The manga industry has always been a hotbed of talent, with countless creators in Japan alone and new stars emerging from publisher competitions annually.
Recently, a pair of brothers who grew up in a regional Indian city successfully made their professional manga debut in Japan. Inspired by the late manga legend Akira Toriyama, they honed their skills through self-study, eventually catching the eye of KADOKAWA, who is actively scouting international talent. Now, these "Indian prodigies" are embarking on their serialization journey.
Meet Jiban (22) and Yash (18), the creative duo behind "Masterlynx." This May, despite still living in India, they kicked off their manga serialization, "Kung Fu Kungful," on KADOKAWA's manga platform.
"Kung Fu Kungful" is an action-comedy manga centered on the adventures of master thief Goemon and young Bao. You can already catch the first three chapters on KADOKAWA's online manga platform Kadokomi.
The "Masterlynx" brothers hail from Amravati, a city of under a million people in central India. Their journey into manga began in childhood, captivated by the "Dragon Ball" anime on TV. They meticulously studied Toriyama's art style and techniques by diligently copying characters.
However, Jiban admitted, "There were virtually no resources in India to learn manga creation techniques back then." Yash added that beyond studying Toriyama's works, they also devoured YouTube channels from other acclaimed mangaka, like Naoki Urasawa (famous for "20th Century Boys"), to pick up more drawing tips.
Last year, while freelancing illustrations for Western clients, the brothers stumbled upon an international silent manga competition hosted by KADOKAWA. Driven by a desire to "create engaging stories" and "find a platform for their work, even if it didn't pay much," they submitted an entry. Their efforts paid off: they snagged the Silver Award, which led to their monthly serialization deal.
▼ Masterlynx also shares illustrations of other works on X.
Their biggest hurdle right now? Mastering the essential Japanese onomatopoeia and mimesis. The brothers write their scripts in English, which KADOKAWA editors then translate and adapt into Japanese, completing the work together. Jiban shared their future goal: "We hope to keep creating and release even more works."
KADOKAWA highlighted that Masterlynx's appeal lies in their deep respect for Japanese manga combined with an active pursuit of their unique creative style, showcasing intense curiosity and ambition as creators. The publisher is confident in their future, believing they have the potential to captivate readers worldwide, not just in India or Japan.
If you're curious to check out Masterlynx's work, head over to their X page and catch "Kung Fu Kungful" on Kadokomi!
via： X@Masterlynx