India-based manga creator masterlynx is set to make history with their professional debut in Japan, following their victory in last year’s Wordless Manga Contest organised by Kadokawa Corporation. Their debut series, Kung Fu Kung Fool, will begin serialisation on 15 May 2026 at 11 AM on Kadocomi, Kadokawa’s official manga portal platform.
Masterlynx was started by Indian brothers Jivan and Yash. They began working under the name masterlynx in 2022, creating works inspired by Japanese manga. In 2025, they won the silver prize at the Kadokawa- hosted international event, Wordless Manga Contest, for their work Heartsteel.
The debut marks the first major success story to emerge from Kadokawa’s international talent development initiative, Kadokawa World Manga Atelier. The project was established to discover, mentor, and support overseas manga creators, guiding them toward professional publication in Japan. Kadokawa also confirmed that preparations are underway for additional international contest winners to make their professional debuts in the future.
Kung Fu Kung Fool is described as an action-comedy series that fuses Japanese cultural themes with broader Asian influences, including kung fu traditions and the folklore surrounding the legendary outlaw Goemon. The manga reflects masterlynx’s distinctive creative style and cross-cultural storytelling approach.
The production process for the series also highlights Kadokawa’s collaborative international workflow. The creator originally wrote the story in English, while Kadokawa’s world manga editorial team adapted the Japanese dialogue and sound effects. The project was completed through remote collaboration between the creator and the editorial staff.
With the launch of Kung Fu Kung Fool, masterlynx became one of the first India-based manga creators to achieve a professional serialisation debut in Japan under a major publisher, signalling the growing global reach of the manga industry.
