PROFILE
Pen Name / Name: NAYO
Social media profiles: Instagram: @animated_someone
Age: 28

Favorite manga:About the Movement of the Earth (My favorite in 2025!)
Favorite movie: Robot Dream
Favorite quote: 相信那個相信自己的自己 (Believe in the self that believes in you.)

Entry title: “The Cat That Carried an Earring”
Round: SMA Taiwan Round: “Smiles”
Award: Honorable Mention

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“Participate by giving it your all! Participate with passion!”

About SMA

How does it feel to receive a SILENT MANGA AUDITION® award?
能獲得獎項真的很開心，一直以來參加任何比賽都希望能夠得到肯定，能夠得到大會的認可令我感到非常榮幸，讓我對於自己在漫畫創作上更有自信！以往也曾獲得北九州漫畫比賽的獎項，但四格漫畫的製作與這次的短篇作品創作過程又是截然不同的，這是我第一次用無對話的分鏡挑戰如此篇幅，過程相當有趣與不容易。我相當喜歡參加比賽，可以看到其他不同選手的創作與發想，參賽的策略、優秀的技術、獨特的個人風格，參加比賽就像參加祭典一樣，能夠看到很多很棒很優秀的好作品！令人大快人心！

I am genuinely happy to have won this award! I always hope to receive recognition in any competition I enter, so receiving acclaim from the committee makes me feel incredibly honored and gives me more confidence in my manga! I previously won an award in the Kitakyushu Manga Competition, but the process of creating a 4-panel comic is completely different from creating a short-form work. This was my first time challenging myself to create a manga of this length with dialogue-free storyboarding, and the process was both interesting and difficult. I really enjoy entering competitions because I get to see the creations and ideas of other contestants, including their entry strategies, excellent techniques, and unique personal styles. Participating in a competition is like attending a festival; you get to see many wonderful and outstanding works! It is very gratifying!

What was the inspiration behind your awarded work?
我是個手機重度使用者，有的時候滑了很久的手機後關掉螢幕，會看到自己的臉，當下總得有種與現實脫離的感覺，於是這個作品中我就想到如果是從手機的圖像到記憶的回朔，再從記憶回朔中連結真實的場景會怎麼樣呢？所以我試著用雨靴的圖像穿插在手機的顯示、主角的回憶以及現實的房屋中，現在仔細想想，作品最大的遺憾應該是當初沒有在最後的鏡頭中利用雨靴做出更好的收尾。

I am a heavy smartphone user. Sometimes, after scrolling for a long time and turning off the screen, I see my reflection, and I feel a moment of detachment from reality. So, for this work, I wondered what would happen if the process started with an image on the phone, led to a flashback, and then connected to a real-life scene. I tried to use the image of rain boots, interspersing it across the phone’s display, the protagonist’s memory, and the house. Thinking back now, my biggest regret about this work is probably that I did not use the rain boots to create a better conclusion in the final panel.



What challenges did you face while making your manga? How did you overcome them?
一直以來我思考創作漫畫的方式，都是從腳本（例如一些零碎概念的組合）或某個特定的設定開始思考角色的互動並想像其情感，我很少由情緒面的方式著手漫畫，這相當令我苦惱，因為這個緣故，這次比賽我改了兩次完全不同的腳本。

後來我開始逆向思考—情感如何被產生？這樣的想法讓我比較熟悉的去掌握角色可能會面臨的事情，於是規劃出一些腳本結構的片段才慢慢地寫了這次的作品。但我還是很苦手於這樣創作的分鏡，這樣的程序令我難以抓住分鏡中的情感節奏。這次的作品仍然認為還有很大的進步空間。

I have always approached manga creation by starting with a script (such as a combination of fragmented concepts) or a specific setting, then considering character interactions and imagining their emotions. I rarely start a manga from an emotional perspective, which has caused me a lot of problems. Because of this, I changed the entire script twice for this competition.

Later, I started to think in reverse—how are emotions generated? This approach allowed me to grasp the situations the character might face with more familiarity. I planned fragments of the structure and slowly wrote the current work. However, I still struggled greatly with the storyboarding, as the process made it difficult for me to capture the emotional rhythm within the panels. I still feel there is a lot of room for improvement in this work.

