International Manga Award

Hello!

Today’s blog is from museum library team!

Have you noticed that we set up “International Manga Award” section at the stair case on the ground level with winning works of the 9th International Manga Award?

International Manga Award started in 2007 with an idea of Taro ASO who was Foreign minister at the time. As manga culture spread in the world, he thought those young international artists should be awarded from Japan, the country of origin of manga.
This competition take any manga works inside/outside Japan (including published and unpblished).

1 gold, 3 silver and 10 bronze awarded works for the 9th award were selected from 259 applications from 46 countries.

The best work, gold award went to “The Divine” by Artist : Asaf Hanuka & Tomer Hanuka, Story Artist : Boaz Lavie from Israel. This book is written in English.

The Divine tells the story of an explosives expert assists the military heading to Quanlom. He was lured by a group of child-soldiers, led by twin boys, then became turning against American government.
This work was written wishing for better understanding for child soldiers and to not let this misery happen anymore.

Silver winning works were these 3.

無名歌 vol.1 by ROCKAT from Taiwan.

Man who once has been a lead singer of a band group, remembers his dream of being a rock musician in the depressing days with work.
I think his drawing style reflects Japanese manga the most in this competition result.

Holy Dragon Imperator by Artist : NGUYEN THANH PHONG, Story Artist : NGUYEN KHANH DUONG

A professor in the Ancient Greece discovers that an infant’s brain can be used as information storage. The Ancient Chen dynasty implants a very dangerous plan in a baby. Time passes and the story features a girl of the present day who suddenly loses consciousness and recalls the memory of a village-head’s daughter who refuses to marry and intends to spoil her wedding ceremony.

Ichthyophobia by Li Lung-chieh

This is a silent manga based on ichthyphobia which is a fear of fish that the artist suffered for a long time. You don’t have to worry about the language barrier so please take a look!

For more details please take a look at this web page!
http://www.manga-award.jp/index.php?lng=e

You can find Japanese translated trial books at the museum. (Actual translated books should be on the shelf someitme).

Come and find foreign books that you wouldn’t find in you daily life here at the International Manga Award section!

(Tanakatsu)