Best Award Winning Manga of 2005

Thorfinn, son of one of the Vikings' greatest warriors, is among the finest fighters in the merry band of mercenaries run by the cunning Askeladd, an impressive feat for a person his age. However, Thorfinn is not part of the group for the plunder it entails—instead, for having caused his family great tragedy, the boy has vowed to kill Askeladd in a fair duel. Not yet skilled enough to defeat him, but unable to abandon his vengeance, Thorfinn spends his boyhood with the mercenary crew, honing his skills on the battlefield among the war-loving Danes, where killing is just another pleasure of life. One day, when Askeladd receives word that Danish prince Canute has been taken hostage, he hatches an ambitious plot—one that will decide the next King of England and drastically alter the lives of Thorfinn, Canute, and himself. Set in 11th-century Europe, Vinland Saga tells a bloody epic in an era where violence, madness, and injustice are inescapable, providing a paradise for the battle-crazed and utter hell for the rest who live in it.Included one-shots: Volume 23: Sayounara ga Chikai node (For Our Farewell Is Near) Volume 25: "Assassin's Creed Valhalla" Collab Bangai-hen (Assassin's Creed x Vinland Saga)

Sawako Kuronuma is a 15-year-old student often mistaken for the horrific, vengeful spirit Sadako Yamamura from The Ring. The uncanny resemblance leads to Sawako being called "Sadako" instead. Due to her aloof and gloomy appearance, her peers have grown afraid, and they keep their distance from her. But despite such treatment, she harbors an innocent and diligent heart. Given her honest desire to make friends, Sawako holds a profound admiration for Shouta Kazehaya, the most popular boy in her class. Through his refreshing personality and smooth interpersonal interactions, Kazehaya naturally draws in people. Wishing to be more like him, Sawako begins to spend more time with Kazehaya. While attempting to turn over a new leaf, Sawako finds herself encouraged to explore new things that she never dared before, with Kazehaya right beside her.Included one-shot: Volume 22: Mayuge no Kakudo wa 45° de (45° Eyebrows)

What kind of person will I become? What can I do for myself? Children ponder those very questions, and from those thoughts, the "Heart's Egg" is born. Unseen by most, the Heart's Egg remains hidden within every individual, and represents a person's own ideal character. While adjusting to life at a new school, Amu Hinamori has unintentionally gained a reputation for being "cool and spicy." Unhappy with her outward persona, Amu often wonders how she can act more like her true self. Her desire for change is manifested when one morning, Amu awakens to find three eggs beneath her. They hatch to reveal Ran, Miki and Suu—three "Guardian Characters," each an embodiment of Amu's ideal self. Shugo Chara! follows Amu's journey as the trio begin to show her just how much potential she has, encountering other Guardian Characters, and a few troublesome experiences along the way.

High school teacher Nozomu Itoshiki has been waiting for a chance to end his life. He has grown averse to the very idea of toiling every day to make an ordinary living, and he makes no attempt to conceal his crushing despair. Sadly, he is almost always dragged into the bizarre—and sometimes outright suspicious—problems of his quirky students. Every time he gets a little closer to kicking the bucket, he finds himself in an absurd situation, trying to save his students from the same rabbit hole of misery that haunts him. Despite his ever-present existential crisis, Itoshiki attempts to find a new normal in the silliness of his daily adventures—all the while chasing the sweet demise that eludes him.

Kou Kitamura is a fifth grader whose family runs a sporting goods store. One of the regular customers of his family's store is the Tsukishima Batting Center, and so he gets to know the four daughters of the Tsukishima family (Ichiyo, Wakaba, Aoba, and Momiji) very well. Since Kou has spent so much time practicing in their batting cages, he has become a genius hitter, but has no knowledge of any other aspect of baseball. This is in contrast to Aoba, who, despite being a year younger, is an adept pitcher and hitter. Wakaba is a classmate of Kou's, and she seems fully intent on marrying him when she grows up. All seems idyllic in their world, until tragedy strikes. The story then skips ahead to four years later, as Kou has continued the training he began four years ago, but has not played in a baseball game since. As he finally begins playing again, it remains to be seen whether or not he will live up to the expectations of those who know the true talent he has been hiding all this time.

Takuma and Mayu's story began when they were only 8 years old. During his childhood, Takuma was constantly hospitalised due to his heart condition. He soon became friends with Mayu, the daughter of the doctor in charge of his case. Day by day they grew closer and closer. However, the summer when Takuma was 8, he made a promise to Mayu that he couldn't keep... Their story unfolds as they grow older and their bond gets stronger...Included one-shots: Volume 1: Motto Ikitai... Volume 7: The Things I Want Volume 11: Kare wa Ike mo Shinai Sarukoen wo Mezasu

Ruka's dad and the other adults who work at the aquarium are only distantly aware of what the children are experiencing as they get caught up in the mystery of the worldwide disappearance of the oceans' fish.

Hotori Arashiyama is an average high school girl; that is, if the definition of "average" includes having an obsession with detective novels and working at a maid cafe to pay off an enormous debt incurred from years of eating "free" curry. Whenever she is not working, she can be seen hanging out with her friends, taking care of her younger siblings, or annoying her math teacher. However, while she lives the fairly run-of-the-mill life of a teenager, she is no stranger to the paranormal and unexplained. Sprinkled in with Hotori's everyday antics are occasional run-ins with the supernatural—including taking an unexpected tour of Heaven, discovering a ray gun that creates giant holes, and accidentally interfering in a dispute between some aliens. In addition, she tends to spontaneously investigate cases that strike her fancy, like uncovering the true purpose of some paintings left in a will, identifying a strange man walking the hospital grounds, and going on a treasure hunt in a far-off village. Hotori manages to find herself in the middle of some strange circumstances, and yet the town moves on in spite of the oddity of it all.

It was the Sengoku-era, when the warlords usurped each other. There was a man whose soul was overtaken by the ways of tea and material greed, as he worked his way up toward greater power and status. His name was Sasuke Furuta, a subordinate warrior of Nobunaga Oda. With his world broadened by Nobunaga the Genius, and his spiritual insight learned from Senno Soueki the Master of Tea, Sasuke drove the road to hyouge. To live or not to live. For the power of the art. That is the question!