done, as if the author suddenly lets go of her grip on the story after it has reached its peak. In addition, the girl's emotions are well expressed by the slow and steady use of detailed backgrounds and white backgrounds. The "Just a nobody!" line on the second page could have been omitted, as the "Compared to this, I’m..." from the previous page would have been enough on its own.

UOMO

It's a short story, but it does a good job of conveying the personality of the characters. It feels like their story is about to begin.

Wacom

It's a classic tale, but the story is well written. The contrast between the two characters ends up being explained in a monologue, but we believe that showing the difference between the popular character and the main character through their respective dialogues and actions would make the characters more appealing.

Amutus

The level is almost professional. The techniques of opening chapters and setting up the characters are mastered, the line is clear and the layout is easy to follow. The use of large panels or even whole pages to describe key moments is great. The story itself remains quite simple, but the two main characters are interesting enough for us to get attached to them. Minase could have had a little more personality to make you want to read the rest of her story. In any case, I liked this story and I hope to read more from the same author.

Ki-oon

Manga Category Runners-up(3 winners)

Clip Studio Paint EX (3 years, single device)

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Universidade Católica Portuguesa

Artist: Hypnodrama (Portugal)

Title: Coffee Break (English)

Critiques from the pros

This entry received detailed critique from Solmare Publishing.

See critique

The way the younger brother, who was so excited to talk about his own work, chickened out when a third person appeared was so realistic that one could understand the personality of a single character at a single look. The author seems like someone who has a keen eye for observation.

Shogakukan

Although the characters are anthropomorphic animals, their issues are familiar to us, and we can empathize with the older brother who kindly consults his struggling younger brother. The roles and characterization of each sibling are well depicted, and the facial expressions clearly express their feelings.

Solmare Publishing

From the facial expressions of the characters to the sets, the attention to detail is serious and well-crafted. The characters’ thoughts and feelings are skillfully incorporated into the story, and it was a satisfying read.

Shueisha

I felt this one shot really close to me due the topic discussed. I liked the interaction between the characters and the pacing of the story. The artworks, even though very nice framed and with a nice rythm, feels not expressing the full potential of the artist yet, but I'm sure that there's plenty of room for improvement.

Simone Ferrierro

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Esa Games

Artist: Kurogami (France)

Title: Perception (English)

Critiques from the pros

This entry received detailed critique from Tokyo Name Tank.

See critique

The theme of loving your own child to fight the despair of losing your loved one is well expressed by connecting the past and the present. I think this manga would have been easier to understand and read if additional frames to explain the worldview had been added, for example, explaining why the world has become such a desolate place.

BookLive

This story gives the impression of telling a long tale of a large world. We don't know if this is the last or the first part of the story, but something about it makes us want the rest of this story to be drawn. However, in the middle of the story, the father's explanation of the eyes is hard to understand. It could have been explained in a more understandable way that young readers can understand. Likewise, the composition of the battle between the monsters encountered on the way home should be further reworked in order to convey to readers the greatness of the enemies.

KADOKAWA

This one really got to me, even though I don’t think I fully understood what was going on! It just had a certain “something”…. Some nice cartooning and visuals as well.

Charlie Adlard

Interesting plot, unique drawing style.

J-POP Manga

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RMIT University

Artist: mid

Title: idrm (English)

Critiques from the pros

This entry received detailed critique from Amutus Corporation.

See critique

The artist has a good way of showing subtle facial expressions, which conveys the feelings of the main character and the realism of the scene. The composition is well drawn, so we think the facial expressions could have been drawn a little larger in the main scenes to create a more memorable impact.

Amutus

The facial expressions of the people are lively and very appealing. Also interesting is the story of a young teenage girl who does not adapt well to her surroundings and how a little courage can save someone and bond with others.

FUNGUILD

The writing for this comic felt really authentic and relatable. The artist's choice not to show any characters' faces until several page helps the reader establish themselves in the main character's world and emotions. The characters' expressions were also really charming!

Tapas Media

This one hit me particularly because it seems like a photograph of the artist soul and personal experience. Although I think the school setting is not the most inspired, the feelings that leaks through the pages are real and highly relatable.

Simone Ferrierro

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Webtoon Category Prize(1 winner)

Cash prize: US$1,700 / Wacom One / Clip Studio Paint EX (3 years, single device)

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School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University

Artist: Mado (United States of America)

Title: I Admire You A Whole Lot! (English)

Comment from the Winner:

Thank you for choosing me as the Grand Prize Winner of the Webtoon Category. I’m super honored to receive this award! Last year, I entered this competition with a comic called “Cross My Heart”. From that project, I gained a lot of experience in visual storytelling, and decided to re-enter the competition this year. Then, I used what I learned to make “I Admire You So Much!” - a very personal work. I admire many artists and storytellers. Their efforts and success motivates me to improve my own craft. However, over time, I learned to appreciate the encouragement of my friends and family even more. Their constant support for me and my work is why I continue to create to this day. In the future, I hope that I’ll be able to make stories that can impact a lot of people emotionally. I’m happiest when I see my work inspire others to create.

Critiques from the pros

This entry received detailed critique from NHN comico Corp. Editorial Team #2 H.N.

See critique

The background changes color in line with the character’s feelings, which is a great use of the webtoon format and makes you want to keep scrolling. The main focus point of the story is the main character and the person she admires, but really the most important character is the main character’s friend. It would have been better if the scene between the main character and her friend was at the top of the story.

BookLive

The story is well structured, with a good beginning, middle, and end. The characters’ expressions are well-drawn, and we were drawn into the world of the story. The author has a great style with the way they designed everything, like the little objects in the story and all the details of the crowd.

FUNGUILD

We really liked the storytelling in this piece, beginning with the character, building up the conflict and her struggle, and then ending with her being saved.

Shogakukan

The background gradient matching the highs and lows of the girl’s emotions was drawn effectively. You can really feel the passage of time when you scroll through this entry.

Shueisha

It was a quick and easy read with a design that really popped. It made great use of the special features of the webtoon format, like the use of color for scene changes and negative space between the characters, that made them stand out.

Wacom

To be honest, it’s the only one I completely understood [I feel SO old! which pushed it to the top], but some lovely cartooning in there too. And I love the way the colours also represent the mood of the character. Clear storytelling too which doesn’t even need that much dialogue to get the emotion across.

Charlie Adlard

I like the message in this story, it's very heartfelt. The artworks are quirky and colorful although they give a sense of unfinished in some panels. It also lacks a bit of variety in the use of this medium, paneling is in fact a bit monotone. Although I like the exposition of the story and how clearly the expressions and the scenes explains the story.

Simone Ferrierro

Charming, unique, and expressive style! The use of a rainbow color gradient throughout the entire comic is also a great utilization of the vertical-scrolling format.

Tapas Media

This is a great story of friendship! The heroine's journey is clearly described; it is easy to understand what emotions she goes through and why. The very colorful design lends itself well to the Webtoon format. It's all readable, except in one part: the one with the smartphone. We can't quite read the messages of encouragement from her friend, which is a shame because it's an important passage. You have to make your words jump to the reader's eyes. But otherwise, the reading is pleasant.

Ki-oon

Webtoon Category Runners-up(3 winners)

Clip Studio Paint EX (3 years, single device)

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UOW Malaysia KDU University College

Artist: Fellgorr (Malaysia)

Title: Footprints (English)

This story is about a woman who follows a mountaineer she admires and boldly challenges herself to reach the summit of a grueling mountain. The loneliness of the ordeal and how she faces and struggles against her past were very realistic and drew us in. The end was a little predictable, so we look forward to the next one where they can betray their readers (in a good way!).

BookLive

The way that the snowy mountain and weather were depicted was wonderful. The way the main character’s psychology was expressed was good, and her determination really shone through. This is a story that makes you wonder she will go on to live with the thought of him after the story ends.

FUNGUILD

We think it’s a good subject, which could have made use of the scrolling aspect of webtoons and shown the differences in the height of the mountainous challenge and the changes in weather. It would have been great to see that used a bit more. As for the character’s feelings and the emotional background of the story, they were understandable but not that unexpected, so we thought that this entry had the potential to improve.

KADOKAWA

Amongst the contrast of blue and white, the clear air of the snow-covered mountains and the sharp drama of the main character was drawn with great finesse. The story is short but packed with just enough to show the reader what could lie ahead for the character.

Shueisha

The movement of the character climbing the mountain was a great example of something that could only be done in a webtoon.

Wacom

I like the metaphors in this story, though, again, some of it was a bit lost on me. But it had a real sense of drama with some good storytelling and consistent colouring.

Charlie Adlard

Great job establishing the moodiness of the atmosphere and the bleakness of the mountain alongside the personal and emotional journey of the protagonist.

Tapas Media

The concept of climbing a mountain fits very well with the vertical strips intended by the Webtoon format. It was a good idea. The colors reflect well the beauty and the harshness of the environment. The feelings of the hero are also well expressed through the pictures, even more than through words. The panel of the discovery of the body of his hero is striking. An end with a real catharsis would have perhaps left a bigger impression when reading the ending.

Ki-oon

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Chungkang College of Cultural Industries

Artist: _cii (South Korea)

Title: 지나가버린 (Korean)

The way the frames were composed and the execution of this entry was outstanding. I was drawn into this story and could sympathize with both the main character and the father. I hope you continue to work on your drawing and coloring skills.

FUNGUILD

The artwork is cool but warm at the same time, and the story was good in that it portrays the feelings between father and son sensitively. We were unsure about some parts, like, why it was only the father and if their relationship could change in the end. It would have been nice if the story could have explored things a bit more and had a more positive outlook in the end.

