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Seitokai ni mo Ana wa Aru!, Ki ni Natteru Hito ga Otoko Janakatta Win Next Manga Awards Print, Web Categories

Update: Now with comments from the winners, U-NEXT Prize winners, and top 20 winners in each category.

Muchimaro's 4-koma manga Seitokai ni mo Ana wa Aru! (There is also a hole in the student organization!) took first place in the ninth Next Manga Awards (Tsugi ni Kuru Manga Taishō) print manga category and Ki ni Natteru Hito ga Otoko Janakatta (The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn't a Guy At All) by Sumiko Arai took the top prize in the Web Manga category.

The sexy comedy series follows a student council full of strange characters at a private school on the outskirts of town. High school first-year student Ume Mizunoe joins the council to avoid repeating a grade, only to discover its members range from scary and strange to idiotic.

Creator Muchimaro thanked their supporters and said, "Hurray! We won the grand prize! I believe this is all thanks to everyone's support. I'm looking to you, the person in charge who patiently supported me through all the holes I couldn't do anything about~! I did it...Like me, I know these characters have many holes, but I will do my best to make you love them to their very core, so thank you for your continued support!"

Seitokai ni mo Ana wa Aru! is currently unlicensed in English. The series runs in Kodansha's Weekly Shōnen Magazine.

The top three print manga were rounded out by Hiromu Arakawa's Daemons of the Shadow Realm (available from Square Enix Manga & Books) and The Ichinose Family's Deadly Sins by Taizan 5 (available on the MANGA Plus app and licensed by Viz Media). The Fullmetal Alchemist creator's newest series won the "I Want to Read it Now!" category at the inaugural Rakuten Kobo E-book Awards earlier this year.

Square Enix Manga & Books describes the story:

In a world where certain humans command mighty supernatural duos called Daemons, follow young Yuru as he is unexpectedly whisked away from his village and becomes aware of his supernatural birthright. Yuru soon unravels a conspiracy tying him and his twin Asa to a prophecy that threatens the world.

The Ichinose Family's Deadly Sins is Taizan 5's newest series, following their critically acclaimed Takopi's Original Sin manga. Available from Viz Media and MANGA Plus, the series follows Tsubasa Ichinose, a middle schooler who loses his memory in an accident. After reuniting with his family, something seems off.

In the Web Manga category, Ki ni Natteru Hito ga Otoko Janakatta (The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn't a Guy At All) by Sumiko Arai took the top prize, followed by Neko ni Tensei shita Oji-san (Neko Oji: The Guy that got Reincarnated as a Cat) by Yajima, and Kindergarten WARS by Yu Chiba.

Ki ni Natteru Hito ga Otoko Janakatta follows Aya, a high school girl who is preoccupied with the mysterious "Onii-san" who works at a music store. However, "Onii-san's" true identity is Mitsuki, a female classmate Aya had never spoken to.

Creator Sumiko Arai commented, "This comic would not have come this far if it weren't for the support of my lovely international readers. Thank you so much for your votes, and I love you!!"

Ki ni Natteru Hito ga Otoko Janakatta is currently unlicensed in English. The series runs on the pixiv Comic website. Neko ni Tensei shita Oji-san (Neko Oji: The Guy that Got Reincarnated as a Cat) is also unlicensed in English. The slice-of-life story focuses on an elderly man reincarnated as a cute little cat after being hit by a truck. The series is published online by UGC.

Shueisha's MANGA Plus website and app publishes Kindergarten WARS in English. MANGA Plus describes the story:

Welcome to Kindergarten Noir, an exclusive school catering to children of the global elite. Rita, one of the teachers, has been on the hunt for a boyfriend but has had absolutely zero luck so far. One day, an assassin comes after one of the children...and he's totally dreamy?! Dive into this action-packed rom-com as it unfolds inside the world's “safest” kindergarten!

Next Manga Awards also bestowed the "Global Special Prize" to English and Chinese editions of manga series. The Summer You Were There by Yuama won in the English category. Seven Seas Entertainment is publishing the six-volume series in English. The yuri series follows Shizuku, a shy girl who hardly talks to others but enjoys writing. One day, her cute, popular classmate Kaori manages to read Shizuku's novel draft and becomes a fan. She suggests that Shizuku can get inspiration for her writing if they start dating.

Fundari, Kettari, Aishitari (Stepping on, Kicking, Loving) by Sumi Ichiya won the Traditional Chinese Edition of the "Global Special Prize."

The U-NEXT Prizes went to Ryo Ishiyama's DRAGON and CHAMELEON and Ban-Ō by writer Toshiya Watabiki and artist Garaku Akinai.

