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Bakuman [バクマン] #2
Bakuman, Volume 2: Chocolate and Akamaru
After Moritaka and Akito collaborate on a manga together, they venture to publishing house Shueisha in hopes of capturing an editor's interest. As much potential as these two rookies have, will their story impress the pros and actually get printed?
193 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
64 people are currently reading
906 people want to read
About the author
Tsugumi Ohba
364 books2,845 followersTsugumi 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 243 reviews
July 16, 2018
Surprisingly, I thought this volume was a bit better than the first one. There weren't as many sexist remarks, and even though the portrayal of female characters is still questionable, and the relationship between Moritaka and Azuki keeps being terrible and unhealthy, this particular side of the book wasn't as pronounced in volume 2, instead focusing more on the creation of manga and the inner workings of Shonen Jump magazine, which is still the best part of the series. The introduction of a quasi-villain was a really baffling move in a manga about frigging manga creation, but that's Tsugumi Ohba's writing for you. I'm not sure if I want to continue with the series at this point, but maybe if I can get the next book with a huge discount I might come back to it, because there's definitely a significant part of the story that I find fascinating and want to see develop further. To do that though, I guess I'll just have to endure all the parts that I find stupid. Oh well.
November 23, 2014
I gushed over the first volume of Bakuman for its depiction of how the creative spirit can really grab hold of you when you’re a teen, and I stand by that - I think it’s an absolutely brilliant first volume. But I think that’s all that needed to be said about the series. It almost would’ve been better as a standalone book. I don’t need to read all 20 volumes in the same way that I needed to read 42 volumes of Dragon Ball - Bakuman is fine with just the first volume by itself.
What happens in the second volume is essentially more of the same but without the impact because we’ve already seen this stuff in the first one. Mashiro and Takagi work hard at getting their work into Jump, their “nemesis”, the teen prodigy Eiji, is set up, and there’s more romance stuff with Mashiro and Azuki.
What I found inspiring about the first book was the way the two protagonists began to work together and produce art; the second is the same thing and it’s not that interesting to read. I imagine this is what the series is going to be like - seeing the two produce manga, one after the other, and I’m not at all enticed to see that.
The nemesis character is ridiculous. I mean, I realise they’re measuring themselves against him, who’s a couple years younger than them, but the rivalry feels forced. Tsugumi Ohba knows that he needs some conflict in his series so sets out to make Eiji and his editor these “evil” characters but really both could co-exist quite easily as published and popular creative teams. This whole situation feels extremely false.
The romance angle, again I get it and I liked it in the first book, but it’s still more of the same. Mashiro and Azuki are adorable and sweetly innocent but I don’t want to read 20 volumes of these two working up the nerve to hold hands. I know they’ll get there but watching an awkward teen courtship play out at a glacial pace is not exciting subject matter.
I suppose you do learn a bit more about the ins and outs of Shonen Jump and how this massively popular Japanese publication decides what stories to put in their magazines. This might be helpful to readers eager to learn about the industry but, for guys like me who have no desire to become a manga creator, it’s something I can take or leave.
(As an aside, it’s funny how Mashiro/Takagi’s editor, Hattori, looks like a human version of Ryuk, the death god from Death Note - I wonder if that’s deliberate and whether Ohba/Obata’s editor actually resembles him?)
Maybe I’m wrong and there’s more to this series, and I’m sure there are some unexpected twists and turns along the way, but I can more or less guess where it’s all headed, with the two becoming hit manga creators and marrying their beloveds. And that’s fine but, after this underwhelming second volume, I think I’m gonna stop here with Bakuman. The first book is really the only one you need to read, the others I feel are going to be more of the same, over and over, and I don’t need to see that.
What happens in the second volume is essentially more of the same but without the impact because we’ve already seen this stuff in the first one. Mashiro and Takagi work hard at getting their work into Jump, their “nemesis”, the teen prodigy Eiji, is set up, and there’s more romance stuff with Mashiro and Azuki.
