Today we have lots of news to touch on - make sure to stay till the end to hear about an exclusive anime event bingemonster & agreenqueen will be attending this year!

American Manga Awards

Presented by: LeftField Media, the creators and organizers of Anime NYC, and [Japan Society](https://japansociety.org/), a leading non-profit organization connecting Japanese arts, culture, language, business, and society with audiences in New York and worldwide since 1907.

Categories:

- Mangaka Hall of Fame

- Manga Publishing Hall of Fame

- Best New Manga

- Best Continuing Manga Series

- Best New Edition of Classic Manga (before 2004)

- Best Translation

- Best Lettering

- Best Publication Design (including cover page and outer design)

Judges:

- Pre-selected industry professionals including manga translators, designers, editors, librarians, and authors.

- Additional qualified individuals can apply to be judges.

Award Process:

- Submission: Publishers submit their manga for consideration, with a limit of up to three titles per category.

- Judging: Judges review all submissions and announce winners the night before AnimeNYC, on August 22nd, at an invite-only event.

North Korea Involved in Anime Production

Context:

The producers of *Dahlia in Bloom*, an upcoming isekai romance anime, released a statement addressing a report that North Korean animation studio SEK Studio/April 26 Animation Studio worked on the series.

What Happened:

- Initially, Typhoon Graphics (*Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke's Mansion*) was commissioned to produce the anime.

- Typhoon Graphics outsourced parts to Chinese production companies.

- One Chinese company allegedly outsourced work to a North Korean studio.

- Following the allegations, the producers requested a list of all animation studios involved.

- One Chinese studio refused to comply with the audit.

- The production committee concluded there might be North Korean involvement and decided to re-produce all relevant parts with domestic staff before broadcasting.

Industry Insight:

The anime industry heavily relies on outsourcing and freelance work, with only 47.3% of [animators in Japan being permanent/in-house employees](https://www.cbr.com/anime-kingdom-director-why-no-stable-job-reveal/), according to a JAniCA survey.

Jujutsu Kaisen Enters Temporary Hiatus Over Serious Author Health Concerns

Context:

Several other popular manga series have faced similar issues, including:

- Hunter X Hunter

- Tower of God

- Hellsing (Prequel)

- Vagabond

Attack on Titan Musical

Event Details:

Dates: October 11th-13th

Location: NYC Center

Note: This is the only show in the US, with no tickets available for other cities.

Additional Resources:

- [Attack on Titan Musical Announcement](https://www.crunchyroll.com/news/latest/2024/5/29/attack-on-titan-the-musical-crunchyroll-presale)

- [Attack on Titan the Musical Trailer](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSijVnb2ogg&t=80s)