This year's awards included 5,170 nominated manga titles across both print and web publishing. Fans cast 440,323 votes for their favorite series.

The top 20 Print Edition and Web Manga Edition series are:

Print Manga

1. Seitokai ni mo Ana wa Aru! (There is also a hole in the student organization!) by Muchimaro
2. Daemons of the Shadow Realm by Hiromu Arakawa*Licensed by Square Enix Manga & Books
3. The Ichinose Family's Deadly Sins by Taizan 5*Available on MANGA Plus, licensed by Viz Media
4. Cipher Academy by NisiOisin and Yuji Iwasaki*Available on MANGA Plus, licensed by Viz Media
5. Sudachi no Maōjō by Makoto Morishita
6. Tamon's B-Side by Yuki Shiwasu*Licensed by Viz Media
7. Diamond no Kōzai (The days of Diamond) by Hirai Ohashi
8. Mikadono-san Shimai wa Angai Choroi by Aya Hirakawa
9. GOKURAKUGAI by Yuto Sano*Licensed by Viz Media
10. Asoko de Hataraku Musubu-san by Taishi Mori
11. BLESS by Yukino Sonoyama*Licensed by Kodansha Comics
12. Yanineko by NyanNyanFactory
13. Ryū to Chameleon (Dragon and Chameleon) by Ryo Ishiyama
14. The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady by Harutsugu Nadaka, Piero Karasu, and Yuri Kisaragi*Licensed by Yen Press
15. Spring Storm and Monster (Haru no Arashi to Monster) by Miyuki Mitsubachi
16. Tsukiizurugai no Hitobito (People in the Town of the Moon Rising) by Yuki Subuta
17. Mistress Kanan is Devilishly Easy (Kanan-sama wa Akumade Choroi) by nonco
18. Heiwa no Kuni no Shimazaki e (Dear Shimazaki in the Peaceful Land) by Gouten Hamada and Takeshi Sesimo
19. Last Karte: Hōjūigakusha Tōma Kenshō no Kioku by Wakabi Asayama
20. Dinosaur Sanctuary by Itaru Kinoshita/Research Consultant: Shin-ichi Fujiwara*Licensed by Seven Seas Entertainment

Web Manga

1. Ki ni Natteru Hito ga Otoko Janakatta (The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn't a Guy At All) by Sumiko Arai
2. Neko ni Tensei shita Oji-san (Neko Oji: The Guy that Got Reincarnated as a Cat) by Yajima
3. Kindergarten WARS by Yu Chiba*Available on MangaPLUS
4. Wakeari Shinrei Mansion (The Haunted Mansion with Defects) by Nebukuro
5. Omae, Tanuki ni Narane--ka? (Would you like to be a tanuki?) by Tomo Nagawa
6. Gōmon Baito-kun no Nichijō (Days of a Part-Time Torturing Staff) by Yawora Tsugumi
7. Hōkago Himitsu Club by Teppei Fukushima
8. After God by Sumi Eno*Licensed by Comikey
9. Akuyaku Reijou no Naka no Hito (The Person in a Villianess) by Nazuna Shiroume, Makiburo, and Mai Murasaki
10. Ban-ou by Garaku Akinai and Toshiya Watabiki
11. Kuchibetashokudo by Bonkara
12. I Want to End This Love Game by Yuki Domoto*Licensed by Viz Media
13. Katainaka no Ossan, Kensei ni Naru - Tada no Inaka no Kenjutsu Shihan Datta no ni, Taiseishita Deshitachi ga Ore o Hottekurenai ken by Shigeru Sagazaki, Tetsuhiro Nabeshima (SQUARE ENIX ), and Kazuki Sato (SQUARE ENIX )
14. Reiwa no Dara-san by Haruomi Tomotsuka
15. Konogomi o Nantoyobu by Tetsukazu
16. Nijisanji by ANYCOLOR, kabushiki kaisha, and Berabou
17. Isekai Samurai (Samurai in Another World) by Keigo Saito
18. Jirai nandesu ka? Chihara-san by Ryon
19. Yuri ni Hasamaru Otoko wa Shineba Ii?! by Yomogimochi
20. Fundari, Kettari, Aishitari (Stepping on, Kicking, Loving) by Sumi Ichiya

Last year's winners included Tsurumaikada's ice-skating drama manga series Medalist (print) and Jinushi's Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You (web). Past winners include Kaiju No. 8, Oshi no Ko, Undead Unluck, The Dangers in My Heart, The Apothecary Diaries, SPY x FAMILY, Yakuza Fiancé: Raise wa Tanin ga Ii, My Senpai Is Annoying, Uramichi Oniisan, and Kaguya-sama: Love is War.