What I found inspiring about the first book was the way the two protagonists began to work together and produce art; the second is the same thing and it’s not that interesting to read. I imagine this is what the series is going to be like - seeing the two produce manga, one after the other, and I’m not at all enticed to see that.
The nemesis character is ridiculous. I mean, I realise they’re measuring themselves against him, who’s a couple years younger than them, but the rivalry feels forced. Tsugumi Ohba knows that he needs some conflict in his series so sets out to make Eiji and his editor these “evil” characters but really both could co-exist quite easily as published and popular creative teams. This whole situation feels extremely false.
The romance angle, again I get it and I liked it in the first book, but it’s still more of the same. Mashiro and Azuki are adorable and sweetly innocent but I don’t want to read 20 volumes of these two working up the nerve to hold hands. I know they’ll get there but watching an awkward teen courtship play out at a glacial pace is not exciting subject matter.
I suppose you do learn a bit more about the ins and outs of Shonen Jump and how this massively popular Japanese publication decides what stories to put in their magazines. This might be helpful to readers eager to learn about the industry but, for guys like me who have no desire to become a manga creator, it’s something I can take or leave.
(As an aside, it’s funny how Mashiro/Takagi’s editor, Hattori, looks like a human version of Ryuk, the death god from Death Note - I wonder if that’s deliberate and whether Ohba/Obata’s editor actually resembles him?)
Maybe I’m wrong and there’s more to this series, and I’m sure there are some unexpected twists and turns along the way, but I can more or less guess where it’s all headed, with the two becoming hit manga creators and marrying their beloveds. And that’s fine but, after this underwhelming second volume, I think I’m gonna stop here with Bakuman. The first book is really the only one you need to read, the others I feel are going to be more of the same, over and over, and I don’t need to see that.
June 19, 2017
I'm just really really enjoying this. I can't help but give it a high rating!
March 17, 2015
I am reading a few of these volumes because I just finished the five volumes of I'll Give It My All Tomorrow, the sweet wannabe mangaka story of someone who is trying to figure himself out at 42. I like that series a lot. This is 20 volumes (more?) and for a somewhat younger audience, maybe, but it also focuses on the real struggles with manga-making, the business, editors, the competition, philosophical decisions about mainstream or edgy styles, and in this one, which is the two artists just graduating from middle school and already on the edge of fame (? in middle school?!), the struggle about girls and school work is also present and interesting. I like it a lot and its useful for background in making comics, as I also teach this stuff…
Reread for my spring 2015 GN class, and I liked it again. Some of the competition ramps up. Nothing huge happens here, and some of the competitions/rivals are silly, but it is just getting going.
Reread for my spring 2015 GN class, and I liked it again. Some of the competition ramps up. Nothing huge happens here, and some of the competitions/rivals are silly, but it is just getting going.
June 9, 2017
i read the first volume two year's ago. it was the time i was starting learning how to draw and i was interested to make web comic's. but the same year was my last year of collage so i was doing the project thing . so i side trucked from reading the series. but now i picked from where left, it just enjoyable as before. i already had the 20 volumes so i always wanted to read it but this night was the night. and i hope i won't be destructed by anything. my goal to finish the whole 20 in two days inshallah. and i know i didn't mention anything about the manga. its about two famous manga creators. i won't say a writers cause one is a writer and the other one is the artist. I'm sure you heard the Death Note. they made that one. this manga series it's about how they started all this manga thing
February 11, 2020
I read the first volume years ago and enjoyed it. I finally decided to get back into it after recently reading their Death note one shot because I enjoyed it so much. So how was it?
Well the good news is it is super easy to jump back in to it. So last we heard the boys got accepted for their story. But not in Jump, they need to prove themselves more. So in doing so they begin to change their style of both writing AND art. At the same time we get a much bigger picture on how the insides of Jump magazine work. Especially the editor side which is pretty great, how they learn what is popular, and how a series stays in print.
This series is extremely enjoyable when it comes to learning about the inner workings of Manga, how it is created, and the business side. It also helps that the two main leads are very different yet work so well together. One is more outgoing and fun, but also determined, the other is calculated and also determined. Which together they push each other well.
