Bakuman, Tome 11

Bakuman [バクマン] #11

by Tsugumi Ohba, Takeshi Obata (Illustrator)

Saikô et Shûjin ont fini par décrocher une nouvelle série, mais, lorsqu'ils apprennent que cela s'est joué à un cheveu, ils décident de poursuivre leur travail pour parvenir, avant le début de la publication, à réaliser la meilleure histoire qu'ils aient jamais faite. Finalement, leur manga débute, et le jugement des lecteurs tombe !!

Genres: Manga, Slice Of Life, Comics, Graphic Novels, Fiction, Shonen, Young Adult

192 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Tsugumi Ōba (Profile in Japanese: 大場 つぐみ), born in Tokyo, Japan, is a writer best known for the manga Death Note. His/her real identity is a closely guarded secret. As stated by the profile placed at the beginning of each Death Note manga, Ōba collects teacups and develops manga plots while holding his knees on a chair, similar to a habit of L, one of the main characters of the series.

There is speculation that Tsugumi Ōba is a pen name and that he is really Hiroshi Gamō. Pointing out that in Bakuman the main character's uncle was a one-hit wonder manga artist who worked on a gag super hero manga, very similar to Gamō and Tottemo! Luckyman in all aspects. Also that the storyboards drawn by Ōba greatly resemble Tottemo! Luckyman in style.

Reviews

[Jesse (JesseTheReader)]

ugh this was so good. it reignited my love for this series!

[Connor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! I almost teared up reading this one. I did not expect that. This is quickly becoming a favorite.

[Nicolo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review is for the entire series, which I rate it 5 stars.

Bakuman is the follow up work of the Death Note creative team, which is composed of writer Tsugumi Ohba and artist Takeshi Obata. However, in my opinion, I believe this is the better work.

Bakuman is the story of two teenagers breaking into the manga industry and they going to do it in their own unorthodox way, just like this manga. This manga is so unlike the usual ones. It's not a battle manga, which is the most popular and successful manga genre. Yet, it's like a battle manga because it has rivals, training montages, and other tropes of the genre.

The creative team is firing on all cylinders. The writer creates a genre-bending work and gives Obata-sensei a massive and appropriate canvass to flex his extensive art range, give us the best artwork of his career. The entire story is dense yet light, because it is full of ideas and concepts, like the other manga titles of the main characters' rivals. I wouldn't mind those spun off.

The story is engaging and funny, and gives the fans a satisfying ending. I only wish they included an epilogue to help the reader decompress after reading the last few volumes because it gives you a massive sensation of "finale high".

Aside from the killer story and the amazing art, this manga gave the reader a new way to appreciate and enjoy manga.

[Ricardo Marín]

4.5 / 5

¡Qué enganchado me tiene! Solo me gustaría que se explorara más sobre los seiyuus.

[Kaleb Huddleston · Rating 3 out of 5]

By this point in the series the plot has grown repetitive but still interesting enough from chapter to chapter to keep you invested.

[Karina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really was surprised when Nizuma make a chapter without a dialogue!! I never had read a manga that had a chapter like that. Maybe because I haven’t read a battle manga. I want to search for it !!! Perhaps in “Naruto” or “Kimetsu no Yaiba” have a chapter that didn’t have dialogues. I also could know that the manga artists have to use their intellectual faculties. Specially when they have to compete with their rivals.
However, I didn’t like when Azuki come to the audience place to turn down the role of Sayano Mimiya in “+natural”. It was a big chance for her to become popular... I think that she is losing the potential to be a good voice actress.

[Subodh Garg · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5

I finished Bakuman, the series by the duo Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata. It is a simple story about a boy (Moritaka Mashiro) in his third year of middle school deciding to become a manga artist on the persistence of his friend (Akito Takagi). Takagi will write the stories while Mashiro will do the art. Together, they tell their ambitions to his crush (Miho Ayuki), who aims to be a voice actress and decide to get married if and when she gets to voice the heroine of their series. A simple premise, but one that allows for myriads of twists and turns. They begin their manga journey with the pen name Muto Ashirogi.

