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Ribon x Jump Elementary School Student Manga Prize Announces Winners

Every year, manga publishers and other organizations run a plethora of manga awards. While most target aspiring domestic manga authors are in the mid-teens and older, there are a few awards that cast a wider net. In 2023, in what appears to be a company first, Shueisha's Ribon, Weekly Shonen Jump, Shonen Jump+, and Saikyō Jump imprints teamed up for a manga award for those under 12 years old. The Ribon x Jump Elementary School Student Manga Prize submissions began in June 2023 and closed on March 31. Just about five months since the final submission date, the long wait is over, and the results have been announced on June 3.

The official X/Twitter account for Ribon noted that the four winning works would be included in the July issues of Ribon and Saikyō Jump.

Ribon's website listed the works and their respective authors and grade level. The Cho-Mangaka Award, the highest award, had four winners: "Ichiokunen no Shirushi" (Sign of 100 Million Years) by sixth grader Kureto, "Santa no Shigoto" (Santa's Work) by fifth grader Tadayuki Shimamoto, "Apopo no Po" by third grader Juri, and "Ryu to Kami no Ko" (The Child of a Dragon and God) by fifth grader Amanoneko. Santa no Shigoto is available on Jump+.

Ribon's website also listed the four Mangaka Awards, the second highest award, Jump Award, and Mirai no Mangaka de Sho (a pun using the suffix “Sho” as “Award” and “Will be”) winning works and their respective authors. The Mangaka Award went to "Taisetsu na Koto" (An Important Thing) by sixth grader Manaru, "Kawaii Mono Atsume" (Collecting Cute Things) by sixth grader Koban Zame, "Hana to Yongoshitsu" (Flowers and Room 4) by sixth grader Asuka Hamada, and "Ready Fight" by sixth graders Sorao (art) and Tsuzaki (character design). The Jump Award was given to "Re:Taikutsu" (Re:Bored) by sixth grader Shiaru Akagawa, and Mirai no Mangaka de Sho to "Yakusoku" (Promise) by sixth grader Ao Usui.

Along with the aforementioned awards, there were 60 winners of the Mirai ha Mangaka de Sho (a pun using the suffix “Sho” as “Award” and “Could be”), and 209 students were awarded the Yume ha Mangaka de Sho (a pun using the suffix “Sho” as “Award” and “Dream is”).

The announcements by Ribon didn't end with the award winners of the 2023 Ribon x Jump Elementary School Student Manga Prize. The site revealed that they are currently taking entries for the 2024 Ribon x Jump Elementary School Student Manga Prize. Like the 2023 edition, the submission period will last until March 31, 2025. Participants must be 12 or younger, grand prize-winning works will be published in Ribon, Weekly Shonen Jump, Shonen Jump+, or Saikyō Jump, with the award winner's choice of analog drawing tools or digital drawing tools. Judges will include Noriko Asaka (Zessei no Akujo wa Maōji-sama ni Chōai Sareru), Emi Ishikawa (Zekkyō Gakkyū), Takeshi Okano (Jigoku Sensei Nube), Minori Kurosaki (Buddy Go!), Eko Mikawa (Bōkyaku Battery), Shūhei Miyazaki (Me & Roboco), and the editors-in-chief of Ribon, Weekly Shonen Jump, Shonen Jump+, and Saikyō Jump.

While it's technically possible to submit a work from outside of Japan, the entry form is in Japanese. However, for those who are interested, you will need the following:

All works should use B4 size paper, printed on one side, and all manuscripts must follow these rules:

Finally, the submission must be mailed to the below address:

It's fantastic seeing aspiring manga authors take their first steps towards becoming professional authors. With the 2024 Ribon x Jump Elementary School Student Manga Prize open for submissions, the future of manga looks bright.

Sources: Ribon's website, Ribon Editoral's X/Twitter account, Jump+, PR Times, Comic Natalie