Here is a roundup of reviews from myself and other reputable reviewers of the nominated titles. There will be more reviews coming, and I will update with reviews from others as well. Also, expect a post after the awards this Thursday highlighting the winners and the ceremony itself!
Please see the awards site for all judges’ comments!
Best New Manga Nominees
Dragon and Chameleon
Ryo Ishiyama
Editor: Edward Hong
Translator: Kevin Yuan
Letterer: Phil Christie
Cover Designer: Phil Balsman
Square Enix Manga & Books
Reviews:
The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn’t a Guy at All
Sumiko Arai
Editors: Shalini Arimilli, Carl Li
Translator: Ajani Oloye
Lettering: Brandon Bovia
Yen Press
Reviews:
- Manga Librarian
- Booklist (Sara Smith)
- SLJ (Renee Scott)
- Manga in the Middle (Julia/e Stivers)
- Yatta-Tachi
- Anime News Network
- Extra!: Lynzee Loveridge has an interview with Sumiko Arai on ANN
Hikaru in the Light
Mai Matsuda
Editor: Emily Clement
Scholastic Graphix
Reviews:
- Manga Librarian
- The Graphic Library
- Booklist (Review is the same as above- the Manga Librarian link simply provides some additional tags.)
- SLJ (Renee Scott)
- Yatta-Tachi
- Anime News Network
Spacewalking with You
Inuhiko Doronoda
Editor: Andres Oliver
KODANSHA
Reviews:
- Manga Librarian (Forthcoming ASAP)
- Booklist (Written by me, post with additional tags coming ASAP!)
- Yatta-Tachi
- Anime News Network
A Witch’s Life in Mongol
Tomato Soup
Editors: Rory Nevins, Danielle Niederkorn
Translator: Amanda Haley
Lettering: Aila Nagamine
YEN PRESS
Reviews:
- Manga Librarian (Forthcoming ASAP)
- Booklist (Written by me, post with additional tags coming ASAP!)
- Yatta-Tachi
- Anime News Network
Best Continuing Manga
The Apothecary Diaries
Story by: Natsu Hyuuga
Art by: Nekokurage
Compiled by: Itsuki Nanao
Editor: Tania Biswas
Translator: Julie Goniwich
Letterer: Lys Blakeslee
Cover Designer: Andrea Miller
Square Enix Manga & Books
Reviews:
- Manga Librarian (There are several Apothecary Diaries reviews on this site! This will take you to the search stream via Google.)
- The Graphic Library (Sara also has multiple reviews on her site. Please do a search to find more!)
- SLJ (Renee Scott has done a massive review of 1-11!)
- Anime News Network
- Yatta-Tachi (This review is specifically for the nominated volumes!)
- Extra: My review for the light novel, on Booklist.
hirayasumi
Keigo Shinzo
Translation: Jan Mitsuko Cash
Lettering: Elena Diaz
Editor: Holly Fisher
VIZ Media
Reviews:
- Manga Librarian (Forthcoming ASAP)
- Booklist (Written by me, post with additional tags coming ASAP!)
- The Graphic Library
- Yatta-Tachi
- Anime News Network
Innocent
Shin’ichi Sakamoto
Translator: Michael Gombos
Editor: Judy Khuu
Dark Horse
Reviews:
- Manga Librarian (Forthcoming ASAP- note that this is a mature title and is not for school collections)
- Anime News Network
Search and Destroy
Atsushi Kaneko, based on Dororo by Osamu Tezuka
Editor: Christopher Woodrow-Butcher
Fantagraphics / MSX
Reviews:
- Manga Librarian (Forthcoming ASAP)
- Booklist (Sara Smith)
- LJ
- This manga is also nominated for best lettering. Here’s some insight on what makes the lettering great from Sara Linsley, writing for Yatta-Tachi.
The Summer Hikaru Died
Mokumokuren
Editors: Abigail Blackman, Jacquelyn Li
Translator: Ajani Oloye
Lettering: Abigail Blackman
Yen Press
Reviews:
- Manga Librarian (Forthcoming ASAP)
- Booklist (Written by me, post with additional tags coming ASAP!)
