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Xiao Bai's Si loin et si proche Wins 4th Int'l Manga Award

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan announced the winner and runners-up of its Fourth International Manga Awards on Wednesday. Chinese creator Xiao Bai won the top award for the graphic novel Si loin et si proche ("So Far, Yet So Close"), which was published in Belgium last year. In the story, a Beijing college freshman named Xiao Tian suddenly meets a boy who calls her "Mother." The boy, Li Wei, turns out to be her son from the future. Xiao Bai studied illustration and graphic design as a student in Beijing, and this is Xiao Bai's first full-length graphic novel.

France's Olivier Martin and Sylvain Runberg (Face cachée tome 1), Spain's Enrique Fernández (La Isla sin Sonrisa), Thailand's Verachai Duangpla (”The story begins with ･･･”) won awards of excellence or Silver Awards. America's Abby Denson (Dolltopia), Belgium's Little Thunder (Kylooe), Taiwan's Chang Fung-Chih (The Little Polar Bear), Thailand's Akekarat Milintapas (Pandora Book), Taiwan's Yeh Yu Tung and Syu Shu Hao (The passionate sword), and Belgium's Frédéric Genet and France's Jean-François Di Giorgio (Samurai) received awards for honorable mention.

International Manga Award

Xiao Bai
Si loin et si proche

Awards of Excellence

Olivier Martin, Sylvain Runberg
Face cachée tome 1


Enrique Fernández
La Isla sin Sonrisa


Verachai Duangpla
"The story begins with ..."


An awards ceremony and reception will be held in February or March.

This year's judges were Machiko Satonaka (Lady Ann), Monkey Punch (Lupin III), Takao Yaguchi (Tsurikichi Sampei), Yoriaki Yakubo (former Weekly Shonen Sunday editor-in-chief), and Hiroyuki Yoshidome (former Manga Action editor). A total of 189 entries were submitted from 39 countries — less than the 303 entries which were submitted from 55 countries last year. 368 entries from 46 countries were submitted during the second year, and 222 entries from 22 countries were submitted during the first year of the awards.

Thai creator Jakraphan Huaypetch (a.k.a. Ton Huaypetch) won the Gold Award in 2009 for the basketball story Super Dunker. Hong Kong's Lau Wan Kit won 2008's top award for Feel 100%. Another Hong Kong artist, 43-year-old Lee Chi Ching, won the first International Manga Award in 2007 for his Sun Zi's Tactics comic series. Former Japanese Foreign Minister Tarō Asō, a self-professed manga fan, announced the creation of the awards in May of 2007.

Source: Anime Anime Japan