Taipei: Taiwanese manga creators Eli Lin (??) and MurJi secured gold and bronze prizes, respectively, in the KADOKAWA World Manga Contest's Wordless Manga category, organizers announced last Friday. Another Taiwanese creator, JASONZ, received an honorable mention for the work "JOHNNY B. GOOD IS GONNA BE GOOD," among four others. According to Focus Taiwan, Lin's "Cells Within the Body" was praised by the Comic Regulus editorial team for reaffirming that "manga's true strength lies not in dialogue, but in its ability to communicate through images." The team commended Lin's storytelling ability, describing the work as "a perfect embodiment of the kind of talent that a 'wordless' manga contest can bring to light." Winners of the contest's gold, silver, and bronze prizes receive US$10,000, US$5,000, and US$3,000, respectively. They also gain editorial support from KADOKAWA managing editors, assisting in the commercial serialization and publication of their works. The winning entries will also be published on Kad ocomi, KADOKAWA's online manga platform. Culture Minister Li Yuan (??) praised the winners, noting that Taiwanese manga creators continue to demonstrate strong creative energy in publishing and international engagement, showcasing Taiwan's culture and creativity to global audiences. Taiwan's representative to Japan, Lee Yi-yang (???), also extended his congratulations, stating that outstanding Taiwanese works help more Japanese readers appreciate Taiwan. He emphasized that the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Japan will continue supporting the development of Taiwanese artists and cultural industries in Japan. The KADOKAWA World Manga Contest, now in its second year, attracted 1,959 submissions from 118 countries and regions, according to organizer KADOKAWA Corp., a Japan-based entertainment company.