“This time the variety of works made me really enjoy the judging experience. Spooky manga, funny manga, action-packed manga… SMA17 had it all. As always, some works were difficult to understand initially so I needed to read them again and again to really grasp the final message the creator intended to convey. Please remember to create simple yet entertaining stories.”
Creator: City Hunter, etc.
“Young artists from different countries always make my eyes shine when I read their amazing works. All of the finalists made me happy with their passion for manga and the message they convey within the limited number of pages. On the other hand, some manga were difficult to fully understand, so my suggestion is to always rely on friends and professionals when applying to SMA: remember you are making manga for others, after all.”
Co-Creator: Fist of the North Star, etc.
“The drawings and the great number of styles portrayed in this round are proof once again that international creators really have what is needed to succeed in Japan if they are published. However, manga is not only created with drawings but also with stories, and there were only a few manga that left something in me after scoring them. Please, keep on practicing how to leave a strong impression on your readers.”
Creator: Yoroshiku Mecha-Doc, etc.
“I really enjoyed judging the entries this time, too. If I can give everyone some advice it would be that even if you are good at drawing, it doesn’t mean you have to overwhelm the pages with details and unnecessary lines. The drawings, as much as the stories, are the way you express your message to the readers, so try to find a way to keep your drawings simple yet direct.”
Creator: Koroshi-ya Menkichi (Menkichi the Avenger), etc.
“I’m happy to see that more and more creators with original and personal characteristics are joining the audition. At the same time, I wish that those creators would not let their personal touch win over the final goal of entertaining the readers. I’m not just talking about drawing style; I hope that from now talented international creators could have a talk with our SMA Editorial Dept. and work together on much more enjoyable entries.”
CEO, COAMIX Inc.
Author:
Keiji’s Kabuki Adventure,
etc.
(Former Chief Editor, Weekly Shonen Jump)
Monthly Comic ZENON Editorial Dept.
“We were happy to finally be able to publish in our magazine two works from international creators that won important Japanese awards in Comic ZENON. monotone_ink and Enewald are young yet important representatives of the SMA MasterClass, and we hope that they can be an inspiration for many other creators to apply to SMA for their chance to debut in Japan.”
Publications: Record of Ragnarok, etc.
GRAND PRIX RUNNER-UP
300,000 JPY
TITLE BONES
CREATOR Rimui
COUNTRY Taiwan
Read this MANGA
Nobuhiko HORIE:
“Taiwan has always been a country with deep knowledge and love for manga, and
Rimui’s work confirms again this reality. With their amazing paneling and
satisfying story structure, Rimui created a very memorable piece of work. I
really hope to see more from this incredibly talented creator.”
EXCELLENCE AWARD
100,000 JPY
TITLE Mom… please don’t kill me!
CREATOR King Shu
COUNTRY Malaysia
Read this MANGA
Ryuji TSUGIHARA sensei:
“A great example of how a simple and yet entertaining story can be effective in
SMA! The art style could definitely be improved a little, since the final result
of each panel should be to have the readers feel attached to your characters.
Remember this for your next entry.”
TITLE When the smiles fell like feathers
CREATOR RHanata & WMachado
COUNTRY Brazil
Read this MANGA
Tsukasa HOJO sensei:
“The style of this manga and the story were quite good and it was a pleasure to
judge it. At the same time, it left an impression on me that I’ve seen this kind
of style somewhere else already. I hope we can see something original from this
creator in the next SMA rounds!”
TITLE Agent Valentine
CREATOR Don Arvidsson
COUNTRY Finland
Read this MANGA
Tetsuo HARA sensei:
“A display of intense and colorful personal style from this creator. We think
you improved from your last entry, but now it’s time for you to better
understand the paneling of Japanese manga so that you can display your ideas in
an easy-to-understand way to the readers next time.”
EXCELLENCE AWARD RUNNER-UP
30,000 JPY
TITLE Don’t Worry, Noa!
CREATOR Dương Đức
COUNTRY Vietnam
Read this MANGA
Tsukasa HOJO sensei:
“An amazing display of artwork throughout all the pages of this entry. The story
didn’t leave a strong impression after I finished reading it and I needed to
check it again and again in order to have it fresh in my mind. Since you are
capable of such beautiful drawings, try to organize a story that can make your
art shine.”
TITLE Butterfly Eye
CREATOR Italo Eiji
COUNTRY Brazil
Read this MANGA
Jun TOMIZAWA sensei:
“This entry left a strong impression and made my breath stop for a second while
reading through its beautiful pages. If in the end, the creator would have shown
the face of the protagonist once again it would have been scored much higher.
