(VOVworld) - The first volume of a historical comic series by Vietnamese Phong Duong Comic has won the silver award at the ninth International Manga Awards hosted by Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The comic group has received an invitation letter from the Japan Foundation to attend the award ceremony in Japan between February 23 and March 3. Long Than Tuong is a historical story, with some fictional details, about a young man named Long (Dragon) who lived during the reign of the Tran dynasty (1225-1400), a time when the country faced a second Mongolian invasion. This period saw one of the most heroic chapters being scripted in the nation's history. Two volumes of the series, which is the brainchild of playwright Nguyen Khanh Duong and painters Nguyen Thanh Phong and Nguyen My Anh, together with researcher Tran Quang Duc, have been published since November 2014. The series is the first of its kind in Vietnam that has been published with funds raised from the reader community.
The International Manga Award is hosted by Japan's foreign affairs ministry to honor manga artists who have contributed to the promotion of manga overseas. There were 317 entries from 46 countries and regions last year. The Gold Award last year was won by Bumbardai, a comic by Nambaral Erdenebayar of Mongolia.