"Princess Anio," a Viet-Japanese Love Story, Released as New Comic

The Organizing Committee celebrating the 50th anniversary of Vietnam - Japan diplomatic relations announced the online release of first part of "Princess Anio" on June 23 and the second part (also last part) on July 7.

This historical comic tells the timeless love story between the Vietnamese Princess Ngoc Hoa (Princess Anio) and a Japanese businessman Sotaro Araki, celebrating the history of friendship and exchange between Vietnam and Japan. This is the work by historical manga by famous Japanese artist Higashimura Akiko.

The first part of the comic "Princess Anio" is available online.

The comic is dedicated to both Japanese and Vietnamese readers with the the hope that two peoples will realize the long history of cultural relations between the two countries. This message is expression through manga comics, favorable by both children and adults.

From June 23-25 in Ho Chi Minh City, "Princess Anio" will also be introduced at Vietnam - Japan Comic Fes 2023, the biggest Vietnamese-Japanese comic & animation event in Vietnam. In addition, readers can look forward to the hard-copy version of this comic, free-of-charge distributed to localities and educational institutions of Japan and Vietnam in the near future.

The story is based on the opera "Princess Anio," scheduled to be premiered in September 2023 at the Hanoi Opera House, Vietnam. This opera is an elaborate project with the honorary advisor of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Vietnam Yamada Takio. There were also Music Director and Principal Conductor of Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra Honna Tetsuji, Director of Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra Trinh Tung Linh and Head of Executive Committee Furukawa Naomasa who attended as co-representatives of the project.

(Photo: @EspaiDaruma on Twitter) Akiko Higashimura (born in 1975 in Miyazaki Prefecture) made her debut in the comic magazine "Bouquet Deluxe" in 1999. She then won the Kodansha Manga Award for "Kuragehime" ("Jellyfish Princess") in 2010, and the Taisho Manga Award in 2015 for "Kakukaku Shikajika" ("Drawing Idle"). Many of her works have been adapted into famous television series and films such as "Tokyo Tarareba Musume" ("Dreamy Tokyo Girls"), "Yukibana no Tora" ("Tiger in a snowflake"), attracting fans not only in Japan but in many countries around the world such as Korea and Vietnam.

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