Kagurabachi & Girl Meets Rock to Win Next Manga (Tsugi Manga) Awards 2024

The results of the 2024 Next Manga (Tsugi Manga) Awards were announced on August 28, 2024.

These awards recognize emerging manga titles with the potential to become the next big hits. This year’s winners were determined by fan votes, with a total of 8,212 eligible titles vying for the top spots.

Print Manga Category: Kagurabachi Takes the Crown

In the category Print Manga, Kagurabachi Takeru Hokazono took first place with a whopping 101,836 points.

The series, which has quickly become a fan favorite in Shonen Jump, is expected to be the publisher’s standard-bearer going forward. Its intense action and compelling story have garnered a large following, making it the clear winner this year.

In his commentary, Hokazono expressed his deep gratitude to the readers who supported the series, saying that he was extremely happy that people were reading and finding his work interesting.

“I’m really happy to realize that so many people read my work and find it ‘interesting’. It fills me with immense joy and energy to continue making manga. I’m deeply grateful! I feel a strong urge to make the series even more entertaining to meet the expectations of those who have said it’s the ‘next big thing’, so please continue to support me!”

Kagurabachi was closely followed by Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun: as Episode of Mafia by Hiroja and Nishi Osamu, who secured second place with 33,033 points.

Expanding the universe of the original series, this spin-off has captivated both new readers and loyal fans of the Iruma-kun world. Both authors expressed their enthusiasm and gratitude, emphasizing the joy of contributing to the beloved series.

Author’s comment (Hiroja):
“To everyone who supported ‘if Mafia’, thank you very much for the honor of finishing in second place! I am very happy that I contributed, even a little, to expanding the world of ‘Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun.’ I will continue working on this series, so please continue supporting me!! (with pleasure)”

Author’s Comment (Nishi Osamu):
“I can’t believe ‘If Mafia’, which always shows us new landscapes outside of Iruma-kun’s world, could lead to this! I am so grateful to Hiroja-sensei. I will continue to run alongside the Mafia in new worlds, so please keep running with us!!”

In third place, Tsumiki Ogami and the Strange Everyday Life by Miyu Morishita captivated readers with the unique story of a werewolf girl and a human boy navigating the new, normal life of high school.

The series earned 30,384 points, with Morishita thanking the readers for discovering and supporting the story. The author looks forward to continuing to portray the somewhat strange daily lives of the characters.

“Thank you for discovering and supporting ‘Tsumiki Ogami & the Strange Everyday Life!’ I am excited and will continue to portray the somewhat unusual everyday life of Tsumiki and her friends, so I hope you will continue to watch over them. Thank you for this great prize!”

Other notable entries in the Print Manga category included: DOG RESCUE (4th place), COSMOS (5th place), and Super Psychic Police Officer Chojo (6th place).

View the list of the top 20 winners in the Print manga category. The number of points is in brackets.

Kagurabachi (101,836)
Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun: as Episode of Mafia (33.033)
Tsumiki Ogami and the Strange Everyday Life (30,384)
DOG RESCUE (30,128)
COSMOS (26,129)
Super Psychic Police Officer Chojo (23,876)
Nue’s Exorcist (23,417)
NOA IS MY SENIOR AND MY FRIEND. (22,539)
FALL IN LOVE, YOU FALSE ANGELS (22,458)
Dead Blue (21,103)
Spring Storm and Monster (20,666)
Nezumi’s First Love (19,278)
Yani Neko (19,058)
Tune in to Midnight Heart (17,642)
AGAINST (15,881)
Green Green Greens (14,807)
Robou to Fujii (14,146)
Stray cat and wolf (13,543)
PHANTOM BUSTERS (13,440)
Kyokuto Necromancy (11,324)

Web Manga Category: Girl Meets Rock Wins Big

In the category Web Manga, Girl meets rock! of Kuwahari and Tetsuo Ideuchi triumphed with 93,743 points.

The series, which chronicles the raw and unfiltered journey of youth and music, was a big hit with readers, landing them first place.

Kuwahari expressed his gratitude for the overwhelming support and said the series started as a modest hobby project, but later grew into a beloved story.

Illustrator Tetsuo Ideuchi was also enthusiastic, noting that the manga’s success exceeded their expectations.

Author’s comment (Kuwahari):
“Thank you so much for all the votes!! ‘Ordinary Light Music Club’ originally started as a hobby manga by an amateur with poor drawing skills, but it has gained support from so many readers, and I believe this is entirely due to the incredible work of Ideuchi-sensei! I am grateful! There are still many things I want to draw, so I hope you guys will continue to guide this manga!”

