MyAnimeList x Honeyfeed Writing Contest 2025 – THE ISEKAI presented by KADOKAWA Webpage:
mhwc.myanimelist.net/202507
Grand Prize
“Isekai’d with my dog, I’m not the hero?!” by Frettiko
An average guy named Mitsuta is reincarnated into another world along with his pet dog, Toast. However, the goddess becomes utterly smitten with the adorable Toast and grants all of the hero’s bonuses to him instead. For a level 99 “Hero” Pomeranian, defeating monsters is a walk in the park. Meanwhile, his owner Mitsuta remains stuck at level 1…
Constantly dragged along by the free-spirited Toast, Mitsuta gathers a group of quirky companions and runs an odd-jobs business, gradually carving out a place for himself in this new world. At this rate, they might even end up defeating the Demon King someday? A fluffy, feel-good comedy about a fun-filled isekai life with a beloved pet.
Go read “Isekai’d with my dog, I’m not the hero?!” on Honeyfeed.
Contest Winners Prize
“HR in Another World: Building the Strongest Parties with my Appraisal Skill” by Kaorin
Hiroyuki, an HR manager, is summoned to another world by a goddess. He has no combat ability whatsoever, but armed with the Divine Appraisal skill, which reveals hidden potential, he recruits allies and assembles the ultimate party.
As Hiroyuki builds his team, however, the shadow of an assassin targeting him draws near… In a world far harsher than expected, can this hero’s party stand up to the Demon Lord’s army? A grand adventure begins as Hiroyuki uses his appraisal skills to save the world.
Go read “HR in Another World: Building the Strongest Parties with my Appraisal Skill” on Honeyfeed.
Contest Winners Prize
“Drinking Buddies: Hangover In Another World!” by Literate_Manul
Marcus and Gus are transported to another world while hungover. Desperate to impress an elf princess, they end up boasting that they will “defeat one of the Demon Lord’s generals.” By sheer chance, Marcus awakens to beer magic and starts blasting beer while shouting “Hop Missile!”, while Gus’s right arm, whose power he cannot consciously control, suddenly awakens… With zero ability and zero planning, but unmatched bravado, these two men launch into a wildly unpredictable isekai buddy comedy!
Go read “Drinking Buddies: Hangover In Another World” on Honeyfeed.
Overall Review by KADOKAWA’s Editorial Department
KADOKAWA’s first English-language novel contest on Honeyfeed received 1,240 submissions, the highest number in the platform’s contest history. We are deeply honored by this response and delighted to see such strong interest from English-speaking creators in Japan’s light novel market.
Following a rigorous selection process, one Grand Prize winner and two Contest Winners Prize recipients were selected. After initial voting by Honeyfeed users and volunteers, the final judging was conducted by Aneko Yusagi (author of The Rising of the Shield Hero) and editors from KADOKAWA.
The Grand Prize winner, Isekai’d with My Dog, I’m Not the Hero?!, stood out for its catchy, approachable premise, making it easy to imagine on the shelves of Japanese bookstores. The novel delivers plenty of laugh-out-loud comedic moments, along with charming portrayals of Toast, the adorable dog. We were eager to read more about Toast’s exploits, his bond with the protagonist Mitsuta, and Mitsuta’s growth over the course of the story.
The author, Frettiko, will receive a cash award of USD 5,000. The winning work will also be assigned a KADOKAWA editor and is scheduled for translation and publication in Japan, with a target release in 2027.
The first Contest Winners Prize recipient, HR in Another World: Building the Strongest Parties with My Appraisal Skill, made effective use of the appraisal skill trope that has become a staple of the isekai genre, while capturing the distinctive feel of Japanese web novels. At the same time, its expansive setting evoked the scope of a large-scale open-world game. The careful portrayal of each character, along with story developments involving figures whose allegiance is unclear, added depth and originality to the narrative.
The author, Kaorin, will receive a cash award of USD 3,000. The work will also be assigned a KADOKAWA editor and revised with the aim of translation and publication in Japan.
The second Contest Winners Prize recipient, Drinking Buddies: Hangover in Another World!, is a lighthearted comedy that keeps the pages turning. Its one-of-a-kind tone, blending concepts like “beer magic” with a chunibyo-style demonic arm, creates a brand of absurd humor that is strangely compelling. The two protagonists, Marcus and Gus, drinking buddies from our world, are character types rarely seen in Japanese fiction and are likely to feel fresh and distinctive to Japanese readers.
The author, Literate_Manul, will receive a cash award of USD 3,000. The work will also be assigned a KADOKAWA editor and revised with the aim of translation and publication in Japan.
Going forward, KADOKAWA plans to continue hosting web novel contests in Japan and abroad to discover talented writers from around the world who share a passion for Japanese entertainment content.
Comment from Aneko Yusagi (author of The Rising of the Shield Hero) on the Grand Prize-Winning Work
Isekai’d with My Dog, I’m Not the Hero?! feels like a novel written with a strong understanding of Japanese light novels. The characters are comical, the pacing is brisk, and the story offers a genuinely light, comedic reading experience. I read it with excitement, eager to see what would unfold in the misadventures of this delightfully mismatched party.
About MyAnimeList x Honeyfeed Writing Contest 2025 – THE ISEKAI presented by KADOKAWA
Through this contest, KADOKAWA opened submissions worldwide for English-language isekai fantasy novels, looking for the next hit to follow in the footsteps of globally popular hits such as Overlord, Re:ZERO − Starting Life in Another World, The Rising of the Shield Hero, Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation, and Sword Art Online.
About KADOKAWA’s Global UGC Content Development Project
In recent years, Japanese anime has surged in popularity worldwide, with many hit titles originating from light novels. In parallel, overseas online novel platforms have seen a growing number of works influenced by Japanese light novels, becoming fertile ground for creators with global potential. In response, KADOKAWA launched the Global UGC Content Development Project in 2025 as part of its Global Business Acceleration Program, which supports new overseas-oriented business initiatives. Through this project, KADOKAWA aims to discover global talent from international novel submission platforms and publish their works in Japan and abroad to create new hit IPs.
The MyAnimeList x Honeyfeed Writing Contest 2025 – THE ISEKAI presented by KADOKAWA represents the first step in this effort. As another initiative under the same project, KADOKAWA also held the “Japan Debut Showdown☆Fantasy Light Novel Contest” in 2025 on KadoKado, a novel submission platform operated by Kadokawa Taiwan Corporation that accepts submissions in Traditional Chinese. The announcement of the winning works is scheduled for June 2026.
In addition, plans are underway to publish Why Kill? When Witches Can Be Tentacled!, a work submitted to Honeyfeed, as well as selected winning titles from the JNC Original Light Novel Contest hosted by M12 Media LLC.
About Honeyfeed
Honeyfeed is a leading writing platform that empowers authors to create, share, and engage with their original stories. With a vibrant community of readers and writers, Honeyfeed provides an immersive space for storytelling across various genres, including anime and manga-inspired narratives. For more about Honeyfeed, please visit honeyfeed.fm.
About MyAnimeList (MAL)
MyAnimeList is one of the world’s largest communities and databases for Japanese anime and manga, with 16 million registered members from 240 countries and regions worldwide. An indispensable site for tracking anime and manga progress, it holds over 1.2 billion records of viewing and reading big data. Founded in 2004, MyAnimeList has become a crucial source of information for overseas fans, especially among Generation Z in North America. For more about MyAnimeList, please visit myanimelist.net.