Tateyomi Manga Awards 2025 Winners Announced: Two Giants at the Top!
One of Japan's most prestigious pop culture platforms, Comic Natalie, has announced the results of the Tateyomi Manga Awards 2025, which honors works in the vertical scrolling format (webtoon). In the second edition of the awards ceremony, the rising trends of the digital comic world and the productions that have garnered the most interest from readers were rewarded. While I Am the Villainess Your Tyrant Majesty Requested (Otomedomari no Boukun Heika no Akujo desu) took the top spot in the "Domestic Works" category, the winner of the "Overseas Works" category was I Shall Master this Family, which has a massive global fan base.
The winner of the domestic category, I Am the Villainess Your Tyrant Majesty Requested, stands out as a production that masterfully blends themes of revenge and romance. In an interview given on the occasion of the award, the series' original creator and writer, Tenichi, shared how they structured the transformation of the main character Lars in her second life and the satisfying sense of revenge offered to readers. Tenichi, who has previously signed off on successful works such as The Most Heretical Last Boss Queen, has once again proven how ambitious they are in the vertical format with this award. The jury members praised the series, particularly for its modern perspective on the "villainess" theme and the fluidity of its visual storytelling.
In the overseas category, the South Korean-origin I Shall Master this Family took the spotlight. Artist Mon attributes the series' success to the strong bond the main character Florentia has established with readers. In their interview, Mon emphasized the impact of character development on the story, stating, "I feel as if we are raising Florentia with love together with the readers." This manhwa, written by Kim Roah and visualized by Ant Studio, tells the story of a clever woman who returns to the past to save her family from destruction. The series has reached millions of readers worldwide, not only in Japan but also through platforms such as Tappytoon and Tapas.
These awards reveal the speed of Japan's transition from traditional manga culture to vertical-format digital content (Tateyomi). The dominance of platforms like Piccoma and LINE Manga in the Japanese market encourages local publishers to invest in this format as well. The Tateyomi Manga Awards both create a source of motivation for local creators and solidify the place of global hits in the Japanese market. For readers, these results serve as the greatest proof that the vertical format is not just a trend, but a permanent new standard in storytelling.
