Publisher TOKYOPOP is set to release a touching new manga titled A Smart and Courageous Child on September 24th. The story explores the deep love and fears that come with motherhood.
Created by Miki Yamamoto, this manga won the 24th Manga Division Excellence Award at the 2020 Japan Media Arts Festival. The single-volume, full-color edition will be available both in print and digitally. It will be part of TOKYOPOP’s “Comics That Matter” initiative, which uses graphic novels to highlight important causes and social issues.
The print version will be released in a slightly larger 5.8 x 8.2-inch format.
A Mother’s Journey: Overcoming Fear and Embracing Hope in a World of Uncertainty
The story follows a first-time mother as she navigates her fears of bringing a child into a dangerous world. She learns to assess her worries, face her fears, and ultimately choose hope over uncertainty. The manga poignantly examines how she processes these emotions and how it affects her relationship with her partner.
Sara and Kouta Takano are eagerly awaiting the birth of their child when Sara learns about the tragic attack on Pakistani female rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai by the Taliban.
This news shakes her belief in the future, leaving her terrified about how to protect her baby in a world filled with dangers. The story explores whether the couple can overcome this growing fear and keep their family together.
Kazuko Kawahara, a member of the Executive Committee of the Japan Media Arts Festival, praises the book, saying it captures the anxieties of modern life. Sara’s journey reflects the universal fears and hopes of parents in today’s world, making the story relatable and impactful. The colored pencil artwork adds both warmth and intensity to the narrative, making it a standout piece in the manga industry.
Miki Yamamoto is a manga artist and assistant professor at Tsukuba University’s Faculty of Art and Design. She debuted in 2011 with Bakudan to Ribon (A Ribbon and a Bomb) and later won the 17th Osamu Tezuka Cultural Prize New Face Award for her work Sunny Sunny Ann!. This title was published in French in 2018 and was an official selection for the 2019 Angoulême International Comics Festival.