This is a review of the entire series. Please keep that in mind.

The authors introduce various other mangakas with the most important being Eiji Nizuma, Ashirogi Sensei's biggest rival, a 15-year-old manga genius. They face various hardships along the way, from writer's block to unrequited confessions; from copycat imposters to tight deadlines; from all-nighters to hospital stays. It is a heartwarming story which will motivate you to fulfill your own dreams. The ultimate Shonen Manga.

The authors accomplished everything they set out to do. I cannot think of a single thing to improve in this masterpiece. It is short and concise (only 176 chapters), with no redundancies or detours. It also teaches the readers the grueling discipline required to be a mangaka, the hopes and dreams attached with it and the ins and outs of manga publishing. The Editors and the Editorial Department play as much of a role in the story as the mangakas. How the manga and the artist are tied together and how can gleam an insight into the author's psyche by reading their works. How to deal with success and imposter syndrome. How to actually write an engaging manga and what happens when you actually succeed in your dreams. This and so much more is presented in such an engaging manner in the series.

Heartily recommended to everyone. Can't wait to read more!!!

[Jesus Flores · Rating 4 out of 5]

Este es interesante, por que debido a los términos de su "apuesta", aunque su nuevo manga va bien, teniendo éxito, si no cumplen ciertas clausulas, podrían terminarlos, es divertido ver como van teniendo ideas y estrategias para lograr su objetivo, pero sus "contrincante" también responden haciendo cambios en sus mangas cada que se les acercan

spoilers

Ya con su serie aprobada, pues les va bien, alrededor del 5to puesto, siempre en los 10 primeros.
Pero hay un problema, no logran superar ninguno de los dos mangas de Eiji.
Aparte Iwase, cuando ve que se le acerca a su manga, hace algo para contrarestar su semana de paginas a color, y también Eiji después.
Hacia el final de su plazo, deciden jugarsela con una sub-trama de 5 semanas.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do really love these characters. The rivalry is super fun in this volume!

[Mademoiselle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Leider kriegt mich der neue Manga von Muto Ashirogi nicht. Und bis zum letzten Drittel geht es schmerzhaft viel um Platzierungen.

[Blake the Book Eater · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh this one was just so good. I LOVED seeing them get started on their new series and seeing how passionate they are in making this one the best in every way!!

[Giulia · Rating 3 out of 5]

The second to last chapter dragged a bit, but the last one really got me excited again! I'm very curious how this will play out :)

[Bradley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Starting to get kind of tired of the story focusing on reader surveys/rankings.

[Kai · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ashirogimuto makes a new manga. It is "PCP". they will aim to win the first position using PCP. When making PCP, they think what we want to write and what genre is popular among readers. To think about what to do when we start new things, it leads to a good chance in our life.
I look forward to reading next.

[Paul Spence · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not only did the creators of Bakuman (and also Death Note previously) have to come up with the characters and story line of the actual Bakuman series, they also came up with great ideas for the fictitious series mentioned in their own series. I actually want them to create Crow and +Natural and PCP and Trap! It's simply amazing to me that they can come up with ideas that make sense for Weekly Shonen Jump while still mentioning Bleach, Naruto, Dragon Ball, and One Piece.

In volume 11 the duo of Muto Ashirogi put their careers on the line. They decide that gag manga is not their true passion, and it is even wearing Takagi out! So they risk everything to quit producing Tanto and create a new series which will hopefully rival Crow and +Natural. How will things turn out? Exciting and amazing, this is one of the best manga series I have read in my life! Jiro Taniguchi touched on the life of a manga creator in his one shot: A Zoo In Winter, but this series really shows the modern world of manga artists. A tough career where many try and most fail

[cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read Tankubon 1-11 M&C
======================
sehabis baca manga ini, saya janji GAK AKAN lagi ngomel-ngomel kalau manga/manhua/manhwa/webtoon kegemaranku karena satu dan lain hal terlambat tayang dari jadwalnya. selama ini tahu sih kalau bikin manga itu gak gampang, tapi baru sekarang sadar-sesadar-sadarnya ternyata proses membuat 16 halaman manga itu amat sangat butuh perjuangan, tetesan keringat, darah dan air mata, ditambah bakat dan tekad yang gak boleh habis. apalagi kalau sampai diserialisasi dan akan terbit per tankubon. dari mulai ide cerita, tahap penggarapan, sampai deg-degannya menerima hasil survey penerimaan dari pembaca... wuiih....

pokoknya salute to all mangakas out there! ... and their editors... and their asistants... and their family too... #angkattopi #hormatgrak

*dan meski sekarang sudah rada sulit dapat versi scanlation manga2 terbaru, tapi salute juga untuk para fans manga yang pernah jadi penyedia raw dan translator, dan yang bekerja keras dengan niat hanya untuk berbagi*

lalu.... 12 manaaaaa 12??? ^^V

[Skjam! · Rating 4 out of 5]

Moritaka Mashiro’s uncle was a one-hit manga creator whose work appeared in Weekly Shounen Jump back in the day. After the end of that series, he worked himself to death trying to come up with a new hit. Warned by this example, Moritaka has already discarded the idea of becoming a manga creator in junior high school, even though he’s a talented artist.

But one day Moritaka is tracked down by his book-smart classmate Akito Takagi, who wants to use his writing abilities to plot manga, but isn’t a good artist. Akito suggests teaming up to create comics, as sharing the load should avoid the overwork problem. He also gives Moritaka the nudge needed for the young artist to speak to his long-time crush, Miho Azuki. Turns out she returns the crush, but her ambition is to become a voice actress in anime shows.

The young teens make a pact. The boys will create a manga good enough to become an anime, and Miho will play the part of the female lead. After that, Moritaka and Miho will get married, but until then they won’t pursue an in-person relationship while concentrating on their careers. This decided, they must now learn how to become successful manga creators!

This manga series ran from 2008 to 2012 in Weekly Shounen Jump, and was rather “meta.” Several of the characters were based on actual employees of Jump, and there were frequent mentions of other manga that actually appeared in the magazine, and their creators, who always remained just off-page. The business practices were modeled after those of the real magazine, so it was a peek behind the curtain for fans and aspiring creators.

The creators of Bakuman. had previously created the hit series Death Note and continued to have excellent art and twisty plotlines where smart people try to out-think each other and the readers.

Note that the volume at hand is #11, so there will be spoilers for previous volumes in the next few paragraphs.

After having two series end early for different reasons, our creative duo is skating on thin ice with the senior editor. They have to come up with something that will compete in the popularity polls Jump runs each issue with Crow and +Natural, the two series drawn by genius creator Eiji Nizuma. The first step is complete, thinking up a solid premise, about a group of elementary school students who commit elaborate but harmless pranks.

Now it’s time to come up with character designs, names and the best title to make readers interested in the first chapter, and then in continuing to read the series. The fellows settle on Perfect Crime Party. They also welcome two new art assistants, the pretentiously arty Shuichi Moriya, and the whimsical pleaser Shun Shiratori, as well as their assistant on the previous series, Ichiriki Orihara.

The combination is a success! PCP gets the number one spot in the reader survey for its first chapter. That’s a real ego-booster, but as the weeks pass, the ranking steadily drops. Our heroes are going to need to come up with something truly special if they want to stay in the magazine!

But of course Moritaka and Akito aren’t the only manga creators out there. Aiko Iwase, the writer for +Natural, has come up with a gimmick that boosts that series’ ratings considerably. Bad boy creator Shinta Fukuda just came up with a motorcycle racing series that’s sure to attract attention. And Eiji continues to be a genius.

We also look at some creators who aren’t doing so well. Gloomy shut-in Ryu Shizuka has let his series True Human drift in a direction too fetishy for even the fans of Jump that like the sexy stuff; he’s in danger of cancellation unless his editor finds a way to kick his butt into gear. And talented but slovenly and socially inept former assistant Takuro Nakai is growing bored of farm life in his semi-voluntary exile.

