12th Manga Division Excellence Award
Munakata Kyouju Ikouroku
Story manga [Japan]
HOSHINO Yukinobu
Outline
From all around the world come many legends and beliefs; professor MUNAKATA, an authority on the study of folklore, reveals the invisible historical facts hidden behind the myths. This story is brightly depicted, the main character using keen reasoning and a deep insight to solve one mystery after another.
Reason for Award
I imagine there are many people who think that scholars are limited in that they cannot speak as to the facts of history without certain evidence, such as historical records or relics; for such historically minded readers, Munakata kyouju Ikouroku might be a fascinating and fantastical work of manga. The main character, professor MUNAKATA, is a folklore specialist who, as though cutting the Gordian Knot, ratiocinates mysteries based on romances, legends, and historical materials; the way in which this is done, utilizing a very manga-like freedom of conceptual interpretation and imagination, is very entertaining, transforming quite difficult academic themes into perfect entertainment. Indeed, it could be said that this work has cultivated a new frontier in the genre of Story Manga.