Written by: Jei Beltrano | Published on: January 20, 2021 at 12:59 AM PHT (GMT+8)
The official website of the Japanese comic magazine Shogakukan Comic has announced on Tuesday the winners of the recently-concluded 66th Shogakukan Manga Awards held on January 19, 2021.
The Shogakukan Manga Awards is one of the major manga awards in Japan, sponsored by Japanese publisher Shogakukan. The Awards is held annually since 1955 to recognize serialized manga and features candidates from a number of publishers. The current award categories are: Jidou (Children), Shounen (Boys), Shoujo (Girls) and Ippan (General).
This year's results are as follows:
General Category: (2 Winners)
"Dead Dead Demon's Dededededestruction" by Inio Asano.
The Dead Dead Demon's Dededede Destruction manga series written and illustrated by Inio Asano is about two high school girls who struggle with the mundanity of life after an alien spaceship descends on Japan. The manga is serialized since April 2014 in Shogakukan's seinen manga magazine Big Comic Spirits.
"Hakozume: A Police Box Woman's Counterattack (Hakozume: Kōban Joshi no Gyakushū)" by Miko Yasu
The Hakozume: Kōban Joshi no Gyakushū manga series written and illustrated by Miko Yasu is a comedy slice-of-life manga which follows Kawai, a newcomer who became a police officer, and Fujibe, a female police officer who is Kawai's instructor and a former criminal ace. The manga is serialized since November 2017 in Kodansha's Morning magazine and has been collected with 15 tankōbon volumes as of November 2020.
Nominated: "Promise Cinderella" by Tachibana Oreco (Manga One, Shogakukan)
Shōnen Category: (2 Winners)
"Chainsaw Man" by Tatsuki Fujimoto
The Chainsaw Man manga series written and illustrated by Tatsuki Fujimoto is an action-horror fiction and dark fantasy manga which follows Denji, who was stuck with a huge debt and no way to pay it back when his father died. Thanks to the help of a Devil dog he saved named Pochita, Denji is able to scrape by as a Devil Hunter working for the Yakuza. When the mob betrays Denji and he's killed by a Devil, Pochita sacrifices himself to revive his former master. Now Denji has been reborn as some kind of weird Devil-Human hybrid who can transform any part of his body into a chainsaw, calling him the Chainsaw Man. The manga is serialized in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen JUMP magazine since December 2018 and has been collected in 9 tankōbon volumes as of November 2020.
"Teasing Master Takagi-san (Karakai Jōzu no Takagi-san)" by Shouichirou Yamamoto
The Teasing Master Takagi-san manga series written and illustrated by Shouichirou Yamamoto features the daily life of Takagi, who loves to tease her classmate Nishikata, and Nishikata's failed attempts to get back at her. The manga began its serialization in Shogakukan's shōnen manga magazine supplement Monthly Shōnen Sunday Mini on June 2013 and later was transferred in the Monthly Shōnen Sunday magazine on July 2016. It has been collected into 14 tankōbon volumes as of August 2020.
Nominated: "Burning Kabaddi" by Musashino So (Manga One, Shogakukan)
Shōujo Category: (1 winner)
"The Yuzuki Household's 4 Brothers (Yuzuki-san Chi no Yon Kyoudai)" by Fujisawa Shizuki
The Yuzuki Household's 4 Brothers manga series written and illustrated by Fujisawa Shizuki is a cute comedy-drama story about family and the trials of the four Yuzuki brothers that have only each other to depend on after their parents die. The manga began its serialization in Shogakukan's Betsucomi shōjou manga magazine in 2018 and has been collected into 7 tankōbon volumes as of January 2021.
Nominated: "Kuzu to Kemo Mimi" by Shippo Sugi (& Flower, Shogakukan), "We Don't Know Love Yet (Koi wo Shiranai Bokutachi wa)" by Minami Mizuno (Bessatsu Margaret, Shueisha)
Children Category: (2 Winners)
"The Magic of Chocolate (Chocolat no Mahou)" by Rino Mizuho
The Chocolat no Mahou manga series written and illustrated by Rino Mizuho is a dark fantasy manga which follows Aikawa Chocolat who owns a store named Chocolat Noir in the middle of a deep forest where she sells chocolate desserts that have mysterious charm and can fulfill dreams when eaten. In return, Chocolat takes away the most important thing for the buyer in return for their granted dreams. The manga began its serialization since 2009 in Shogakukan's shoujo manga magazine Ciao and Ciao DX and has been published into 20 tankōbon volumes as of July 2020.
"Duel Masters" by Shigenobu Matsumoto
The Duel Masters manga series written and illustrated by Shigenobu Matsumoto is based on the on the card game "Duel Masters" which revolves around five civilizations consisting of Fire, Water, Light, Darkness and Nature. The original storyline follows Shobu Kirifuda, a young boy who likes to play Duel Masters. He and a few duelists are known to bring the monsters on the cards to life in their duels. Shobu engages in this card game so that he can be the best duelist like his father was. The manga is serialized in Shogakukan's CoroCoro Comic magazine since 1999 consisting of three sequels and spin-off series.
Reference: Shogakukan Comics Official Site
