Shogakukan, Bandai, Bandai Spirits Launch Reality Show for Manga Creators

Shogakukan, Bandai, and Bandai Spirits are launching a reality show for manga creators titled Toon Gate on YouTube on June 28 at 8:00 p.m. JST. The prorgram features ten groups of challengers who compete to create a full-color vertical scrolling manga.

The staff of Toon Gate received over 500 applications and chose 10 groups of people of various ages. Recruited challengers will team up with professional production teams and complete tasks for a chance to win the Grand Prix. Winners will get 3 million yen (about US$22,000) and the opportunity to publish a serialized manga on the LINE Manga app.

Shogakukan, Bandai, and Bandai Spirits chose LINE Manga because they believe that the webtoons within foster more connection to readers as opposed to trend of creating a manga that becomes an anime and sells toys. They also chose the vertical scrolling manga as opposed to traditional manga because the former is usually done in a team while the latter is typically one person in charge of story and art.

Japanese comedy duo New York will be the program’s MC. Supporters include Arisa Komiya, Kagaya, Kaya Soya, and Rina Matsuki. Minami Koike of Sakurazaka46 will narrate the show.