The winners of the 46th Kodansha Manga Awards were revealed on May 11. That Time I got Reincarnated as a Slime won in the Best Shonen Manga category while Police in a Pod won Best General Manga. Nina the Starry Bride won for Best Shojo Manga. The selection committee for the awards consisted of the following seven members: Tsunami Umino, Etsushi Ogawa, Kōji Kumeta, Akiko Higashimura, Norifusa Mita, Waki Yamato, and Makoto Yukimura. Winners of the awards received a certificate, a bronze statue, and a prize of one million yen.
Best Shonen – That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime
Created by FUSE, Illustrated by Taiki Kawakami
Adapted from the original light novel series, Kawakami launched the manga for That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime in Kodansha’s Shōnen Sirius in 2015. The manga was nominated for the same award last year but was a runner-up to Blue Lock. Slime is the first manga adaptation of a light novel in history to ever reach 20 million copies printed. As of May 2021, the manga has 25 million copies in circulation.
Runner-Ups: A Couple of Cuckoos, Shangri-La Frontier, and Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End.
Mikami’s middle age hasn’t gone as he planned: He never found a girlfriend, he got stuck in a dead-end job, and he was abruptly stabbed to death in the street at 37. So when he wakes up in a new world straight out of a fantasy RPG, he’s disappointed but not exactly surprised to find that he’s not a knight or a wizard but a blind slime demon. But there are chances for even a slime to become a hero… (via Kodansha Comics)
Best General Manga – Police in a Pod
Written and illustrated by Miko Yasu
Police in a Pod ended up taking home the award for Best General Manga after the series was a runner-up for the same award in 2021. This isn’t the first time Police in a Pod has won an award either. In 2021, the manga won the 66th Shogakukan Manga Award. As of May 2022, the manga has 4.5 million copies in circulation and is currently serialized in Kodansha’s Morning.
Runner-Ups: Oshi no Ko, Skip and Loafer, Chi: Chikyū no Undō ni Tsuite, Yankee-kun to Hakujō Girl, and Yakuza Fiancé: Raise wa Tanin ga Ii
Female police officer Kawai had enough of a career she wasn’t even that into and was about to hand in her registration, when the unthinkable happened—she met the new, female director of her station! And after spending a little time with this gorgeous role model, Kawai realizes that maybe she isn’t quite done being an officer after all. (via Kodansha Comics)
Best Shojo Manga – Nina the Starry Bridge
Written and illustrated by RIKACHI
Nina the Starry Bride took home its first ever award after winning Best Shojo at the 46th Kodansha Manga Awards. The series first began serialization in Be Love in 2019. Nina the Starry Bride is RIKACHI’s 23rd series since he became a published author back in 2004. The manga currently has seven volumes published with the first six of them already printed in English.
Runner-Ups: In the Clear Moonlit Dusk, A Sign of Affection, and My Happy Marriage.
Nina had a rough start to life, stealing to survive—and eventually being sold into slavery by her own brother. But to her surprise, her captor, Prince Azure, ordained that she would live the life of a princess…specifically, that of the recently deceased princess-priestess, Alisha. But despite her changing fortune, Nina won’t give up her old life without a fight…and Azure might just be the one to finally match her wits. But how much can she trust Azure? And can she stop the feelings budding in her heart, knowing she must eventually marry another…? (via Kodansha Comics)
Sources: Kodansha, Comic Natalie