While the ending is interesting and I'm curious where the two will go next, the love plot is still probably the weakest part. I just don't care much for it, even if it has its moments. However, the main focus is Manga creating, and it is well done. So I'll for sure keep reading this one!
Well the good news is it is super easy to jump back in to it. So last we heard the boys got accepted for their story. But not in Jump, they need to prove themselves more. So in doing so they begin to change their style of both writing AND art. At the same time we get a much bigger picture on how the insides of Jump magazine work. Especially the editor side which is pretty great, how they learn what is popular, and how a series stays in print.
This series is extremely enjoyable when it comes to learning about the inner workings of Manga, how it is created, and the business side. It also helps that the two main leads are very different yet work so well together. One is more outgoing and fun, but also determined, the other is calculated and also determined. Which together they push each other well.
While the ending is interesting and I'm curious where the two will go next, the love plot is still probably the weakest part. I just don't care much for it, even if it has its moments. However, the main focus is Manga creating, and it is well done. So I'll for sure keep reading this one!
November 6, 2016
Semangat! Seri kedua terasa sekali perjuangan Saikou dan Shuujin untuk menembus dunia Manga. Banyak informasi terkait dunia komikus dan penerbitan. Saya kurang tahu dengan komik karya anak negeri, kalau memang ada, apakah prosesnya sama seperti di Jepang? Rasanya sangat ketat dan sarat dengan persaingan, tak hanya pembuat karya tapi juga para editornya. Meski tampangnya seperti orang culun dan mengantuk, tapi saya suka karakter si editor, Akira Hattori.
“Nggak ada artinya dibuat sebagai manga tanpa usaha untuk menggerakkan cerita lewat gambar dan karakterisasi. Narasinya terlalu panjang, kalimat-kalimatnya pun cenderung berfungsi sebagai penjelasan. Tapi dengan gaya seperti ini, ceritamu jauh lebih cocok disebut novel, bukan manga.” (Masukan Hatori untuk Suujin)
Bakuman Vol. 2 benar-benar memacu adrenalin dan ikut bersemangat melihat perjuangan kedua remaja ini. Kerja ngebut berbuah hasil dengan dimuatnya komik mereka di Akamura, tapi perjuangan meski berlanjut dengan pesaing utamanya mereka tetap, Eiji Niizuma, komikus 15 tahun yang melibatkan jiwanya setiap kali membuat karya.
“Aku bisa terima kalau penyesalan itu timbul setelah aku gagal. Tapi aku nggak mau menyesal karena nggak berusaha sedikit pun untuk mengejar impian itu.” Suujin
“Nggak ada artinya dibuat sebagai manga tanpa usaha untuk menggerakkan cerita lewat gambar dan karakterisasi. Narasinya terlalu panjang, kalimat-kalimatnya pun cenderung berfungsi sebagai penjelasan. Tapi dengan gaya seperti ini, ceritamu jauh lebih cocok disebut novel, bukan manga.” (Masukan Hatori untuk Suujin)
Bakuman Vol. 2 benar-benar memacu adrenalin dan ikut bersemangat melihat perjuangan kedua remaja ini. Kerja ngebut berbuah hasil dengan dimuatnya komik mereka di Akamura, tapi perjuangan meski berlanjut dengan pesaing utamanya mereka tetap, Eiji Niizuma, komikus 15 tahun yang melibatkan jiwanya setiap kali membuat karya.
“Aku bisa terima kalau penyesalan itu timbul setelah aku gagal. Tapi aku nggak mau menyesal karena nggak berusaha sedikit pun untuk mengejar impian itu.” Suujin
August 6, 2015
So much happened in this volume! It is only the second one, but already the characters have progressed so much. It takes me longer to read these than most manga, because of the increased amounts of text and the slower pace, but I definitely do not mind as I get to savor Takeshi Obata and Taugumi Ohba's wonderful work!
