The famous mangas, That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime, and Police In A Pod received the 46th Kodansha Manga Awards in 2022.
On May 11, 2022, this was revealed by the publishing powerhouse. Also, A Couple of Cuckoos and Sousou no Frieren were among the fourteen mangas selected (sometimes referred to as finalists) for the 46th Kodansha Manga Awards.
Following the announcement of the list, there has been a flurry of activity on anime Twitter and Reddit. The winners for each category were revealed on May 11 by Kodansha 46th manga awards,
The Kodansha manga awards are divided into three categories: Shonen, Shojo, and general.
Award for Best Shōnen manga
That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime
Creator: Fuse, Yasuki Kawakami, and Mitz Vah.
Magazine: Shonen Sirius (Kodansha)
Summary: Mikami’s middle years didn’t go as planned; he never got a girlfriend, he became caught in a dead-end career, then at the age of 37, he was stabbed to death on the street. Then when he awakens in a new world right out of a fantasy RPG, he’s upset but not shocked to discover that he’s not a knight or a wizard, but instead has transformed into a blind, wobbly slime monster.
Perhaps a slime has the potential to become a hero…
In the category of best Shonen manga, the following works were shortlisted:
- Miki Yoshikawa’s A Couple of Cuckoos (Weekly Shonen Magazine)
- Rina Hard & Ryosuke Fuji’s Shangri-La Frontier (Weekly Shonen Magazine)
- Kanehito Yamada & Abe Tsukasa’s Sousou no Frieren (Weekly Shonen Sunday)
- Fuse, Yasuki Kawakami, Mitz Vah’s That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime (Monthly Shonen Sirius)
Award for Best Shōjo manga
Nina the Starry Bride
Creator: Rikachi
Magazine: Be Love (Kodansha)
Summary: Nina had a rough start to life, stealing to survive—and eventually was sold into slavery by her brother. To her surprise, her captor, Prince Azure, ordained that she would live the life of a princess…specifically, that of the recently deceased princess-priestess, Alisha.
But despite her changing fortune, Nina won’t give up her old life without a fight…and Azure might just be the one to finally match her wits. However, her trust in Azure isn’t much. And can she stop the feelings budding in her heart, knowing she must eventually marry another…?
The following mangas were shortlisted in the best Shojo category:
- Mika Yamamori’s Uruwashi no Yoi no Tsuki (Dessert)
- RIKACHI’s Nina the Starry Bride (BE. LOVE)
- Suu Morishita’s A Sign of Affection (Dessert)
- Rito Kohsaka & Akumi Agitogi’s My Happy Marriage (Gangan Online)
Award for Best General Manga
Police in a Pod
Magazine: Morning (Kodansha)
Creator: Miko Yasu Magazine: Morning (Kodansha)
Synopsis: Kawai, a female police officer, had had enough of a job she didn’t enjoy and was going to turn in her registration when the unimaginable happened—she met the new, female head of her station! Then after spending some time with this stunning role model, Kawai discovers that she isn’t quite through with her career as an officer.
The following six manga was shortlisted for the general category:
- Aka Akasaka and Mengo Yokoyaroi’s Oshi no Ko (Weekly Young Jump)
- Misaki Takamatsu’s Skip and Loafer (Monthly Afternoon)
- Uoto’s Chi.: Chikyuu no Undou ni Tsuite (Weekly Big Comic Spirits)
- Miko Yasu’s Police in a Pod (Morning)
- Uoyama’s Yankee-Kun and the White Cane Girl (Manga Hack)
- Asukia Konishi’s Yakuza Fiance: Raise wa Tanin ga ii (Afternoon)
Kodansha Manga Awards History
The Kodansha Manga Prize (講談社漫画賞, Kōdansha Manga Shō) is an annual award given by the publisher Kodansha for serialized manga released in the preceding year. Currently, there are three categories for it: shōnen, shōjo, and general.
The awards were first held in 1977, with categories for shōnen and shōjo. The general category received its first award in 1982, while the children’s division received its first award in 2003. Furthermore, from 2015, the children’s category was integrated into the shōnen and shōjo categories.
Blue Lock by Muneyuki Kaneshiro and Yusuke Nomura received the 45th Kodansha Manga Award for best shōnen manga (2021). Also, A Condition Called Love by Megumi Morino won best shōjo manga. Yuria Sensei no Akai Ito by Kiwa Irie won the best manga general category.
What do you think of the 46th Kodansha awards? Also, do you agree with the winners of the various categories? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.