The volume ends with Moritaka and Akito having come up with their big plan, with the results to be revealed in the next volume!

As I’ve noted in other reviews, “work” manga, about what a particular job is like and how to succeed at it, is an area where manga has it all over mainstream American comic books. This is a fine example of the genre, mixing realistic business practices and artistic notes with exaggerated circumstances and a soap-opera set of subplots. There’s an assortment of fun characters, and it’s good that our heroes aren’t the most naturally talented of the bunch.

One iffy part of the manga is the use of female characters. The few creators who are women are not really taken seriously as competition by the male creators, even when they probably should be. Akito has a habit of saying things that are kind of sexist, and it’s not clear if this is supposed to be a character flaw or an example of his intelligence. (One of his early speeches was toned way down in the anime adaptation, which suggests I wasn’t the only one who was uncomfortable.) And is Aiko Iwase constantly undercut by the story because she’s a woman who stands up for herself and wants to be appreciated for her brains, or simply because she’s got a personality that would turn people off even if she was a man?

Overall, this is an excellent series for manga fans who want to see what the creative process for manga is like, or who wish they too could work for Weekly Shounen Jump.

[Aca · Rating 5 out of 5]

❤

I loved the rivalry and the Ashirogi Muto's new series!

❤

[Ben Truong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bakuman: Title and Character Design continue where the previous tankobon left off and contains the next nine chapters (89–97) of the on-going manga series.

All the re-tweaking on their series was worth it. Ashirogi Muto changed the title to make it sounds cool and relevant, the main characters names are reworked and made clever, and the writing and drawing style is done differently. Usually, Akito Takagi would draw an outline for Moritaka Mashiro to follow, however this time Akito Takagi would just write the text like a story and fro Moritaka Mashiro to use his imagination to illustrate. These changes made their very first chapter number one – something even Mashiro's uncle never achieved.

However, while Ashirogi Muto are doing rather well and everyone seems happy that doesn't mean that they're not at risk at cancellation. The deal that Hisashi Sasaki, the editor-in-chief of Shonen Jump, with Akira Hattori is that he gives Ashirogi Muto six months to see if this manga could compete with Eiji Niizuma and in turn Aiko Iwase and if it is not able to compete – he will personally cancel the series himself and would never publish anything from Ashirogi Muto ever again as per the deal they made to cancel their gag manga.

After hearing this Ashirogi Muto couldn't rest on their laurels and being in earnest to make their manga stronger. They make changes in their writing and illustration styles and started to improve, but Eiji Niizuma and Aiko Iwase won't make it easy. Niizuma made a textless chapter which received great reviews, which further the gap between them, and Aiko Iwase managed to convince Eiji Niizuma to do a crossover in their series. Ashirogi Muto gambles on a longer story, instead of stories that could be ended in one or two chapters for their final six chapters – if they can't compete with Niizuma they will accept their fates, but they're fighting tooth and nail to survive.

Two characters of note are introduced in Bakuman: Title and Character Design: Shuichi Moriya and Shun Shiratori, two fellow assistant artists for Ashirogi Muto for their new manga.

Shuichi Moriya is a year younger than Ashirogi Muto and after he became a finalist in the Tezuka Award, he decided to drop out of design school and concentrate on manga, which he regards as an art form that deserves more respect. He believes that one should draw manga not to become popular, but to draw for art sake and everything else is irrelevant.

Shun Shiratori is another assistant artist to Ashirogi Muto – although nothing is known of him yet –except that he and Shuichi Moriya didn't get off to a good start. While Shiratori believes that making art for art sake is good and all, but if no one sees it what’s the point of sharing it? He believes that manga is also a commercialization of the modern art form and Shonen Jump is also a commercialized industry as well as promoting art via manga.

For the most part I really like this tankobon despite the loquaciousness of Tsugumi Ohba. I realized that he has to explain a lot of things and I am weary of cutting or editing anything out, but it just get too verbose at times. As always, I quite enjoy Takeshi Obata's art – it really brings the text to life.

