The Asahi Shimbun paper announced the winners for the 28th Annual Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize awards on Wednesday. The awards commemorate the contributions of the manga pioneer Osamu Tezuka (Astro Boy/Mighty Atom, Kimba the White Lion/Jungle Emperor, Phoenix, Black Jack) by recognizing the manga that best follow his tradition.
Grand Prize
1-byō 24-koma no Boku no Jinsei (Ma Vie en 24 Images par Second, or My Life at 24 Frames per Second)
Rintarō
Kawade Shobo Shinsha
An autobiography of acclaimed anime director and animator Rintarō, who directed such works as Galaxy Express 999, Harmagedon, X/1999, and Metropolis, and personally worked with Tezuka on Astro Boy, Kimba the White Lion, and Phoenix: Karma Chapter
New Creator Prize
©Shiho Kido, Kodansha
When the Chameleon Flowers Bloom (Dokudami no Hana Saku Koro)
Shiho Kido
Kodansha
From Kodansha’s description:
Shigaraki is prone to tantrums, and his unpredictable behavior causes him to be an outsider in his class. One day, model student Shimizu peeks at Shigaraki’s clay art piece during arts and crafts and is immediately captivated by it. This event leads to him becoming obsessed with Shigaraki’s creations.
Short Work Prize
Shunji Enomoto, Kodansha
The Kinks
Shunji Enomoto
Kodansha
An anthology of family-centered stories about everyday life events.
The Yokote City Masuda Manga Art Foundation, the foundation that runs the Yokote Masuda Manga Museum, won this year’s special prize for contributing to the cultural spread of manga.
Asahi Shimbun scheduled an awards ceremony in Tokyo on June 5. The Grand Prize winner will receive a bronze statue and 2 million yen (about US$13,300), while the other winners will each receive a bronze statue and 1 million yen (about US$6,600).
Last year, nine titles were nominated, and Mari Yamazaki and Miki Tori’s PLINIVS won the Grand Prize. Akihito Sakaue’s Kanda Gokura-chō Shokunin-Banashi (Stories of the Artisans of Kanda’s Gokura Town) won the New Creator prize, and Miri Masuda’s Tsuyukusa Natsuko no Isshō (The Life of Natsuko Tsuyukusa) won the Short Work Prize.
Sources: Asahi Shimbun, Comic Natale