READ NAYO’s Awarded Work HERE!

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About Your Manga

How and when did you start making manga? What do you wish you knew as a beginner? What advice would you give to someone who wants to start drawing manga?
1.我從國小就有塗鴉一些漫畫在課本的習慣，有的是四格漫畫，有的是一些搞笑的作品，2021後才開始認真的在IG上面創作自己的作品並參加同人展交流會等等。

2.我希望我可以早一點知道怎麼使用數位工具輔助我完成背景與一些基本的特效。

3.請不要懷疑自己，並永遠愛著自己的漫畫。
1) I’ve had a habit of doodling comics in my textbooks since elementary school. Some were 4-panel comics, while others were comedic pieces. I only started seriously creating my own works on Instagram and participating in dōjin conventions, as well as similar events, after 2021.
2) I wish I knew how to use digital tools sooner to help with backgrounds and some basic effects.
3) Please don’t doubt yourself, and always love your manga.

Do you draw your manga digitally or by hand? What are your go-to digital or analogue tools?
我從2021使用數位工具，我都用procreate 跟clip studio以及 PSD

I have been using digital tools since 2021. I use Procreate, Clip Studio, and PSD (Adobe Photoshop).

What was the first manga you picked up? Is it easy to access manga where you live?
我不確定，我小的時後看了很多漫畫，第一部漫畫有可能是ブラック・ジャック或是NARUTO -ナルト-

我住在台灣，台灣人很愛日本漫畫，我們很容易取得日本的漫畫。也有很多港漫、韓漫、美漫等等。

I’m not sure. I read a lot of manga when I was little. The first one might have been Black Jack or NARUTO. I live in Taiwan, and Taiwanese people love Japanese manga, so it’s very easy for us to acquire Japanese manga. We also have many Hong Kong, Korean, and American comics, among others.

Which manga changed your life?
我覺得很多漫畫都給了我很多生活的啟發

非常喜歡的是あらかわひろむ老師的《FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST》以及《銀の匙 Silver Spoon》，對於親情、友情的刻畫非常深刻，就像面對真的生活一樣，面對社會的現實經常是很殘酷，但幸運地可以與其他人互相信任產生連結，向未來前進的溫暖感。

貼合剛從學院畢業時期的我，則是いしぐろまさかず老師《ネムルバカ》那種對於才華、未來、自我挑戰的煩惱，非常有共感。
漫畫創作上給我最多啟發的是くいりょうこ老師的短篇集作品，非常多的創作表現方式，天馬行空的想像力與敘事角度，讓我知道漫畫的畫布真擁有無限的可能。
同時也有許多garo系的作品給了我了很多思維上的突破，例如ネルノダイスキ老師的《いえめぐり》。

這些都是改變我面對人生態度的漫畫。

I feel that many manga have inspired me throughout my life. I especially love FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST and Silver Spoon by Arakawa Hiromu-sensei. The depiction of family and friendship is very profound; it’s like real life, where the social reality is often cruel, but you are fortunate to be able to trust and connect with others, creating a sense of warmth as you move forward.
Nemurubaka by Ishiguro Masakazu-sensei resonated with me greatly when I first graduated from college, with the way it discusses anxieties about talent, the future, and how to challenge yourself.
The works that gave me the most inspiration as a creator are the short story collections by Kuiri Ryōko-sensei. The diverse creative expressions, the wild imagination, and the fascinating narrative angles showed me that manga is a medium of infinite possibilities.
At the same time, many Garo-style works have also given me conceptual breakthroughs, such as Ie Meguri by Neruno Daisuki-sensei.
These are all manga that changed my attitude toward life.



Which manga character do you most identify with? Why?
應該是《銀の匙 Silver Spoon》的主角はちけん吧，比起別人的認同，他想幫所有被認定無用的對象找到其歸屬，相信所有的事情都適其所用，並努力為自己、為事物找到屬於自己的價值，對我來說，所有微小的事物都擁有它的價值，我相信在這無限可能的世界，所有的事情都擁有能讓人看見價值所在的力量。
It would probably be Hachiken, the protagonist of Silver Spoon. More than seeking recognition from others, he wants to find a sense of belonging for all those deemed useless, and he believes that everything/everyone has their use. He works hard to find his own value, as well as the value of others. To me, all small things have their worth, and I believe that, in this world of infinite possibilities, if you look closely, you can see the inherent value of all things.

