The MAL x HF Writing Contest is back for its 5th installment! This year, MyAnimeList and Honeyfeed have teamed up with the light novel reading app NOVELOUS—powered by the renowned Japanese publisher Shogakukan—to bring your stories to an even broader audience.
Aspiring authors from around the globe submitted their original light novels based on two distinct prompts: "The End is Now," focusing on apocalyptic tales, and "Love Transcends Boundaries," centered on heartfelt romances that overcome seemingly impossible obstacles. From hundreds of submissions, 10 standout novels have been chosen and will be featured on the NOVELOUS app.
Now it’s your turn to decide which story shines the brightest in each category!
How to Vote
The voting period will run from June 23 to July 24, 2025. To cast your vote for your favorite novels, please visit the official voting page through your browser or use the dedicated app.
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"The End is Now" Novels
Under the Lilac Bush
A pandemic of a mysterious disease, completely harmless to humans but deadly to plants, begins rapidly destroying all flora in nature, causing a significant drop in the oxygen levels of Earth's atmosphere. According to scientists' calculations, if the current rate of oxygen depletion continues, humanity will face extinction within a year. The shortage of oxygen is already noticeable in the air, making oxygen masks and tanks skyrocket in price and turn into essential survival items.
Teams of botanists from around the world have identified the cause of the mysterious disease and are racing to develop a vaccine for plants, but it remains unclear whether they will finish it in time. Meanwhile, a retired amateur gardener seemingly stumbles upon a strain of lilac resistant to the disease…
Genres: Drama, Psychological, Survival, Thriller, Tragedy
Konstantin Tcidenkov
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Reader's Comment
I really enjoyed this. If you’re into emotionally grounded, end-of-the-world kind of stories you need to check this one out. This novel reminded me a little about what happened to Earth in the film Interstellar. You really felt the world is a character in itself. The way the atmosphere literally becomes unbreathable is such a powerful metaphor for how these characters are suffocating emotionally too. That really hit me. I particularly liked Linda, a transgender woman, coming to terms with her past and herself at the end of the world. If you like apocalyptic fiction that’s more about people and atmosphere than action, this one’s gonna stick with you.
Travelogue of an Apostate
“I shall live to see an Age of Magic renewed.”
This is the promise of Lavenza, an apostate who wanders the land in search of ancient mana.
“I shall live to see my father’s armor reforged.”
This is the promise of Deme, a child who delves in dungeons in search of Rafta, the withering flower by which all metals are born.
Together, the two traverse Aparthia in its latter days. Man and beast seek refuge across The Great Sea, but Lavenza and Deme journey inwards, towards the center of the continent, where magic and the winding tunnels of the Abyss converge.
Eco Severin.
Genres: Fantasy, Magic
by Kaisei
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Reader's Comment
Travelogue of an Apostate is awe-inspiring.
The prompt is never explicitly stated, but it is felt. The reader understands the shifting tides of a world on the cusp, sees the political and social climate change as the end draws near. There is revolt, but it is silent. There is order, but it is illusory. The Empress has ensured that. Lavenza knows it. We follow her on a quest without a clear aim, simply because Lavenza decides the reader best not be made aware of it. Which is great.
Lavenza is an incredible protagonist. She is driven, but also weak. Behind her aloofness there is a fragility that only the empress can tap into, use and abuse. The plot itself is extremely well-layered. There are politics without boring meetings. There is social commentary without a fist punching it down one’s throat. There is hope, there is despair, and there is, above all, a humanity that seeps out of the page.
Extirpation
When all over Earth, chunks of reality start disappearing from existence in mysterious events known as extirpations, Dr. Ken Soma finds himself at a crossroads: should he divulge the fate of the world, or keep it to himself?
His ex-wife, Dr. Irina Alexandrova, Russian expat, decides for him when she reaches the same conclusion, and publishes her findings for the world to see: within a year, the extirpations will swallow the Earth.
With sinister forces at play, will Ken and his family be able to work together to unravel the mystery surrounding the extirpations before the cataclysm is at hand?
Genres: Mystery, Sci-Fi, Seinen, Supernatural, Tragedy
by Lemons
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Reader's Comment
Extirpation feels like a fever dream in the best way. It’s chaotic, mysterious, and just dense with ideas, some of which land, some don’t. The ride is wild. Imagine if Steins;Gate got mashed up with Erased, but instead of time travel you’re dealing with random pockets of reality vanishing into thin air. That’s the energy here.
