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Shinya Shokudō, 'The Girl From the Other Side: Siúil, a Rún', Tokyo Alien Bros. Manga Nominated for Angoulême's Top Prize

The 45th Angoulême International Comics Festival has announced its nominees for Best Comic, which include Yarō Abe's Shinya Shokudō (The Midnight Diner, La Cantine de Minuit), Nagabe's The Girl from the Other Side: Siúil, a Rún (L'Enfant et le Maudit: Siúil, a Rún), and Keigo Shinzō's Tokyo Alien Bros. manga.

Shinya Shokudō centers on the proprietor of a small, mysterious cafeteria in Shinjuku and his customers. The cafeteria opens at midnight to fix customers any dish they request. The popular story has inspired multiple live-action television series and films and was nominated for the bookseller-selected Manga Taishō ("Cartoon Grand Prize") in 2009. The story is also nominated for Angoulême's Audience Award.

The Girl from the Other Side: Siúil, a Rún takes place in a world split between the Inside and the Outside, those living in both realms are told never to cross over to the other side, lest they be cursed. A young girl named Shiva lives in a vacant village with a demonic guardian known only as “Teacher.” Seven Seas Entertainment has licensed the manga in North America.

The Tokyo Alien Bros. sci-fi comedy manga follows Fuyunosuke and Natsutaro, two friendly students who are actually aliens sent to find out if Earth is a hospitable planet for their species. The manga is currently not available in English.

The first volume of Makoto Isshiki's Hanada Shōnen-shi (Hanada le Garnement) manga is also nominated for Angoulême's Best Youth Comic. The story focuses on a little bumpkin kid by the name of Ichiro Hanada. He gets into all kinds of mischief until things take a turn for the nasty. Trying to escape the wrath of his enraged mother, he gets in an accident, resulting in nine stitches on the back of his head, and one little side-effect: a knack for the supernatural. Young Ichiro is now able to communicate with ghosts, who just can't get off his back with all kinds of requests. The story inspired an anime series in 2002. Isshiki is also the creative mind behind The Piano Forest.

The first volume of horror manga creator Kazuo Umezu's Watashi wa Shingo (Je Suis Shingo) is nominated for the Best Heritage Comic. Originally published in Japan in 1982, the manga tells the story of two children who befriend a factory robot.

The event will also host Fairy Tail creator Hiro Mashima and an exhibition for his works.

This year's Angoulême Festival runs from January 25-28. Last year's winners include Kazuo Kamimura's Rikon Club manga and the fourth volume of Minetarō Mochizuki's Chiisakobee manga.

The festival launched in 1974 as an event celebrating comics from countries throughout the world.

Source: Comic Natalie