13th Manga Division Encouragement Prize
hesheit aqua
Story manga [Thailand]
Wisut PONNIMIT
Outline
Thai comic author Wisut PONNIMIT, a.k.a. Tam-kun, has been drawing this story since his debut in 1998. This is a Japanese translation of 11 short stories from eight volumes already published in Thailand, as well as the author’s inside story, and commentary. It’s freely drawn without being bounded by genres, themes or number of pages.
Reason for Award
Wisut PONNIMIT has been active in Japan as an animator and artist, and draws manga serials for magazines. This work is a Japanese translation of hesheit, which has already been published in the artist’s home country of Thailand. The roughly drawn sketches of young people and the author’s roots impart a vivid sense of the spirit of Thai youth. The influence of Japanese manga abroad is never consistent but has great diversity. This work shows one such aspect that is not well known in Japan.