KADOKAWA

The use of light watercolors was a breath of fresh air and worked well with this story. It’s a shame that even though it should have been the highlight of the story, the scene where the father hit his son didn’t leave much of an impression.

UOMO

The father who lost his job felt like a very real person. The hand gripping the bag, remote control, and the bottle of alcohol were all drawn well, and the scene where he slapped his son on the cheek was memorable.

Shueisha

Not sure I “get” the story - it might just be the format of Webtoons that I’m struggling with - but this wins me over with the art, especailly the colouring which is very atmospheric and textural. It really does make it stand out from the crowd.

Charlie Adlard

A very dramatic story that also let the reader with a good lesson. I appreciated the pacing although the art style seems still in development. Panels have dreamy vibes that gives this story a timeless touch.

Simone Ferrierro

Very good storytelling, nice plot and characters.

J-POP Manga

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The Affiliated Senior High School of National Taiwan Normal University

Artist: 詠無湮 (Taiwan)

Title: 選擇 (Chinese)

Critiques from the pros

This entry received detailed critique from KADOKAWA.

See critique

The artwork was cute and charming. The ending was especially good because it made great use of the webtoon medium’s features. The button at the end made us feel good after we finished reading.

Shogakukan

We rate the fact that you had clearly thought about how to present the work vertically. And the way it was like an actual scroll was inspired. However, it felt like it dragged a little in the middle, and it didn’t really feel well executed as a vertical piece. We think you have the potential to improve if you think about how you can find a way to tell the story with variety using the format.

KADOKAWA

This entry had a unique touch and story, but what made it a good read was how it made use of the scrolling environment.

Wacom

This might’ve been in the top 3 if I understood it at all! But very inventive imagery and nice use of speech balloons.

Charlie Adlard

I loved the narrative structure in this meta-story / stream of consciousness type of Webtoon. Artworks shine using the whole canvas for interesting effects making a good use of this medium. I would pay more attention, or time, on the single panels, that seems a bit rushed sometimes. But the webtoon taken as a whole is still very interesting a charismatic.

Simone Ferrierro

Innovative use of the vertical scroll format when transitioning between panels. Great job weaving a story between fantasy and reality as well.

Tapas Media

Very endearing style, introspective story.

J-POP Manga

Nice utilisation of the vertical layout, and original style.

Glenat

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Bande Dessinée Category Prize(1 winner)

Cash prize: US$1,700 / Wacom One / Clip Studio Paint EX (3 years, single device)

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Osaka University of Arts, Character Creative Arts Department

Artist: 勝見ふうたろー (Japan)

Title: 青焦がれ〜Blue longing〜 (Japanese)

Comment from the Winner:

Hello, my name is Katsumi.
Thank you very much for this invaluable award.
I got obsessed with the world of Bande dessinée comics when I started university. I had wanted to try my hand at expressing the unique atmosphere and appeal of BDs myself, and, I had been thinking a lot about the theme of “aspiration” for a while, so I entered the competition, thinking it was a good opportunity to put both of those things to use. I drew a drama about a character who is saved from the darkness and the dangerous emotion of “aspiration”. I drew all the artwork traditionally, using a brush pen.I really enjoyed drawing the expressions of the main character, the penguin. The colors were all added digitally, and I tried to make the piece as colorful as possible, but also deliberately left some parts in black and white to communicate the characters’ feelings better. When I was told I had won the award, I was honestly over the moon. I was really surprised that it was me of all people.
Thank you once again for this precious award.

If Rebecca was a species of waterfowl, and the character had an inferiority complex due to being unable to swim on the surface of the water, I think the final contrast between the sea and sky could have been much more pronounced. The choice of character as a the penguin, a flightless bird full of inferiority complexes, fits the theme, and the panel layout and composition were very well designed.

BookLive

The theme of the story is easy to understand, the story is good, and the characters are cute. I enjoyed reading this because it had a lot to show in just a few pages.

FUNGUILD

This has both highly appealing artwork and story.

Shogakukan

Two characters longing for something they don't have. Others are attracted to the parts of you that you don't notice or think you are lacking in. This is a courageous story about how it leads to self-confidence. We can relate to the way such a past is portrayed. The expressions of the characters are also very appealing.

Solmare Publishing

First of all, the drawing skills were high, and the animals depicted were all appealing and drew me into the story: the sourpuss penguin, the elegant bird, and the peculiar-looking walrus. The structure of the story is clear and easy to understand, starting with the encounter of a penguin in the sea saving a drowning bird. The setting that there is a pecking order among penguins, and the use of the word "flying" instead of "swimming" in the ocean are also well done. I'm sure it's due to the page limit, but I wanted to see even more different, unique stories with such great artistry.

UOMO

I think the story is well organized according to the theme. Although the characters portrayed are birds, the movements and facial expressions clearly convey their feelings.

Wacom

Really nice, emotional drawings. It’s hard to get character into birds and this artist really achieves that. Again, nice clear storytelling - although it’s basically a conversation between two talking heads.

Charlie Adlard

Characters interaction is the main reason why I loved this comic. They're both relatable and their relationship builds up in a smooth and very touching way. The drawings are pretty and the style is bold. I would say that there's a lack of backgrounds, which in a project of this size, could have created more depth in the artworks.

Simone Ferrierro

A really unique, charming, and unexpected concept! Wonderfully written, and beautiful color choices as well.

Tapas Media

I really liked the work on the main characters' facial expressions. We can feel the range of emotions through which the character goes to learn self-love. References to the real world of humans (Uber, the swimming pool, etc.) are cleverly integrated in a natural way despite being out of touch with animals. The last page is beautiful! It's a bit of a shame that we didn't have a large mirror image at the start to better integrate the hero's transformation.

Ki-oon

Bande Dessinée Category Runners-up(3 winners)

Clip Studio Paint EX (3 years, single device)

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Osaka University

Artist: カラメル指揮素 (Japan)

Title: How to be adults (English)

The line art at the end was impressive. It made me wonder if this world view was inspired from this single line drawing. I felt the artist's power of observation in the way they portrayed the feelings of a pure, innocent child watching the monster stretch its tentacle to grab the hanging ring hand strap. An adult might think he’s just impressed by the stretching of the tentacle but actually the boy yearns to be able to grab the hanging ring himself. Furthermore, the idea of the child building a robot that can reach the hanging ring in a similar way to the monster is unique. This is a wonderful work that expresses the motif of children to the fullest.

BookLive

The characters were cute, the content was easy to understand, and we could easily imagine corresponding dialogue to the images. However, because it was packed with so much information about the world, we couldn't really understand some parts nor get into the world and read it.

FUNGUILD

I can fully appreciate the idea of showing things through pictures, and the gentle use of colors makes sense to me, but the precision is still low, and I would like to to see some improvement in the coloring and the portrayal of people.

KADOKAWA

There is almost no dialogue, but the mysterious world view and the way the characters' expressions are presented are good. We think the storyline is expressed naturally.

Solmare Publishing

The character development of the main character, a boy, and the one-eyed alien (?) is well done and draws you into the story. The use of panels is ingenious, and the handshake at the end is heartwarming.

UOMO

The use of hanging ring hand straps is interesting. It seems that some of the expressions may not have been fully conveyed, but we felt the enthusiasm that was put into the images.

Shueisha

I was drawn in by the cute world view. The beautiful color scheme goes well with the illustrations. It was a heartwarming read.

Wacom

Very inventive storytelling, with nice watercolour-like colouring. Universally appealing too, with its decision to use no speech balloons, yet the story is very clear. Emotionally engaging.

Charlie Adlard

Very creative project with a naive looking artstyle that fits perfectly the storytelling. I think that this artist has the potential to improve having already a good sense of volume, proportions, design, color but overall seems lacking a bit experience to give the panels a more finished feeling.

Simone Ferrierro

Imaginative and whimsical. The artist has done a great job conveying a child-like sense of wonder through their work.

Tapas Media

It's a nice little story with a visually interesting pop universe. The contrasting colors allow the lines to be clear, creating a rich atmosphere and reflecting the character's emotions. The absence of words does not harm the reading. While it lacks a bit of emotion, the ending is moving.

Ki-oon

The pictures are stunning and the artist has a talent for drawing characters' expressions wonderfully. The layout of the panels is also very interesting and would be enjoyable for any reader. If the overall story were a little easier to understand, readers would be able to follow the thread to the end and feel the message on a deeper level. For example, the main character overcomes a predicament using the robot armor he made, but it didn't feel like there was much drama in the situation. The crux of the story lies in the question "How can a child and an alien who have just met get out of a tight spot together?", so if you can think about the story through that lens and guide it to that climax, you'll leave the reader with a much stronger impression of your work. Next time, please think about how the main character is going to overcome the problem of the story from the first page. You are clearly an artist who can draw interesting manga, so we are very excited to see what you come up with in the future.

Coamix

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Chungkang College of Cultural Industries

Artist: kimkim (South Korea)

Title: MY FUCKING STAR! (Korean)

Despite the difference between music and manga, I could relate to the content. The story reminded me of when I was a beginner and I really liked the way the artist got so absorbed in it that he gradually lost sight of his surroundings on the fifth page. This time, the design and theme seemed to fit, but I hope that the artist will try different drawing styles depending on the content.

FUNGUILD

This is a good story. We think it would have been better if the iconic red pick had been drawn larger and included some deterioration over time. It's a color comic, but since it doesn't need to be in color at this point, we thought it would be better to feature the red pick more.

