Image: Misaki Takamatsu, Kodansha
AMBot | 05/10/2023 | Reading Time: 2 Min.
At the 47th annual Manga Awards by the renowned Japanese publisher Kodansha, the winners were recently announced.
The award for "Best Shōnen Manga" went to "Shangri-La Frontier," a story written by Ryōsuke Fuji and Katarina, centered around a virtual reality game. The story follows Rakurou Hizutome, a high school student with an unusual hobby—finding and conquering poorly designed games. His skills are put to the test when he encounters the new VR game Shangri-La Frontier. Interestingly, this is not the first award for "Shangri-La Frontier," as it was also nominated in 2022.
In the "Best Shōjo Manga" category, Mamoru Aoi's "My Girlfriend's Child" came out on top. The story offers an unflinching look at the reality of teenage pregnancy, as high school couple Sachi and Takara grapple with an unexpected turn in their relationship.
The "Best General Manga" award was given to "Skip and Loafer" by Misaki Takamatsu. This manga traces the journey of ambitious student Iwakura Mitsumi as she navigates the overwhelming city life of Tokyo alongside her laid-back classmate Shima Sousuke. This title, too, had been nominated repeatedly, having previously been shortlisted in 2022.
It is worth noting that Kodansha also awarded a "Best Children's Manga" before 2015, but nominees for this category have since been integrated into the "Best Shōnen Manga" and "Best Shōjo Manga" categories.
The annual Kodansha Manga Awards provide a platform to celebrate the creativity and craftsmanship of manga artists. This year's winners—"Shangri-La Frontier," "My Girlfriend's Child," and "Skip and Loafer"—demonstrate the diverse themes and narratives that manga can explore.
The award for "Best Shōnen Manga" went to "Shangri-La Frontier," a story written by Ryōsuke Fuji and Katarina, centered around a virtual reality game. The story follows Rakurou Hizutome, a high school student with an unusual hobby—finding and conquering poorly designed games. His skills are put to the test when he encounters the new VR game Shangri-La Frontier. Interestingly, this is not the first award for "Shangri-La Frontier," as it was also nominated in 2022.
In the "Best Shōjo Manga" category, Mamoru Aoi's "My Girlfriend's Child" came out on top. The story offers an unflinching look at the reality of teenage pregnancy, as high school couple Sachi and Takara grapple with an unexpected turn in their relationship.
The "Best General Manga" award was given to "Skip and Loafer" by Misaki Takamatsu. This manga traces the journey of ambitious student Iwakura Mitsumi as she navigates the overwhelming city life of Tokyo alongside her laid-back classmate Shima Sousuke. This title, too, had been nominated repeatedly, having previously been shortlisted in 2022.
It is worth noting that Kodansha also awarded a "Best Children's Manga" before 2015, but nominees for this category have since been integrated into the "Best Shōnen Manga" and "Best Shōjo Manga" categories.
The annual Kodansha Manga Awards provide a platform to celebrate the creativity and craftsmanship of manga artists. This year's winners—"Shangri-La Frontier," "My Girlfriend's Child," and "Skip and Loafer"—demonstrate the diverse themes and narratives that manga can explore.
This article was originally published in German. It was translated with technical support and editorially reviewed before publication.
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