Taiwanese manga artist Jason Chien (簡嘉誠) has won gold at the 17th International Manga Awards. Japan’s Foreign Ministry recently announced the winning work Wind Chaser Under the Blue Sky, which stood out in 587 works from 82 countries and regions.
In an interview, Chien said that after 17 years of working in comics, this award is an affirmation for him and proves his creative capabilities. He said he overhauled this manga four times before finalizing it because he constantly doubted himself and whether his work was good enough that everyone would continue to like it. Chien is the second Taiwanese to take gold at the International Manga Awards after Rimui (蘺若明) won at the 14th International Manga Awards for The Funeral Concerto.
Chien confided that being a manga artist in Taiwan is very hard, and although his family supported his passion, he had to take on other projects to support himself. He pointed out that fortunately in recent years, the Culture Ministry has been providing more subsidy support and manuscript fees have also increased, which have nurtured a better creative environment.
Wind Chaser Under the Blue Sky takes readers on a nostalgic journey through a young boy's life around railways and track and field, set during the later years of World War II.