KADOKAWA

The story is told with a variety of page composition including large panels and 3 by 4 rows of evenly spaced panels. The simple lines and the orange color scheme is also very tasteful. That being said, we are a little disappointed that there could have been a more effective approach to showing the man's past and present forms on the last page. The title should not have the word "FUCKING" in it.

UOMO

It was not polished, but it seemed to convey the feeling of wanting to give shape to what the artist values.

Shueisha

Nice graphic storytelling. Good muted colours. Though perhaps too simple sometimes to convey the proper emotion.

Charlie Adlard

Really attractive color palette, with clean and attractive linework.

Tapas Media

Very nice and modern, with good coloring, very catchy theme.

J-POP Manga

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College Catholique Samuel Genest

Artist: Marcelo (Canada)

Title: LE BOUQUET D'OS (French)

Critiques from the pros

This entry received detailed critique from Ki-oon.

See critique

We were disappointed as we felt that the artist could have drawn higher quality images. It looks like a cut-and-paste study, which gives off a half-hearted impression. We wonder if the background color protruding outside the panels were intended to create an more traditional taste, something like silkscreen? We don't think it worked very well, it's an interesting experiment, and although there are still many points to be improved, it's a work that has growth potential.

KADOKAWA

The way the characters are drawn and the colors that make them stand out. The amount of dialogue is moderate, and the use of sound effects is also very good. In particular, the characters' facial expressions are unique and very appealing.

Solmare Publishing

The first thing that stood out to us was the stylish image with a limited color palette. It's interesting that the storyboard-like panels, stimulate the imagination and expand the world despite the narrow scope of the story.

Shueisha

We thought the world view was expressed in a stylish way, with good use of colors and a unique touch. The dog and its comical movements were cute.

Wacom

Despite Barky's ulterior motive in his fierce approach to Koko, whose owner has been replaced, it was a wonderful work in which the two dogs are well depicted as they heal each other in different ways. Also, the dog characters, their descriptions and situations, were presented to the reader in a clear way.

BookLive

Nice cartooning. Felt the colouring and backgrounds were very basic though.

Charlie Adlard

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Storyboard Category

Storyboard Category Grand Prize(1 winner)

Cash prize: US$2,200 / Wacom One / Clip Studio Paint EX (3 years, single device)

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National Taiwan University of Art

Artist: Mie. (Taiwan)

Title: 穿上裙子的他 (Chinese)

Comment from the Winner:

I am very honored to receive this award. Thank you to the organizers and all the judges. My teacher had recommended I enter this contest. I entered the contest in the spirit of challenging myself, but during the contest, when I was creating my entry, I often felt the limitations of my experience as an artist. I chose the “Admiration” manuscript about a student who stops lying to himself and wears a girls’ uniform. I thought long and hard about how to portray the main character’s personality. I also put a lot of effort into making it so that the reader would empathize with the main character’s feelings, so that the conversation between the two characters would feel natural. I want to put my all into making more stories in the future. Finally, I would like to thank the International Comic/Manga Schools Contest for this opportunity.

Critiques from the pros

This entry received detailed critique from BookLive.

See critique

In conversation, the difference between the present and the memory is not made clear. It may be useful to express this inside and outside of panels. To really let Kazusa’s expression shine in the last scene, it would have been effective to make the expression in the previous panel seem sadder. This would make it clear to the reader that the struggle has now been overcome.

BookLive

The representation of the purchase and the passing of the can is well chosen because it shows off the relationship between the two students. However, we find that the narrative would be easier to understand if the introduction included more elements from the details in the original manuscript.

FUNGUILD

The picture on the last page is superb. We particularly noticed the delicate lines of the sunlight shining through the trees. Unfortunately, the background art is minimal. With so much skill in drawing, the work could have been more elaborated.

Shogakukan

The storyboard beats have been covered, but the execution is very uneven except for the last page. The monologue at the beginning of the story is also very long and not very informative. Draw the situations such that they can be expressed as impressive scenes in a manga. We would have liked the beginning, which shows the childhood friends in the auditorium, to be longer so that the reader can experience the surprise better. This would also close the loop with the facial expression there and the smile at the end.

KADOKAWA

The details are carefully drawn and make a good impression. The facial expressions of the characters are also drawn appropriately. The smile in the last scene is particularly impressive. We'd think it would be better if there was continuity between the first and second panels of each page and the previous page to better show the transitions and sense of flow.

Solmare Publishing

Compared to other nominated works based on the same storyboard, this shows a very high level of drawing skill. The effects and facial expressions in the last scene are skillfully presented and this panel alone has the power to make you fall in love with the character. On the other hand, the page with the introduction is kept very small and the dialogue is plain. Actually, Kazusa's appearance should be a surprise at the very beginning, and that feeling is unfortunately missing.

UOMO

We could feel the delicate beauty that creates the atmosphere of this manga. If the artist could become more aware of the importance and role of the panels, there is a lot of potential for improvement.

Shueisha

Even in a serious story, the slight comedy of the situation was well expressed. The expression of light made the work sparkle as a whole, and it fits the subject very well. The last two pages show Kazusa’s charm and we were very drawn to this character.

Wacom

Inventive use of certain panels… nice cutaways to various other scenes, so it’s not ALL talking heads. Good use of texture in the last few pages… again, giving a different feel to the page and setting it apart from the rest, so it’s not boring to read.

Charlie Adlard

I like how expressive the characters are and how well their emotions are portrayed. Although I think more attention should be paid on the backgrounds and overall anatomy.

Simone Ferrierro

The introduction of the characters is well handled. The introduction of Kazusa is clear and straightforward. The character could even have been put in full on the whole board to make a bigger impact. The conversation between friends is also well written. The zoom on the can when Kazusa is looking for words was a good idea. It allows to vary the shots. When writing a story, it is important to let your characters breathe and reflect on their emotions. The last two pages did this well, ending with the beautiful smile of Kazusa. It makes you want to follow this charismatic character.

Ki-oon

Storyboard Category Runners-up(3 winners)

Clip Studio Paint EX (3 years, single device)

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Shanghai Honor School

Artist: ARLOTTEE (China)

Title: 憧憬 (Chinese)

The students' facial expressions and the dialogue are well done and the facial expressions skillfully switch between casual and serious. The camera perspective, which creates an overall view of the world with what may seem like unnecessary scenes, is also very successful. The artist also shows a good understanding of manga-like techniques and visual display styles. We noticed that you are able to draw strong emotional expressions, but at times when more subtle nuances should be incorporated, the facial expressions are still too stiff.

BookLive

This author is very skilled at expressing the story.

Shogakukan

The work is well done. The design is also unique and we think that the artist has drawn emotional facial expressions well. The style shows the artist’s habits, and in some places the fundamentals are lacking. If the artist can take the time to improve this, there is a lot of potential to create artworks with excellent taste.

KADOKAWA

Overall, the layout of the panels and dialogue is very easy to read. One point for improvement is that the main character, Makito, is always drawn facing the same direction, and there are a couple of panels with the same composition. The scene in which Kazusa looks back is also drawn without a transition at the beginning, which is a shame. This means that the effect of the last scene is lost.

Solmare Publishing

First of all, the childhood friend Kazusa has been drawn beautifully. Kazusa is not only pretty, but also naughty and teasing the protagonist. Both characters felt charming and like actual people. At the beginning of the story, I was led to believe it was a boring opening ceremony, but when I turned the page I saw that childhood friend Kazusa was wearing typical women's clothes! That was a good surprise. The camera angle of the last scene with Kazusa and the view of the city from the hillside is so beautiful that I personally think it should have been a single image. The weak point of the work lies in the part in between. It's too explanatory and long. I think the pace of the whole story would be better if the panels were orderly, the size varied, and there was more tension.

UOMO

We noticed that the artist was paying close attention to drawing many different expressions could be represented across multiple scenes. The background and the gestures were also depicted well, which made a good impression on us.

Shueisha

The most inventive way of telling this story. And it’s the most unique out of the 3 other strips on the same subject. Nice use of grey toning too. Every page has a “personality” and theme that makes it interesting to look at.

Charlie Adlard

The inking is very stylish and the characters have a very free sense of movement throughout the page.

Tapas Media

There is a nice introduction through the gap between the expression of the hero and the aura of Kazusa. It was also a good idea to draw Kazusa on a full page because it is her physical appearance that is the heart of the story. It's a bit of a pity that the rest of the story is drawn with rather repetitive cuts and small panels. It's suddenly much harder to follow the characters.

Ki-oon

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CAFA

Artist: neon (China)

Title: 我們所不知道的藍色 (Chinese)

Critiques from the pros

This entry received detailed critique from Tapas Media.

See critique

The design and theme go well together, and Kazusa's character design retains a masculine feel. It would have been better if the character’s hair had been a little longer, however.

FUNGUILD

Makito's worry, surprise, and agitation were well drawn, but it was a shame that Kazusa's expressions were comparitavely rather poorly drawn. It would be even better if the expressions were more serious or contemplative. Where Kazusa appears in female clothing for the first time, we would like to have seen Makito's surprise be emphasized with interesting panel cuts.

UOMO

Good opening page - a different way to approach it visually. Good expressions on the characters.

Charlie Adlard

The art in this is very mature and detailed. I appreciated the use of the halftones and the character expressions. The linework sometimes seems a bit shaky.

Simone Ferrierro

Clean and attractive style with a really great use of the page space when composing panels. The characters are expressive and fun.

Tapas Media

Nice ziptones, nice tweak on the script, good posture.

