7,400 writers participated, including about 6,600 first-time authors with no prior paid serialization experience

Naver WEBTOON and Munpia announced the 37 winners of the 2026 World’s Largest Web Novel Contest on July 22.

The annual competition, jointly organized by the two platforms, received more than 10,000 submissions, a roughly 35% increase from last year. A total of 7,400 writers participated, including about 6,600 first-time authors with no prior paid serialization experience. More than 80% of entrants were in their teens, 20s, or 30s.

The grand prize went to At the Ending of a Makjang Drama by Pitkong, a modern fantasy and alternate-history novel about a protagonist who is reincarnated into a melodrama and unexpectedly becomes a contender for the imperial succession following a terrorist attack.

Three titles received the Excellence Award: The NIS’ Indestructible Black Agent by Sotamja, The Trade King in This Life by Youngwan, and I Obtained the Omnipotent Angel by MammothXM.

This year’s contest also introduced a new Martial Arts Special Award, recognizing How a Ronin Survives the World of Martial Artists by Teruchi, Cultivating Through Gacha in a Xianxia World by Seogong, and A Fishing Village Boy Raised as a Martial Artist by Apyeong-a. Organizers said more than 1,400 martial arts entries were submitted, more than double the number from last year.

Winning works will debut first on Munpia before expanding to Naver Series. The grand prize and Excellence Award winners will also receive webtoon adaptations for serialization on Naver WEBTOON. All winning entries will be considered for additional multimedia adaptations, including film and television projects.

Source: Naver WEBTOON‘s press release

I know everyone is going to look at both the title and poster for this show thinking, “oh great, another wish fulfillment fantasy where a shy introverted guy ends up getting romantically involved with the gorgeous outgoing girls in his class.” I know that’s exactly how they look and…I can’t deny that is more or less what this show is. This is definitely a love triangle between two gorgeous women and an introverted guy who, in a lot of ways, can be seen as a self-insert. It is very easy to look at this show for what it is on paper and tear it apart as something worth dismissing. But I have to admit, I can’t deny that I ended up falling in love with what I saw, because there’s some real heart here.

While Gals Can’t Be Kind to Otaku!? does fall into some narrative tropes, it avoids as many, going for a more genuine, heartfelt approach rather than a cynical one built on problems or contradictions. There’s not any major tension or issue here that needs to be solved. It’s just three characters who genuinely enjoy spending time with each other, and that friendship naturally builds into a romantic interest. Unlike other shows that tell me characters would look cute together, this show puts in the legwork to make a strong case for why Takuya would romantically get involved with either of these girls and vice versa.

Takuya and Kei share an interest as fellow otaku. While Kei is definitely in denial about being one, that ends up creating an interesting opportunity for the two to bond. They share a special interest that allows her to be more honest with herself as the show goes on. There are some episodes in this series where the two of them spend time geeking out over their favorite show. I have no idea about the show that they are talking about, but there is something really sweet about seeing Takuya actually have someone to chat with about his special interests, which allows him to come out of his shell.

I originally thought that these two would be the main romantic pairing, but the show does a great job balancing their screentime with Kotoko. Kotoko’s relationship with Takuya requires a bit more legwork because they don’t immediately have that special interest to bond over, but that actually makes their relationship dynamic more interesting. Kotoko originally comes off as a bit more of that typical airhead gal, but in a lot of ways, she is probably the most mature of the three. In fact, she’s so mature that she originally doesn’t think that her interest in Takuya is romantic until she eventually has to accept that about herself. They might not bond over that special interest, but the time they spend together and the way they help each other out creates a strong emotional through line for those feelings to form. It’s so casual and laid-back that it snuck up on me.

Maybe I also find this refreshing because a lot of these character bonding moments happen during what can be described as “friendship dates,” which I feel has been lost on a lot of people as time has gone on. I like the idea that just two people can go out and spend time together to naturally form those romantic feelings over that shared time together. I don’t think it happens as often as a lot of shows think that it does. A lot of times it feels like a show will sometimes explain that two characters are getting along together or are developing chemistry together, but this show indulges in the quiet atmospheric moments to let them actually breathe. Don’t get me wrong, there are so many moments of talking and teasing, especially from side characters. I love the prodding from Kei and Kotoko’s siblings, which is where a lot of the comedic relief comes from. But even when these characters do show up, they never overpower a lot of those genuine romantic moments. I think I can sum up the show as a very flirty character piece where everyone teases each other over how close they are instead of letting them get close through the teasing.

It helps that this show is very gorgeous, and it emphasizes those atmospheric moments. While the soundtrack isn’t anything too remarkable outside of the amazing opening theme, the show itself makes use of lighting and colors very well. Sometimes the colors can be a bit overindulgent, but considering that these two gals are supposed to be very flashy to contrast with Takuya’s more subdued appearance and attitude, it feels appropriate. Kei and Kotoko already have amazing character designs, but everybody is so expressive with this beautiful focus on their eyes to really highlight how enamored all three characters are with each other. The fact that everyone gets equal screen time as a trio and as a pair with Takuya also makes it super hard for me to judge which girl might “win” in the end, and that’s very impressive.

I don’t want this trio to be broken up, and this show might be the strongest example of a romantic comedy where I think the best ending would be for there to be a throuple. The show doesn’t even seem to want to rule that possibility out! It is a self-indulgent fantasy, but it is also a very heartfelt story about three characters spending time together. The flirtatious chemistry feels very natural and on point, the emotional moments hit hard, and even the character realizations come with a certain degree of maturity that I wish way more romantic comedies coming out today would emulate. The season ends in a typically frustrating manner as I am hoping for a season two announcement. But for what is present here, this is an incredibly solid self-contained package that any romantic comedy fan should check out. It might not redefine the genre it’s playing into, but it is definitely highlighting that there can be more to this genre than meets the eye.