Makoto Yukimura's "Vinland Saga" took the general category prize in the 2012 Kodansha Manga Awards, publisher Kodansha Ltd. announced this month.
"Vinland Saga" is an epic story running in Kodansha's monthly Afternoon magazine that depicts the world of the Vikings in the 11th century. It has previously won an award in the manga division at the 13th Japan Media Arts Festival.
Most of this year's winning titles at the Kodansha Manga Awards were relatively short-running series spanning less than 10 volumes. The only exception is "Vinland Saga," which started serialization in 2005.
Other winners were Ema Toyama for "Watashi ni XX Shinasai!" in the children's category; Marimo Ragawa for "Mashiro no Oto" in the boys' category; and Setona Mizushiro for "Shitsuren Chocolatier" in the girls' category.
Although the Kodansha Manga Award is hosted by one of the nation's leading publishers, the winners are often chosen from comics not published by its group companies.
One of this year's winners, "Shitsuren Chocolatier," is running in Shogakukan Inc.'s monthly Flowers comic magazine.
The Kodansha Manga Award and the Shogakukan Manga Award, another major manga award in Japan, often honor manga titles previously adapted into animation, film and TV drama series.
But that was not the case with Kodansha this year--adaptations of the winning titles may well be produced in near future.
"Watashi ni XX Shinasai!" is a romantic comedy currently running in Kodansha's monthly Nakayoshi comic magazine.
"Mashiro no Oto" is an coming-of-age story whose theme is Tsugaru-jamisen. Serialized in Kodansha's monthly Shonen Magazine, the title is Ragawa's first manga for boys after the author has created many popular shojo manga for girls.
"Shitsuren Chocolatier" is a romantic comedy set in a confectionery school.
For more information, visit the award's official website (http://www.kodansha.co.jp/award/manga.html).
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