If you
follow the weekly posts from Japan closely, you know perfectly well that
standing out among hundreds of stories is a monumental task. The
Kodansha publishing house has just celebrated the fiftieth edition of
its legendary Manga Awards, an event that the reading community is
looking forward to because it defines which works are setting the standard in
the market. On this occasion, the jury made up of true titans of the industry
held nothing back and crowned three stories that have proven to be true masterpieces
in their respective genres.
The
consolidation of a new great
The battle
for the coveted Best Shonen Manga award was extremely close
this year, but in the end the balance tipped strongly towards Gachiakuta.
The work created by Kei Urana and Hideyoshi Ando ended up beating very strong
rivals to take not only the prestigious bronze statuette, but also a juicy economic
prize of two million yen. This recognition confirms what many readers already
knew: her particular style of dirty drawing, added to an intense narrative of
survival and redemption, have made her a delivery that absolutely no
one should miss.
On the side
of romance and emotional conflicts, the trophy for Best Shojo Manga was
in the hands of Re-Living My Life with a Boyfriend Who Doesn't Remember
Me. This captivating story written by the creative trio of Eiko Mutsuhana,
Yugiri Aika and Gin Shirakawa managed to convince the judges thanks to its very
emotional way of exploring the weight of memories and second chances. With this
victory, they demonstrated that the genre still has the ability to offer deep
and mature plots for young audiences looking to escape classic school clichés.
Wefts
that break the traditional mold
Now, when
we talk about narratives that do not fit into conventional labels and seek a
much more universal appeal, The Darwin Incident was the one
that managed to steal all the spotlight by winning the Best General
Manga category. Shun Umezawa's intense work was recognized with one
million yen after dazzling a top-level evaluation committee, which included
creative legends such as Hiro Mashima and Seimaru Amagi. To reach the top, it
had to outperform critically acclaimed titles, reaffirming that thrillers with
complex ethical themes continue to have a brutal impact on adult readers.
Knowing
that the seal of approval of these awards practically ensures a massive
increase in physical sales and puts the works in the direct sights of the major
animation studios
