The manga The Banana Sprout Vol. 2 (芭蕉的芽) by Taiwanese manga artist Zuo Hsuan (左萱) won a silver award at the 18th Japan International Manga Award, the organizers said on Thursday.
Zuo had previously won bronze at the 10th edition with her work Summer Temple Festival I (神之鄉).
The Banana Sprout Vol. 2 is set in 1930s Taipei, portraying two lead characters with vastly different personalities studying at Taihoku High School (now National Taiwan Normal University), a Ministry of Culture statement said.
Photo courtesy of Gaea Books Co via CNA
Zuo said she was struggling to come up with a fitting idea for a period drama featuring an ensemble cast that can be developed at length. Then when she visited her alma mater, National Taiwan University, in 2022, she found the perfect stage for her story while reading historical materials about the school’s art creations.
The materials gave her stories of youth, creation and the struggles of pursuing one’s dreams, she said.
Zuo said she wove in details that would resonate with Taiwanese readers, such as proverbs in Hoklo, guest appearances from famous writers in Taiwan’s literary history and issues that can connect contemporary readers with high-school students from a century ago.
Photo courtesy of Gaea Books Co via CNA
However, she added that she was uncertain about how overseas readers would react to those elements.
Zuo said she was very happy to win the silver prize, and that she hoped the award meant her story would travel around the world.
The award gave her “precious fuel to keep moving forward,” she said, as she planned to develop a long story for the manga.
“I hope I can keep bringing more mature and satisfying sequels to everyone,” Zuo said.
The Taiwan Cultural Center in Tokyo yesterday celebrated Zuo’s achievements on behalf of Minister of Culture Li Yuan (李遠).
The government has provided the manga industry in Taiwan with support and resources to make it more robust, a news statement quoted Li as saying.
The ministry would continue to support manga artists and the industry to ensure Taiwanese mangas shine on the global stage, he added.
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