2nd Manga Division Excellence Award
Gon
Manga published in book form, in magazine (Kodansha Wide KC Morning Comics)
TANAKA Masashi [Japan]
Reason for Award
The artist intentionally removes all the “balloons” from this work, and in doing so, he brings his precisely drawn illustrations to life, to the point that one can almost feel him breathing in the details. Though ostensibly about animals, the story does not attempt to depict their lives with any sort of scientific accuracy, and that is precisely what gives the artist the freedom to let his imagination run wild. This is a work that will delight everyone who reads it.