J-POP Manga

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Information Technology Vocational School of Fukui

Artist: ピースネコ (Japan)

Title: 正直者の入学式 (Japanese)

A manga consists of text and images, and the author uses these two elements optimally to depict the situation succinctly and to include exposition appropriately in the course of the conversation. It was very easy to understand because the author tried to let the reader relive the characters' actions with a minimum of panels so that the information was consistent. I particularly liked the attention to detail, such as the stretching cat in the fifth panel on page 5, and Makito dressed as a girl in the sixth panel. The monologue at the end effectively finished the work without disrupting the atmosphere, and left a good feeling after reading it.

BookLive

The story is easy to read and the characters are well drawn. The student representative's speech would seem more natural if addressed to the students.

FUNGUILD

The facial expressions are very carefully drawn and we especially liked the three-dimensionality of the final smile. The tonework is done well, but could be improvement on the panel composition.

Shogakukan

The drawing style is clear, and the panel layout and the text placement is also good. The characters' facial expressions are quite appealing, particularly the smile in the last scene that reflects the character that the artist wanted to portray. Page 6 contains a scene recalling the past, but only the first panel has a black border, unlike panels 4 and 5, which are also set in the past. We think some fine tuning is still needed here.

Solmare Publishing

In our opinion, the author has managed to create a natural panel layout that is easy to read. The composition is good and draws attention to the important aspects.

Shueisha

The drawing skill is very good. Aspects such as the scenes from the past and the characters' feelings are well expressed in each panel, which makes it a lot of fun to read. In the last panel, the text and facial expressions match well together and leave a lasting impression.

Wacom

Another inventive use of the first page - always good to try and do something different with the imagery.

Charlie Adlard

Sharp and neat linework. The choice of flashbacks and emotiveness of the characters helped us feel connected to the characters.

Tapas Media

I liked the last page, with the effect of luminosity which makes it seem like Kazusa is shining. Her smile, both charming and mischievous, is also very well drawn. On the other hand, it lacks a visual hook at the beginning of the story. The size of the panels needs to be varied to emphasize the shock felt by the hero when he sees his friend in a female uniform.

Ki-oon

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Illustration Category

Illustration Category Grand Prize(1 winner)

Cash prize: US$550 / Wacom One / Clip Studio Paint PRO (3 years, single device)

Yoyogi Animation Academy

Artist: chicami (Japan)

Comment from the Winner:

Thank you for choosing me as the Grand Prize winner. I am extremely surprised to have won in such a big contest.
I made this illustration with the intention that it wouldn't reflect the positive, sparkly image people might associate with the theme of "Admiration", but more of a pessimistic picture that might stand out by not being too similar to other entries. I built the composition from photos I took with my phone and used the same photos as textures in the piece. I'm proud that I could combine both illustration and photo bashing in a way that worked well.
I want to continue working hard to become a creator who grows by absorbing new techniques and tools that keep coming up without being bound by conventions or stereotypes.

There is an excellent sense of elegance in the composition. The thin sliver of night sky with the moon create a sense of depth which is very cool. The posing of the woman smoking her cigarette shows her emotion, which gave us the sense that the artist is a very observant person.

Shogakukan

The composition itself is difficult to achieve, looking up at the building from below, but the feeling that the sky is very far from the camera stands out. The colors are fairly dark overall, but the touches of paint are consistent with the rest of the piece, and is very beautifully put together. The crescent moon is also a nice accent.

Wacom

The world where this illustration takes place is very well thought out. The level of skill that it took to pull this off, as an illustration or even as the background of a manga, is professional. It would have been even more impressive if the angle was a little higher so we could see the character’s expression. Also, as this is a single illustration, we would have liked to see more creativity in the way of effects.

BookLive

The bold undershot composition immediately captures the viewer’s interest. It was executed beautifully. The gradient of light, from the moon, the light of the room, the source of light on the balcony, is very beautiful. It looks like the scene from a movie, which starts the imagination running. The texture of the building looks a little like it has been taken from a photo, so it is difficult to tell if the difference in quality between the person and the man-made objects in the piece is intentional. If the artist used the photos with intention, they could have left the realistic dirt and other elements that do not fit in an illustration and make the light part of the image stand out - or, they could have made the whole image more consistent by smoothing out the artificial parts and bringing the expression closer to that of the character in the piece.

KADOKAWA

The all-too-common scene of smoking on a fire escape is depicted in an almost monotone way, except for the orange of the lights. We thought that the scene would suit people who are fans of a variety of media, not just manga, and that it was depicted in a very clean and simple way that lovers of culture would appreciate. The contrast between the character and the moon, who are placed in dramatic perspective gives a sense of a hidden story and the bitterness of adulthood behind a very everyday-looking scene.

UOMO

The use of colors and the way the composition was crafted was very well done. The way the moonlight and lighting were painted was also very expertly expressed.

Amutus

The moon is high in the sky and a girl is smoking on a fire escape (?). In real life, I’m not sure if there would really be such a big puff of cigarette smoke, but you seem to know what you’re doing. There is skill in the use of the composition and lighting that forces you to imagine the story even though it is just a single illustration.

Shueisha

Very modern and realistic, it reminds us of the new anime illustration wave. Good contrasts of light and darkness. We would have liked to see a bigger contrast with darker and lighter colors (night/light), and the light of the cigarette burning.

J-POP Manga

The discrepancy between the realistic decor and the fantasy-like light refers to fictional situations tied in our daily life so commonly seen in anime. The gradation of colors on the platform is very well made. To make the scene even more striking, it would have been interesting to draw the eye of the reader on the face of the character with a cloud of whiter cigarette smoke, or a red burning dot.

Ki-oon

I LOVE this illustration. I know the majority of it is a photograph [I assume it was taken by the artist] but the way the drawing is integrated into it is virtually seamless. The composition works really well - the way the diagonal of the pink light contrasts to the triangle of night sky at the top - and the atmosphere is incredible. The whole piece tells a story in a very subtle way. It’s also very painterly, even though hardly any of it is actually painted. Beautiful work!

Charlie Adlard

Very nice composition. We don't really think that the illustration fit the theme “Admiration”, but the art is interesting.

Glenat

Illustration Category Runners-up(3 winners)

Clip Studio Paint PRO (3 years, single device)

Xue Xue Institute

Artist: るおーるおみ (Taiwan)

The idea to give the viewer a sense of the character’s story just from a cursory glance was excellent. The expression on the girl’s face, especially the placement of the eyes to give a 3D effect was outstanding. From my point as a manga editor, it was a bit of a shame that the hands weren’t drawn as well as they could have been. They often say it’s good to look at your own hands when you draw. If you get to the point where you can draw hands really well, you’ll be unstoppable!

Shogakukan

Although simple, the core of the character and the message of the piece were conveyed well to the viewer. The fact that colors aren’t too saturated and the general atmosphere helps you imagine the story! The character is also very cutely drawn, but they could have popped even more with a little more work on the wrinkles and shadows in their clothes.

FUNGUILD

It’s that happy feeling of being closer to the person you want to be when you look in the mirror. The look of calmness on her face as they look at their true self in front of them. The school clothes in the background. What does the future like for the person in the eyes of this character? It feels as though we are looking into a sensitive and personal space that we’re not allowed in. This piece crams a lot of information in a relatively small space and clearly reflects what the author wants to convey.

BookLive

This entry is well drawn, expressing and contrasting light and shadow, the real me and the person I long to be in the mirror. The way they used color is also very skillful. Because the expression of the “real me” isn’t shown to the viewer, it would have been better if the girl in the mirror had a smile on her face to remind us that she is in contrast to her real self.

Solmare Publishing

Arts & Technology Education Centre (Hong Kong)

Artist: Koss (Hong Kong)

My eyes were drawn to the incredibly intricate and artistic drawing and the muted colors of the whole piece. The main figures (animals, etc.) are fantastic and give the piece a sort of power. It would have been better if the figure on the cliff had been drawn more clearly so that we could understand what role they play in the world of the illustration.

Solmare Publishing

A mysterious fantasy drawn with delicate lines and pale colors reminiscent of ink painting. The artist’s style and the world they want to build are clearly expressed. By keeping the color palette muted and forgoing on drawing the background, the presence of this fictional creature actually rises powerfully to the top of the piece among the still environment. The juxtaposition of the silhouette of the mage in the foreground and the contrast between the buildings on the ground below and the huge castle in the background effectively emphasizes the sense of scale. Even though this is a single image, you can definitely imagine the story that led up to this “face-to-face”.

UOMO

The detail is beautifully and delicately drawn - very impressive. It is a shame that it slightly lacks that three-dimensional effect, so it would be better if you were more conscious of how you applied shadow in the future.

Amutus

I feel like I could write a fantasy or science fiction novel scene from this picture alone. The touch that evokes ink paintings and the RPG motifs work well together. It was an incredibly highly skilled painting that didn’t make you feel all the work that went into it.

Shueisha

The quality of the stroke reminded me of Final Fantasy. Both illustrations of Koss were beautiful, but I chose this one for the dynamic composition. The creature would have been even more impressive if the humans had been more obvious at the bottom. A starker contrast would have also drawn the eye to the expressive parts (eyes, mouth) of the beast.

Ki-oon

Fukuoka Design School

Artist: アキオカ (Japan)

The happy scene between the two of them made me feel warm and fuzzy. It’s just a small everyday scene but I was able to imagine all of the other times that they spend together in peace and harmony. The use of warm colors to give their life together a sense of warmth was excellent. The fact that all of the little objects scattered around the piece are all in pairs was a great little detail. However, if there are too many small objects like that it can throw off the perspective, so I would be mindful of that in the future.