Read this for #BOOKTUBEATHON
Read this for #BOOKTUBEATHON
February 23, 2016
This review will be mainly focused on this book's misogyny. That's not to say that this was a bad volume, but the misogyny is the only thing that's different about this book than the last one. If you want an explanation of all the ways that this series is wonderful and amazing, look no further than here.
Alright, so to be clear: I enjoyed this volume. It was excellently translated, the characters are very realistic, the story is surprisingly suspenseful and interesting, and the artwork, while a bit sub-par, was very good. I recommend it just as much as the first one.
But I feel like I've already explained that, y'know? The only thing that changed here was the misogyny, which was not much better than in the first volume, but at least it was different. So I'll focus on that.
It's pretty clear that Ohba's editors told him to stop being such a misogynist here. That's great - he has good editors. Problem is, he had no idea how to do that. The simple fact is, Ohba is entirely clueless when it comes to writing women and girls. He's demonstrated it over and over. And so when he tries to be no longer misogynistic, it just makes me even more mad.
Alright, here's the thing: Kaya hits Tagaki in this one. A lot. Basically whenever she's mad. And Tagaki makes it clear that it hurts him a lot. This is a pretty common double standard in the media: it's okay for girls to hit boys, but it's not okay for boys to hit girls. Which honestly says a lot about how we view genders. And no, I'm not going to be one of those people that says, "Men are considered the less-worthy gender now because of evil Femi-Nazis!" Those people are stupid. But there's a difference between that and recognizing a legitimate and concerning double standard. And it's not just that it says that it's okay to hit boys - is this really how we see girls? That when a girl hits a boy, it's no big deal, because there's no possible way she's actually hurting him? Because that's not progress. This is an extension of the same double standards we've seen in past centuries about women being weaker than men.
But much worse than this is what it says to boys. It says that when a girl hits a boy, it's okay. That he's weak if he's concerned by it. That it's normal.
Is this really the message that we want to send? That abuse, of any kind, is okay and normal?
And, that's not even the only misogynistic thing that makes its way into the manga. It's like Ohba can't imagine girls thinking about anything at all except romance - it's literally all they ever talk about, all they ever think about. This climaxes in the stupidest love triangle ever: Tagaki seems to have accidentally made both Kaya and Iwase think that he's going out with them. Even though he didn't mean to say that to either one. Because they think about romance so much, they see it in everything. See? See? Aren't girls silly that way? Isn't it funny how much romance they see, and how intolerant of boys they are when boys don't see the same romance?
Gah. This series is very good. But it makes me angry sometimes.
I think it speaks wonders as to how phenomenal the series is that I continue to read and enjoy it, even though it's so incredibly misogynistic. I almost never put up with this kind of thing, but the story here is just so fascinating that I can't help it. I feel shame. I am a terrible person. I have given into temptation. Dear lord, save my soul, as soon as I finish with the next eighteen volumes.
Seriously, I should be cast off from everyone for putting up with this shit. But I can't help it.
Alright, so to be clear: I enjoyed this volume. It was excellently translated, the characters are very realistic, the story is surprisingly suspenseful and interesting, and the artwork, while a bit sub-par, was very good. I recommend it just as much as the first one.
But I feel like I've already explained that, y'know? The only thing that changed here was the misogyny, which was not much better than in the first volume, but at least it was different. So I'll focus on that.
It's pretty clear that Ohba's editors told him to stop being such a misogynist here. That's great - he has good editors. Problem is, he had no idea how to do that. The simple fact is, Ohba is entirely clueless when it comes to writing women and girls. He's demonstrated it over and over. And so when he tries to be no longer misogynistic, it just makes me even more mad.
Alright, here's the thing: Kaya hits Tagaki in this one. A lot. Basically whenever she's mad. And Tagaki makes it clear that it hurts him a lot. This is a pretty common double standard in the media: it's okay for girls to hit boys, but it's not okay for boys to hit girls. Which honestly says a lot about how we view genders. And no, I'm not going to be one of those people that says, "Men are considered the less-worthy gender now because of evil Femi-Nazis!" Those people are stupid. But there's a difference between that and recognizing a legitimate and concerning double standard. And it's not just that it says that it's okay to hit boys - is this really how we see girls? That when a girl hits a boy, it's no big deal, because there's no possible way she's actually hurting him? Because that's not progress. This is an extension of the same double standards we've seen in past centuries about women being weaker than men.
