Re:Zero and Makoto Shinkai's "your name.: A Novel" Win Awards at Sugoi Japan 2017

The results of SUGOI JAPAN®, the Japan's nationwide vote for Manga, Anime, Ranobe (light novel) and Entertaining Novel works, were announced on March 16, and “Re:Zero – Starting Life in Another World -,” a story of an average boy who summoned to an alternative world, won both the Anime and the Ranobe genres while the first prize of Entertaining Novel genre went to Makoto Shinkai's “your name.: A Novel,” the novel version of an animation movie which earned international acclaim. The Manga winner is “My Hero Academia,” a growing-up tale of a boy who wants to become the strongest hero.
SUGOI JAPAN® is an initiative to select the Japanese pop culture works that the fans want the world to know about, that they feel certain will be a global hit. The open vote in the third year was held on the official web site of SUGOI JAPAN® from November 16, 2016 to January 3, 2017, attracting 68,411 votes.

Results SUGOI JAPAN Award2017 for further details, please visit http://sugoi-japan.jp/en/
MANGA My Hero Academia, Kōhei Horikoshi, SHUEISHA,
STORY
A world where approximately 80% of the total world population possesses an extraordinary power called “personal strength.” Crime involving the misuse of personal strength is on the rise, and heroes have come to the spotlight in order to fight for righteousness. Izuku Midoriya, who dreams of becoming the most powerful of heroes, does not possess personal strength and has lost hope in achieving his dream. Then, Izuku meets Almight Hero, who is known as “The Symbol of Peace.” Almight sees Izuku help others while showing no fear of danger to himself and tells Izuku, “You can become a hero.” Izuku receives personal strength from Almight and gains admission to a high school hero academy which has produced countless heroes.

ANIME Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World-, Directed by Masaharu Watanabe, Studio: WHITE FOX

STORY
Subaru Natsuki is a shut-in youth who doesn't even bother going to school. One day, he is suddenly summoned to an alternate world. Unable to make his bearings, he has a run-in with a ruffian. He is saved by a young girl with beautiful golden hair and the power to control spirits. He wants to repay her kindness and decides to seek out an item she has lost. They fall prey to some unknown force and are both killed. However, Subaru awakens to find himself back in the town he first met the girl in. Every time he dies, time rewinds and he is sent back to a given point. Using this as his only tool, he undergoes a tragic fate in order to help those around him.

RANOBE Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World-, Tappei Nagatsuki , Shinichirou Otsuka, KADOKAWA
STORY
Subaru Natsuki is a high schooler who suddenly finds himself warped into an alternate dimension on the way home from school. The plot seems all too familiar to him, and he believes he's now in possession of special powers, so he picks a fight with some ruffians only to find he has no secret abilities to speak of, and is pursued by the hoodlums. He is rescued by a silver-haired girl named Satella who is accompanied by the spirit of a cat. He decides to repay her gratitude by finding an item she has lost. Subaru finds clues in the slums, but he is attacked and dies. He awakens to find that time has turned back to where his story began. While suspicious of what this might mean, he decides to change course and skirt the place that just led to his demise.

ENTERTAINING NOVEL your name.: A Novel, Makoto Shinkai, KADOKAWA
STORY
Taki is a young boy who wakes up one morning to find himself transformed into a girl he's never met before. The body belongs to Mitsuha, a girl from Miyamizu Shrine in Itomaricho, a remote mountain village. Mitsuha has a dream of her own: she has become a boy her own age and is going to high school in Tokyo, the place of her dreams. This boy is none other than Taki. The two soon realize that their consciousnesses have swapped, and they get to know each other on deeper terms through the world of dreams. The two soon come to realize the true meaning of this meeting.

About SUGOI JAPAN
Japan is blessed with a set of cultural assets that, as we well know, have the potential to be beloved the world over. We particularly feel strongly about manga and anime, as well as ranobe and entame shosetsu. We are passionately enthusiastic about the amazing best-selling works in the four genres, and we want the rest of the world to know about them! Therefore, we have launched a one-of- a-kind project called “Sugoi Japan®”.

Target period of nomination
Manga, Ranobe and Entame shosetsu:
published between January 1, 2013, and July 31, 2016

Anime: broadcast or screened between July 1, 2015, and July 31, 2016

Event schedule
Voting: November 16, 2016 – January 3, 2017
Announcement of the result:
March 16, 2017, at Yomiuri Otemachi Hall in Tokyo also on the website

The SUGOI JAPAN Award2017 project is organized by the SUGOI JAPAN Committee and The Yomiuri Shimbun, supported by Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry; the Association of Manga Publishers; and Tokyo Otaku Mode; and sponsored by McDonald's Japan.