Bakuman: Picked Up and Season 1 Review

So a year or so back I remember being bored and since I was up to date I figured I'd just pick up another manga to read. Randomly clicking I stumbled upon Bakuman by chance, initially expecting a completely different storyline. After reading a few chapters I decided that it wasn't for me until a friend recommended that I watch the anime because he had fallen in love with it. So I reluctantly gave it a try and ended up watching the first 14 episodes in one night! I don't what it was but the anime appealed to me much more than I remember the manga doing so and that's why I've decided to pick it up. Depending on my mood I might pick up the manga at a later date if I am truly impatient but for the time being I'll be reviewing the anime only.

So here's the first season review:

Season 1 Recap:

So Moritaka (more commonly referred to as Saiko) is almost coerced in partnering up with Akito (or Shujin) to become manga artists whilst dealing with complicated love lifes, family histories and schoolwork. The pair decide to follow their dream of being published in Weekly Shonen Jack (yes that is meant to be the anime version of Weekly Shonen Jump), and so they embark on the rough road ahead of them of getting a manga serialised in the magazine. Their first try, a story about two worlds impresses their editor Hatorri but it's not quite a manga rather it's resembles a light novel more than it resembles a manga. Hatorri still thinks it's good and so he decides to enter it into the monthly prize but unfortunately it doesn't quite make it into the finals and just at around that point, the duo realise there is another aspiring manga artist winning all the awards and here's the catch: he's only one year older than them (Eijii).

Knowing that Eijii is garnering some serious buzz and respect from the manga community by winning the monthly manga awards, the duo push forward with a second manga idea which they intend to enter as well. They slave away and manage to impress Hatorri once again and on his recommendation submit the pice, which makes it to the final 8. They miss out on the prize once again because the main character of their manga is not "the usual" meaning he doesn't resemble someone like Naruto, Ichigo or Luffy but rather looks like a much more normal guy.

They try various methods to create a more appealing character but are unable to do so! This causes them to create a manga with a very unique story to be entered into the the Next manga issue (an issue for aspiring new mangaka) and this time they achieve 3rd place. Saiko, being fed up with not advancing fast enough coupled with his fear of losing Miho (the love of his life) decides they need to create a mainstream battle manga; something their editor doesn't approve of at all but is willing to give them a chance. They try with one based on an angel but unfortunately they can get it into the annual competition or the summer edition of Next which doesn't discourage them because all of the editorial staff at the Jack is excited about the duo and are anxious to see them serialised.

So they break for the summer to try and come up with an idea for their battle manga: - Saiko goes to work for Eiji (who displays great respect for him and Shujin because of their stories having great depth) in order to gain some more experience from a true genius. While working he befriends the other two assistants who are aspiring to be mangaka before leaving a few weeks before the end of summer because of a burst of inspiration. At the end of the summer even though the duo are on the same wavelength they break up only to get back together and start writing a detective manga!

Through more gruelling work and strict time limits imposed by Hatorri as a condition to be serialised if the manga is good enough, the pair manage to get the manga done and are officially accepted into the "Future Golden Cup." However the competition heats up when Nakai, Fukuda and the duo get positive reviews, eventually leading to a tie between them and Fukuda which now means that these two teams submit their works for serialisation.

And what happens next Saiko and Shujein are given the green light for their manga "Detective Trap" and are also given a new director! And now we wait for season 2.

Why I like it:

There's no doubt the plot is well written as I would expect from the authors of Death Note, but the anime is what really magnifies the plot. The comedy, the emotion and the eccentricities of certain characters like Eijii are what make the anime so fun to watch! The anime has achieved an almost perfect balance between all of these aspects which is rarely seen. On top of that, it's very relatable to anyone trying to get published and anyone who's working towards a goal or trying to break into certain inudstries.

In short, I am glad I watched this anime and cannot wait for the arrival of season 2 in just a matter of days!