But much worse than this is what it says to boys. It says that when a girl hits a boy, it's okay. That he's weak if he's concerned by it. That it's normal.
Is this really the message that we want to send? That abuse, of any kind, is okay and normal?
And, that's not even the only misogynistic thing that makes its way into the manga. It's like Ohba can't imagine girls thinking about anything at all except romance - it's literally all they ever talk about, all they ever think about. This climaxes in the stupidest love triangle ever: Tagaki seems to have accidentally made both Kaya and Iwase think that he's going out with them. Even though he didn't mean to say that to either one. Because they think about romance so much, they see it in everything. See? See? Aren't girls silly that way? Isn't it funny how much romance they see, and how intolerant of boys they are when boys don't see the same romance?
Gah. This series is very good. But it makes me angry sometimes.
I think it speaks wonders as to how phenomenal the series is that I continue to read and enjoy it, even though it's so incredibly misogynistic. I almost never put up with this kind of thing, but the story here is just so fascinating that I can't help it. I feel shame. I am a terrible person. I have given into temptation. Dear lord, save my soul, as soon as I finish with the next eighteen volumes.
Seriously, I should be cast off from everyone for putting up with this shit. But I can't help it.
March 11, 2020
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.
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.
September 4, 2020
finally i've reached the end of volume 2!
honestly, mashiro and azuki are still very boring to me. the rivalry with nizuma has been the best so far and it has fuelled their ambition in a more rational way (to me at least.) i'm curious about hattori since it looks like he also has beef with nizuma's editor, but his professionalism does not allow him to let high-schoolers get serialised at jump. he's made a far more interesting character than i expected.
as always, the information on the manga publishing world is the highlight of this for me. the story has started to move forward more dynamically. i'm excited to go on reading.
honestly, mashiro and azuki are still very boring to me. the rivalry with nizuma has been the best so far and it has fuelled their ambition in a more rational way (to me at least.) i'm curious about hattori since it looks like he also has beef with nizuma's editor, but his professionalism does not allow him to let high-schoolers get serialised at jump. he's made a far more interesting character than i expected.
as always, the information on the manga publishing world is the highlight of this for me. the story has started to move forward more dynamically. i'm excited to go on reading.
February 10, 2020
I LOVED this volume!! I was so invested from start to finish. It definitely helped that I read this in one sitting. I was totally engrossed and literally felt the emotions that the main characters were going through. Ups, downs, excitement and worry!!! I’m in this for the long haul.
I still don’t buy the romance between Moritaka and Miho but meh, I can get over it for the gorgeous art and fantastic characters!!!
I still don’t buy the romance between Moritaka and Miho but meh, I can get over it for the gorgeous art and fantastic characters!!!
May 10, 2024
Muy bueno
May 1, 2025
Großartige Story, tolle Zeichnungen, aber schrecklicher Lesefluss.
April 3, 2015
Volume two feels a bit like more of the same from volume one. A nemesis is set up in a rival high school manga creator and his editor and the romances of the two main characters are further developed, if you can even call it that between Mashiro and Azuki. The boys experience more success in volume two but Mashiro reaches ever higher.
I'm enjoying the story, though it moved quite slow in this volume. For someone brand new to manga it's interesting and helpful to read about how it's created and published.
I'm enjoying the story, though it moved quite slow in this volume. For someone brand new to manga it's interesting and helpful to read about how it's created and published.
November 6, 2022
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!!!
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!!!
