The executive committee for the fifth Manga Taisho awards has announced this year's 15 nominated works on Monday. (The official English name of the awards is the "Cartoon Grand Prize.") The nominating committee is composed mainly of bookstore staffers who are in charge of their respective stores' manga. Any manga title that was released in 2011 and has eight volumes or less is eligible. The volume cap is intentionally added so that the prize winners would be relatively new works that have not already earned their popularity through sheer longevity.

The second round of voting will determine the winner of Manga Taisho 2012, which will be announced at an awards ceremony held on March 23. Last year, Chika Umino 's March comes in like a lion won the award. Shinichi Ishizuka 's Gaku - Minna no Yama , Yuki Suetsugu 's Chihayafuru , and Mari Yamazaki 's Thermae Romae won the first three Manga Taisho in 2008, 2009, and 2010, respectively. Two of this year's nominees, Kengo Hanazawa 's I am a Hero and Kouta Hirano 's Drifters , were also nominated last year, and I am a Hero was nominated the year before.

Manga Taisho 2011 Nominees

I am a Hero

Kengo Hanazawa

Drifters

Kouta Hirano

To be published byin North AmericaUme ((1 a.m. Vacation)

Source: Mainichi Shimbun's Mantan Web