- The Graphic Library
- Yatta-Tachi
- Anime News Network
Best One-Shot Manga
Brain Damage
Shintaro Kago
Editor: Conrad Groth
Fantagraphics
Reviews:
- Manga Librarian (Forthcoming ASAP- note that this is a mature title and is not for school collections)
- Booklist (Written by me, post with additional tags coming ASAP!)
- Yatta-Tachi
H.P. Lovecraft’s The Colour Out of Space
Gou Tanabe
Translator: Zack Davisson
Editor: Carl Gustav Horn
Dark Horse
Reviews:
- Manga Librarian (Forthcoming ASAP)
A Smart and Courageous Child
Miki Yamamoto
Editor: Becca Grace, Lena Atanassova
TOKYOPOP
Reviews:
Stardust Family
Aki Poroyama
Editor: Mark Gallucci
Translator: David Quina
Lettering: Rachel J. Pierce
Yen Press
Reviews:
- Manga Librarian (Forthcoming ASAP)
- Booklist (Written by me, post with additional tags coming ASAP!)
- Yatta-Tachi
- Anime News Network
Tamaki & Amane
Fumi Yoshinaga
Editors: Anna McClain-Sims, JuYoun Lee
Translator: Taylor Engel
Lettering: Adnazeer Mcalangcom
Yen Press
Reviews:
- Manga Librarian (Forthcoming ASAP)
- Yatta-Tachi
- Anime News Network
Best New Edition of Classic Manga
Ashita no Joe: Fighting for Tomorrow
Asao Takamori, Tetsuya Chiba
Editor: Daniel Joseph
Kodansha
Reviews:
- Manga Librarian (Forthcoming ASAP)
- Booklist (Sara Smith)
- Yatta-Tachi
- Anime News Network
The Legend of Kamui
Sanpei Shirato
Editor: Tom Devlin
Drawn & Quarterly
- Manga Librarian (Forthcoming ASAP)
- Booklist (Terry Hong)
- Library Journal
- Yatta-Tachi
- Anime News Network
Mansect
Koga Shinichi
Editor: Ryan Holmberg
Living the Line / Smudge
- Manga Librarian (Forthcoming ASAP)
- Publisher’s Weekly
- Yatta-Tachi
- Anime News Network
Short Game
Mitsuru Adachi
Denpa Books
Reviews:
- Manga Librarian (Forthcoming ASAP)
- Booklist (Written by me, not published online yet)
- Yatta-Tachi
They Were 11!
Moto Hagio
Denpa Books
Reviews:
- Manga Librarian (Forthcoming ASAP)
- Booklist (Written by me, post with tags coming soon!)
- Yatta-Tachi
- Anime News Network
Best Translation
Face Meat
Ryan Holmberg
for Face Meat by Bonten Taro
Editor: Ryan Holmberg
Living the Line / Smudge
Reviews:
- Manga Librarian (Forthcoming ASAP)
- Publisher’s Weekly
The Otaku Love Connection
minami
for The Otaku Love Connection, Volume 1 by Chu Amairo
Editor: Sarah Tangney
Letterer: Brandon Bovia, Dietrich Premier
Cover Designer: Yang Kim
Square Enix Manga & Books
Reviews:
- Manga Librarian (Forthcoming ASAP)
- The Graphic Library
Search and Destroy
Ben Applegate
for Search & Destroy, Volume 2 by Atsushi Kaneko
based on Dororo by Osamu Tezuka
Editor: Christopher Woodrow-Butcher
Fantagraphics / MSX
Reviews (Please see above!)
