Manga & Anime

Moto Hagio Wins Honorary Award at Angouleme International Comics Festival in France

Yomiuri Shimbun file photo
Moto Hagio in 2013

The Yomiuri Shimbun

13:05 JST, January 30, 2024

Moto Hagio, 74, won a special honorary award at the 51st Angouleme International Comics Festival in western France, one of the largest comic festivals in Europe, according to the announcement by Shogakukan Inc. on Monday.

The publisher said Hagio is the fifth Japanese manga creator to win the award. The past winners include Yoshiharu Tsuge and Junji Ito.

Since making her professional debut in 1969, Hagio has established herself by creating manga rich in literature-like depth, such as “Poe no Ichizoku” (“The Poe Clan”), “Toma no Shinzo” (“The Heart of Thomas”) and “Juichinin Iru!” (“They Were 11!”), in which she gave life to the subtle personalities of her characters.

“Through my encounters with manga, life has become enriched, beautiful and full of generosity. I am grateful that this field of expression exists and that I have the support of so many people, from readers to editors,” Hagio said on receiving the award.