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Aisawa Riku Manga Wins 19th Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize's Top Award
posted on by Crystalyn Hodgkins
Asahi Shimbun announced the winners for the 19th Annual Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize awards on Tuesday.
Grand Prize
Aisawa RikuYoiko Hoshi
Bungeishunju
Riku is a 14-year-old middle school student who can turn on fake tears like a faucet.
New Creator Prize
A Silent VoiceYoshitoki Ōima
Kodansha
Young boy Jōya Ishida has the motto of "Bright! Fun! Adventures!" He meets a deaf girl named Shōko Nishimiya. Their meeting changes the classroom, the school, and Jōya's entire life.
Short Work Prize
Sensha YoshidaThe judging committee decided to give this award to Yoshida not for any particular work but for all his works as a whole, from his absurd gag series to his childcare diary series. The committee cited his characteristic sense of humor as a reason for choosing him for the award. The image at left is the fourth volume of Yoshida's Okayu Neko manga.
Special Prize
Chikako MitsuhashiChiisana Koi no Monogatari
Gakken
Mitsuhashi launched the four-panel love story series in 1962, and she ended the series in its 43rd volume last year after 52 years of serialization.
This year's nominating committee — which includes novelist Atsuko Asano, manga creator Machiko Satonaka, university professor Shōhei Chūjō, manga editor Haruyuki Nakano, columnist Bourbon Kobayashi, manga commentator Shinbo Nobunaga, manga creator and researcher Tarō Minamoto, and manga researcher Tomoko Yamada — selected the nominees and winners from among the works that were published from January to December 2014.
Last year, the judging committee nominated 10 titles, and March comes in like a lion won the Grand Prize. Chūya Koyama's Space Brothers won the reader prize from among 20 nominees.
The newspaper awards a 2-million-yen (about US$20,000) Manga Grand Prize along with a statuette of Tezuka's Mighty Atom (Astro Boy) character. In addition, 1 million yen (US$10,000) goes to each of the winners of the New Creator Prize, Short Work Prize, and the Special Prize every year. The actual awards presentation ceremony will take place on May 22.
Source: Comic Natalie