The Tale of Jiraiya the Gallant
Andreas Kronborg Danielsen
for The Tale of Jiraiya the Gallant, Volume 1
by Mizugaki Egao, Eisen Keitai (Ippitsuan), Ryūkatei Tanekazu, and Ryōsuitei Tanekiyo
Editor: Josh Smyser
Blue Feathered Quill Publishing
Reviews:
- Manga Librarian (Forthcoming ASAP)
Ultra Heaven
Ajani Oloye
for Ultra Heaven, vol. 1
by: Keiichi Koike
Editor: Colin Turner
Last Gasp
Reviews:
- Manga Librarian (Forthcoming ASAP)
- Publisher’s Weekly
Best Lettering
Ashita no Joe: Fighting for Tomorrow
Evan Hayden
for Ashita No Joe: Fighting for Tomorrow, Volumes 1-2 by Asao Takamori & Tetsuya Chiba
Editor: Daniel Joseph
Reviews (Please see above!)
Cat Man
Rebecca Sze
for Cat Man by Parari
Editor: MK Anderson
Translation: Nicole Frasik
Production Designer: George Panella
Seven Seas Entertainment
Reviews:
- Manga Librarian (Forthcoming ASAP)
- Booklist (Written by me, post with tags coming soon!)
- Yatta-Tachi
Love Laid Bare
Robert Harkins
for Love Laid Bare by Ouchi Kaeru
Editor: Brittany Elise
FAKKU
- I won’t be reviewing this title for Manga Librarian, to avoid issues with some readers’ school district blockers and laws. FAKKU is an erotica label, and this is an adult title written for adults about adult things. I apologize for the inconvenience to librarians serving particular types of collections- if you are considering purchasing this title, please contact me and I will discuss with you in alignment with your collection development policies!
- I am unable to find a reputable review source at this time, but am open to suggestions.
My Tiny Senpai
Joven Voon
for My Tiny Senpai, Volume 1 by Saisou
Editor: Adam Haffen
Translator: bedi
Production: Samuel Pinansky, David Prileszky, Mikey N., Rebecca Scoble, Stephanie Hii
J-Novel Club
- Manga Librarian (Forthcoming ASAP)
Search and Destroy
Phil Christie
for Search and Destroy, Volume 2 by Atsushi Kaneko, based on Dororo by Osamu Tezuka
Editor: Christopher Woodrow-Butcher
Fantagraphics / MSX
Reviews (Please see above!)
Best Publication Design
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure – Part 7: Steel Ball Run, Vol. 1
Adam Grano
for JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure – Part 7: Steel Ball Run, Volume 1 by Hirohito Araki
Lettering: Mark McMurray
Translation: Nathan A. Collins
Editor: Holly Fisher
Reviews:
- Manga Librarian (Forthcoming ASAP)
The Legend of Kamui
Lucia Gargiulo and Tom Devlin
for The Legend of Kamui, Volume 1 by Sanpei Shirato
Lettering: Michael DeForge
Editor: Tom Devlin
Drawn & Quarterly
Reviews (Please see above)
Planetes
Riley VanDyke and Carl Gustav Horn
for Planetes Deluxe Edition Book 1 by Makoto Yukimura
Editor: Carl Gustav Horn
Translator: Yuki Johnson
Director of Print Production: Jessica Clark
Dark Horse
Reviews:
- Manga Librarian (Forthcoming ASAP)
- Booklist (Written by me, post with tags coming soon!)
Seaside Beta
emuh ruh
for Seaside Beta by ohuton
Editor and Print Production: emuh ruh
Lettering: Lauren Eldon
Translation: rkp
Glacier Bay Books
Reviews:
- Manga Librarian (Forthcoming ASAP)
- Yatta-Tachi
Veil, vol. 1 – Temperature of Orange
Kohei Nawata Design Office
for Veil, vol. 1 – Temperature of Orange by Kotteri!
Lettering: Kevin Druelle / Oshino Studio
Translator: Jocelyne Allen
Editor: Andrew Woodrow-Butcher
Udon Entertainment / MSX
Reviews:
- Manga Librarian (Forthcoming ASAP)
- Booklist (Written by me, post with tags coming soon!)
- SLJ (Renee Scott)
Note: I am generally opposed to editing images, but I also want school librarians and teachers to be able to access this site for guidance, so I am unfortunately choosing to work within the arcane confines of certain laws which stifle artistic expression. I hope a day comes when this is not necessary. For full images, please access the awards or publisher sites.
Manga Librarian 