'GIGAZINE Manga Award' October 2025 application period begins & the love battle between a man who loves making games and a woman who wants to be noticed more than the game is reaching its climax, so I've put together a summary
Updated and judged monthly, the GIGAZINE Manga Awards is always open to manga submissions. The currently serialized '
Check out the ongoing manga and comics below!
'Let Me Make It! Ejima-san' Episode 1 'Let Me Make a Love Game!'
Check out the comics below for 'The Part-Time Life of a Hero and a Corporate Slave,' a story about a man who works two jobs in two worlds : as a 'hero' and a 'corporate slave '!
Check out the comic '
Vampire x Maid x Garlic Gourmet '
Also check out the comic ' Ame Ame Fure Fure Usoyande ,' which depicts two weeks with a girl who loves rain and a boy who is cursed by it!
If you have already read the recruitment requirements and would like to apply anyway, please use the application form .
◆Send your portfolio to apply for illustration, storyboarding, or illustration help
◆ For original scripts and novels, please click here
◆Let me make it! A complete look back at Ejima-san
Kaido and Eshima are members of the 'Game Club' at an art university. Kaido doesn't hide his love for Eshima, but he also loves making games, and is passionate about making a game based on Eshima. Eshima, on the other hand, doesn't hate Kaido, but her desire to be noticed more than her games, combined with her insincere personality, means she's always angry with Kaido.
While suppressing her embarrassment, Ejima approaches Kaido by getting close to him and asking him out on a date.
However, the more Kaido is pleased, the more passionate he becomes about making the game. When he sees new clothes or cosplay, he adds 'different costumes,' when he sees unusual reactions, he adds 'different facial expressions,' and when he has a new experience, he implements a new game mode.
However, Kaido's passion for game development was certainly fueled by his love for Ejima, and Ejima gradually came to understand and accept this.
However, their current relationship is so comfortable that it's difficult for them to change. Ejima is about to graduate, and the days when they used to see each other as if they were nothing will naturally change.
So Kaido brought out 'Ejima AI,' which he created as a culmination of his work to date. His desire to 'talk to Ejima forever' led him to create a conversational AI made from his memories of Ejima.
Although Ejima understands Kaido's love, she has mixed feelings about Kaido, who has ended up in a relationship that is the complete opposite of Ejima's wish for him to focus on her rather than the game. The two, who care about each other but are incompatible, eventually develop a major rift in their relationship.
'Let Me Make It! Ejima-san' is now in its final stages, and you can read it all in one go from the link below. Please take this opportunity to check it out.
If you have any comments about the manga or characters, please use the manga review form . If you have any other questions or requests regarding applications or serialization, please use the contact form .
◆'GIGAZINE Manga Award' Application Guidelines
▼What happens if you serialize a manga on GIGAZINE?
・Completely remote work & work timing can be left to your discretion
・Serialized manga will be published on GIGAZINE, so people can read it first.
- No strict deadlines, making scheduling easy
・No restrictions on genre or target audience, anything is OK as long as it's interesting
・Assistants are available to help with coloring and backgrounds (no need to pay for them yourself)
・Because we are still a young label, it is easy for opinions and requests to be accepted, just like a venture company!
・For those who have concerns about working as a freelancer, such as 'Is it okay if I don't know anything about laws or taxes?' or 'What is it like working on a serial with an editor?', we have published 'Guidelines for creating an environment where freelancers can work with peace of mind' in line with the guidelines of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. We have compiled a Q&A to answer any questions or concerns you may have, so please take a look.
And more. If you have any other questions, please click here and contact us.
▼Basic conditions:
・It is assumed that it can be read on a smartphone (no double-page spreads, vertical scrolling is the standard)
・Full color, full digital (black and white works may be treated as 'original works', but submissions are welcome)
・Submissions must be of any genre, and must include the completed manuscript of the first episode and its behind-the-scenes materials . Please send behind-the-scenes materials including character designs and settings, as well as a summary of the entire story, in a range of approximately 200-800 characters. Please note that submissions that are insufficient may not be reviewed.
・Manuscript format:
Please refer to ' The Princess and the Gamer ' for aspect ratio, file size, and resolution.
・Number of manuscript pages:
Free. Any number of pages is OK.
▼Other:
・Original works that you have already published in other media or on other platforms are OK.
・Works that were published in magazines but never published in book form, or that were discontinued midway through due to unavoidable circumstances, are also OK. Please don't give up.
▼Deadline:
Friday, October 31, 2025, 11:59:59 PM
▼Review process:
After the first round of selection by the editorial team, the planned review process is as follows: The review process and stages may be subject to slight changes, so we will send you separate explanations and confirmations before the first round of review.
Phase 1: Evaluation in a closed environment that can only be viewed by GIGAZINE Secret Club members + Evaluation including making materials by the editorial department
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Stage 2: This is a format that is more geared towards serialization, and the review will be conducted after additional necessary information has been created, such as the 'first episode manuscript' and 'plot up to the final episode.' If you have progressed this far, we will almost certainly guarantee that your work will be serialized in some form.
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Final stage: The serialized manuscript will be judged by the editor-in-chief of GIGAZINE, evaluated by GIGAZINE Secret Club members, and judged by guests such as writers currently serializing in GIGAZINE, to comprehensively determine the Grand Prize winner. In addition, if the work remains in the final stage, the serialization will be guaranteed.
