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SILENT MANGA AUDITION®

A message from SMA Chief Editor, Shuichi “Mocchi” Mochida

Shuichi “Mocchi” Mochida

Board Member, COAMIX Inc.
CEO, Kumamoto COAMIX Inc.
Chief Editor, SILENT MANGA AUDITION® Committee

Thank you for joining SMA16!

This time with 744 entries from 82 countries, we’ve received the most entries yet for a twice-yearly SMA round!

The judges and myself were ecstatic to see the sheer quantity of high quality works. There’s no denying that your skills are improving after every SILENT MANGA AUDITION® round. We also saw a lot of potential in many of the creators, so allow me to give you some advice that could be useful for your next silent manga.

If you can understand the basics of manga making, you will be able to create a manga that is both entertaining and easy for the reader to understand. We saw some creators struggle with this, but by looking at your works objectively and asking other people for their opinions you can find what’s missing; whether it be the plot, page layout, paneling, camera work, etc.
Of course it’s important to make a manga that you enjoy, but other readers have to understand it. We also recommend that you think deeply about the plot before you start drawing and make good use of the “KI-SHO-TEN-KETSU” story structure that is used by Japanese manga artists.

In addition, we could see that many creators crafted a story that showed “Moments of FEAR, JOY, or LOVE,” but it’s equally important to tell a message to the readers. What do you want them to feel or know after reading your manga? This is a question that we must always ask ourselves.

When preparing for your next silent manga, please don’t hesitate to check our social media accounts for manga making tips and advice from the SMA Editorial Department!

We look forward to reading your SMA17 submissions and seeing how much you all have improved.
Best of luck in your preparations for the next round!

Shuichi “Mocchi” Mochida

COMMENTS FROM THE JUDGES

GRAND PRIX RUNNER-UP

300,000 JPY

TITLE Lacrimosa

CREATOR Laica Chrose

COUNTRY Brazil

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Comments

Tsukasa HOJO sensei:
“This manga creator is already a pro in their field and it was a pleasure to see their art on the pages. If anything, I hope to see more story-focused works from now on.”

TITLE Gift of Time

CREATOR Nalu

COUNTRY Philippines

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Comments

Nobuhiko HORIE:
“Nalu has something in common with Hojo-sensei; the way they make characters look big on the page. I want Nalu to put this ability into more completed works in the future.”

EXCELLENCE AWARD

100,000 JPY

TITLE The Girl with Snake Hair

CREATOR monotone_ink

COUNTRY Australia

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Comments

Tetsuo HARA sensei:
“I gave monotone_ink the highest evaluation for the “art” category. By doing this, I don’t mean the art style is already perfect as it is, but I’m sure that if he puts more effort into completing the manuscript he could appeal to a large number of readers.”

TITLE 坂道リメンバー (An uphill road to remember)

CREATOR Ichigin

COUNTRY Spain

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Comments

SMA Editorial Department:
“The life of a person seen as a journey was very well displayed in this manga. Even though this time you won a high award, we always encourage you to draw about places you know, like your own country – that would add realism to your works.”

TITLE The Answer

CREATOR gawinsat

COUNTRY Thailand

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Comments

Jun TOMIZAWA sensei:
“I really don’t have much else to say but “Well done!” to gawinsat. Since you are a SMA veteran, I’m looking forward to seeing your next masterpiece.”

TITLE The Wall

CREATOR Virand

COUNTRY Italy

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Comments

Ryuji TSUGIHARA sensei:
“This manga creator has a very good style that I’m sure would be appreciated by readers from any country. I had some difficulties understanding the theme of this work, so I hope to see something clearer next time.”

EXCELLENCE AWARD RUNNER-UP

30,000 JPY

TITLE A Souvenir

CREATOR Enewald

COUNTRY Finland

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Comments

ZENON Editorial Department:
“This manga creator is so young and yet so talented. This time the work would have received a higher award if the characters were introduced more smoothly. All in all, well done.”

TITLE A Taste of Freedom

CREATOR Carrière Alexandre

COUNTRY France

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Comments

SMA Editorial Department:
“We were impressed by Alexandre’s drawing skills and camera work. The main idea of the story is also something that many people might relate to. What we would like to see is a more powerful ending; for example, the main character leaving the restaurant and entering the city (and the society) with a smiling face.”

HONORABLE MENTION

10,000 JPY

TITLE Bad Day

CREATOR ci-jins

COUNTRY Italy

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Comments

Jun TOMIZAWA sensei:
“I enjoyed the simplicity of this manga that focused solely on the fear of insects. The protagonist was beautifully drawn and very energetic, but the empty backgrounds created a mismatching effect on the final manuscript.”

TITLE Dear Sketchbook

CREATOR Don Arvidsson

COUNTRY Sweden

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Comments

ZENON Editorial Department:
“The art style of this entry was good and, in a way, very characteristic of the home country of its manga creator. We encourage the artist to read more manga in their free time and send more entries to the next SMA.”

TITLE Parent and Child

CREATOR Alexey_Trishkin

COUNTRY Russia

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Comments

Ryuji TSUGIHARA sensei:
“The artist has a good knowledge of human anatomy and I enjoyed his personal style. However, it was difficult to really grasp the story because of the lack of emotions being portrayed inside the pages.”

TITLE Wonder Brother

CREATOR Max Demons

COUNTRY Italy

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Comments

SMA Editorial Department:
“The story was well organized with a protagonist that was immediately identifiable thanks to a unique design. However, the drawing style and the general plot could have been done better since it didn’t leave any particular emotion in the reader. We are waiting for your next SMA17 entry!”

SMA Editorial Dept. Award

Comment from Enrico

“Montone_ink can adapt his art style according to the theme of the manga. I enjoyed the simple yet entertaining story of this entry. In the future, I’m sure monotone will entertain a larger number of readers thanks to his peculiar sensibility.”

Comment from Enrico

“Simple and fun! Isn’t this the most important thing in manga making?? To be honest, I laughed a lot checking this entry, but I confess that the absence of a clear plot made it difficult to evaluate this work higher. I’m expecting more from you, ryancomicpress!”

Comment from Enrico

“YUKIRA are an incredible manga duo that their home country, Malaysia, should be the proud of. However, this time was hard to fully enjoy the story setting because of the lack of empathy with the protagonist. By all means, please work on this point for your next SMA17 entry!”

Comment from
Rose

“A very simple but funny work that made me laugh every time I read it. The most important part of manga is to entertain the readers, so you got that part down, José! Good luck practicing and I’m excited to see your entries for the next SMA!”

Comment from
Rose

“I adored your entry’s twist, Kaji! The protagonist’s quest might look typical at first glance, but you gave it a little something that made it refreshing and fun! I really hope to see more from you!”

Comment from
Chase

“This entry had me flipping through the pages wondering what would happen next! Using family is a powerful story telling tool to reach the readers’ emotions, and I loved the twist at the ending. Looking forward to your next SMA entry!”

Comment from
Chase

“A short but entertaining work! The first page left me with a strong impression and the artwork displayed the protagonist’s fear very well. I can’t wait to see how your next entry will pull me in!

For more amazing manga, check out the SMA16 Nominees and Candidates!

View the SMA16 Finalists – Nominees and Candidates!