Sense of Gender Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 5 (2005) buzz award
Kengo Hanazawa
はなざわ けんご
Hanazawa Kengo
Pen Names:
Kengo Hanazawa（One variant used for some short story publications）,
Kengo Hanazawa (kana form)（Alternate kana-style pen name used in some publications）
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1974-01-05 （Hachinohe, Aomori, Japan）
- Nationality
- Japan
- Languages
- Japanese
- Residence History
- Resident of Tokyo, Japan
Career
- Occupations
- Manga artist
- Active Years
- 2004-
- Influenced By
- Hideki Arai
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aomori Prefectural Hachinohe Minami High School | — | — | — | — | Japan |
| Vocational school (computer-related) | — | — | — | — | Japan |
Aomori Prefectural Hachinohe Minami High School
Country:
Japan
After high school he failed university entrance exams and moved to Tokyo
Vocational school (computer-related)
Country:
Japan
Studied programming
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Sense of Gender Award — Topic Prize | — | — | Gender-SF Study Group | 受賞 |
| 2012 | Shogakukan Manga Award — General category | I Am a Hero | 一般向け | Shogakukan | 受賞 |
Sense of Gender Award — Topic Prize
2006
Organization:
Gender-SF Study Group
Result:
受賞
Shogakukan Manga Award — General category
2012
Work:
I Am a Hero
Category:
一般向け
Organization:
Shogakukan
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Debut work; one of his early stories focusing on ordinary/unpopular young men.
unpopular/awkward menhuman relationships
Boys on the Run
2005 Seinen mangaA long-running series mixing comedy and human drama centered on an awkward young man.
personal growthromancemidlife struggle
Adaptations
- [Live-action film] Boys on the Run (live-action)
I Am a Hero
2009 Seinen manga / HorrorA survival horror focusing on characters attempting to survive as society collapses.
survivalsocietal collapsehuman nature
Adaptations
- [Live-action film] I Am a Hero (live-action)
Under Ninja
2018 Seinen mangaDepicts ninjas living secretly in modern Japan; contains social satire and action.
modern societysecret organizationssurvival
Adaptations
- [TV anime] Under Ninja (TV anime) (2023)
A series that was serialized in more than one magazine simultaneously; one run went on hiatus.
everyday lifehuman drama
Bibliography
- Boys on the Run
- I Am a Hero
- Under Ninja
Adaptations
- Boys on the Run (live-action film)
- I Am a Hero (live-action film)
- Under Ninja (TV anime)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- realistic depiction of everyday detailsfeatures protagonists who are awkward or 'unpopular' young men
- Recurring Motifs
- unpopular/awkward mengender-reversed or inverted social worldssocietal collapse and survival
Legacy
Widely respected for a realist yet satirical style; several major works have been adapted into live-action films and anime, giving him notable commercial and cultural influence.
In Popular Culture
- Penetration into popular culture through live-action film adaptations and TV anime of major works
Quotes
-
Isn't contemporary Japan tilted toward 'female superiority' in some ways? Hearing about a spaghetti restaurant only for women makes me really annoyed. I'd like to depict a reversed world where men are excessively favored.
Source: Interview (remarks reported around 'Kono Manga ga Sugoi!' coverage) (2006)
Trivia
- His wife, Julie Okamoto, is also a manga artist and assistant; she has written a comic essay from her perspective.
- Debuted with 'Ressentiment' (ルサンチマン) in 2004 in Big Comic Spirits.
- 'I Am a Hero' won the 58th Shogakukan Manga Award (general category).