9th Manga Division Excellence Award
Emma
Story manga [Japan]
MORI Kaoru
Reason for Award
This is the story of the love between a maid and the son of an upper class family, in late 19th century England. The diligent investigation of the historical background has been done for the story, which helps with the realistic and dramatic depiction of Emma, the heroine, and the people around her. The frames are drawn with techniques that give us the illusion of film, and we can see the passion and empathy of the artist in the psychological description of Emma, as she develops from girl to woman. This is not only a love story; it addresses the social conflict between the aristocracy and working classes, as well as the emotional conflict between parents and their children. This epic drama can be enjoyed by any age group and we hope that it will be a long lasting series.