Manga is more prevalent in the West than ever before, and in some ways, has eclipsed the American superhero market. With this brightened spotlight on the medium, it's no surprise that several manga have gone on to be nominated for and even won Eisner Awards. This year was no different, as a number of fantastic manga were selected as nominees not only in their own designated category but also in others.
Many of the nominated manga are serious and/or autobiographical, while others were inventive looks at sports or horrifying Lovecraftian cosmic terror. Here's every manga selected to possibly win an Eisner Award in 2021, as well as where readers can get a hold of each of them.
I Don't Know How to Give Birth!
Like many of the works on the list, I Don't Know How to Give Birth is autobiographical -- albeit with a lot more humor than others. The book details the childbearing adventure of its mangaka, Ayami Kazam, who also created such works as entries in Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid franchise. Ayami's sometimes harrowing experiences on the road to motherhood have her dealing with various issues, including finding comfortable clothes to fit her changing frame.
The book is available from numerous sources, including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Comixology and the website for its English distributor, Yen Press.
I Had That Same Dream Again
I Had That Same Dream Again is a manga adaptation of a novel by Yoru Sumino and Idumi Kirihara. The story follows Nanoka Koyanagi, a grade-schooler who has to find out what personal happiness means to her for a school project. To do so, she interviews three completely unrelated people: an older woman with a relatively pleasant golden age, a self-harming girl and a student who's spurned by her peers. Through each of these ladies, Nanoka hopes to figure out more about herself.
Published last summer in the West, I Had That Same Dream Again can be purchased through Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
I Wish I Could Say "Thank You"
Created by Yukari Takanami, I Wish I Could Say 'Thank You" is an autobiographical story about how Yukari and her family reacted to her mother's death. This story follows the particularly proud woman's cancer diagnosis and everyone's varying emotions and feelings, all while taking care of Yukari's mother -- plus the time after her passing. The book is known for its somewhat simplistic art style, which helps the material from becoming too dramatic or overdone. Instead, the reality of everyday events is made more transparent. The book is available through Amazon and Right Stuf Anime.
A Journal of My Father
Jiro Taniguchi's A Journal of My Father follows Yoichi Yamashita as he goes back to his hometown following his father's death. As the funeral grows closer, Yoichi recalls his childhood and how he interacted with his cold and distant father, especially after he had divorced his mother. From there, he reevaluates his father's character and their relationship. A perfect Father's Day gift, the book is available on Amazon and Right Stuf Anime.
Ping Pong
The protagonists of Taiyo Matsumoto's Ping Pong, Makoto "Smile" Tsukimoto and Yutaka Hoshino, come into high school as table tennis veterans. Despite their growing reservations about the sport, their coach sees in them the potential to make it to the international ping pong finals. The story follows them as they train while also grappling with their wavering love of the game. It's available at Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million and Amazon.
Remina
Unlike the autobiographical and down-to-Earth stories of the previous books, Remina from iconic horror mangaka Junji Ito is one of his signature tales of penumbral macabre. Remina, or Hellstar Remina, concerns a mysterious heavenly body that appears out of a wormhole. The scientist who discovers it names it Remina after his daughter, but the scientific godsend becomes a curse when it comes careening to the Earth. This cosmic horror unfolds with all of Ito's iconic and devilish detail, and it can be found through Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Books-a-Million.
Spy X Family
The final manga of this year's Eisner Award nominees is the increasingly popular Spy X Family. Created by Tatsuya Endo, Spy X Family has an assassin named Twilight engaging in one of his most dangerous missions yet. Getting the plan off the ground involves him taking a woman and a girl as his wife and adopted daughter. Unbeknownst to him, however, the woman and girl he's chosen are an assassin and a mindreader.
The series has numerous options for consumption, with physical copies of the manga available on Amazon and through Barnes & Noble and Books-a-Million. Likewise, it can also be read through Viz Media's website and Mangaplus.
