Launched 20 years ago by the bookstore The Blue Angel, the Mangawa literary prizes aim to guide young people in their discovery of manga, by honoring quality works. It is also an opportunity for certain jurors to learn about and appreciate this type of literature.
This year, the prize brought together a number of individuals and 800 establishments (schools, colleges, high schools, libraries) in France and abroad.
In the 9/10 year old category, the winning manga is Hachi & Maruru, street cats Volume 1, by Yuri Sonoda, translated by Pénélope Roullon-Ishihara, published by Bamboo (2023).
The touching story of two stray cats who stand together in difficult times. Maruru, a domestic cat, got himself into a very bad situation: one evening, he went chasing a bird and ended up not finding his way home… And the world that awaited him outside was much more terrifying than he thought! Luckily, he met Hachi, a real, seasoned street cat! The latter knows everything there is to know to survive the daily life of a stray cat. Together, they will help each other and will always be ready to lend a helping hand in case of trouble. This is how their touching story begins… and that of all their street squabbles!
– Editor’s Summary Hachi & Maruru, street cats
For 11/14 year olds, 3 mangas were honored. In the Shonen category, it is Dungeon Reset Volume 1, by Antstudio and Daul, translated by Joonggun An (Kbooks, 2022), which wins first place.
Dawoon’s life changes the day he is thrown into a parallel world: he will have to participate in a deadly game, Dungeon Game, facing monsters and other dangers. While he falls into a trap and manages to survive, the game resets and grants him new skills following a bug. To get home, Dawoon will have to compete in ingenuity…
– Summary of Dungeon Resettome 1
The victorious shojo manga for 11/14 year olds is called Villainess Level 99 Volume 1, by Satori Tanabata, TEA and Nokomi, published in a translation by Studio Charon by Éditions Soleil (2023).
A quiet Japanese student is reincarnated in the body of Eumiella Dolkness, a hidden super villain from her favorite otome game. In this imaginary medieval world that she thought she knew by heart, she finds herself on the front line facing a ruthless aristocracy who will do everything to unmask her. Let the game begin!!!
– Editor’s Summary Villainess Level 99
Finally, the seinen category for 11/14 year olds is The Starless Trainer Travels the World Volume 1, by Tou Fukino, Honobonoru 500 and Nama (trans. Célia Chinarro, Meian éditions, 2023) which is at the top of the ranking.
A talentless monster trainer begins a journey from scratch! Shôya Gamô, a high school student, is dead… Well, more or less. The real Shôya Gamô has left his fleshly envelope, but his body still lives. It is inhabited by the soul of another boy, who made a pact with a succubus named Armelina! In exchange for his services as a hitman, she helps him track down those who brutally murdered his entire family.
The path is long and dangerous, but Shôya has nothing left to lose… Not even his soul.– Editor’s Summary The Starless Trainer Travels the World
Finally, the 15/18 year olds voted for their favorite shonen. Result: it is Jungle Juice Volume 1, by mangakas Hyeong Eun and Juder, who have granted themselves their good favors (trans. Sabrina Damoune, Panini Toon, 2023).
Suchan Jang is a super popular student, the girls at the university dream of going out with him and he is the leader of his group of friends. But Suchan is actually hiding a dark secret: he has dragonfly wings that grew on his back after using an insecticide called “Jungle Juice”. Although he managed to hide them for years, he is forced to show them to the whole world when he flies to the rescue of Mihee, a close friend.
– Extract from the editor’s summary of Jungle Juice
On the Josei side, the winner is Burn the House Down Volume 1, by Moyashi Fujisawa, published in a translation by Constant Voisin (Akata editions, 2023).
Kyoko Murata’s life was turned upside down when, as a child, her family home was destroyed in a mysterious fire. Several years later, and while doubts remain as to the origin of the disaster that destroyed her family, the young woman is hired as a housekeeper in the Mitarai mansion. Makiko, an irreproachable matriarch with an iron fist, imposes particularly restrictive rules on her.
But Kyoko intends to make her place within this home… What is her real objective in “infiltrating” this place?– Editor’s Summary Burn the House Down
The last winner of the Mangawa Prize wins first position in the 15/18 year old seinen category. Rokudo Tosoki, the Six Kingdoms Tournament Volume 1, by Serina Oda (trans. Satoko Fujimoto for Vega-Dupuis editions, 2022) is the big favorite!
In a post-apocalyptic world, Humanity has its eyes fixed on an extraordinary championship: “The Six Kingdoms Tournament”, where participants kill each other using formidable technologies integrated into their bodies called Gigaïs. To the winner: wealth, glory, power, and the title of king of the world. Far from the light, En is a ghetto boy who makes his living selling abandoned gigaïs.
Nothing suggests that an exceptional destiny awaits him, and yet…– Editor’s Summary Rokudo Tosoki, the Six Kingdoms Tournament
The children and teenagers who are members of the jury were invited to create drawings and videos based on their favorite works. The winning creations are accessible by clicking here for the drawings, and there for the videos.
Last year’s rankings can be consulted at this address.
Find the list of French and French-speaking literary prizes