Author’s Comment (Tetsuo Ideuchi):
“I am so happy to have won the first prize!!! Thank you so much!!! When I was first asked to do the art, I felt a strong belief that ‘this is going to be super interesting and will definitely become a series’, and it has. With the support of so many, we have won this prize and I feel honored. The story of Haton and the others has only just begun, with only two volumes so far, so look forward to more. I will continue to do my best in the art to present Kuwahari’s story to everyone!”

RuriDragon Masaoki Shindo finished in second place with 69,931 points.

The story of a girl who wakes up to find she has dragon horns has captured the imagination of readers, despite a hiatus that left fans eagerly awaiting the next chapter.

Shindo thanked his fans for their patience in a humorous commentary and assured them that more adventures are coming, but he also indicated that he has no fetish for his mouth.

“I don’t know how, but I won another award… Scary. I’m really grateful to everyone who voted. During the year I was on hiatus, the ‘We’re waiting for you’ messages were a great support. I apologize for the delay in my return and for the late announcement. I have a lot to say, but now that I’ve had the chance to respond, I want to clarify something: I’m not a mouth fetishist. Seriously, I’m not. The influence of One Piece and My Hero Academia is just really strong. There are even suggestions like ‘RuriDragon mouth fetish’, but I tend not to exaggerate my real fetishes in my work. I’ll reveal my true fetish: girls in loungewear.”

Vtuber Kusamura Shigemi Sakamegane took third place with 50,273 points and put a unique spin on the Vtuber phenomenon by combining it with a touching story of love and obsession.

The author also commented on the victory saying: “I’m glad to hear that ‘Vtuber Kusamura Shigemi’ came in third place! This is all thanks to the readers who enjoy and support the series. Thank you very much! I hope you continue to enjoy the activities of Kusamura Shigemi, who loves Nanashino too much and goes a little overboard. I also hope that this award will bring new readers to the series. Thank you again for all the support!”

In the meantime, Eternalwhich has recently become increasingly popular among readers, finished in 7th place in the web manga category.

Check out the full list of Web Manga categories below:

Girl Meets Rock! (93,743)
RuriDragon (69,931)
Vtuber Kusamura Shigemi (50,273)
I hope you’re happy, Lemon (48,022)
Sachi’s Records ～Sachi’s Book of Revelations～ (39,870)
The reason why she loves an acorn (39,271)
Century (30,378)
I love Dokagui! MOCHIZUKI-SAN (29,651)
ST☆R STRIKES IT (28,496)
HOTARU DOES NOT TAKE YOMEIRI (24,489)
DEKAIHACHI (22,361)
THE IDOLM@STER SHINY COLORS Hazuki’s Shinography (21,580)
Vtubers who lie about their age (20,982)
Samurai in Another World (20,284)
How to Keep a Man Alive (20.184)
Spis, shop staff (18,672)
Ah, TANUKI is over. (18.554)
On and Off: Work-Life Imbalance (18,083)
KYATAPI LAND (17,855)
My best friend’s girlfriend (17,755)

Special Awards and Recognition

In addition to the top three winners, the awards also recognized special achievements. Worldwide Special Price (English Edition) was awarded to My girlfriend is not here today by Kiyoko Iwami, and Global Special Price (Chinese Special Edition) was awarded to Samurai in another world by Keigo Sato.

The Next Manga Awards, launched in 2014 by KADOKAWA Group, are unique in their focus on fan participation.

Readers from around the world nominate and vote for titles that they think have the potential to become the next big hit in the manga industry.

With categories for both print and web manga, the awards provide a platform for emerging talent to gain recognition and build a wider audience.

Eligible titles for the Print Manga category are titles that are currently serialized in Japanese print magazines as of May 9, 2024, and have had no more than five volumes released or serialized after January 1, 2023. For the Web Manga category, titles must have been primarily serialized on Japanese web platforms with similar guidelines.

In 2023, Sumiko Arai’s The man she was interested in wasn’t a man at all won the web manga category and Muchimaro’s They are not my Ana wa Aru! won in the printed manga category.

Coinciding with the announcement of the winner, BOOK☆WALKER is currently running a promotion featuring award winners and nominees from previous and 2024 awards. It is called the Next Manga Awards Hall of Fame.

Source: Press release