LINE Manga x TALES Launches Webtoon Original Story Grand Prize Offering 3 Million Yen and Guaranteed Global Serialization

The LINE Manga x TALES Webtoon Original Story Grand Prize has officially launched, offering a 3 million yen cash award and guaranteed global serialization for works featuring a protagonist who overcomes adversity.

LINE Manga, a leading digital comic service, has partnered with the story submission platform TALES to begin accepting entries for original stories to be adapted into webtoons.

The Grand Prize winner will receive 3 million yen, along with the right to have their work adapted into a webtoon and serialized on LINE Manga. In addition, global distribution through services operated by the company group is guaranteed.

Other awards include an Excellence Award of 1 million yen, a Special Award of 100,000 yen, and Seasonal Awards of 10,000 yen selected for each season.

Theme: A Protagonist Who Overcomes Adversity

Submissions must align with popular webtoon genres while presenting a storyline in which the main character confronts a harsh fate and forges their own path forward. Eligible genres include romance fantasy and romantic drama aimed at female audiences, as well as action fantasy and other genres targeted toward male readers.

Applicants must register as members on TALES and submit their entries via the contest page for each season. Both professionals and amateurs are welcome to participate.
The first round of judging will be conducted by the TALES operations team. Final selection will be handled by the LINE Manga WEBTOON STUDIO editorial department and Takeshi Hagiwara, Editor in Chief of TALES.

The competition will run in four seasonal phases, from Season One through Season Four, over approximately eight months. The submission period runs from March 2, 2026 to October 31, 2026.

Aiming to Discover Original Stories and Expand the Webtoon Market

LINE Manga WEBTOON STUDIO stated that it is seeking works that deliver strong emotional excitement to readers, such as heroines who overturn adversity or protagonists who achieve dramatic social rise.
Meanwhile, the TALES editorial team emphasized the importance of structuring and directing stories with the vertical scroll format in mind, which is a defining feature of webtoons.

LINE Manga launched its domestic service in 2013 and has focused on full color vertical scroll works known as webtoons, expanding its lineup of original and exclusive titles. Globally, it operates as part of a group of services with approximately 150 million monthly users as of the end of September 2025.

TALES is jointly operated by note and its wholly owned subsidiary Tales and Co. The contest is part of a collaborative initiative between the two companies.

As the global webtoon market continues to expand, efforts to discover new talent and original works at the early story development stage are intensifying. This contest represents one example of that broader industry trend.

Source : ORICON NEWS