Am delighted to announce that Pixiv and I got together to bring you one of their illustration contests!
For those who are not beknowist, Pixiv is the largest community for artists in Japan and by looking at their growth, they could be set to become the largest in the world too. There are about 4 million members who have generated 24 million artwork submissions which in turn generate 2.8 million pageviews per month.
Their Japanese website has an English interface but they recently started up a seperate English only interface at pixiv.com.
The contest runs from today until October 20th 2012 where all you have to do is submit an illustration of our mascot character Mirai Suenaga.
You can submit your entries at Pixiv or pixiv.com - both sites use the same database - the only difference is that the .com version is English only with a different user interface.
All entries (and you can submit many different entries) should be tagged "mirai_contest" and will all show up here. Also add the tag "Mirai Suenaga".
If you have illustrated Mirai for the previous Worldwide Otaku Report (which is currently in the design phase), then you can still submit the same artwork - just add the tag "mirai_contest"
Details about the contest is up at pixiv
http://www.pixiv.net/member_illust.php?mode=medium&illust_id=30247443
if you are using the English only site then details are up at
http://www.pixiv.com/contests/mirai_contest
At the end of the Pixiv x Culture Japan contest, a few folks will be chosen to have their work published in Quarterly Pixiv Volume 11! The whole anime industry reads this journal! As some of you may already know, many artists career rocketed after having their work published in Quarterly Pixiv.
The top 5 winners will get sent a copy of the journal with their work in it.
Artwork of winners will also be displayed at anime events worldwide.
5 winners will get Nendoroid Mirai Suenaga!
5 winners will get a pack of Moekana!
Goodies to be sent out by comrades at AmiAmi ^o^ Mirai Nendoroid will be sent out after she is released in December.
Many popular illustrators in Japan have doodled our Mirai-chan and its time to see your work!
And here are the reference images for you - Mirai in her Summer School Uniform.
Mirai in Winter Uniform.
Mirai in her Solar Marine Uniform.
Legwear worn by the Solar Marines are the Biostream Boots.
Mirai's choice of weapon is the Millennium Blade.
Mirai in bikini mode.
What Mirai wears when she works part time - Maid Uniform!
Mirai is also a cheerleader too.
Mirai's sidekick Retrokyu.
Retrokyu transforms into Mirai's Retrograde Suit!
So far I've featured some of your fanart in the Fanart 1 and Fanart 2 post - here are some more picked up at random. Didnt have time to fill in everybody's names but you can find who the original artist is over at Pinterest - or if you see your work then annotate it!
If any of your artwork is published however, you will be fully credited.
And if you have not seen it - photos from the Pixiv office tour lives here.
