© Chica Umino, HAKUSENSHA
©︎ Marco Kohinata / Mina Sakurai / Shogakukan
© SATORU NODA / SHUEISHA
© Waka Hirako
YAKUSOKU NO NEVERLAND © 2016 by Kaiu Shirai,Posuka Demizu / SHUEISHA Inc.
© Taiyo Matsumoto / Shogakukan Inc.
© Akiko HIGASHIMURA / SHUEISHA
in association with 
Oct. 29 – Nov. 1, 2021
Selection of award-winning manga from the Japan Media Arts Festival
In this exhibition, we select and present outstanding pieces of work from manga that rely deeply on human bonds and emotions. Comics can be entertaining but also motivating, emotive, and even, in some cases, life-changing.
Marc BERNABÉ Director, Japan Media Arts Festival Overseas Promotion Manga division
A moving tale of a shy and lonely young shogi wonder who discovers human warmth and family bonds.
Six award-winning manga works that rely deeply on human bonds and emotions.
© Marco Kohinata / Mina Sakurai / Shogakukan
24th Japan Media Arts Festival Manga Division Excellence Award
The Aozora (Blue Sky) Hair Salon, located inside a prison, is open to the public in order to give inmates like KOMATSUBARA Haru an opportunity to learn a job.
© NODA Satoru / Shueisha
24th Japan Media Arts Festival Manga Division Social Impact Award
Veteran soldier SUGIMOTO meets a young Aynu girl called Asirpa. This encounter will mark the beginning of a remarkable story of friendship, camaraderie and frenetic adventures in wild Hokkaido.
© Waka Hirako
24th Japan Media Arts Festival Manga Division New Face Award
Mariko, a 26-year-old woman, falls to her death from her balcony after overdosing on sleeping pills. Her close friend Shiino suddenly feels the urge to take the urn with her remains and run away with it.
YAKUSOKU NO NEVERLAND © 2016 by Kaiu Shirai,Posuka Demizu / SHUEISHA Inc.
21st Japan Media Arts Festival Manga Division Jury Selection
The action is set in a seemingly bucolic and carefree orphanage where many children live under the caring, loving wing of Sister Isabella. But… A very dark secret lies there!
© Taiyo Matsumoto / Shogakukan Inc.
20th Japan Media Arts Festival Manga Division Excellence Award
A moving story about several children who live in a foster home, either as orphans or simply left there by their parents. This manga is based on the autobiographical experiences of the hugely influential author, MATSUMOTO Taiyo.
© Akiko HIGASHIMURA / SHUEISHA
19th Japan Media Arts Festival Manga Division Grand Prize
A compelling and moving story that revolves around the relationship between an art teacher and his student. Only one thing can be done to improve: “Draw!”
Online events with authors and experts exclusively organized for this exhibition.
Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021
11:00 – 12:00 (CEST) / 18:00 – 19:00 (JST)
With her delicate penciling and accurate storytelling, KOHINATA-sensei adapts beautifully the original novel by SAKURAI Mina The Depth of the Sky. KOHINATA-sensei will be answering LIVE the questions of the public attending Manga Barcelona.
Sunday, Oct. 31, 2021
11:00 – 12:00 CET (UTC+1) / 19:00 – 20:00 JST
The Promised Neverland is one of the biggest hits of the shonen manga panorama of recent years and its publication in Spain and the US has recently finished with a total of 20 volumes. In this round table we will have the editor in Spain for this work, a renowned expert on the manga scene and a manga artist exchanging their impressions about this megahit of a thriller.
© Waka Hirako
Monday, Nov. 1, 2021
11:00 – 11:40 (CET) / 19:00 – 19:40 (JST)
Exclusive interview with HIRAKO Waka, the creator of My Broken Mariko, one of the most striking manga of recent years and winner of the New Face Award at the 24th Japan Media Arts Festival Manga Division. HIRAKO-sensei draws several illustrations especially for this interview.
Thursday, Dec. 2, 2021
19:00 – 20:00 (CET) / 27:00 – 28:00 (JST)
March Comes in Like a Lion is a delicate masterwork that has received four of the most important awards of the manga scene, one of them being the Grand Prize at the 24th Japan Media Arts Festival. In this round table, a mangaka, an editor, a critic and an expert on manga will talk about the sensations they felt while reading this moving tale of a shy and lonely young shogi wonder who discovers human warmth and family bonds.
© Chica Umino, HAKUSENSHA