Amravati brothers learn manga from Dragon Ball, now get published in Japan

Sign InTOI TOI NewsTwo brothers from Amravati taught themselves manga through Dragon Ball and YouTube; now Japan’s Kadokawa is publishing their seriesTwo brothers from Amravati taught themselves manga through Dragon Ball and YouTube; now Japan’s Kadokawa is publishing their seriesTOI Entertainment Desk / etimes.in / Jul 24, 2026, 12:33 ISTCommentsShareAA+Text SizeSmallMediumLarge The Indian brothers' series Kung Fu Kung Fool is being serialised in Japan. Two brothers from India have become manga creators in Japan after being discovered through an international competition organised by one of the country's biggest publishers.

Their journey, which began with a childhood love for Japanese comics and animation, has now led to the launch of their first manga series for Japanese readers.Jivan, 22, and his younger brother Yash, 18, grew up in Amravati in Maharashtra. Working under the name masterlynx, the brothers have made their debut in Japan with 'Kung Fu Kung Fool', an action-comedy manga published by Japanese publishing company Kadokawa.

Amravati to JapanThe brothers came into the spotlight after taking part in Kadokawa's international contest for manga without dialogue or text last year. The competition was designed to attract creators from around the world by removing language barriers.Their entry won a silver prize, opening the door to a professional opportunity with the publisher.

In May this year, Kadokawa began serialising their manga, 'Kung Fu Kung Fool', on its online manga portal. The story follows the adventures of a notorious thief named Goemon and a young boy called Bao in an action-filled and humorous setting.Speaking in an online interview with Japan Times, the brothers said they were thrilled by the opportunity.

"We are really happy; it feels like our dream come true," they said.Inspired by Dragon BallThe brothers' interest in manga began when they were children. They became fans of the Dragon Ball, adapted from the manga created by the late Japanese artist Akira Toriyama.

Watching the series encouraged them to learn drawing. They began practising by tracing and copying anime characters repeatedly to improve their skills.However, learning manga in India was not easy because there were very few resources available.

"Actually, in India, there aren't enough resources for us to learn," Jivan said.Yash said they relied heavily on the internet to continue learning. He watched YouTube videos created by professional manga artists, including Naoki Urasawa, known for works such as 20th Century Boys.

These online tutorials helped them understand drawing techniques and storytelling.Contest changed everythingBefore entering the contest, they earned living by creating illustrations for clients mainly in the United States and Europe. While working on these projects, they came across Kadokawa's international manga competition.

According to the brothers, they always wanted to tell their own stories through manga, even if the work did not earn money.Winning the silver prize not only brought recognition but also led to a monthly manga serialisation in Japan, giving them a chance to work with one of the country's leading publishers.A glimplse of Chapter 3 of Kung Fu Kung Fool (Instagram /Masterlynx)Working across languagesCreating manga for Japanese readers has also brought new challenges.

One of the biggest difficulties, according to the brothers, is Japanese onomatopoeia or words used to represent sounds or describe actions and conditions. Such expressions are widely used in manga and play an important role in storytelling.To tackle the problem, Kadokawa's editorial team works closely with them.

The editors translate and adapt the English sound expressions created by Jivan and Yash into Japanese so they fit into manga.This allows them to focus on storytelling while ensuring the final work matches Japanese publishing standards.Looking ahead, the brothers say they simply want to continue creating more stories.

"Our goal going forward is to just like make a lot of works," Jivan said.Why Kadokawa chose themKadokawa believes the brothers bring something different to manga while also respecting its traditions. According to the publisher, their strength lies in "their ambition as artists, pursuing their own unique styles while showing deep respect for Japanese manga."

The company also said the duo has "the potential to win fans around the world, not only in India and Japan."Kadokawa said finding promising manga creators has become more difficult in recent years because demand has increased as more companies enter the manga business.To respond to this challenge, the publisher created an overseas manga editorial section last year to support international artists and identify new talent.

Manga's growing popularity in IndiaThe brothers' success comes at a time when Japanese manga and anime have built a large audience in India. According to a report by the Lowy Institute, India and Japan have recognised the growing role of creativ