Kadokawa Media Factory's book and manga news magazine Da Vinci and streaming service Niconico announced the winners of its fifth Tsugi ni Kuru Manga Awards on Thursday. The awards acknowledge printed manga and web manga in separate categories. This year's Grand Prize winner in the printed manga category is comic adaptation of Natsu Hyūga's Kusuriya no Hitorigoto (The Pharmacist's Monologue) novels by Ikki Nanao and artist Nekokurage (lit. "cat jellyfish").

The story follows Maomao, a pharmacist from the pleasure district who finds herself working as a servant in the palace of the emperor. She hopes to quietly fulfill her contract at the palace without ever receiving a "visit" from the emperor. She comes to discover that the emperor's children suffer from short lifespans and begins to investigate the cause as the only two remaining royal children continue to get sicker.

Anime fans selected the series at AnimeJapan as one of the top 10 series they most want to see turned into an anime. It was also selected as one of the best seinen manga of the Heisei era.

Hyūgu launched the novel series online in 2011 and it was published in print format in 2012. Nanao and Nekokurage launched the manga adaptation in Square Enix's Big Gangan magazine in 2017 and Square Enix released the fifth volume on July 25. The manga and novels are not currently available in English.

Tatsuya Endō's SPY x FAMILY took first place in the web manga category.

Shueisha describes SPY x FAMILY:

The master spy codenamed "Twilight" has spent his days on undercover missions, all for the dream of a better world. But one day, he receives a particularly difficult new order from command. For his mission, he must form a temporary family and start a new life?! A Spy/Action/Comedy about a one-of-a-kind family!

Shueisha's MANGA Plus service added the SPY x FAMILY manga on March 24, the same day it launched in Japan in Shueisha's Shonen Jump+ service.

The rest of the winners for both categories are listed below.

Tsugi ni Kuru Manga Awards 2019 Print Category Winners

Kusuriya no Hitorigoto (The Pharmacist's Monologue) by Ikki Nanao and Nekokurage Chainsaw Man by Tatsuki Fujimoto (available in English from MANGA Plus) Kami Kuzu Idol by Isoflavone Hijiki My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! by Satoru Yamaguchi and Nami Hidaka (available in English from Seven Seas) Busu ni Hanataba o. (Bouquet for an Ugly Girl) by Roku Sakura My Dress-Up Darling by Shinichi Fukuda (availbe in English from Square Enix USA) Pseudo-Harem by Yū Saitō (creator-approved translation available from Elusive Taco) Bocchi the Rock! by Aki Hamaji The Ride-On King by Yasushi Baba (available in English from Sol Press) Kojirase Hyakki Dominor by Kōta Nango If My Wife Becomes an Elementary School Student (Tsuma, Shougakusei ni naru.) by Yayū Murata Sukinako ga Megane wo Wasureta (The Girl I Like Forgot Her Glasses) by Kōme Fujichika Ano Hito no I ni wa Boku ga Tarinai (I Can't Satisfy Her Appetite by Myself) by Chomoran Tonikaku Cawaii by Kenjirō Hata Kono Ai wa, Itan. by Ena Moriyama Sennen Kitsune~ Kanpō "Sōjinki" yori~ by Cho Rokuro Journal with Witch (Ikoku Nikki) by Tomoko Yamashita Bokura wa Mahō Shōnen (We Are Magical Boys) by Teppei Fukushima Yancha Gal no Anjō-san by Yūichi Katō Record of Ragnarok (Shūmatsu no Walküre) by Chika Aji

Tsugi ni Kuru Manga Awards 2019 Web Category Winners

SPY x FAMILY by Tatsuya Endō (available via MANGA Plus) Murai no Koi by Junta Shima Chō yo Hana yo by Zenyū Shimabukuro True Beauty by yaongyi (available via LINE Webtoon) The Dangers in My Heart (Boku no Kokoro no Yabai yatsu ) by Nono Sakura Bōkyaku Battery by Eko Mikawa My New Boss is Goofy (Atarashii Jōshi wa Do Tennen) by Dan Ichikawa Isekai Ojisan (Old Guy in Another World) by Hotondo Shindeiru Sweat and Soap by Kintetsu Yamada (available in English by Kodansha USA) Mieruko-chan by Tomoki Izumi Zettai BL ni Naru Sekai Vs Zettai BL ni Naritakunai Otoko by Konkichi Koori Zokusei Danshi to Cool na Dōryo Joshi by Miyuki Tonogaya Tsukiatte Agete mo ii ka na by Tamifuru Yankee-kun to Hakujō Gal by Uoyama Kumicho Musume to Sewagakari by Tsukiya Play It Cool, Guys (Cool Doji Danshi) by Kokone Nata The Skinny Girl and the Chubby Boy by Mayumi Kato (creator-approved translation available from Elusive Taco) Mutō to Satō by Akatsuka Taishō Aato Kaūshika Ienai by Shōma Kondō Yōjo Shachō by Odeko Fujii

This year had 2,082 entries. There were 50 nominees for the prize in each category. The award is co-organized by Kadokawa Media Factory's book and manga news magazine Da Vinci and streaming service Niconico. In 2017, Gaku Kuze's Uramichi Oniisan won the web manga division, while Aka Akasaka's Kaguya-sama: Love is War won the comics division. In 2018, Shiro Manta's Senpai ga Uzai Kōhai no Hanashi won the web manga division, while Asuka Konishi's Raise wa Tanin ga Ii won the comics division.

Last year's winners were Raise wa Tanin ga Ii by Asuka Konishi and Senpai ga Uzai Kōhai no Hanashi by Shiro Manta.

Source: Comic Natalie