All in all, Bakuman: Title and Character Design is a wonderful continuation of the on-going series. I'm really interested if the gamble that Ashirogi Muto present would turn out in their favor, which I think it would or the next nine tankobon would be a downer.

[Nisa Greennnpanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: 5 stars

Summary:
Akito Takagi aspires to be a manga writer, but he has poor drawing skills. He approaches his classmate, Moritaka Mashiro to be pair up with him into becoming manga creators. Mashiro rejects the idea at first. Takagi then convinces Mashiro when he brings them to Miho Azuki's house. Takagi tells Azuki about their dream of creating manga. Mashiro, who has a crush on Azuki, then "proposes" to marry Azuki if he is able to create a manga that will later be animated and Azuki will be the seiyuu or voice actor for the anime. The duo then set off their dream, going through many challenges and failures along the way, to create a manga that has potential to be animated.

Review (for the whole manga):
I first read this manga when it was published in a local comic magazine here in Malaysia, known as Kreko. Decided to reread again because I didn't finish the whole manga the first time (because I skipped a few volumes of the magazine, so I missed out some chapters of the manga). This manga is interesting as it shows you the "behind the scenes" of the manga industry in Japan. I have heard some people say that being a mangaka is not an easy job that will rake in money. Mangaka have to compete with many other mangaka from various publication companies. If your manga is no longer preferred by the readers, it will get dropped. All that is depicted in this manga series. Hardwork is sure the no. 1 key to success in this field. Overall, I really like this manga (plus the fact that it's created by the duo who made Death Note, Vol. 1: Boredom. ;)

[Rose Haertl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bakuman Volumes 11-15

Ohba, Tsugumi, Bakuman, Shonen Jump, 2008.

Personal Response:
My personal response on this piece was I felt it was more exciting than the previous books. The series started to pick up the pace in these books, and the characters seemed to develop more emotionally and physically. There was also an addition of new tasks the characters had to face, such as starting a new series in the magazine Shonen Jump Weekly and switching a previous series to a new magazine.

Plot:
Moritaka and Akito felt that they were not meeting their goal with their current series, “Perfect Crime Party”, so they decide to start yet another series. However, the Shonen Jump president does not agree with them ending their series of “Perfect Crime Party” and protests that they will keep their series going. They then make a deal with the Shonen Jump president to switch “Perfect Crime Party” to a monthly series instead and start a new story in the weekly series.

Characterization:
Moritaka seems to become more mature. Comparing him with his younger self he is much more confident and skillful in his work, and he is more extroverted than usual. However, the main character is still immature in some senses because he cannot work up the nerve to talk to Miho, who is the one he promised to marry once their careers take off.
Akito does not seem to change much but he is much more mature than when he was younger. He is much more humble and quiet, and he is now married to another character.

Setting:
The setting takes place in Tokyo, Japan in 2010 and future years. There was not much else described about the setting or time period. This is important to the plot because manga is something that originated in Japan exclusively and it is a big part of their culture.

Theme:
The major theme presented in these volumes is coming of age. The two boys become much more mature and confident and it helps set a more solid ground for Moritaka's goal to be achieved. The two boys become more mature by their work and push themselves into adulthood. They have new responsibilities than when they were younger and it causes them to become more adult-like and make decisions themselves, than when previously they were more reluctant to do things for themselves.

Recommendation:
I would recommend this book to anyone of middle school age or older of either gender, due to the slightly advanced reading level. This book contains elements of romance, so it may be skewed more towards female readers. This book reads right to left instead of the traditional left to right.

