The Shonen Jump+ editorial department launched a new manga competition, the Shonen Jump+ Next-Generation Heroine Manga Award, on October 8 and began accepting submissions. The award aims to discover characters and works that offer new possibilities for “cute,” with heroines open to any gender, age or form, including non-human characters and even inanimate objects. Kouji Miura, Asato Mizu and Kentaro Yabuki will serve as special judges.
honen Jump+ Next-Generation Heroine Manga Award launched © Kouji Miura / SHUEISHA © Asato Mizu / SHUEISHA © Kentaro Yabuki / SHUEISHA
Quick Summary
– Shonen Jump+ has created a new manga award focused on discovering fresh interpretations of “cute” heroines.
– Eligible heroines are not restricted by gender, age or human form, and can even be non-human characters or inanimate objects.
– Kouji Miura, Asato Mizu and Kentaro Yabuki will serve as special judges.
– At least one Selection Award winner will be chosen, and both Grand Prize and Selection Award works are guaranteed publication on Shonen Jump+.
– The Grand Prize carries 500,000 yen in prize money.
Shonen Jump+ Seeks New Interpretations of “Cute”
The Shonen Jump+ editorial department has established the Shonen Jump+ Next-Generation Heroine Manga Award and began accepting submissions on October 8.
The award is intended to discover characters and manga that explore new possibilities for what readers might consider “cute.”
Entries must be one-shot works featuring a heroine, but the definition is deliberately broad. The heroine can be of any gender or age and does not have to be human or even humanoid. Non-human characters and inanimate objects are also eligible.
As long as the work features a heroine that can make readers think, “This girl is cute!”, there are no restrictions on genre or page count. Both professional and amateur creators may submit works.
At Least One Selection Award Winner Will Be Chosen
The competition guarantees that at least one work will receive a Selection Award.
Grand Prize and Selection Award winners will receive prize money and are also guaranteed publication of their winning works on Shonen Jump+.
A single work may receive multiple awards, and works may also receive prizes in combination with other award categories.
Kouji Miura, Asato Mizu and Kentaro Yabuki Join as Special Judges
honen Jump+ Next-Generation Heroine Manga Award launched © Kouji Miura / SHUEISHA © Asato Mizu / SHUEISHA © Kentaro Yabuki / SHUEISHA
Three manga creators have been appointed as special judges: Blue Box creator Kouji Miura, Aharen-san wa Hakarenai creator Asato Mizu, and To Love Ru creator Kentaro Yabuki.
Each judge also shared comments about the kind of “cute” expression they hope to see from entrants.
Kouji Miura Focuses on Emotion and Believable Gestures
Miura said there can be many different ways to express a feeling such as embarrassment.
A heroine might be able to make eye contact, cover her own face, or even cover the other person’s face instead.
Miura said she will place importance on what emotions a heroine is experiencing, how those emotions appear in her gestures, and whether the character feels believable.
Asato Mizu Wants Creators to Show Their Own “Cute”
Mizu noted that the world is already full of things described as “cute,” but said there should still be limitless kinds of “cute” that have yet to be seen.
He encouraged creators to believe in their own sense of what is cute and show readers something new.
Kentaro Yabuki Says Instinct Matters More Than Technique
Yabuki described the competition as an award where “being cute means you win.”
He said he intends to judge works less by technical skill and more by how strongly they appeal to instinct.
Yabuki encouraged entrants to put the feeling of “This kind of girl is great!” directly into their work.
Prize Categories and Awards
honen Jump+ Next-Generation Heroine Manga Award launched © Kouji Miura / SHUEISHA © Asato Mizu / SHUEISHA © Kentaro Yabuki / SHUEISHA
Grand Prize:
500,000 yen
Winning work published on Shonen Jump+
Selection Award:
200,000 yen
Winning work published on Shonen Jump+
At least one work will be selected
Honorable Mention:
100,000 yen
Special Art Award:
50,000 yen
Special Situation Award:
50,000 yen
Special Fetish Award:
50,000 yen
Judges’ Special Award:
200,000 yen
Q1. What is the Shonen Jump+ Next-Generation Heroine Manga Award?
A1. It is a new manga competition created by the Shonen Jump+ editorial department to discover one-shot works featuring fresh interpretations of “cute” heroines.
Q2. What kind of heroine can appear in an eligible work?
A2. There are no restrictions on gender, age or human form. Non-human characters and even inanimate objects can qualify as heroines.
Q3. Who are the special judges?
A3. The special judges are Kouji Miura of Blue Box, Asato Mizu of Aharen-san wa Hakarenai, and Kentaro Yabuki of To Love Ru.
Q4. What does the Grand Prize winner receive?
A4. The Grand Prize includes 500,000 yen in prize money and guaranteed publication of the winning work on Shonen Jump+.
Q5. Is a winning work guaranteed to be selected?
A5. Yes. The competition guarantees that at least one work will receive a Selection Award.
