Winning Work

< Translator’s Comments >Bokko is a unique work with a pleasant anachronism. Although this work began in 1992, it looks like it came out of a 1970s gekiga magazine. There is already a chronological gap in terms of visuals, and the same goes for its setting which is China's Warring States period.
The text is not inferior either, with an “old-fashioned but not too old” aspect, and there is a preference for digging up old words that are no longer in use. So while I was careful not to use esoteric Old French words that would annoy readers, I also tried to avoid some expressions that were too modern.
Hideki Mori is an incredible master of his craft, with a knack for switching back and forth between dense passages of information in context and sophisticated and amazing double-page spreads. Even though the action takes place in a distant country more than 2,000 years ago, Bokko is still a fascinating manga and a work that is both humanistic and pacifist. That is what makes this work even more special amidst modern trends...

< Comments on Winning the Award >Bokko is an exciting story that depicts the wars that greatly shook ancient China up until the accession of the first emperor to the throne. As a lover of historical novels, I tremendously enjoyed translating this work. I would like to thank Stephane Ferrand for trusting in me and everyone at Vega Dupuy for their cooperation. By receiving this award, I sincerely hope that readers will become interested in this immortal manga and read it.

< Synposis >During the Warring States period in China, fierce wars took place between various countries. During the time of the Mohists, the only man who can stop over 10,000 soldiers appears. The secret of the strength of the followers of this sect is their knowledge of military strategy and their ability to defend any town or village once they are given control of the operation. Among the sect's greatest followers, the combat and strategy specialist Kakuri is sent on a mission. His role is to organize a defense system for the town that has asked the Mohists for help. Kakuri will face the most terrifying enemy he has ever seen, which turns out to be his own sect, led by Tian Xiangzi. That strategy seems to go against the Mohists’ original philosophy…