Japanese publisher Hakusensha announced on Wednesday that it awarded Mizuho Kusanagi's Yona of the Dawn ( Akatsuki no Yona ) manga with the first prize in its Denshi Shoseki Taishō (E-Book Award). The award goes to the best-selling digital Hakusensha manga from July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2015.

The nine other best-selling digital manga, which received an Excellence Award, include (in no particular order):

Kumiko Hayashi's Ishakoi and Shin Ishakoi

and Julietta Suzuki's Kamisama Kiss ( Kamisama Hajimemashita )

( ) Chica Umino's March comes in like a lion ( Sangatsu no Lion )

( ) Aki Katsu's Futari Ecchi

Mato Kauta's Ōkami-Heika no Hanayome

Kentarou Miura's Berserk

Kaede Kōchi's Love So Life

Uran's Mujaki no Rakuen ( Paradise of Innocence )

( ) Ryuta Amazume's Nana to Kaoru

Viz Media announced earlier in October that it has licensed the Yona of the Dawn manga, and it describes the story:

The fantasy adventure shojo manga series that also inspired the fan favorite anime about a princess who's on a quest to reclaim her throne! Princess Yona lives an ideal life as the only princess of her kingdom. Doted on by her father, the king, and protected by her faithful guard Hak, she cherishes the time spent with the man she loves, Soo-won. But everything changes on her 16th birthday when she witnesses her father's murder!

Kusanagi, the creator of Mugen Spiral, Game X Rush, and NG Life, launched the Akatsuki no Yona manga in 2009. The manga's 19th volume shipped in September with an original anime DVD.

The 24-episode television anime of the manga ended in March. Crunchyroll and Funimation both streamed the series as it aired in Japan, and Funimation also streamed an English broadcast dub of the series. A stage play adaptation will run from March 16-21 in Tokyo.

Source: Nijimen