FUNGUILD

This picture gives us a glimpse into the life of these two through the things in their kitchen. The back of the cat, who stares lovingly at its owners, is depicted very realistically, but it’s also a little miniaturized which is a great way of including the cat as another character of the piece. It looks like there’s already a fried egg on one of the slices of toast, so along with the ones in the frying pan, is one of them for the cat too? It was a lovely piece of work.

BookLive

The muted colors and peaceful everyday scene, are a great match for the world of this piece. The illustration is good overall, and the idea of longing for a calm everyday life is a great focal point for the piece. The casual expressions drawn on the characters’ faces convey a sense of quiet content.

Solmare Publishing

View all entries

International Comic/Manga School Contest 2021

This is a manga, comic and illustration contest open to students worldwide. Winners are eligible for cash prizes, digital creation software, pen tablets, and chances to be featured in media publications!

Contest theme (all categories):

Admiration

Comic Category (Color)	An original color comic for all ages (8-16 pages, including cover).
Manga Category (B&W/Color)	An original black-and-white or color comic/manga for all ages (8-16 pages, including cover).
Bande Dessinée Category (Color)	An original bande dessinée for all ages (8-16 pages, including cover).
Webtoon Category (Color)	An original webtoon for all ages (sized 800 x 40,000-72,000 pixels or a height ratio of 50 to 90 for an image 800 pixels or less when the width is set to 1). A template will be available for download. Webtoon Category Template
Storyboard Category	A 4-8 page manga, comic or webtoon drawn according to the supplied storyboard text. Manuscript 1 (courtesy of BookLive): A girl with crutches always gets on the bus. In her hand, she always holds a photo album. Draw a short interaction of her with the bus driver. Manuscript 2 (courtesy of Shueisha): One day my childhood friend suddenly came to school in a girls' uniform... (Excerpt from “A blue we don’t know (Bokura no shiranai aoi)” (Japanese) from TanZak, a Shueisha short story app)
Illustration Category	Original color illustration for all ages. There are no size requirements.

Special Sponsors

Collaborators

Hakusensha

Hakusensha is the publisher of "Young Animal," "Young Animal ZERO," “Le Paradis.” They also publish Shojo magazines such as "Hana to Yume," "LaLa," "MELODY," "The Hana to Yume," and "LaLaDX." They also produce online magazines for women's manga, "Love Silky," "Love Jossie," "Hana Yume Ai," young men’s manga, "Harem," and the and the "Manga Park" app.

SILENT MANGA AUDITION

One of the biggest and most successful manga competitions in the world. Organized by Coamix, Inc., founded by some of Japan's most iconic manga creators, the competition aims to find, nurture and publish the next generation of international manga creators.

comico

“comico" is a manga app that features a large collection of original vertical scrolling, full-color manga. In addition to the overseas versions in Taiwan, South Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam, comico has recently begun offering its service in English-speaking countries such as the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. The app has been downloaded more than 35 million times worldwide.

CoAket

Inspired by similar comics markets in Japan, CoAket is the first of its kind in Germany and is getting attention from local artists. Open twice a year in Hamburg, CoAket focuses on artist displays and publisher’s booths.

Tokyo Name Tank

Our goal is to support everyone in creating their own manga while having fun drawing it. We have produced many award-winning and debut artists. In addition to storyboard lessons that cover how to structure a complete 32-page storyboard, we also hold individual consultations and storyboard exchange sessions to answer concerns about the creation of comics.

Cork Co., Ltd.

A creative agency with a mission to "change the world, one person at a time, through the power of storytelling". Cork dares to challenge the entertainment industry with a new model for the Internet age that goes beyond conventional publishing and distribution by putting new works out into world, generating excitement and conntecting fans directly to creators.

Weekly Shonen Sunday

Unbeatable fun! Mr. Shonen Manga Magazine here!
Shogakukan's signature comic magazine full of laughs, moving scenes, and love, featuring super popular serials such as Detective Conan, Komi Can't Communicate, & Frieren: Beyond Journey's End.

Gessan (Monthly Shonen Sunday)

A monthly shonen manga magazine that speaks straight to the heart!
Unique and interesting - that's the Gessan guarantee! Popular titles include "Teasing Master Takagi-san," Mitsuru Adachi's "Mix", about the aftermath of Meisei Gakuen, "Dai Dark," the latest work by Ball Hayashida of "Dorohedoro", "Nobunaga Concerto", and "Kaiou Dante" fame.A monthly shonen manga magazine that speaks straight to the heart!

Monthly Sunday GX

Tough heroine supremacy! A new generation of youth manga!
With a massive volume of over 800 pages in paper and digital formats, this next-generation youth manga mangazine features strong heroines, including the 20th-anniversary gun of the action masterpiece "BLACK LAGOON" and the hit imperial palace mystery "The Apothecary Diaries"!

Sho-Comi

Lessons in Love by Sho-Comi: Romance Comics Filled with Love.
This is the romance bible for girls in love, filled with all kinds of stories about both idealistic and realistic love. It is at the heart of shoujo manga, popular mainly among junior high school girls, but also among high school girls and older!

Betsucomi

Everyone is a hero of love - pure and authentic girls' manga!
Betsucomi is a comic magazine packed full of pure and sweet love stories, for all teens and high school students! Don't miss the latest works by popular authors such as Kaneyoshi Izumi, Maki Usami, Risa Konno, Kanoko Sakurakoji, Nao Hinachi, Shizuki Fujisawa, Kyosuke Saotomi, and more! Released on the 13th, every month!

Big Comic Spirits Weekly

An entertainment pursuit comic magazine full of passion, powerful scenes, and the brightest smiles of the moment...that's Spirits! Aoashi," "Asadora!," "Mogura no Uta," "Nigatsu no Shousha," "Kujou no Daizai," "Chi.," and "Detective Fuuto"... Don't miss the career-high points of these highly talented popular artists!

Big Comic Superior

More freedom in manga! A new generation of youth magazine without taboos!
We believe manga is the most flexible media in the world! With our motto, "More freedom in manga!", we meet the demands of the times with our collection of manga. Regardless of genre, from gourmet, to horror, IT, ramen, loving wife, murder, and Gundam, we aim to be a completely new type of manga magazine for young people that has never been seen before!

Supporters

Japan Cartoonists Association

The Japan Manga Association was established in December 1964 as the only nationwide organization of Japan's manga artist at that time. It’s engaged in a variety of projects, such as research on comics, efforts in popularizing comics and comics culture, and comics cultural exchange with other countries. The group became a Public Interest Incorporated Association in 2014.

Manga Japan

Manga Japan is an organization that aims to promote the development of manga culture and artists, contribute to society through the manga industry, promote international exchange and improve production environments for manga authors and others involved in the industry.

Digital Manga Association

The Digital Manga Association is an organization of volunteers established to pursue creative digital techniques of digital manga and comics and research copyright issues that arise from digital technology.

Contest Partners

Operational Support

Organizer

Participating Schools

Note: The following list only shows schools that provided logos.

Green Forest High School

United States of America

FH Bielefeld

Germany

GREENDALE SECONDARY SCHOOL

Singapore

CI IDIOMAS E ARTE

Brazil

JOHN PAUL II PRIMARY SCHOOL IN LEGIONOWO

Poland

CEI TARTESSOS

Spain

Unidad educativa Letort

Ecuador

INSTITUCION EDUCATIVA CEINAR

Colombia

Trinity Academy

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Pioneer High School

United States of America

Université de Mons

Belgium

Piedmont Lakes Middle School

United States of America

IES Cura Valera

Spain

Centre d'Estudis Montseny

Spain

Parkview Jr/Sr High School

United States of America

Navigate Nides

Canada

Interhigh

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Marysville Charter Academy for the Arts

United States of America

桃園市立南崁高級中等學校

Taiwan

Улан-Баторский филиал РЭУ им. Г. В. Плеханова

Mongolia

The BRIT School

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

国際アート＆デザイン大学校

Japan

アカデミア宮城

Spain

桃園市信義國小

Taiwan

III. Béla Gimnázium, Művészeti Szakgimnázium

Hungary

ESCENA

Mexico

Centro de Educación Alternativa.

Mexico

台中市私立僑泰高級中學

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

InterHigh Online School

Canada

McMaster University

United States of America

Shasta Charter Academy

Spain

CENTRO DE EDUCACION ESPECIAL

Germany

Europa-Gymnasium Wörth

Malaysia

UOW Malaysia KDU University College

Spain

IES ANGEL CORELLA

United States of America

High School in the Community

Vietnam

Đại Học Công Nghệ TPHCM Hutech

Brazil

Universidade Fumec

United States of America

Garfield High School

Canada

John F. Ross C.V.I.

