• HOME
  • Cartoon Grand Prize 2025 Nominees Announced: Girl Meets Rock! and More
Japan Anime News Edit by Taimu Tsuji

Cartoon Grand Prize 2025 Nominees Announced: Girl Meets Rock! and More

The Cartoon Grand Prize 2025 has unveiled its 10 nominees, selected by 97 manga enthusiasts, including bookstore staff and other industry figures. These works represent the most compelling manga of the moment, as chosen through the first round of voting, which included 238 eligible titles.


Cartoon Grand Prize 2025

Cartoon Grand Prize 2025


What is the Cartoon Grand Prize?

Established in 2008, the Cartoon Grand Prize recognizes manga published during the previous year that have no more than eight volumes in total. The process begins with the first round of voting, where selectors recommend up to five works they would personally recommend to others.

The second round of voting will determine the top three finalists through a points-based system, and the ultimate winner will be announced during the awards ceremony on March 27.


The 2025 Nominees

Alice, To the Universe
Alice Asahida, a stunningly beautiful and popular middle school student, struggles to keep up with her classes due to a language development delay. One day, she meets Rui Inuboshi, a genius boy who tells her, “I’ll make you smarter.” Inspired by his words, Alice begins working tirelessly to become Japan’s first female astronaut captain.


Alice, To the Universe

Alice, To the Universe


Hoshi in the Girls' Garden
This is a comedy about Mr. Hoshi, a Japanese language teacher and homeroom teacher for Class 2-4 at an all-girls school, and the daily lives of his students. From playing drawing-based word games in the class diary to caring for a dog in the classroom and giving advice to a student aspiring to be a manga artist, the charm of the story lies in the humorous episodes of everyday life, even though nothing extraordinary happens.


Hoshi in the Girls' Garden

Hoshi in the Girls' Garden


COSMOS
Kaede Mizumori, a high school boy with the ability to see through people’s lies, meets Rin Homura, a mysterious high school girl who claims to be an investigator for an insurance company specializing in extraterrestrial beings. Together, they become entangled in a series of supernatural events.


COSMOS

COSMOS


This World is Worth Fighting For
A story of a woman who has lost hope in life and embarks on a journey to resolve unresolved issues from her past while searching for the meaning of her own existence.


This World is Worth Fighting For

This World is Worth Fighting For


Return from Death
Oriana, a student at a magical academy, suddenly dies at the age of 17 and awakens in the body of her 7-year-old self. She starts a new life at the academy while rebuilding her relationship with her former lover, Vincent.


Return from Death

Return from Death


Magus of the Library
This is an adventure story about Shio Fumis, a boy who loves books, and his encounter with the "Kahuna" (librarian) of Afzak’s Central Library, which inspires him to weave his own tales.


Magus of the Library

Magus of the Library


Dokagui Daisuki! Mochizuki-san
A gourmet manga portraying the daily life of Mikoto Mochizuki, a 21-year-old office worker with an appetite about four times that of an average person.


Dokagui Daisuki! Mochizuki-san

Dokagui Daisuki! Mochizuki-san


Dokudami no Hanasaku Koro
A story of a peculiar and amusing friendship that begins when Shimizu, a model student, becomes captivated by the papier-mâché works of Shigaraki, a classmate who is somewhat of an outcast, and starts observing him closely.


Dokudami no Hanasaku Koro

Dokudami no Hanasaku Koro


Girl Meets Rock!
This is a coming-of-age music story about Chihiro Hatono, a first-year high school student living in Osaka. Chihiro, who enjoys mature Japanese rock, has struggled with insecurities about band activities and her singing voice due to events in middle school. After entering high school, she joins the light music club with her red Fender Telecaster, meeting various unique members and growing through their experiences together.


Girl Meets Rock!

Girl Meets Rock!


Robō no Fujii
The protagonist, Fujii, is a 40-year-old single man working as a non-regular employee. Although he may seem like an unremarkable middle-aged salaryman at first glance, his unconventional and free-spirited way of life stands out. Fujii resists societal norms and the desire for approval, challenging modern-day values. His presence raises profound questions for those around him, such as “What is happiness?” and “What is life?”


Robō no Fujii

Robō no Fujii


Source : ORICON NEWS

KEYWORD