September 28, 2023
Manga is amazing. 👍🏻 Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata are amazing! The art is amazing I TOOK A LOT OF PICTURES TO GO BACK TO AND STUDY and story seems straightforward but I CAN SEE THROUGH HIS BRAIN! YOU PUT A LOT OF THOUGHT INTO THIS MANGA! KEEP GOING! 😼🫵🏻 SISTER THE CROCHET BAG IS COMING RIGHT YOUR WAY GET ME THE NEXT VOLUMES! 🏡 🏃🏻♀️ 💼
January 10, 2021
Quiero que estos chicos cumplan sus sueñooooos! Pero la historia de "" amor"" me chirría un poco, no se si es por la cultura japonesa o porque no tiene ni pies ni cabeza, pero tengo curiosidad a como avanza todo.
April 26, 2017
Esto cada vez se pone más interesante... ¡Me voy a poner YA con el tercero!
January 29, 2018
Cada vez más emocionante!!
March 20, 2018
I still don’t know how I feel about this manga series about creating manga. On the one hand, it can be interesting when Moritaka and Akito meet with their editor and go over their game plan for making it big in the manga biz. On the other, brainstorming their next project and the creative process just isn’t all that interesting. Throw in a very awkward romance, and I’m still undecided about this series.
The guys get a lucky break when they have a meeting with Akira Hattori, an editor at Jump. He critiques their first submission effort, and gives them some hard truths, along with some constructive criticism. Hattori is impressed with how advanced their work is, and he doesn’t want them submitting to another magazine. So he gives them pointers for their next project, gives them his contact info, and tells them to call him when they have something else to show him. Dejected and exhilarated at the same time, Moritaka and Akito head back to the studio and get down to work.
Parts of this series I like, and parts of it I don’t have a lot of patience for. I find the mutually non-communicative relationship between Moritaka and Miho annoying. They don’t talk to each other, even though they sit next to each other, they refuse to see each other outside of school, and they don’t even call / text each other (until later in the volume), but they have agreed to get married after they attain their dreams. Ugh. What are they going to do if they do get married? Stare at each other over the dinner table, never uttering a word? Kaya has it right when she continually tries to get them to get to know each other better.
Speaking of Kaya, I like her relationship with Akito. Akito will argue that they aren’t really dating, but her persistent overtures toward Akito are earning her the reward of a friendship with him. Even though he doesn’t want a girlfriend, and doesn’t want to date, he still makes time for her and slowly begins to think of her as a friend. Between Moritaka and Akito, Akito is my favorite character, by far.
We meet Eiji Nizuma in this volume, and the manga prodigy is something else. He is super self-confident, knows he will have the number one ranked manga, and has declared that once that happens, he will have a say in which series is canceled in the magazine. Not wanting talent like his to slip away, the editor in chief gives him a reluctant “we’ll see,” so I can see that causing havoc for Moritaka and Akito in the future.
Grade: 3.25 stars
The guys get a lucky break when they have a meeting with Akira Hattori, an editor at Jump. He critiques their first submission effort, and gives them some hard truths, along with some constructive criticism. Hattori is impressed with how advanced their work is, and he doesn’t want them submitting to another magazine. So he gives them pointers for their next project, gives them his contact info, and tells them to call him when they have something else to show him. Dejected and exhilarated at the same time, Moritaka and Akito head back to the studio and get down to work.
Parts of this series I like, and parts of it I don’t have a lot of patience for. I find the mutually non-communicative relationship between Moritaka and Miho annoying. They don’t talk to each other, even though they sit next to each other, they refuse to see each other outside of school, and they don’t even call / text each other (until later in the volume), but they have agreed to get married after they attain their dreams. Ugh. What are they going to do if they do get married? Stare at each other over the dinner table, never uttering a word? Kaya has it right when she continually tries to get them to get to know each other better.
Speaking of Kaya, I like her relationship with Akito. Akito will argue that they aren’t really dating, but her persistent overtures toward Akito are earning her the reward of a friendship with him. Even though he doesn’t want a girlfriend, and doesn’t want to date, he still makes time for her and slowly begins to think of her as a friend. Between Moritaka and Akito, Akito is my favorite character, by far.