I think there are moments which are very well-paced, and that’s where the author really shines: when the perspective switches chapter-by-chapter, and we pick up where we left off. That technique really helps cement the importance of some events, and the author knows well how to deploy it. This novel does a fairly good job at following the prompt. The concept is fresh and we get to see the struggles of someone trying to prevent the end of the world rather than reconcile with it—a very human approach. A good read if you’re into speculative apocalypse stories.
Sales Pitch
After learning the world is set to end in a year, Momo Akasegawa could care less. But when she's approached by some individuals who claim they can save the world if she can convince them the world will suit their interests, she
quickly finds herself at their mercy in hopes of somehow managing to convince one of them to save the world. But behind the scenes, something more sinister is at play. Just how far will Momo and the others go to try and save the world?
Genres: Drama, Mystery
by Mario Nakano 64
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Reader's Comment
I really enjoyed how the prompt was subverted: in the manga, “the end is now” refers to aliens wanting to destroy the planet; but more importantly, for the protagonist, “the end is now” means he must finish his manga before dying from an illness. Additionally, “the end” would mean others altering the story Jeter envisioned if he dies before giving it a proper closure.
The way the manga within the story mirrors Jeter’s life was handled with care, and Momo’s presence as both a memory and a guide gave the emotional moments real weight. This novel reminded me a little of Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso or Colorful, where the idea of leaving something meaningful behind is more important than any dramatic twist. It’s the kind of story that leaves you thinking quietly for a while afterward.
I Prolonged the World’s Demise by Babysitting a Kaiju
Ryuka Tatsuhara always dreamt of leaving her boring hometown and starting a new life in Tokyo. But then strange doors called Daimen appeared, bringing kaijus onto Earth.
One of them, a massive kaiju known as the Daikaiju, arrived in Ryuka’s town looking for a host to carry his child. When he couldn’t find one, he decided he would flood the world with magma before moving on to another planet. But before he could follow through, his child wandered off, found Ryuka, and imprinted on her.
When he sees that his child has grown fond of Ryuka, the Daikaiju decides to hold off on destroying the world - on one condition. Ryuka has to take care of the little troublemaker until his armor plating fully develops, which will take exactly one year. After that, the Daikaiju will finish what he started, covering the Earth in magma so his child can grow up in the perfect environment.
And just like that, Ryuka is stuck taking care of a baby kaiju for a year.
Genres: Drama, Mystery
by sameeeee
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Reader's Comment
The best part about this is the comedy. There is something refreshing about having a slice of life set in a decaying world. Ryuuka in particular is an interesting character. Her wishes are very simple, which is a very unique outlook set against a surreally large tragedy. She doesn’t want to save the world or despair at its end, she just wants to pass with some achievements under her belt: graduate high school and get a penthouse in Tokyo.
For an end of the world story, I believe this is a very interesting approach. The author managed to juxtapose the comedic moments with the more emotional beats in a decent manner, to the point where there wasn’t too much friction between the two. The characters are probably where this novel excels. They’re very ‘anime’, and you have a lot of archetypes to laugh at and relate to. If you liked the strange chaos of FLCL this might be your kind of end-of-the-world story.
"Love Transends Boundaries" Novels
What is 'love' in Japanese, Iwasaki-kun?
Ryuuto Iwasaki is moving to Tokyo to attend his dream university—part of his vision of a tranquil college life. Suddenly, his plan is turned on its head from a former student’s burnt ramen and a simple question: “Iwasaki-kun, how’s your English?”
With that, he is placed in the international students’ dormitory building where everyone on his floor, not to mention most of the building speaks English, while their Japanese skills… leave much to be desired. Particularly Serina Sato, a Japanese-American whose aspirations far surpass her limited vocabulary. Despite this, Ryuuto welcomes her determination to embrace Japanese language and culture, starting a journey neither of them expected.
See how Ryuuto navigates this cultural hotpot and the beginning to his university life as the only thing keeping his fellow dorm-mates from crashing out of their Japanese exams, and the program altogether—good luck, Ryuuto!
Genres: Comedy, Romance, School, Shounen, Slice of Life
by CaptainDrew
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Reader's Comment
What is 'Love' in Japanese, Iwasaki-kun? is the kind of quiet, charming romance that sneaks up on you. The novel is well-written, appealing to the audience, and above all, entertaining. Every chapter keeps the reader’s interest from beginning to end. When new chapters were posted, I looked forward to reading them.
While the story’s setup might feel familiar—college student meets international classmate—the execution is where this really shines. The author has a strong grasp on how to make everyday interactions feel meaningful, and the chemistry between the characters develops with real care.
I wouldn’t say the cultural or language “boundary” is especially strong here, but the emotional boundaries (like past trauma, self-doubt, and learning to believe in your future) are explored with surprising sensitivity. If you’re someone who appreciates soft, character-focused romances that grow slowly and stick with you after, read this one, I'm sure you'll end up voting for it after you do.
