A 17-year-old wins the Weekly Shonen Magazine new talent award with his first manga

The Weekly Shonen Magazine has published in its issue 40, on sale now, the manga Maou wo Koroshite Ore mo Shinu (I'll Kill the Demon King and Die Too), the work with which its author became the youngest winner in the history of Kodansha's New Manga Award. He did it at 17, and he's still in high school.

The author goes by Dokoka no Dareka, a pen name that in Japanese means something like "someone from somewhere." He submitted the work to the 116th edition of the contest during spring break and days off, and took the special prize, something that hadn't happened in four years.

A low fantasy of infinite loops

The story takes place in a modern world with swords and magic. The protagonist dies, revives, and dies again over and over, trapped in an infinite loop while taking down monsters. A low fantasy setup that, judging by the result, has won over the jury.

One of the judges was Saka Mikami, author of the youth manga Kaoru Hana wa Rin to Saku. Her assessment is priceless: "It was incredibly fun. The action is very well drawn and the 'so that's where it was going!' twists keep coming without a single boring moment. Above all, the staging stands out a lot and the feeling when finishing the last chapter is very good."

Mikami adds that, at 17 with that level, she's scared to think about what he'll do once he solidifies the foundations of his art, and that as a fellow professional it's terrifying.

The origin of it all: a high school grudge

The author, who has already turned 18, told Oricon News why he decided to become a mangaka. In middle school, a classmate laughed at the comics he drew in secret. His reaction was to promise himself he'd become a successful mangaka and get payback. Said and done: here he is, with his first work published in one of Japan's most important magazines.

The magazine's editorial team doesn't hold back when talking about him: "Keep an eye on Dokoka no Dareka, who with that talent and that nerve is going to bring fresh air to the manga world." In short, they see a future for him.

For now, Maou wo Koroshite Ore mo Shinu can be read in issue 40 of Weekly Shonen Magazine, which is already on sale in Japan.