The results of the Manga Awards 2025 (sponsored by the Executive Committee), in which manga-savvy bookstore employees choose "the manga they would most like to recommend to a friend right now," were announced on March 27th, and the manga "Alice, Dokomademo" by Kiko Urino, which is currently being serialized in "Weekly Big Comic Spirits" (Shogakukan), was selected as the grand prize winner.
"Alice, Up in Space" is a manga that has been serialized in "Weekly Big Comic Spirits" since June 2024. It depicts the growth of a girl who aspires to become an astronaut. The story is about a beautiful and popular junior high school girl, Arisu Asahida, who is shy and unable to keep up with her daily classes, but whose destiny unfolds when she meets a classmate.
The Manga Taisho is a manga award established in 2008, and is characterized by the fact that no one with a direct vested interest in the sales of manga, such as manga artists, editors, or book designers, is involved in the judging process. Works that win the grand prize attract attention and see a sudden increase in sales, and sometimes even lead to media development such as anime or film adaptations.
This marks the 18th time the award has been given, and the award is open to manga with 8 volumes or less (past grand prize winners excluded) whose comics or e-books were released between January 1 and December 31, 2024.
Previous grand prize winners include Yuki Suetsugu's "Chihayafuru," Chika Umino's "March Comes in Like a Lion," Mitsuharu Yanagimoto's "Hibiki: How to Become a Novelist," and " Frieren: Beyond Journey's End ," written by Kanehito Yamada and illustrated by Tsukasa Abe Abe. In 2024, the award went to Inuhiko Doronota's "To Walk in Space with You."
◇ "Manga Taisho 2025" nominated works (titles omitted)
"Alice, Dokomademo" by Kiko Urino▽"Star in the women's garden" by Kazuyama Yama▽"COSMOS" by Tamura Ryuhei▽"This world is worth fighting for" by Kodama Hatsumi▽"Return to the world of magic school life after death, starting from the prologue with an ex-lover (※but with zero likeability rating)" by Shirakawa Ariin, Mutsuhana Eiko, Akishika Yugiri▽"The great magician of the library" by Izumi Hikaru▽"I love eating binge-eating! Mochizuki-san" by Maruyo no Kamome▽"When the Dokudami flowers bloom" by Kido Shiho▽"An Girl Meets Rock!" by Deuchi Tetsuo and Kuwahari▽"Wisteria by the roadside" by Nabekura Fu
◇Past Grand Prize winning works (titles omitted)
"Gake" by Ishizuka Shinichi▽"Chihayafuru" by Suetsugu Yuki▽"Thermae Romae" by Yamazaki Mari▽"March Comes in Like a Lion" by Umino Chika▽"Silver Spoon" by Arakawa Hiromu▽"Our Little Sister" by Yoshida Akimi▽"Otoyomegatari" by Mori Kaoru▽"Blank Canvas: My So-Called Artist's Journey" by Higashimura Akiko▽"Golden Kamuy" by Noda Satoru▽"Hibiki: How to Become a Novelist" by Yanagimoto Mitsuharu▽"BEASTARS" by Itagaki Paru▽"Astra Lost in Space" by Shinohara Kenta▽"Blue Period" by Yamaguchi Tsubasa▽"Frieren: Beyond Journey's End"by Kanehito Yamada and Tsukasa Abe ▽"The Darwin Incident" by Umezawa Shun▽"Kore Kaite Shine" by Toyoda Minoru▽"To Walk in Space with You" by Doronota Inuhiko