[Gabriel Benitez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Volví a retomar Bakuman después de algunos años, porque solo había podido aguantar hasta el tomo 11.
Realmente es un manga muy interesante (centrado en el mundo de los creadores del manga) en cuanto a que nos explican y nos dejan claro como trabaja la industria del comic japonés, pero no solo eso, sino que es una pintura también de la cultura más profunda del país y también de sus terribles dilemas. Y no es porque se trate de una crítica o una reflexión sobre su propia cultura, sino porque realmente lo que hace es reflejarla.
Desde antes del número 10, Bakuman ya se había convertido en un manga centrado en la competitividad: ¿Qué manga será el preferido esta semana?
Los personajes, luchan, se desvelan, se sacrifican, dan su máximo esfuerzo por convertirse en la historieta NÚMERO UNO de la revista. ¡Es importantísimo ser el mejor y para ello son capaces de dar su vida! (No es broma. En la realidad, el famoso autor del manga BERSERK, Kentaro Miura murió gracias al estrés por la sobresaturación de trabajo. Y no es el primero).
Cuando las cosas ya llegan a ese nivel y obras como Bakuman incluso alientan estas prácticas, la situación esta para pensarse.
Pero en sí dejé el manga porque ya me resultaba harto aburrido y repetitivo el que solo estuvieran peleando por ver quien es el mejor, dejando atrás todos aquellos puntos interesantes sobre como se desarrolla la industria. Vamos a ver que tal se pone o si mejor lo volvemos a abandonar.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great volume - I will say this volume and volume 12 have felt a bit more repetitive than the previous bits. It always feels like they are adding in new characters but these two volumes basically stick with the established characters and established formula. It still works well, and it's interesting to see a more straightforward "battle" with Eiji their rival for dominance in the rankings of Shonen Jump. But a lack of things to do for the side characters has felt a little like the series is treading water for some of the characters.

The new character Shun is a welcome addition, I like his backstory with rich indifferent parents who don't believe Manga is art. I think having an unsupportive parent who doesn't want their child to pursue the risky lifestyle of a manga artist is way more common than this series puts on. Out of all the extremely young characters, their parents are basically non-characters. So it's nice to see a bit of realism - as depressing as it is - through the lens of Shun's parents.

[Burden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bakuman has struggled to find itself at times. There have been good storylines and bad storylines. Characters that you love and characters that you wish you could forget about forever.

But I feel that bumpy patch has come to an end, and the quality of each volume has finally become more consistent. I'm enjoying every chapter and can't wait to read the next.

That being said, although Volume 11 was very good, I'm only going to score it a 4.5. If they want to get another half point, the authors are going to have to start using Miss Aoki more!

[Robert Kirwan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another amazing volume. Never fails to disappoint and the way the story is told really excites and gets the energy going. It also maintains suspense.

We're not only getting a great insight into how manga is created but the manga itself is a great story with shonen elements WITHOUT fighting. I always drift to this when in a reading slump and I'm glad I did this time as it's re-ignited the fire for reading. I have to stop myself from jumping into volume 12 straight away.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is probably one of the best volumes in the series so far. I loved the story and the romances between the two main couples are adorable.

My only problem with this volume (and the series overall) is Iwase. She’s petty, jealous, manipulative and vindictive. I absolutely cannot stand her and I just wish she’d go away already.

[Aurcoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

After a lull in volume 9, and a pensive volume 10 (that ends with quite a shocker), Volume 11 skyrockets in terms of excitement, with the story and characters making major progress. With the careers of the protagonists at stake, it brings back the uncertainty that made volumes 2 and 3 so very thrilling!

[Clayton VanLeeuwen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a sure and steady volume. It’s mainly “workin’ hard” which isn’t as bad as it sounds. I may have given it 4 stars if it wasn’t for an amazing and emotional moment that calls back to the first chapter of the series. It’s a moment that caught me by surprise and opened my eyes to the depth of this series.

[Brittany Walker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Why is Iwase so boy-hungry? Or is she just desperate? All it takes is a small compliment for her to start crushing on them and she forces herself on them. She is arrogant, jealous, impatient, overly proud, and Conceited. No one deserves to have her attracted to them.

I have high hopes for PCP, and I love that Mashiro's art is improving.

[Social_Sloth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title and Character Design. The story is getting high ratings all the way through, but it's not enough to compete with Eiji Nizuma just yet. Shujin and Mashiro/Saiko need to work harder than ever before to change the way of JUMP and making their series the best it can be.