MangaNow Award 2026 adds former patent examiner as judge

The MangaNow Award 2026 contest has a new judge, and it's a very particular addition: Dar-yas, a former examiner at the Japan Patent Office and patent attorney, is joining the evaluation of the works. This was announced by IMAKAI, the company organizing the contest together with the entertainment platform Charafull.

Dar-yas worked for nearly 19 and a half years at the Patent Office, where he focused on the review and judgment of applications. He later moved to a large law firm and went independent in September 2026. His role in the contest will be to review the works from an intellectual property standpoint: how original each proposal is and whether it respects third-party rights.

Main image of the MangaNow Award 2026 supported by Charafull.prtimes.jp

The decision comes at a time when the use of generative AI in manga raises many questions. IMAKAI points out that Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs has already published guidelines on AI and copyright, and that the contest wants to take those discussions into account. It's not just about rewarding technique, but also the way each creator uses the tools.

How to enter and what the winner gets

The contest accepts original works made with MangaNow, an IMAKAI platform that helps create manga with AI: from the story to the art and dialogue. The works must be published on Everyday MangaNow, the company's reading and publishing service, and then registered on Charafull.

Entries are open from October 15 and close on November 30, 2026 at 23:00. Individuals and companies can participate, no experience is required, and multiple works per account are allowed. The theme is open.

Dar-yas, former examiner at the Patent Office and patent attorney, will be a judge for the MangaNow Award 2026.prtimes.jp

There will be three prizes, and together they add up to 100,000 yen in Amazon gift cards. In addition, the winners will receive MangaNow credits and their works will be shown in official media. Public voting opens on November 1 and the results will be announced on December 7, 2026.

IMAKAI also announced that it is preparing content with Dar-yas to talk about intellectual property in the era of generative AI, aimed at creators who want to better understand how to protect their work and respect the work of others.