Fruits Basket Manga Art & Essay Contest For Natsuki Takaya

It's been a long time coming, but the end is near -- the end of Fruits Basket! The last volume of this 23-volume super-popular shojo manga series hits the bookstores on July 6, 2006, and TokyoPop wants to give you a chance to send a special thank you to Furuba's creator, Natsuki Takaya with their Fruits Basket Scrapbook Competition.

Fruits Basket fans age 13 and older are encouraged to submit artwork, a poem, a photo, short story, letter or essay that "should reflect your memories with Fruits Basket and the positive effect that the manga series has had on your life." The most touching, interesting and creative entries will be gathered into a scrapbook that will be presented to Takaya-sensei herself! It's a rare opportunity to reach a Japanese manga creator and express your gratitude to her about her comics creation. Even if your entry is not included in the scrapbook, it may be posted online at TokyoPop.com and shared with other Fruits Baskets fans.

To enter, you need to download an entry form (in PDF format, requires Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Reader) submit your thank you artwork / essay / poem or other creative expression to:

Fruits Basket Scrapbook Competition
TOKYOPOP Inc.
5900 Wilshire Blvd.
Suite 2000
Los Angeles, CA 90036

Entries need to be postmarked by Friday, July 3, 2009. Entrants age 13 - 17 must have parents sign a release, which is included on the entry form. No entries from entrants under age 13. Be sure to check out the rest of the rules too.

You can get a sneak peek at Fruits Basket Volume 23 with this 21-page online preview. You can also check out a video featuring the fun enjoyed by the fans who came out to the Macy's Fruits Basket event at Macy's Herald Square in New York City in May 2009.

Image credit: © Natsuki Takaya