Indian Brothers Conquer Japan's Manga Scene

Two brothers from Amravati, India, have successfully transitioned into professional manga creators in Japan. Jivan, 22, and Yash, 18, working under the name masterlynx, launched their first manga series, 'Kung Fu Kung Fool,' for Japanese readers.

Their breakthrough came after winning a silver prize in Kadokawa's international manga contest last year, an event designed to attract global talent by removing language barriers. Kadokawa began serializing their action-comedy manga on its online portal in May this year.

The brothers' passion for manga ignited in childhood, inspired by series like Dragon Ball. Despite limited resources in India, they honed their skills through online tutorials and client work before discovering the competition.

Creating manga for a Japanese audience presented challenges, particularly with Japanese onomatopoeia. Kadokawa's editorial team collaborates closely, adapting the brothers' sound expressions to fit Japanese publishing standards.

Kadokawa recognizes the duo's unique style and ambition, seeing their potential to attract fans globally. The publisher established an overseas manga editorial section to identify new international talent amid increasing demand.

This success coincides with the growing popularity of manga and anime in India, with an estimated 180 million viewers. Both India and Japan acknowledge the role of creative industries in fostering cultural ties.