Winners of this year’s Osamu Tezuka Prize have been announced, and as a manga lover, I cannot wait to start reading these series!
This year, we also have a not-so-surprising winner of the Special Prize, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba.
This prestigious prize is awarded to those manga artists who follow the manga approach of Osamu Tezuka, the father of manga. It was designed in order to cultivate new artists who will further the culture of manga in the future.
The 25th Osamu Tezuka Cultural Prize’s winners have been declared! I was rooting for multiple nominees, and this year’s competition was tough.
Winners from four categories have been selected, and we are here to report as well as congratulate the winners!
- Grand Prize: Land by Kazumi Yamashita
(This prize is awarded to the most excellent work of the year)
In a particular village, death claims those who reach the age of 50. After someone becomes 50 years old, they are carried to the other side of the mountain, from where they never return.
The village is governed by officials who wear animal skin, and four Gods watch over the villagers. Why is there such a custom? Why do humans have to be sacrificed to please the Gods?
- New Creator Prize: Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End by Kanehito Yamada, Tsukasa Abe
(Awarded to the most innovative work from a new mangaka)
While most stories begin when heroes promise to destroy a demon, Frieren begins when heroes have already defeated the Demon King. With the advent of peace, these heroes don’t know what to do anymore.
Elves have longer lifespans, and Frieren is an elf who had fought in the war. She will now have to live on and witness her comrades die one by one.
- Short Work Prize: Kieta Mama Tomo and Tsuma wa Kuchi o Kiite Kuremasen by Hiroko Nobara
(Awarded to an excellent short manga)
Kieta Mama Tomo focuses on a group of mothers who have become friends. However, when rumors start to fly about one of them, they realize just how little they know about each other.
Tsuma wa Kuchi o Kiite Kuremasen is about a family of four: the wife, husband, son, and daughter. Suddenly the wife stops speaking except for the bare minimum, and her husband tries to figure out why.
- Special Prize: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba by Koyoharu Gotouge
(Awarded to those who contribute to extending the manga culture)
Set in Taisho era Japan, Tanjiro lives a peaceful life till his family is slaughtered by demons. He sets out on a journey to avenge his family as well as save his sister, who was turned into a dangerous demon.
This particular series doesn’t need much of an introduction due to its super-hit anime series and the Kimetsu no Yaiba: Mugen Train film that has broken more records than can be counted.
We were previously speculating about whether the series will bag the Osamu Tezuka prize as well, and it looks like it came true! Check out the award’s other nominations too.
So what are you waiting for? Grab the official manga volumes and start reading as these are guaranteed to be some of the best works you have ever read!
About Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Koyoharu Gotoge. Its publication in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump began in February 2016 and ended in May 2020 with 23 collected tankōbon volumes.
In a world filled with demons and demon slayers, Kimetsu no Yaiba follows the lives of two siblings Tanjiro and Nezuko Kamado after— the murder of their family at the hands of a demon. Their hardship does not end there, as Nezuko’s life is spared only for her to live as a demon.
As the oldest sibling, Tanjiro vows to protect and cure his sister. The story traces the bond of this brother-sister or better yet, demon slayer and demon combo against the odds of an arch antagonist and the society.
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