Get ready, anime lovers! The 17th China International Comics Festival (CICF) just kicked off on Wednesday in Guangzhou, bringing a wave of excitement to the city in south China's Guangdong Province. Imagine hundreds of Anime, Comics, and Games (ACG) creators, over 1,000 cosplayers, and more than 10,000 enthusiastic fans all under one roof! 😍
The opening ceremony was a blast, especially when they announced the winners of the 21st China Animation & Comic Competition (CACC) Golden Dragon Award, often dubbed the \"Chinese Academy Award for animation and comics.\" 🏆
This year, 51 awards were handed out, and guess what? The most anticipated prizes in both comics and animation went to works from Guangdong! The Best Story Comic Award was snagged by Chu Wu (The Crow), an epic tale about a food delivery worker who stumbles into another world—talk about a wild ride! 🚴♂️➡️🌌 The Best Animated Feature Film Award went to Luo Fanchen (Into the Mortal World), which spins a fantasy yarn about a descendant of legendary figures—the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl. 🌠
Big shoutout to Japanese artist Fujimoto Tatsuki, who won the Overseas Animation & Comic Award for his comic Goodbye, Eri. This year's competition was hotter than ever, with a record-breaking 800 overseas submissions! 🌍✍️
In a cool new move, the committee introduced The Best Splendid China Special Award to encourage artists to showcase the beauty of Chinese stories. From lion dances to Silk Road adventures, these works are all about celebrating cultural heritage. 🦁🎎
Since its launch in 2004, the Golden Dragon Award has been shining a spotlight on amazing talents. And with the animation industry's total output value skyrocketing from 88.2 billion yuan (about $12.6 billion) in 2013 to 221.2 billion yuan (about $31.5 billion) in 2020, it's clear that the scene is booming! 🚀💰
Reference(s):
Winners of China's top comic and animation award revealed in Guangzhou
cgtn.com
