Akane Shimizu

Shimizu's recognition rests on a single decisive prize and a property that has outgrown its medium. The 27th Sirius New Age Award gave her a debut slot at Kodansha, and Cells at Work! has since been adapted into two anime seasons, a compilation film, a live-action film, a stage play, and multiple spinoff manga. Few manga artists see a debut series reach a dental spinoff and a kabuki adaptation within a decade. The series has also found a second life as a teaching tool, recommended for classrooms where immunology is taught, which is an unusual outcome for a comedy manga.