I’m looking forward to your next entry, Italo Eiji!”
TITLE Countdown
CREATOR YUKIRA
COUNTRY Malaysia
Read this MANGA
Nobuhiko HORIE:
“As always, YUKIRA created a manga with great visuals and beautiful paneling.
However, the final message of the story wasn’t really clear. We want you to
debut in Japan as soon as possible, so we hope you can collaborate with the SMA
Editorial Dept. from now on for more impactful manga.”
TITLE The Precious One
CREATOR Rizqiaf
COUNTRY Indonesia
Read this MANGA
Tetsuo HARA sensei:
“I gave this work the highest score for artwork and story construction. If in
the next entries the creator will be able to convey a more entertaining idea
using the already top-tier abilities they have, I’m sure they will be receiving
even more and higher awards.”
HONORABLE MENTION
10,000 JPY
TITLE Memories
CREATOR Behind
COUNTRY Brazil
Read this MANGA
Ryuji TSUGIHARA sensei:
“Your idea was clear and you definitely put a lot of effort into creating a
manga that could lead to a tearful ending. We felt it was sometimes difficult to
relate to your characters because of the large amount of information you tried
to condense on the pages. Try to make a simpler and more direct story next
time.”
TITLE Don’t rush my love!!
CREATOR Cherry
COUNTRY El Salvador
Read this MANGA
ZENON Editorial Department:
“The drawing style was quite delightful and able to leave a good impression on
the readers. However, the climax was too predictable, so please try to create
something a little more original in your next entry. We can’t wait to read it!”
TITLE Witch Hunt
CREATOR Samuel Anugrah Andre
COUNTRY Indonesia
Read this MANGA
Tsukasa HOJO sensei:
“An amazing display of drawing ability from this young artist. However, in
general the paneling and the story were really difficult to understand
sometimes. Try to create something closer to everyone’s common point of view in
your next SMA entry.”
TITLE bad day
CREATOR Azumane Kanna
COUNTRY Russia
Read this MANGA
Jun TOMIZAWA sensei:
“The page layout and the necessary information to be incorporated into each
panel were displayed clearly and effectively by this creator. I hope they can
improve a little more with their style in their next entry while also trying to
figure out how to impress your readers with impactful drawings.”
TITLE Paper Cranes
CREATOR NagisaYukimura
COUNTRY United States
Read this MANGA
SMA Editorial Department:
“We were happy to see an entry from the States as one of the finalists after a
long time. Since this is the first time for you to arrive as one of the
finalists, we hope you can learn from your senpais from this round, as well as
past rounds, in order to prepare for your next entry!”
SMA Editorial Dept. Award
For more amazing manga, check out the SMA17 Nominees and Candidates!
View the SMA17 Finalists – Nominees and Candidates!
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 very much to everyone that joined SMA17!
This round we received 694 entries from 90 countries, with the top number of entries from the United States and 6 countries in Africa joining the SILENT MANGA AUDITION® for the first time!
Both myself and the other judges were excited and pleased to see so many new countries joining SMA. This is proof that the love of manga is both universal and spreading throughout the world. We also saw a large number of high quality entries this round, which is additional proof that your manga-making skills are improving with each SMA round. We could also see much potential and promise in many of the creators, so please allow me to give you a few pieces of advice that may be useful when creating your next silent manga.
Having beautiful artwork and showing your own unique style is important in manga, but it’s all for nothing if the reader cannot understand your story or what message you want to tell. By asking someone close to you early on in the manga making process, you’ll be able to find what is missing or unclear in your manga. Moreover, learning more about story construction, page layout, paneling, camera work, etc. will also greatly improve both the quality of your manga and its readability. By all means, please feel free to visit our social media accounts for manga making tips and advice from the SMA Editorial Dept. when getting ready for SMA18.
In addition, we saw many entries relating to one of the “Moments of HASTE, RAGE, or SMILES,” or even multiple moments, but the key is to focus on one of these key moments and to craft your characters and story around it. By crafting a simple story with one of the themes as the emotional core, you’ll be able to convey your message in the most simple and understandable way possible.
At the same time, you should also understand your own abilities and focus on expressing the strongest point of your manga in the best possible way to the judges. Doing this will show the judges what kind of creator you are and that you have what it takes to debut in Japan.
We’re eagerly waiting to read your SMA18 submissions and looking forward to seeing what stories you have to tell. Great job this past round, and best of luck in your preparations for the next one!
Shuichi “Mocchi” Mochida