Legendary mangaka Rumiko Takahashi is lending her name and expertise to a brand-new creator competition. Shogakukan's Weekly Shonen Sunday has officially established the Rumiko Takahashi Fantasy Manga Awards, inviting both professional and amateur creators to submit original short-form works before the January 11, 2027 deadline.
Entries must not exceed 42 pages and are required to feature at least one fantasy element. The judging panel will be led by Takahashi herself, alongside Weekly Shonen Sunday editor-in-chief Kazunori Ōshima and other editorial staff members. Winners will be announced on March 24 across the magazine's pages and its official web portal.
The grand prize winner will secure 1 million yen (approximately US$6,000) alongside publication in Weekly Shonen Sunday, a related spinoff publication, or Shogakukan's digital platform Sunday Webry. Additional accolades include substantial monetary awards for second place, honorable mentions, and encouraging effort prizes, ensuring wide visibility for emerging manga talent.
With a career spanning over four decades, Takahashi remains one of the most influential figures in the medium. Her monumental catalog includes globally celebrated titles such as Urusei Yatsura, Maison Ikkoku, Ranma 1/2, and Inuyasha, whose collective works have surpassed 230 million copies in circulation worldwide.
