Vietnamese author wins Japanese manga award
Wednesday, December 27, 2023, 10:21 GMT+7
Vietnamese author Nachi Nguyen was named on Tuesday the winner of the Silver Award at the 17th Japan International Manga Awards, an annual event hosted by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, for her work ‘The Dancing Universe.’
‘The Dancing Universe’ stood out among 587 entries by international authors to become the fifth Vietnamese comic to have claimed a prize from the prestigious manga award, according to Vietnamese comic company Comicola, which publishes the work.
Previously, Vietnamese comic books ‘Dragon Land’ and ‘Rain on a Moon Night’ secured the bronze awards in 2012 and 2022, respectively.
‘Holy Dragon Imperator’ and ‘Gateway to Underworld’ earned the silver awards in 2015 and 2016, respectively.
Nachi Nguyen, whose real name is Nguyen Huong Giang, expressed her surprise and joy at winning the award, which has yet to be formally presented to her, emphasizing that she had not harbored high expectations for her work.
‘The Dancing Universe’ was incomplete when the 17th Japan International Manga Award opened for entries, but since the contest accepted one-shot submissions, she decided to submit it.
|
|
| An extract from a page of ‘The Dancing Universe’ |
“I love astronomy but am not good at math,” said Nguyen as she shared her inspiration for creating the comic book.
“Luckily, I’m blessed with a drawing ability.
“Instead of daydreaming about working at NASA, I opted for depicting a story about the universe from my own perspective.”
‘The Dancing Universe’ portrays the daily lives of celestial bodies such as the Sun, Earth, Moon, Saturn, Jupiter, and Venus, working together to protect life on Earth.
Through humanized depictions of planets, Nguyen aims to explain the universe in an accessible way, bridging the gap between astrophysics and a broader audience.
The series is anticipated to have three episodes, with the author working to complete the first so that it can be released in spring 2024.
The Japan International Manga Awards, established in 2007 by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, serve to foster international exchange and mutual understanding through manga culture.
This prestigious annual contest attracts hundreds of authors worldwide.
Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
