19th Manga Division Critiques

Manga of Love, and Love for Manga

My manga career spans only 20 years, but I have halfa-century of experience reading them. I accepted the offer to become a juror since I thought it was enough to love manga.
However, I shouldn't have rationalized by love so nonchalantly. I learned from manga that love is an uphill battle. To describe the reasons to love, and of the need to separate if confronted with reasons otherwise is unapologetically difficult. We can collapse under its heavy load.
As one has to choose a mantra to carry, so too I persevered to choose mine. I noticed that many of the works that came up for consideration concerned love. From Kakukaku shikajika (So-and-so, Such-and-such) with master-and-pupil combo of two powerful characters, to Otouto no otto (My Brother's Husband) that depicted the state of homosexual relationship and family, the unwavering reason and motivation to create these works can only be described as love.
Awajima hyakkei (A Hundred Scenes of AWAJIMA) is filled with talented beautiful girls born to be loved, or the sadness and cruelty of the "humanity-machine relationship" captured in Kikai jikake no ai (Machinework Love) that is pure ironically because machines are heart-less. How one is loved and expresses love in Machida-kun no sekai (The World of Machida-kun) is heartwarming. Machida-kun no sekai was playfully wonderful and we cannot help but to love the lively characters.
When the winners for the Japan Media Arts Festival were announced, I was touched by the "Congratulations!" exchanged on SNS from not only applicants, but by publishers and bookstores. Everyone supported the jury's decision and lifted the heavy load off us. As I felt joyous as love was overflowing from manga, simultaneously I was reminded that my love for manga still has yet to develop, and there are many challenges ahead. Next year, I need to improve my ability to draw, read, judge, and the sales figure.

Profile
MATSUDA Hiroko
Manga Artist
Born in Osaka Prefecture in 1964 and raised in Hiroshima Prefecture. She moved to Tokyo after her high school graduation. At the age of 30, she decided to become a manga artist. With her first manga Kaoru no Hiwa (The Secret Stories of Kaoru) she won the 27th Chiba Tetsuya Manga Award, and made her debut with Morning in 1995. Following this, she released manga in a broad range of styles and media, including Himitsu no Hanazono Kessha Risupekutaa (The Secret Hanazono Association Respecter), Mahotsukai Mimicchi (Wizard Mimicchi), and Aiwa Nami no Inu (Nami Aiwa's Dog). Her manga Akai Bunka Jutaku no Hatsuko (Hatsuko From the Red Culture House) was adapted for the screen by TANADA Yuki as a live-action film in 2007. Mamagoto was chosen as a Jury Selection in the 15th and 16th Japan Media Arts Festivals, and won an Excellence Award in the 42nd Japan Cartoonists Association Awards.