What kind of manga do you want to make next?
1.我目前想要製作關於記憶與靈魂的奇幻生物故事

我非常喜歡生物，所以我打算創造一個充滿奇幻生物的世界觀，試著創作出一個有趣的生物系統，協助我將讀者帶入我的世界，專注在這世界中那些無法避免的困境與勇氣之間的衝突。主要以菌類、兩棲類、蟲主宰的世界為主題。

2.在台灣，文化產業並不容易賺錢，漫畫產業更是。漫畫產業並沒有規模化跟產業化，更重要的是，漫畫在台灣ＩＰ商品化的接受度很低，多數本土文化圈的人更喜歡國外的受歡迎作品。本土作品的話，國人反而則更喜歡一些去脈絡的作品，例如一些長得可愛輕鬆簡單的角色。

1.I currently want to create a fantasy story about memory and the soul. I love living things very much, so I plan to create a world filled with magical creatures and to build an interesting biological system to help bring readers into my world. I want to focus on the conflict between unavoidable dilemmas and courage within that world. The themes will primarily focus on a world dominated by fungi, amphibians, and insects.

2.In Taiwan, it is not easy to make money through cultural and artistic ventures, and especially not in the manga industry. The manga industry is neither large-scale nor industrialized. More importantly, there is very low appreciation for domestic, commercial manga IPs in Taiwan. Most people in the local cultural circles prefer popular foreign works. For local works, people tend to prefer decontextualized works, such as works with cute, light, and simple characters.

About You

What do you do when you’re not making manga? How do you relax?
我會去爬山，或坐在咖啡廳讀一些有的沒的書籍，
平時都有運動的習慣，邊運動邊聽相關的podcast，通常能從中獲得不錯的靈感。
沒事也喜歡逛逛線上玩具交易社團，從玩具找到創作的靈感。
很喜歡去看看動物與植物，生物非常有意思，總是想盡辦法生存下來，創造自己的生存策略，非常厲害。或是看看地下創作者的創作，比起美術館，作品更充滿生命力。
除此之外，非常喜歡與家人一起吃晚餐，聊聊生活。

I go hiking or sit in coffee shops reading all sorts of books. I have a regular exercise habit, and listening to relevant podcasts while working out often gives me good inspiration. I also enjoy browsing online toy trading groups to find creative inspiration from toys. I really like to observe animals and plants. Living things are very interesting, as they are always trying every possible means to survive. The fact that they create their own survival strategies is truly remarkable. I also look at the creations of underground artists; their work is often more full of life than what you find in museums. Besides that, I really enjoy having dinner with my family and chatting about life.

What industry do you work in (if manga making isn’t your primary job)?
我在美商擔任玩具設計師，通常利用下班時間創作漫畫，或創作自己個人的玩具

I work as a toy designer for an American company. I usually create manga or my own personal toys after work hours.

Where do you see your manga career in five years time?
五年的話，應該是短篇集作品一到兩本的單行本
並且開始正式連載作品，希望嘗試大約8-15本單行本篇幅長度的作品。

In five years, I hope to have published one to two collected volumes of short stories and officially started a serialized work. I hope to attempt a work with a length of about 8 to 15  volumes.

What manga making advice would you give to your younger self if you could?
Please don’t doubt yourself, and always love your manga.

What advice would you give to people entering the SILENT MANGA AUDITION®?
盡情地發揮自己所能地參加吧!熱情地參加吧！ 只有不斷的嘗試與創作，才能找到那個想要畫漫畫的自己所追求的作品與自己！比賽是最棒的祭典了，哪有人能不愛祭典的呢！

Participate by giving it your all! Participate with passion! Only by continuously trying and creating can you find the work that the part of you that wants to draw manga is truly seeking! Competitions are the best kind of festival—and who doesn’t love a festival!

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Thank you, NAYO! We’re eagerly awaiting your next manga masterpiece!

The deadline to join SMA24 is May 10th. Enter for a chance to develop your potential as a manga creator with us in Japan!