The results for Kodansha’s 47th annual Manga Awards are in. Quite a few popular works were nominated this year but we also got to see some lesser-known titles. The prize included a certificate, a bronze statue, and 1 million Japanese yen. As always, the manga was nominated in three categories: Best Shojo Manga, Best Shonen Manga and Best General Manga.
Best Shojo Manga – My Girlfriend’s Child
Author: Mamoru Aoi
Magazine: Kodnasha’s Bessatsu Friend magazine
Original title: Anoko no Kodomo
Sachi and her boyfriend Takara are your average high school couple. They go to school together, hang out, and even engage in the more intimate side of dating. However, as time passes, Sachi starts to get the feeling that something isn’t right and decides to buy a pregnancy test. Later, in the bathroom of a family restaurant far from her home, she sees the two red lines that will change both her and Takara’s life forever… (Licensed by: Seven Seas Entertainment)
Runners up: A Sign of Affection, In the Clear Moonlit Dusk, and Tamon’s B-Side
Best Shonen Manga
Author: Katarina; Artist: Ryosuke Fuji
Magazine: Kodansha’s Weekly Shonen Magazine
Original title: Shangri-La Frontier: Kusoge Hunter, Kamige ni Idoman to su
Second year high school student Rakuro Hizutome is interested in one thing only: finding “shitty games” and beating the crap out of them. His gaming skills are second to none, and no game is too bad for him to enjoy. So when he’s introduced to the new VR game Shangri-La Frontier, he does what he does best—min-maxes and skips the prologue to jump straight into the action. But can even an expert gamer like Rakuro discover all the secrets that Shangri-La Frontier hides…? (Licensed by Kodansha US)
Runners up: Akane-banashi, Kaoru Hana wa Rin to Saku, Gachiakuta, and Megumi no Daigo: Kyūkoku no Orange.
Best General Manga – Skip and Loafer
Author: Misaki Takamatsu
Magazine: Kodnasha’s Afternoon magazine
Original title: Skip to Loafer
Excellent student Iwakura Mitsumi has always dreamt about leaving her small town, going to a prestigious university, and making positive change in the world. But she’s so focused on reaching her goals that she’s not prepared for the very different (and overwhelming) city life that awaits her in a Tokyo high school. Luckily, she makes fast friends with Shima Sousuke, a handsome classmate who’s as laid-back as she is over-prepared. Can this naive country girl make it big in Tokyo with Sousuke by her side? This charming manga was nominated for the 2020 Manga Taisho Award and is sure to skip its way into your heart. (Licensed by Seven Seas Entertainment)
Runners up: The Darwin Incident, Manshu Ahen Squad, Medalist, Onna no Sono no Hoshi, and Liaison: Kodomo no Kokoro Shinryosho.
Last year’s winners were That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime (Best Shonen Manga), Police in a Pod (Best General Manga) and Nina the Starry Bridge (Best Shojo Manga). Skip and Loafer and Shangri-La Frontier were also nominated but did not win.
The jury for the 47th Kodansha Manga Awards consisted of TSUNAMI UMINO, Etsushi Ogawa, Koji Kumeta, Kaoru Hayamine, Akiko Higashimura, Norifusa Mita, and Makoto Yukimura.
Source: Kodansha