United States of America

天津外国语大学

China

Escuela de Game Design LA

Argentina

臺中市大里區永隆國民小學

Taiwan

Cawthra Park Secondary School

Canada

Penicuik High School

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University

United States of America

St. Stephen's Episcopal School

United States of America

SMK TAMAN CONNAUGHT

Malaysia

Accademia Europea di Manga

Italy

Lesley University

United States of America

Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi

Turkey

Hochschule Hannover (vormals FH Hannover)

Germany

Gymnasium am Kaiserdom

Germany

Facultad de Estudios Superiores Acatlán

Mexico

マンガ教室daichi

Japan

El Paso Community College

United States of America

南華大學

Taiwan

北海道芸術高等学校　福岡サテライトキャンパス

Japan

Humboldt State University

United States of America

福岡デザイン専門学校

Japan

Scoala Gimnaziala Sfantul Apostol Andrei

Romania

デジタルハリウッド大学

Japan

EINA Centro Universitario de Diseño y Arte de Barcelona

Spain

IES María Moliner

Spain

臺北市學學實驗教育機構

Taiwan

Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje

Colombia

パルミー

Japan

Red Balloon Learner Centre

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Institution Scolaire Cusset

France

國立彰化高級商業職業學校

Taiwan

Teletta-Groß-Gymnasium Leer (TGG Leer)

Germany

長榮大學

Taiwan

Florida Gateway College

United States of America

Gutenbergschule

Germany

名古屋デザイナー学院

Japan

SANTA MARÍA

Spain

Instituto de Enseñanza Secundaria Obligatoria

Spain

PAU GARGALLO

Spain

Montana State University

United States of America

Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México

Mexico

University of the Arts

United States of America

Extra-Escolar Cómic Francis Díaz

Spain

Shonan International School

Japan

寶桑

Taiwan

北海道芸術デザイン専門学校

Japan

Kerschensteinerschule

Germany

Method Schools

United States of America

Colegio de Educacion Multiple ITDEM

El Salvador

Brown Deer Middle/High School

United States of America

Applecross Senior High School

Australia

다사고등학교

Republic of Korea

國立清華大學

Taiwan

Zespół Szkół Poligraficznych im. Marszałka Józefa Piłsudskiego w Warszawie

Poland

Theodor-Heuss-Realschule Kornwestheim

Germany

Polsko-Japońska Akacedia Technik Komputerowych

Poland

Jay M. Robinson High School

United States of America

Universitat Jaume I

Spain

Kincoppal - Rose Bay

Australia

東海学園大学

Japan

同志社女子中学校・高等学校

Japan

Queen Marys College

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

國立新竹高級商業職業學校

Taiwan

中央美术学院

China

SMK N 2 WONOSOBO

Indonesia

台北市私立東山高級中學國中部

Taiwan

Sekolah Menengah Kejuruan Negeri 1 Purwodadi

Indonesia

lycee Leonard de Vinci

France

Budapest Komplex Szakképzési Centrum Kozma Lajos

Hungary

Minnesota Connections Academy

United States of America

Städt. Lindengymnasium

Germany

Scuola Internazionale di Comics di Firenze

Italy

Gower College Swansea

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Toppåsen skole

Romania

EASD Antonio Faílde

Spain

國立屏東大學

Taiwan

Génimage

France

Columbia College Chicago

United States of America

Escola Superior de Propaganda e Marketing

Brazil

GameDev-Profi.de

Germany

Sacré coeur Amiens

France

Agustí Serra y Fontanet

Spain

Inselrealschule Pforzheim

Germany

Institución Educativa

Colombia

Groupe Scolaire la Résidence

Morocco

上海率田文化艺术学院

China

Don Alejandro Roces Sr. Science-Technology High School

Philippines

Walker High School

United States of America

神戸野田高等学校

Japan

東京大学教育学部附属中等教育学校

Japan

台北市立復興高級中學

Taiwan

大阪府立今宮工科

Japan

神奈川県立相模原高等学校

Japan

아시아퍼시픽국제외국인학교

Republic of Korea

Universiti Teknologi Mara(UiTM)

Malaysia

Emily Carr University of Art + Design

Canada

Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Oya

Malaysia

雅加達臺灣學校

Indonesia

INSTITUTO DE EDUCACIÓN SECUNDARIA

Spain

Cité scolaire de Brocéliande

France

universidad nacional experimental de yarcuy

Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)

Escuela de Arte y Superior de Diseño Gran Canaria

Spain

Colegio Tomás Carrasquilla IED

Colombia

Aspaen Corales

Colombia

國立華南高商

Taiwan

Scotch College

Australia

下関商業高等学校

Japan

國立潮州高中

Taiwan

หมาวิทยาลัยศรีปทุม

Thailand

국민대학교

Republic of Korea

삼육대학교

Republic of Korea

https://artstudium.edu.py/

Paraguay

Angelo State University

United States of America

清真学園高等学校中学校

Japan

UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA, CAWANGAN KEDAH

Malaysia

Columbus State Community College

United States of America

Angelo State University

United States of America

Clermiston Primary School

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

IPVCE Vladimir Ilich Lenin

Cuba

IES Río Júcar

Spain

東京造形大学

Japan

樹德科技大學

Taiwan

東南科技大學

Taiwan

Zona D

Argentina

Helen E Taylor School

Canada

Aliat Universidades Campus Aguascalientes

Mexico

南臺科技大學

Taiwan

伊利沙伯中學舊生會中學

China

Städtisches Gymnasium Laurentianum

Germany

Green Valley Middle School

United States of America

Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León

Mexico

白梅学園高等学校

Japan

Biznessdeti

Russian Federation

Tara Anglican School for Girls

Australia

臺北市立復興高級中學

Taiwan

University Of Plymouth

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Universidad de Alicante

Spain

Technological University Dublin

Ireland

Ogilvie Public Schools

United States of America

BCU

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

The Royal Harbour Academy

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School

United States of America

Škola primijenjene umjetnosti i dizajna

Croatia

屋久島おおぞら高等学校

Japan

상명대학교

Republic of Korea

OCA大阪デザイン&IT専門学校

Japan

SMK Raden Umar Said Kudus

Indonesia

บดินทรเดชา (สิงห์ สิงหเสนี)

Thailand

V-ART

Spain

Yorktown High School

United States of America

Escola Secundária Tomás Cabeira

Portugal

Lynwood High School

United States of America

ASPAEN corales

Colombia

國立臺北教育大學

Taiwan

Brunswick County Early College High School

United States of America

장기고등학교

Republic of Korea

서울호서직업전문학교

Republic of Korea

Universitas Multimedia Nusantara

Indonesia

桜美林大学

Japan

総合学園ヒューマンアカデミー那覇校

Japan

Universidad de las Artes

Ecuador

Universidad Martín Lutero Ocotal

Nicaragua

군산여자상업고등학교

Republic of Korea

基督教香港信義會心誠中學

China

Stormont House School

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

AGR École de l'image

France

Nimitz High School

United States of America

The Complete Works Independent School

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

龍華科技大學

Taiwan

Staatliche Berufsbildende Schule Sonneberg

Germany

千曲市立埴生中学校

Japan

華南高級商業職業學校

Taiwan

臺北市西湖國小

Taiwan

GLOBAL ARTS STUDIOS

Greece

Lycée Saint Vincent de Paul (Loos)

France

Омский государственный технический университет

Russian Federation

ГБПОУ СКИК им.О.Н.Носцовой

Russian Federation

창원대산고등학교

Republic of Korea

Universal schools 2nd

Jordan

UNDQT

Peru

福岡デザイン＆テクノロジー専門学校

Japan

IRSA CSES Alfred Peyrelongue

France

Ohayo Drawing School

Indonesia

IES Monte Castelo

Spain

1 ΕΠΑ.Λ. ΝΕΑΣ ΙΩΝΙΑΣ ΜΑΓΝΗΣΙΑΣ

Greece

London College of Communication, UAL

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

M. S. Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences

India

宜寧高級中學

Taiwan

CEV

Spain

EJ Moss Intermediate

United States of America

Centro Artístico Policromo

Mexico

Universidad Nacional del Altiplano

Peru

University of South Australia

Australia

Юргинский Технологический колледж

Russian Federation

Westview High School

United States of America

불암중학교

Republic of Korea

SMP Little Sun School

Indonesia

バンタンゲームアカデミー

Japan

INSTITUT THOS I CODINA

Spain

Saint Paul Preparatory Seoul

Republic of Korea

EADT

Spain

E.M.B.A. Escuela Municipal de Bellas Artes de Quilmes

Argentina

Oklahoma Christian University

United States of America

Universidad Simón Bolívar

Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)

OCAD U

Canada

Boston Latin Academy

United States of America

中華基督教會全完中學

China

臺中市立福科國中

Taiwan

Детский технопарк «Кванториум» г. Владивосток

Russian Federation

國立員林崇實高工

Taiwan

健行科技大學

Taiwan

朋優学院高等学校

Japan

Institut Obert de Catalunya

Spain

University of Huddersfield

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

عرفات للموهوبين الثانوية للبنات

State of Palestine

Colegiul Național Mihai Viteazul

Romania

Scuola Romana dei Fumetti

Italy

Colegio Las Rosas

Spain

Städtisches Gymnasium Gevelsberg

Germany

Facultad de Bellas Artes Universidad Complutense de Madrid

고양 중산고등학교

Republic of Korea

Te Kuiti High School

New Zealand

臺北市立南湖高中

Taiwan

ASOCIACIÓN CIVIL EDUCATIVA SACO OLIVEROS

Peru

동평여자중학교

Republic of Korea

남해제일고등학교

Republic of Korea

Werner-von-Siemens-Gymnasium

Germany

Institut Seni Indonesia Denpasar(ISI Denpasar)

Indonesia

苗栗縣立大同高中

Taiwan

上海戏剧学院

China

University of Dundee

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Kenilworth School and Sixth Form

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Colegio Emaús - Escuela Técnico Profesional

