Best Award Winning Manga of 2003

While most people find the world mundane, five-year-old Yotsuba Koiwai sees it as a treasure trove of amazing bustle and wonderful places to explore. When she and her adoptive father, Yousuke, move to a new city, the energetic young girl naturally sets out to investigate the neighborhood on her own. After a few incidents at the local park, the Koiwais become acquainted with their neighbors, the Ayase family. Their three daughters—mischievous college student Asagi, responsible high school student Fuuka, and kindhearted grade school student Ena—eventually all take a liking to Yotsuba and join in on her antics, despite their sheer ridicule. From learning how to use a swing to figuring out how to stop global warming with air conditioners, Yotsuba's ability to infallibly find fun in everything, both amazes and annoys the people around her. Along with Yousuke, the Ayases, and friends she makes along the way, Yotsuba embarks on daily adventures, each one a step in her quest to enjoy the simple things in life.

Famous for his military service in the 39th Asian War, the legendary Swiss robot Montblanc is violently murdered. Humans and robots around the world mourn for the beloved celebrity. Montblanc's popularity only grew in the years following the war, thanks to his dedication to nature conservation and his loving personality. Fellow war veteran and robotic Europol detective Gesicht is sent to investigate Montblanc's tragic demise. In his pursuit, Gesicht uncovers evidence of a mysterious entity known only as "Pluto." He also learns of a conspiratorial plot to dismantle the eight specialized robots from around the world who participated in the war. Racing against time to save those who still remain, Gesicht grapples with his memory, morality, and a world full of hate, desperately attempting to defend the fragile coexistence of man and machine.

Fifteen middle school students are happily attending a summer camp by the sea, until one of the children leads the group into a cave that will drastically alter the course of their lives forever. Inside are several computers, along with a man named Kokopelli who offers the students a chance to play a game: one where they use a gigantic robot to defeat enemies who attack the Earth. The children agree to sign a contract by touching a shield-like object, and Kokopelli transports them to the cockpit of the Zearth—the mecha they are to pilot. After an enemy mecha rises from the sea, Kokopelli shows them how to mentally control the Zearth, and defeats it. The children are excited by the prospect of defending the Earth, but not everything is as it seems. The Zearth is in fact powered by life energy, and at the end of every battle, the pilots die. After signing their lives away, the children must now use their time left on Earth to defend it.

Alexander the Great is a name known around the world as belonging to one of the greatest military commanders in history. But due to the grandeur of his name and enormity of his achievements, his right-hand man Eumenes remains a lesser-known historical figure. Eumenes led a turbulent life, overcoming numerous struggles and traveling great distances to meet and befriend many of the most influential names of his time. One does not become the right hand of Alexander the Great by mere birth. Eumenes fought for his position with fierce talent, intellect, and confidence. This is his story.

After her parents get divorced, Ann Uekusa and her mother move from Tokyo to rural Shimane. Accustomed to the anonymity of city living, Ann can't get used to the almost overbearing kindness of the people in her mother's hometown. But when personal tragedy strikes, Ann discovers how much she needs that kindness.Chosen by the American Library Association (ALA) as one of the Top Ten Great Graphic Novels for Teens 2009. (Vols. 1-3)

The queen of the Magical World is selected through a competition in which two young witches travel to the Human World to gather the hearts of boys who fall in love with them. This time, best friends Chocolat Meilleure and Vanilla Mieux, the daughters of the previous queen candidates, enroll in a human school in order to commence the challenge. Aided by their familiar spirits and mentor Rockin Robin, the young witches learn to adjust to human life as each aims to become the next queen. Chocolat, who is popular with boys in the Magical World, finds that her strategies do not work well for capturing human hearts. In contrast, Vanilla's quiet and shy personality seems to make her the center of attraction. To make matters more complicated, a mysterious boy by the name of Pierre Tempête de Neige seems to be after Chocolat's heart. The two witches' friendship is put to the test as the competition intensifies.

Ren Mihashi is a pitcher who refuses to leave the mound, for better or worse. His middle school team hated him for it, blaming him for their continuous losses and chalking up his starter position to favoritism. In the end, Mihashi ran away to a different high school, convinced that he would never amount to anything in baseball. Upon his enrollment at Nishiura High School, however, he is quickly pulled into the newly formed baseball team with people who recognize his abilities. Mihashi is paired up with the gruff catcher Takaya Abe, who promises to bring out his full potential as an ace—so long as he never disobeys his directions. This marks the start of Mihashi's journey to build the strength and confidence needed to stand with his new teammates on any field.

This is not your everyday manga. It strictly deals with cases of intersexuality. I.S. stands for Inter Sexuality. This manga deals with the struggles of intersex people: the pain they go through, the troubles they confront, and ultimately their inability to reproduce or even find a partner who will accept them as they are. The series broken down into individual cases; each deals with different people, though some cases are much longer and more dramatic than others.

Taira Capeta was a 4th grader boy. He had lost his mother when he had been very little. Although he pretended to be tough in front of his father, actually he felt lonely. One day, his father brought junk parts home from his workplace and made a racing cart. Soon, they went to a circuit to drive the cart. However, Capeta found that its frame was bent and it could hardly run straight. But, with his technique he managed the cart. Furthermore, he followed soon after the fast cart and he could nearly leave it behind. The driver in the cart was Minamoto Naomoi, the champion of the East Japan Junior Cart. Looking at their chase, Naomi’s mother, Minamoto Nanako, advised Capeta to take part in the official race.

Tesshō is a high school juvenile delinquent. He has a special ability of perfect pitch. He saves a wild dog with the help of Kashu, a veterinarian. He later names the wild dog inu (Japanese for "dog"). He then finds his purpose in life: to become a veterinarian.