Cat Got My Tongue
Human girl meets catgirl, then hold hands and kiss and stuff.
Genres: Romance, Girls Love
by Bubbles
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Reader's Comment
The implementation of the prompt was truly magnificent. Rather than simple romantic obstacles, the story brilliantly establishes multi-layered "boundaries" including social prejudice, species differences, same-sex love, and self-acceptance. The “NekoFlu” premise might seem playful at first, but it’s handled with surprising emotional weight, functioning as a metaphor for real-world discrimination while simultaneously providing fantasy elements. It’s not just about “love transcending boundaries,” but about learning to love oneself in a world that often refuses to understand. That said, the way it handles LGBT+ themes without being preachy while succeeding as a pure love story was masterful. This novel reminded me of a slow-burn Girls Love anime like Bloom Into You, where they explore identity and emotional development rather than physical attraction.
Love Beyond Worlds
One day, Nicholas wakes up to a girl sleeping by his side. This mystery girl, Elerina, mysteriously appears beside him. She comes from a world that is currently at war. After becoming her husband, he commits to supporting her in any way he can.
Genres: Adventure, Fantasy, Magic, Romance
by Alita Kayali
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Reader's Comment
The romance in this novel is giving "long-distance situationship, the Isekai” but somehow, it hooks you immediately! It's funny, original, and a good read. The guy's just a regular university student, total anime cliche, but the girl? An actual sword-swinging badass. The twist? They exist in completely different worlds for the majority of the novel, yet can still see, hear, and touch each other like some bugged-out video game.
The way that they need to figure out the limits of their realities, their interactions, and how to use human tech in a fantasy world to their advantage is lowkey hilarious but also really clever. MC genuinely wants to help the elf girl escape her war-stricken world, and she starts falling for him ‘cause he sees her real strength and value, and doesn't bully her for her flaws, like the rest of the magical world.
The end left me wanting more, but honestly? This story had me hooked the whole way there. The originality of how their worlds interact, the isekai vibes—it hits. It’s messy but ambitious, and that deserves recognition. This could be one of the winners, easy.
Singing My God A Love Song
Yani is a Godsinger, a special class of people who can link themselves to the AI gods that watch over her world and hear them when they speak. She loves her god, Imon, more than life. When her status as a Godsinger is threatened by a surprise arranged marriage, Yani must choose how far she's willing to go to keep hearing Imon's voice every day.
Genres: Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi, Girls Love, LGBTQ+
by Korben
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Reader's Comment
This was such a surprisingly cozy romance. It’s set in a futuristic world where people literally speak for the gods, and somehow it still ends up being a really grounded love story between a girl and the AI god she’s devoted to. It’s the sort of thing you could see society evolving into in...a thousand years, or whatever have you. Yani’s quiet determination to hold onto her own identity while navigating family pressure and religious duty felt honest and relatable.
I liked this one, it was kind of different! The sci-fi angle never overcomplicates the story; it just gives their romance a really unique backdrop. It does a fine job challenging the prompt - an AI god and a human have a couple of obvious barriers to overcome - and it held all the way through. If you liked Plastic Memories, I think this would hit for you, except this one leans more on the emotional connection than tragedy.
Mismatched Words in a Lonely World
For six years, Valeria Evernight has survived in a world left empty by the Vanishing, tirelessly preparing a ritual to find her lost mother. But when she finally completes it, the spell doesn’t bring her mother back; it summons Caelum, a boy from another world who is just as lost as she is. Worse still, he doesn’t even speak her language.
As they struggle to communicate, a strange companionship begins to form between the two: one that may reveal they share far more than just their loneliness.
Genres: Magic, Romance, Slice of Life, Isekai, Post-Apocalyptic
by haru
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Reader's Comment
The world-building is great. The world is interesting, and details are revealed to the reader at a good pace. You’ve got a guy from another world dropped into the life of a lonely girl who’s been fending for herself, and they literally don’t speak the same language at first. Watching them gradually learn to communicate and understand each other was one of the most satisfying slow burns I’ve read in a while. It reminded me a little of The Ancient Magus’ Bride—that same quiet intimacy and mutual healing, except here the tension isn’t about trauma or darkness, but just... figuring each other out.
In a very literal sense, language is a boundary here. But there is also their differing understanding of romance and social norms. Lots of stories have love. Many of them have some light boundaries. But very few actually contain a story where the characters are motivated by their love to overcome those boundaries. It’s only by loving and supporting each other that the two characters are able to overcome these challenges. Definitely worth reading if you like romance where emotional closeness grows from everyday moments.