We meet Eiji Nizuma in this volume, and the manga prodigy is something else. He is super self-confident, knows he will have the number one ranked manga, and has declared that once that happens, he will have a say in which series is canceled in the magazine. Not wanting talent like his to slip away, the editor in chief gives him a reluctant “we’ll see,” so I can see that causing havoc for Moritaka and Akito in the future.
Grade: 3.25 stars
February 4, 2020
Great going.
December 16, 2022
I really like their editor and am glad that he’s genuinely helpful and not an obstacle for the boys. I’m getting really invested in them both succeeding at their dream!!
June 13, 2019
Seneng banget kalau ada komiknya mengulas dunia perbukuan gini. Lewat seri ini, kita jadi tau pelik dan rumitnya dunia perekonomian di Jepang yang bahkan sampai jadi sebuah industri. Bahkan ada penghargaan bulanan untuk mangaka pemula yg istimewa.
Hanya saja menurut saya karakterisasi dan penggambaran sosoknya terlalu dewasa untuk usia kelas 3 SMP. Ga tau saya, mungkin memang di Jepang para remajanya udah dewasa gini.
Hanya saja menurut saya karakterisasi dan penggambaran sosoknya terlalu dewasa untuk usia kelas 3 SMP. Ga tau saya, mungkin memang di Jepang para remajanya udah dewasa gini.
October 8, 2019
I liked when Takagi and Mashiro lived and died by the result of the Tezuka award and Akamaru.
They showed theirs expression a lot!! That’s why I like this manga. The reader can know how much Takagi and Mashiro made an effort in making their manga, so we take encouragement from them.
After I started reading this manga, I started thinking about what I want to do in the future. This manga really encouraged me to do things that I want to do. I am looking forward to reading the next volume.
They showed theirs expression a lot!! That’s why I like this manga. The reader can know how much Takagi and Mashiro made an effort in making their manga, so we take encouragement from them.
After I started reading this manga, I started thinking about what I want to do in the future. This manga really encouraged me to do things that I want to do. I am looking forward to reading the next volume.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 9, 2019
Most of the scenes the boys were more into making manga.
I felt weird to see the characters drawing manga on manga book at first, but the drawing was very detailed and realistic and got used to it.
The actual products were everywhere in their manga studio like I watching a portrait!
I realized that I like the background drawing than character’s appearance.
I felt weird to see the characters drawing manga on manga book at first, but the drawing was very detailed and realistic and got used to it.
The actual products were everywhere in their manga studio like I watching a portrait!
I realized that I like the background drawing than character’s appearance.
September 13, 2018
Oh man, what was that? Where I still tried to apply cultural relativism in volume 1 (see my review here: Review of Bakuman Vol. 1 ) and gave the whole manga the benefit of the doubt of a first volume, I was completely turned off by the two main characters' behavior in this second volume, which is just downright weird and highly unlikeable.
First of, what peeves me even more than the questionable attitudes towards women is their extrinsic motivation for creating in general. I'm a photographer, so I get the creative side of this story and it was the reason I picked up "Bakuman" in the first place. So why do those guys want to become mangaka?
Well, Akito just wants to be famous (and get girls as a result) and Moritaka has this weird (insane) deal with the girl of his dreams (who he has only talked to once in his life - over the intercom) that if he gets famous they will get married. And that's his ONLY motivation to create. Forget about the complete lunacy of this plan, as a person working in an artistic field I have no sympathy for someone entering a creative profession for something that is NOT intrinsic to begin with. It makes me want them to fail more than to succeed (yes, that's the worst part of me talking). Actually I like the character of their nemesis much more (that's another case in point: He is super nice to them and they treat him like an archenemy), since this guy creates because he feels the need to and he couldn't do it any other way.
Then this whole strategy of trying to analyze the market and coming up with a manga that makes them successful. Blech. I'm sure this part of the plot is set up to backfire, but I just can't root for someone who's already selling out so early on in their career. We'll see what happens in volume 3 (because despite this huge rant I was stupid enough to buy the five volume box set. Lesson learned).