Argentina

Vilniaus Gabijos progimnazija

Lithuania

Akademie für Kommunikation Heilbronn

Germany

HSE University

Russian Federation

Educativo

Chile

collège Salette

Canada

Instituto de Artes - Universidade Estadual de Campinas

Brazil

Saint John's Catholic School

Indonesia

新北市立三重高級中學

Taiwan

臺北市立中崙高級中學

Taiwan

IES ROSA NAVARRO

Spain

Institut Seni Indonesia Surakarta

Indonesia

Российско-Армянский университет

Armenia

HomeLink Yakima

United States of America

Hacettepe Üniversitesi

Turkey

Bristol Cathedral Choir School

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Sentinel Secondary School

Canada

CEI

Mexico

Tecnológico Nacional de México

Mexico

Nanyang Technological University

Singapore

培僑書院

China

駿台甲府高等学校

Japan

沖縄県立芸術大学

Japan

갈매중학교

Republic of Korea

醒吾科技大學

Taiwan

國立臺北科技大學

Taiwan

東京都立青梅総合高等学校

Japan

女子聖学院高等学校

Japan

奈良県立青翔高等学校

Japan

검단고등학교

Republic of Korea

臺中市立臺中第一高級中等學校

Taiwan

MAOU "Centr Obrazovaniya №12"

Russian Federation

Ecole Suger bilingue

France

Winston Churchill High School

United States of America

Lycée Paul Lapie

France

Sharon High School

United States of America

Westlake Boy's High School

New Zealand

青森県立田子高等学校

Japan

Universitas Tarumanagara

Indonesia

École Virtuelle Assistée

Canada

國立金門高級農工職業學校

Taiwan

효문고등학교

Republic of Korea

長沙灣天主教英文中學 (香港)

China

高師大附中

Taiwan

Rhein-Sieg-Akademie (RSAK)

Germany

天主教輔仁大學

Taiwan

Desmond College

Ireland

숙명여자대학교

Republic of Korea

Beaverlodge Regional High School

Canada

Hetman Jan Tarnowski Public Secondary School

Poland

Gracefield School

New Zealand

원주삼육고등학교

Republic of Korea

高雄市立三民高級家事商業職業學校

Taiwan

SALT International School

Republic of Korea

Departemen Desain Komunikasi Visual ITS Surabaya

Indonesia

長野市立東北中学校

Japan

Муниципальное бюджетное учреждение дополнительного образования

Russian Federation

臺北市立麗山高中

Taiwan

神戸芸術工科大学

Japan

國立曾文高級農工職業學校

Taiwan

LIGNES ET FORMATION

France

八洲学園大学国際高等学校

Japan

ISEM

France

Collège Bart

Canada

Детская студия архитектуры и дизайна "Архимодус"

Russian Federation

Uniwersytet Pedagogiczny w Krakowie

Poland

Teesside University

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Unidad Educativa Amerinst

Bolivia (Plurinational State of)

GIBRAN METHOD

Malaysia

SMAN 1 SUNGAI RUMBAI

Indonesia

CENTRO UNIVERSITARIO DE LA COSTA SUR-UDG

Mexico

東京朝鮮中高級学校

Japan

大阪市立工芸高等学校

Japan

Казанский государственный институт культуры

Russian Federation

Английска езикова гимназия "Гео Милев"

Bulgaria

St. Marien-Realschule

Germany

Gazi Anadolu Lisesi

Turkey

Centro Escolar 5 de Noviembre

El Salvador

부산 컴퓨터 과학 고등학교

Republic of Korea

成都大学

China

THPT Việt Bắc

Vietnam

Meridian Secondary School

Singapore

Gymnasium No1 named after F.Skarina

Belarus

須磨学園高等学校中学校

Japan

SUGS "Orce Nikolov"

North Macedonia

Jiráskovo gymnázium, Náchod, Řezníčkova 451

Czech Republic

HARVEST INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

India

D.R. Amin Memorial School

India

HAL大阪

Japan

University of Brighton

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

HAL名古屋

Japan

Krasnoyarsk College of Services and Entrepreneurship

Russian Federation

Universidad

Chile

捜真女学校

Japan

Universidade dos Açores

Portugal

La Verdad Christian College, Inc.

Philippines

Universidade Federal do Amazonas

Brazil

新竹市立香山高中

Taiwan

白頭学院建国高等学校

Japan

秋田公立美術大学

Japan

Escuela de dibujo de Claudo Kappel

Argentina

旭岡中学校

Japan

Colegiul de Artă „Carmen Sylva” Ploiești

Romania

Radical Manga School

Peru

臺北市立大直高級中學

Taiwan

한성대학교 디자인아트교육원

Republic of Korea

東京デザイン専門学校

Japan

IDRISSI International School

Malaysia

兵庫県立明石高等学校

Japan

Virginia Commonwealth University

United States of America

ARS STUDIO

Slovakia

Colegio Santa Clara

Colombia

Madrasah Aliyah Negeri Insan Cendekia Pekalongan

Indonesia

日本アニメ・マンガ専門学校

Japan

Jurusan Desain, Universitas Negeri Surabaya

Indonesia

Grund- und Mittelschule Diedorf

Germany

あいち造形デザイン専門学校

Japan

Don Bosco Technical Institute-Makati

Philippines

Hong Kong Baptist University

China

IES REYES CATÓLICOS (EJEA DE LOS CABALLEROS)

Spain

МАУ ДО "ВГ ДДТ" Детский технопарк Кванториум г. Владивостока

Russian Federation

원종고등학교

Republic of Korea

東放学園映画専門学校

Japan

藝術與科技教育中心 (香港）

China

Paragon International School Cambodia

Cambodia

Liceo científico Humanista Bicentenario Oriente de Rengo

Chile

창원대산고등학교

Republic of Korea

The One Academy of Communication Design

Malaysia

Colegio Agropecuario San Carlos

Costa Rica

Cosmo Studio

Paraguay

Max-Planck-Gymnasium

Germany

Roosevelt Senior High School

United States of America

St.-Franziskus-Berufskolleg Hamm

Germany

Hogeschool van Amsterdam

Netherlands

Fast Forward Charter High School

United States of America

Sekolah Kristen Kalam Kudus Malang

Indonesia

Emporia High School

United States of America

札幌市立屯田中央中学校

Japan

Oak Hills High School

United States of America

The King's University

Canada

文星芸術大学

Japan

屏榮高級中學

Taiwan

北海艺术设计学院

China

University for the Creative Arts

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Instituto Sanford Aguascalientes

Mexico

BELLECOUR ECOLE

France

ECV Animation Bordeaux

France

Universidad Intercontinental

Mexico

Harry Ainlay Highschool

Canada

保良局甲子何玉清中學

China

國立交通大學

Taiwan

Tampereen seudun ammattiopisto Tredu

Finland

Show Low High School

United States of America

Ada National College for Digital Skills

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Manhattan High School

United States of America

Arlington Catholic High School

United States of America

College du Saint Esprit, Quatre-Bornes

Mauritius

Madison West High School

United States of America

Academy of Arts, Careers and Technology

United States of America

Lucca Manga School

Italy

UOW Malaysia KDU University College

Malaysia

Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka

Malaysia

Urban School

United States of America

California High School

United States of America

San Ramon Valley High School

United States of America

Univdep plantel Valle

Mexico

ΑΝΩΤΑΤΗ ΣΧΟΛΗ ΚΑΛΩΝ ΤΕΧΝΩΝ

Greece

Unidad Educativa Particular Bilingue Ecomundo

Ecuador

예림디자인고등학교

Republic of Korea

New York City College of Technology

United States of America

Odessa High School

United States of America

university of bolton

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

致理科技大學

Taiwan

School of Visual Arts

United States of America

Proactive Solutions Latam

El Salvador

Atlanta I.S.D.

United States of America

มหาวิทยาลัยรังสิต

Thailand

新北市立鶯歌高級工商職業學校

Taiwan

Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Rahmat

Malaysia

Privat-Gymnasium PINDL Regensburg

Germany

MJM GRAPHIC DESIGN

France

臺北城市科技大學

Taiwan

SATEC @ WA Porter CI

Canada

ΚΟΛΛΕΓΙΟ ΒΑΚΑΛΟ ART & DESIGN

Greece

國立政治大學

Taiwan

屏東縣立東港高級中學

Taiwan

Harmony Science Academy- Euless

United States of America

Colegio Santo Domingo de Guzmán

Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)

Ward Traditional Academy

United States of America

KURVA Digital Drawing Course

Indonesia

Учебный центр Гильдия Манги

Russian Federation

アニメマンガパイオニアスクールamps

Japan

Universidad Rafael Belloso Chacin (URBE)

Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)

Sekolah Menengah Atas Kristen Kalam Kudus Bandung

Indonesia

Lycée Notre Dame

France

Wildern school

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Pobalscoil Neasáin

Ireland

Homburgisches Gymnasium Nümbrecht

Germany

L'ICONOGRAF

France

IES OCHO DE MARZO

Spain

Sint-Jozefscollege Woluwe

Belgium

Pinetree Secondary School

Canada

片山学園高等学校

Japan

I Colégio do Corpo de Bombeiros Militar do Estado do Rio de Janeiro

Brazil

Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Cawangan Perak, Kampus Seri Iskandar

Malaysia

星槎道都大学

Japan

Guru Nanak Sikh Academy

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

EURASIAM

France

ESCUELA DE ARTE

Spain

East London College of Music and Arts

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

American University of Paris

France

Staatliches Sportgymnasium „Joh. Chr. Fr. GutsMuths“ Jena

Germany

San Marcos High School

United States of America

BTP CFA Florentin Mouret

France

UNIVERSIDAD AUTÓNOMA DE TAMAULIPAS, TAMPICO MÉXICO

Mexico

INTI INTERNATIONAL COLLEGE SUBANG

Malaysia

Methodist - 2

Indonesia

George Washington High School

United States of America

Mt. Carmel High School

United States of America

嶺東科技大學

Taiwan

Staatliche Fachoberschule und Berufsoberschule Augsburg

Germany

St Richard's Catholic College

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Hispanoamericano School

Chile

University of Wisconsin Stout

United States of America

Arroyo Grande High School

United States of America

台中市立東山高中

Taiwan

Norwich University of the Arts

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

愛知県立東郷高等学校

Japan

NC Virtual

United States of America

Fort Lewis College

United States of America

New York School of Arts

United States of America

California Connections Academy

United States of America

KADOKAWA Animation & Design School

Thailand

UPSA (Universidad Privada de Santa Cruz de la Sierra)

