Talent Ami Kikuchi attended the awards ceremony for the 4th Manga Awards, held in Tokyo on May 14. Kikuchi made her public appearance about two months after giving birth to her second child.
When the MC shouted "Congratulations!" to Kikuchi, she smiled and said, "Thank you!" She added, "I'm happy to have been invited (to the event), and I brought my child with me, and since the dressing room is nearby, I'm a bit nervous that I might hear him crying."
In a press conference after the event, she reflected, "It's been a while since I've been to an event, so I was nervous." Regarding her return to work after just two months, she said, "I don't want people to copy me at all. I don't want people to use me as an example," and added, "I'm in good health, and I'm doing the work I can, little by little."
Kikuchi continued, "After giving birth, when I watch TV at home, I realize that I really do love the entertainment industry," she said with a smile. Then, Sekida Tai of the comedy duo "Time Machine No. 3," who was also there, commented, "There's been a lot of scandals going on," and the venue erupted in laughter.
The Magademy Awards, which began in 2021 with the concept of "praising manga characters," underwent a major revamp for the fourth edition. The awards have five categories: the Work Award, given to manga that is "worthy of praise" in many aspects, including artwork, story, expression, and topicality; the Setting Award, given to manga with unique and innovative story settings and themes; the Impression Award, given to manga that touched/moved the heart; the Commitment Award, given to manga that shows the author's extraordinary commitment to the artwork, writing, and creation of the work; and the Cover Impact Award, with the aim of "expanding the ways to enjoy manga."
The Best Work award went to Kocha Agasawa's "The You and I Are Polar Opposites and I" (Shueisha), the Setting award went to Mato Masaoki's "RuriDragon" (Shueisha), the Impression award went to Doronota Inuhiko's "To Walk in Space with You" (Kodansha), the Particulars award went to Takeru Hokazono Ken's "Kagurabachi", and the Cover Impact award went to Omori Es's "Shibatsuki Property" (Shueisha). The Special Jury Award, which the judges gave their stamp of approval saying "this is the work we want to recommend", went to Ito Ikkaku's "August 31st Long Summer" (Kodansha).