▼Rewards:
All those who passed the first round of judging and were selected for the first stage:
Prize money: 30,000 yen
Advance to the second stage:
An additional prize of 20,000 yen will be awarded, plus an editor will be assigned to help with serialization.
Finalists:
If you advance to the final stage, you will receive an additional prize of 50,000 yen (total of 100,000 yen) plus a guarantee that your submitted work will be serialized after being polished.
Prize winners and above:
Additional prize money from 100,000 yen + guaranteed serialization
Grand Prize:
Prize money of 1 million yen + guaranteed serialization of submitted work as is
▼Selection results of submitted works
For works that proceed to the first stage of judging, we will contact you via the email address provided at the time of application by the end of the month following the month of application with details about the judging.
Please note that in all other cases, we will not generally notify you of the results of the review.
▼Procedure after winning the award
After publishing in serial form on GIGAZINE, it will be made into an e-book and sold on Amazon. We will pay the prescribed manuscript fee and royalties for each. GIGAZINE will also be responsible for selling and promoting the e-book.
▼Question form:
If you have any questions regarding your application, please click here to contact us. If we receive similar questions repeatedly, we will compile them into an FAQ, so we appreciate your understanding and cooperation.
▼Manga Award Application Form:
Click here
◆Applications for illustrations, storyboards, and illustration helpers
▼How to apply for 'drawing only':
Simply show the URL of your portfolio or collection of works on the Manga Award application form . In the 'Other' section, write 'Submitting artwork only.' There is no limit to the number of illustrations or manga you can submit for your portfolio, and there is no required minimum number, but the more you submit, the more likely you are to receive positive feedback.
▼How to apply for 'Name Composition Manager'
We are also looking for 'name composition' applicants, who will create names from the original script of the text. As with the illustration-only applicants, please send us as much information as possible about your portfolio, names of works you have created in the past, and manga works.
▼ 'Artwork only' and 'Storyboard composition' review flow:
We will contact you by the month after you submit the form if you pass the first stage of judging, which is based on your portfolio. In the second stage, we will ask you to actually draw a trial original, and if you pass, we will move on to the final stage of voting.
▼Rewards:
Participants who passed the first stage of portfolio screening and are participating in the second stage:
Prize money: 50,000 yen
*As this judging process requires additional manuscript work, all applicants who advance to and participate in the second stage will receive a stipend.
Winners of the final judging:
Additional prize of 100,000 yen + guaranteed serialization
Grand Prize:
Additional prize of 200,000 yen + guaranteed serialization
*Due to the nature of the original script, it is not possible for the work to be serialized immediately, but we will guarantee serialization by making it a priority proposal.
▼How to apply for help:
We are also looking for helpers to help create full-color manga. We also welcome help with underpainting characters, text placement, and backgrounds. This is a completely remote project, and you can participate from home whenever you can.
▼Conditions :
Nothing in particular. The process is 'if you can work, choose what you want to take on from the task list and work on it,' so it's possible to not participate if you're busy.
You can also help out, earn some pocket money, improve your skills, and create original works to submit to the editors.
▼Rewards :
For 'coloring help' and 'background help,' the hourly rate is calculated using work management software. The hourly rate is initially set as a trial period, and then increased depending on the level of skill and the number of contributions made.
In the case of 'name composition,' the manuscript fee will be calculated per page.
▼How to apply :
On the GIGAZINE Manga Award application form , paste the URL where you can view your 'color manuscripts or portfolios you have worked on in the past' instead of 'address/URL for downloading the work file.' Also, in the last section, 'Other necessary information we need to know,' please enter the appropriate information you would like: 'Coloring help,' 'Background help,' or 'Name composition.'
・Manga Award Application Form:
Click here
◆ Original script submission requirements
・In addition to the manuscript for the first episode , please also prepare a plot (synopsis) from episode 1 to the final episode . The synopsis should be a detailed summary of the entire story, between 100 and 800 characters long, and should be written on the first page of the manuscript.
・The first round of judging will simply look at the interest of the story and the level of completion of the first episode. If you advance from the second round to the final round, you will be judged on whether you can consistently create a script with stage directions right up to the final episode, with the aim of actually creating the original manga.
・If you are submitting an 'original work only' and only text, you can paste the text into a Google Doc and enter the shared link address in the application form. In this case, please do not edit the document after submitting.
・Please make sure that your Google sharing settings are set to 'Anyone with the link.' If you leave it set to 'Restricted,' submitted works will not be readable. For more information, please see 'Sharing files publicly' in the Google Docs Help .
▼Rewards:
All those who passed the first round of judging and were selected for the first stage:
Prize money: 30,000 yen
Advance to the second stage:
An additional prize of 20,000 yen will be awarded, plus an editor will be assigned to help with serialization.
Finalists:
If you advance to the final stage, you will receive an additional prize of 50,000 yen (total of 100,000 yen) plus a guarantee that your submitted work will be serialized after being polished.
Prize winners and above:
Prize money of 100,000 yen + guaranteed serialization
Grand Prize:
Prize money of 200,000 yen + guaranteed serialization of submitted work as is
*Due to the matching process with the illustrator, we cannot guarantee that your work will be serialized immediately, but we will guarantee that your work will be serialized by making it a priority proposal.
Click here for the application form
The Manga Award selection process includes the 'GIGAZINE Secret Club (GSC) Closed Judging.' Whether you're a GSC member or not, this is your chance to become a part of GSC and witness the birth of a future masterpiece. Register for the GIGAZINE Secret Club here .
We look forward to receiving applications from all creators. Thank you very much.
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