Bolivia (Plurinational State of)

Laguna College of Art+Design

United States of America

SMK RAHMAT

Malaysia

IES Pablo Sarasate

Spain

Southlake Carroll Senior High

United States of America

Tecnologico de Monterrey

Mexico

Sekolah Kristen Mawar Sharon

Indonesia

Human Academy Europe

France

東京アニメ・声優&eスポーツ専門学校

Japan

UDC

Spain

Kurt-Schwitters-Schule

Germany

Froggy Manga

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Lycée d'Arsonval

France

COLEGIO COOPERATIVA ALCÁZAR DE SEGOVIA

Spain

Collège catholique Samuel-Genest

Canada

香港專業教育學院沙田分校

China

Universitas Ciputra

Indonesia

Aranmore Catholic College

Australia

Escuela Primaria

Mexico

Myland International School

Spain

University of Nebraska at Omaha

United States of America

대구광역시 청소년지원센터 꿈드림

Republic of Korea

British Higher School of Art and Design

Russian Federation

Lady Eleanor Holles School

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Académie Brassart Delcourt

France

Belmont Community School

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Visual College Of Art & Design

Canada

UAS

Mexico

学校法人角川ドワンゴ学園　N高等学校

Japan

SBS아카데미게임학원

Republic of Korea

청강문화산업대학교

Republic of Korea

St. Olave's Grammar School

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Universidade Anhembi Morumbi

Brazil

Studio M (Lyon)

France

新北市立丹鳳高級中學

Taiwan

Gymnasium Meiendorf

Germany

正修學校財團法人正修科技大學

Taiwan

수원여자대학교

Republic of Korea

國立臺北商業大學

Taiwan

James Gillespie's High School

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

NEW CABALAN NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL

Philippines

Lycée Frédéric Chopin

France

New Dimensions High School

United States of America

Scuola del Fumetto Palermo

Italy

樹德科技大學

Taiwan

lycée Margueritte de Navarre

France

Cannon School

United States of America

大阪芸術大学キャラクター造形学科

Japan

長榮大學

Taiwan

Gesamtschule Nord

Germany

Plympton International College

Australia

Muskegon High School (MCEC)

United States of America

EICA - Estudio de Ilustración y Cómic Albacete

Spain

INTI Center of Art & Design (ICAD)

Malaysia

新潟情報専門学校

Japan

Studium

Sweden

Boston Grammar School (UK)

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

TheSIGN Academy

Italy

Liberte-jeunesse

Canada

Pioneer High School

United States of America

American Heritage Academy

United States of America

International University of Sarajevo

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Liceum Sztuk Plastycznych im. "E.M. Andriollego" w Mińsku Mazowieckim

Poland

Viện Truyện Tranh Hoạt hình Việt Nam

Vietnam

Universidad Interamericana para el desarrollo

Mexico

白梅学園清修中高一貫部

Japan

UNISPORT

Poland

Anglo American School of Moscow

Russian Federation

RUBIKA Montréal

Canada

CENTRE CULTUREL D'ACHERES

France

Lycée Notre Dame La Riche

France

Jonesboro Math & Science Magnet

United States of America

JULIO VERNE SCHOOL

Spain

Darbi College

Bulgaria

St Mary's College

Australia

ZAMA Middle High School

Japan

Pôle IIID

France

Universidad de Celaya

Mexico

Fusion Education Support (FES)

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

9 ФЕГ "Алфонс дьо Ламартин"

Bulgaria

D.A.V. PUBLIC SCHOOL, THANE

India

The Zero One

Thailand

Akdeniz Üniversitesi

Turkey

El Dorado Springs R-II Schools

United States of America

新民高中

Taiwan

Universidad Rey Juan Carlos

Spain

BEST-Sabel Designschule

Germany

SKY TOON LAND

Mexico

Escuela Nacional de Caricatura

Colombia

UNIVERSIDAD DE COSTA RICA

Costa Rica

宇都宮メディアアーツ専門学校

Japan

大原情報デザインアート専門学校金沢校

Japan

e-artsup

France

인천 보건 고등학교

Republic of Korea

O GARAXE HERMÉTICO

Spain

Doctors Charter School

United States of America

Ecole AAA

France

Centennial College

Canada

queue

Republic of Korea

IX Liceum Ogólnokształcące im. Kazimierza Jagiellończyka w Toruniu

Poland

SMK Telkom Banjarbaru

Indonesia

國立政治大學附屬高級中學

Taiwan

SMA NEGERI 3 YOGYAKARTA

Indonesia

Cégep de Jonquière

Canada

Montclair State University

United States of America

University of the West Indies, Mona, WJC

Jamaica

埼玉コンピュータ＆医療事務専門学校

Japan

Facultad de Artes y Diseño de la UNAM

Mexico

Francis Holland School

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Banasthali Vidyapith

India

InterHigh

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

觀塘官立中學

China

銘傳大學

Taiwan

SEKOLAH MENENGAH KEBANGSAAN TENGKU INDRA PETRA

Malaysia

Blak Art Studio

Mexico

RUFA - Rome University of Fine Arts

Italy

동주여자고등학교

Republic of Korea

CIIT College of Arts and Technology

Philippines

國立屏東大學

Taiwan

新北市立二重國民中學

Taiwan

東華三院郭一葦中學

China

Animation Mentor

United States of America

SMA Springfield

Indonesia

МБОУ СОШ №1 г. Южно-Сахалинска

Russian Federation

Bishop Challoner Catholic Federation of Schools

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Field Middle School

United States of America

Homelink of Yakima

United States of America

女子美術大学

Japan

EPAC - École Professionnelle des Arts Contemporains

Switzerland

ESDIP (Escuela superior de dibujo profesional)

Spain

COLEGIO PRIVADO

Mexico

Pierre Elliott Trudeau High School

Canada

臺北市立復興高級中學

Taiwan

UO

Mexico

Académie de Meuron

Switzerland

Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi

Turkey

Hochschule der Künste Luzern

Switzerland

مدرسة الوردية

United Arab Emirates

Ecole de Condé Nancy

France

OCAD University

Canada

Benemeria Universidad Autonoma de Puebla

Mexico

Deerfield Unified School District 216

United States of America

Singapore American School

Singapore

Holt's homeschool academy

Canada

Metzger M.S. Judson ISD

United States of America

Colegio Monterrey

Costa Rica

Schoolism

Canada

日本工学院専門学校

Japan

台南應用科技大學

Taiwan

藤沢市立村岡中学校

Japan

Wycliffe College

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

國立羅東高中

Taiwan

BRASSART Bordeaux

France

Salesian School

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Fossil Ridge High School

United States of America

SOLE Alternative (School of Life Experience)

Canada

Max the Mutt School of Animation, Art and Design

Canada

Oliver Wendell Holmes High School

United States of America

Georgia State University

United States of America

East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania

United States of America

関西国際大学

Japan

มหาวิทยาลัยเชียงใหม่

Thailand

名古屋文理大学

Japan

Wayne Hills High School

United States of America

Goethe Rosario

Argentina

William Henry Harrison High School

United States of America

Los Altos High School

United States of America

S4G School for Games

Germany

Ysgol Gyfun Aberaeron

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Middlesex County Vocational & Technical Schools East Brunswick Campus

United States of America

宮古島市立西辺中学校

Japan

創形美術学校

Japan

Beaconhouse National University

Pakistan

朝陽科技大學

Taiwan

名古屋造形大学

Japan

IES FRANCISCO HERNÁNDEZ MONZÓN

Spain

Langley Fine Arts School

Canada

Coventry University

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Sekolah Kristen Tunas Bangsa - Greenville

Indonesia

大阪アミューズメントメディア専門学校

Japan

Colegio Palmarés

Chile

Dekalb School of the Arts

United States of America

Maple Leaf Kingsley International School

Malaysia

Escola d'Art i Superior de Disseny Illes Balears

Spain

SMK Telekomunikasi Tunas Harapan

Indonesia

St Marks Academy

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Escola de Belas Artes - Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais

Brazil

London South East Colleges

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Berufliche Schulen des Werra-Meißner-Kreises in Witzenhausen

Germany

代々木アニメーション学院

Japan

Colegio Patria

Mexico

Lycée Pro Jean Lurçat

France

Medienschule Babelsberg

Germany

市立札幌旭丘高等学校

Japan

Sunnydale

Bangladesh

Weston Favell Academy

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Escola Joso Sabadell

Spain

Escola Joso

Spain

Centro Universitario Incarnate World

Mexico

日本工学院八王子専門学校

Japan

多摩市立聖ヶ丘中学校

Japan

Colegio Milagrosa- Las Nieves

Spain

Rosedale Heights School of the Arts

Canada

آمنة بنت وهب الثانوية للبنات

Qatar

Colegio Bicentenario Cumbres de Labranza

Chile

SMK BANDAR UTAMA DAMANSARA 3

Malaysia

International Comic / Manga School Contest 2020

The previous contest, held from January 2020 on the theme of “Promise,” received over 750 entries from 825 schools in 69 countries around the globe!

View last year’s winners

The winning entries received detailed advice from sponsors. Please feel free to reference them in your work.

See critiques given to the winning entries