Kodansha, the renowned Japanese publisher, has officially revealed the winners of its prestigious 50th annual manga awards. This year’s ceremony saw Gachiakuta, Re-Living My Life with a Boyfriend Who Doesn’t Remember Me, and The Darwin Incident emerge victorious in their respective categories, earning them recognition as the year’s most outstanding titles according to the Kodansha Manga Awards selection committee.
Winners of the 50th Kodansha Manga Awards Revealed
In the Best Shōnen Manga category, Gachiakuta, created by Kei Urana with graffiti designs by Hideyoshi Ando, triumphed over other nominees such as Ichi the Witch and The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity. The award for Best Shōjo Manga was presented to Re-Living My Life with a Boyfriend Who Doesn’t Remember Me, a work by Eiko Mutsuhana, Yugiri Aika, and Gin Shirakawa. Lastly, The Darwin Incident by Shun Umezawa claimed the prize for Best General Manga.
Recipients of these accolades will receive a certificate, a bronze statue, and a monetary prize. Winners in the Shōnen and Shōjo divisions will each receive 2 million yen (approximately $12,730 USD), while the winner of the General Manga category will be awarded 1 million yen ($6,365 USD). It’s worth noting that since 2015, Kodansha has integrated the “Best Children’s Manga” category within the Shōnen and Shōjo nominations.
This year’s judging panel included prominent figures from the manga industry, such as Hiro Mashima (known for Fairy Tail) and Hikaru Nakamura (creator of Arakawa Under the Bridge). The winners of the previous Kodansha Manga Awards included Versus, written by ONE and illustrated by Kyōtarō Azuma, and Historie, written and illustrated by Hitoshi Iwaaki, the acclaimed creator of Parasyte (Kiseijuu).