Now for the women / girls in this manga. Jeez, where to begin? First of all: I would have preferred this manga to be a complete sausage party. Honestly. If there hadn't been any women in it I would have been able to enjoy it so much more. The puritan ideal of what a woman should be like shines through all the time. Which brings me to the question: Have the mangaka of Bakuman ever talked to a woman? Or met one? Except for Mommy?
I started to like Akito's girlfriend a little (despite her unnecessary and terrible inclination towards violence, sure beat up your boyfriend, is this the authors' idea of a strong woman?), but then they made her say that she has given up karate for good and that she wants to do something more girly with her life. Steam. Coming. Out. Of. My. Ears.
Plus: Why is Akito even dating her? Or she him? It seems they don't even like each other, was this just availability? I can't even start.
I also won't comment on the just deeply insane and disturbing plan Moritaka cooked up with his beloved (again: Does he really love her or is this just a weird obsession? I can't stress this enough: He doesn't even know her!), Akito keeps on pointing out how romantic that is, but I just see a pathologically shy couple acting in a way that should actually put them on a good therapist's couch.
So, as you can see, where I was still benevolent in volume 1, this has turned completely sour for me. I will struggle through the next volumes because I bought them already and I want to see if I'm right about my assessments of the two main characters.
Rant over.
First of, what peeves me even more than the questionable attitudes towards women is their extrinsic motivation for creating in general. I'm a photographer, so I get the creative side of this story and it was the reason I picked up "Bakuman" in the first place. So why do those guys want to become mangaka?
Well, Akito just wants to be famous (and get girls as a result) and Moritaka has this weird (insane) deal with the girl of his dreams (who he has only talked to once in his life - over the intercom) that if he gets famous they will get married. And that's his ONLY motivation to create. Forget about the complete lunacy of this plan, as a person working in an artistic field I have no sympathy for someone entering a creative profession for something that is NOT intrinsic to begin with. It makes me want them to fail more than to succeed (yes, that's the worst part of me talking). Actually I like the character of their nemesis much more (that's another case in point: He is super nice to them and they treat him like an archenemy), since this guy creates because he feels the need to and he couldn't do it any other way.
Then this whole strategy of trying to analyze the market and coming up with a manga that makes them successful. Blech. I'm sure this part of the plot is set up to backfire, but I just can't root for someone who's already selling out so early on in their career. We'll see what happens in volume 3 (because despite this huge rant I was stupid enough to buy the five volume box set. Lesson learned).
Now for the women / girls in this manga. Jeez, where to begin? First of all: I would have preferred this manga to be a complete sausage party. Honestly. If there hadn't been any women in it I would have been able to enjoy it so much more. The puritan ideal of what a woman should be like shines through all the time. Which brings me to the question: Have the mangaka of Bakuman ever talked to a woman? Or met one? Except for Mommy?
I started to like Akito's girlfriend a little (despite her unnecessary and terrible inclination towards violence, sure beat up your boyfriend, is this the authors' idea of a strong woman?), but then they made her say that she has given up karate for good and that she wants to do something more girly with her life. Steam. Coming. Out. Of. My. Ears.
Plus: Why is Akito even dating her? Or she him? It seems they don't even like each other, was this just availability? I can't even start.
I also won't comment on the just deeply insane and disturbing plan Moritaka cooked up with his beloved (again: Does he really love her or is this just a weird obsession? I can't stress this enough: He doesn't even know her!), Akito keeps on pointing out how romantic that is, but I just see a pathologically shy couple acting in a way that should actually put them on a good therapist's couch.
So, as you can see, where I was still benevolent in volume 1, this has turned completely sour for me. I will struggle through the next volumes because I bought them already and I want to see if I'm right about my assessments of the two main characters.
Rant over.
August 28, 2018
It's weird reading this, because I am interested in the subject matter and the art is excellent, but I simply cannot make myself find this anything but boring.
July 21, 2018
In this Volume, the scenes of how they're getting the debut on the JUMP. For me, it was so good but a little bit strange. The reason why I felt like that is the speed of they got the debut. How could they get the debut so easily? But it is kinda Shone Manga, so it doesn't matter and so do I. Totally I liked it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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