A collaboration between manga artists! Mari Yamazaki & Miki Tori’s “Pliny” wins the 28th Osamu Tezuka Cultural Award Manga Grand Prize!

It was announced on April 22nd that the collaborative manga “Pliny” (all 12 volumes) by Mari Yamazaki and Miki Tori won the 28th Osamu Tezuka Cultural Award Manga Grand Prize.

The 12th and final volume of this work was published in July last year, which depicts the life of Pliny, a naturalist who lived in ancient Rome.

This is the definitive historical romance, depicting the world of 2,000 years ago with free imagination and overwhelming drawing power, based on historical facts, from the scenery and life of ancient Rome to characters such as Emperor Nero and the famous general Corbulo. This book adopts a style of “collaboration between manga artists” that is rarely seen elsewhere, and in that sense it is a valuable work. It has already been translated and published in France, Italy, and other countries, and is attracting attention from around the world.

His real name was Gaius Pliny Secundus. The most famous naturalist in history who lived in ancient Rome. He also served as commander-in-chief of the Roman fleet.

He left behind a “Natural History” that covered all aspects of nature, animals, plants, and civilization. This book was known in Europe as the “classic of classics,” and had a variety of influences on later generations of intellectuals.

The manga “Pliny” is a story featuring the naturalist as the main character. Pliny travels to the Roman Empire, around the Mediterranean Sea, and Africa with his scribe Eucles and his bodyguard Felix to write his Natural History. He vividly photographed the landscapes, customs, and people’s lifestyles of the ancient Roman era, and many of today’s “World Heritage Sites” such as the Colosseum in Rome, the huge library in Alexandria, and the labyrinth in Crete are appearing one after another. Meanwhile, Nero, the emperor at the time, also appears as a very important person.

Nero is establishing a new image of himself in response to his reputation as a “vicious emperor.” This is the definitive historical romance that depicts the enchanting world of ancient Rome with free imagination and overwhelming drawing power, based on historical facts.

Mari Yamazaki said, “I had decided to draw Pliny the Elder as my next work while “Thermae Romae” was being serialized, but I didn’t know how to revive the world and thoughts that Pliny lived in 2,000 years ago in two dimensions, and I didn’t know how to tell readers. As someone who has been drawing with the feeling that I am in charge of a mission from ancient Rome, it is a great honor for me to receive this award, which is the path of manga. It leads to Rome.” ” he commented.

Tori Miki says, “When I started remembering, the first manga I recognized as “funny, scary, yet sad and strange manga” were Suzuki Publishing’s Osamu Tezuka Complete Works, “The Great Flood Period” and “Pacific X Point.” It was a coupling. Eventually, this twisted boy grew up to become a manga artist, and Osamu Tezuka was one of the judges for the Newcomer’s Award that inspired him to do so.

There’s no way I can’t be happy about the consequences. ” he commented.

The authors of Pliny (all 12 volumes) are Mari Yamazaki and Miki Tori.
Release date is July 2014 to July 2023. The list price is 726 to 814 yen (as of April 22, 2024).