The animate×Pixiv Book Cover Contest invites creators to submit original character illustrations in two divisions: a Monochrome Division themed on cream soda and a Full Color Division themed on ice cream. Winning entries will be printed as book covers and distributed at animate stores across Japan, with posters displayed nationwide.
Rules
Eligibility
- Entrants must be pixiv users entering as individuals; corporate and collaborative entries are not accepted.
- Minors need parental consent.
- International entrants may enter, but physical prizes ship within Japan only.
Format
- Original, unpublished characters; the composition must show the character from the waist up.
- All-ages content only (no R-18).
- Works using AI-generated images or text, in whole or in part, are excluded.
- Monochrome Division (bunko A6 size): theme "cream soda"; 600 dpi, grayscale or 1-bit.
- Full Color Division (comic B6 size): theme "ice cream"; 350 dpi, CMYK.
Submission
- Submit PSD files with character layers separated.
- Entry period: 22 January 2026 to 15 March 2026, 23:59.