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Amazon Launches Kindle Indies Manga Prize

Amazon announced the finalists for its Kindle Indies Manga Award, the first manga award sponsored by the company. Amazon states that the award's goal is to discover manga creators who bring a breath of fresh air to the industry.

Reader popularity and judges in the industry, including Shōko Nakagawa, Yoyogi Animation Committee, and Comic Market Committee co-representative Kahoru Yasuda, will determine the winners. The grand prize winner will receive two million yen (about US$18,000), and three runners-up will win one million yen (about US$9,000) each. Amazon will announce the results in March.

The finalists and their works include:

• "Isekai AV Satsueitai" (AV Film Crew in Another World) by Jirо̄ Gachan
• "Ikkyū Kensakushi ni Naritai" (I Want to Be a First-Class Architect) by Hizume
• "Gal to Bocchi" (Gal and Lonely) by Yoru Asahi
• "Classmate no Tanaka-san wa Sugoku Kowai" (My Classmate Tanaka is Very Scared) by Yasushige
• "Sacchan to Ken-chan" (Sacchan and Ken) by Hinata Aoi
• "Sayonara Mocchan" (Goodbye Mocchan) by Chinta Marumoto
• "Hyakumensо̄ no Shinobu" (Shinobu of a Hundred Faces) by Yanagi and Mashū Kitamura
• "Busukai e Yо̄koso" by DAIKI Konо̄
• "Furyо̄ ga Suki na Sensei" (The Teacher Likes Deliquents) by Keigo Hayasaka
• "WHITE BIRDS" by Mazeo Nattо̄

Sources: Amazon, Mainichi Shimbun's Mantan Web