I was a few month ago when I bought the last volumn of Bakuman. I didn't feel so excited. I just thought that I had to buy it to complete this series. Reading this volumn didn't make me feel any better. It was just the same old pattern with the expected happy ending.
Today, I re-read the first two volumns of the series. They was so engaging that I forgot to study for the exam tomorrow. This series had a really strong start. A manga about manga, a close look into the industry, a realistic plot,.. everything was novel and brilliant. I didn't recall that it was this good. I finally realize that the following volumns, especially those last ones, went down a lot compared to its strong start. Some arcs were too long and somehow ridiculous, even repetitous at some points.
However, I still strongly believe that Bakuman is a good manga. Not only did it bring you enjoyment but also a deep knowledge about manga industry.

Greatest piece of story-telling ever created. It may be an exaggeration for lots of people, but no matter what I read, what I watch, nothing captivates me to the same extent that Bakuman. does. To those of you who find aspects boring, I understand that it requires patience and I understand that there are parts that are repetitive... name any Shonen manga in which there aren't, but the only time you'll be wasting on this masterpiece, is the time taken when flicking from one page to the next. This is more than a ten. This is the kind of story other Mangakas aspire to.

Textualpoacher brings valid arguments to the table. What sells most isn't always the best, and winning in literature is something that simply does not exist. But I also think that manga is a different battlefield compared to regular literature. While it doesn't exist the struggle to compete when you are writing a story, it can be different when every week is a matter of keep working or getting fired.
But that isn't the focal point of the story. The focal point of the story is the hardwork, the dedication, the grind to get the job done. I like Bakuman because it shows you that it's not all fun and games. Those two guys struggled, worked plenty of hours a week and it payed off. It was very interesting to see how the industry works and what goes into creating a manga, there were plenty of things I didn't know. The thought process was also interesting.
The only fault in Bakuman is the romance department. That was one of the worst couples I've ever seen and totally irrealistic. Azuki Miho was probably one of the most apathic females I've ever seen in manga and she brought the quality of the story down. We hardly ever saw her or knew anything about her and we were supposed to care?
Overall a very solid work despite its minor flaws that is meant to inspire others, I recommend it highly!

I think that Bakuman was great and incomparable to Ohba x Obata's other works, namely Death Note. It's refreshing, inspirational and not too dramatic. It's well-paced and not too cliche though it can be repetitive sometimes. It's not your typical shounen. The romance may be boring and unrealistic for most but the story makes up for it(IMO).
Also, I know that each and everyone of us is entitled to their own opinion. But I think that calling any work, in which someone put blood and sweat to make, crap or worthless is very rude. Empathy is much appreciated. I don't really have anything against you guys so don't kill me, alright? Peace!

I have to say, when I first looked this up... I didn't think I'd like it. I was totally hooked after the first chapter. I think it's really interesting to tell the story of mangakas', and I honestly want to know what's going to happen!

Recommended. I can see there are some haters... but every series has to have a few.

After the success of Death Note both Obha and Obata wanted to do something with more comedy.
Guess this is the outcome.
I don't think it's bad. It's a perfekt slice-of-life about what goes on behind the scenes. We can see how every mangaka is working the hardest to make their series a hit. It's really a tiring work and even if you do your best it's still not a guarantee that it will become popular.
So I think this piece is very interesting. The artwork is good and feels real. I like this!

Well, I guess people expect a lot from this duo after Death Note but I honestly think you shouldn't compare these 2 manga as their genres are different. Though truth be told, when it comes to characters and story-telling, Bakuman is rather weak compared to Death Note. I really really really dislike Light in Death Note but I think he left a much stronger impression on others than Mashiro. I think Mashiro is quite plain for a protagonist. His girl friend, Azuki, too. I like Takagi but at the same time, I think supporting characters are more interesting than him and especially Mashiro. Like Eiji, Fukuda, Hiramaru, Aoki or even Nakai.

Anyways, I really enjoy reading this manga. It gives lots of information about the manga industry which I find interesting. After reading this, I think I respect mangakas more than before. Imo, there're things which the author can't tell us but nonetheless, this manga is still worth reading. Aside from weak main characters, I have other complaints for this manga. First is the art. It's worse in later volumes but even in early volumes, I found nothing special about the art. How should I say it? I don't think the art portrays the characters well. Secondly, sometimes, Bakuman is too wordy. Though I guess this can't be helped given what kind of manga Bakuman is.

I give this a 7.

... Last updated on September 28th, 2011, 11:34am

To be truthful; this series isn't amazing or whatever but I find it quite baffling how people would compare or expect something like DeathNote. Authors aren't one-trick-ponies that can only do one kind of thing and I think this story is quite good. Maybe the romance at the start and the motivations of Saiko is a bit unrealistic but the stress from dropping in ranks, being unmotivated etc are very real and I find myself relating to them a lot because I go through the similar stuff when I go to Art School.

It's definitely something for people who are more interested in the manga industry etc so I guess it has a much smaller target audience than DeathNote but it doesn't make it bad. Give it a try if you're interested in making comics. It also gives you a new way of approaching Shounen Jump series' and how the authors work and under what conditions they create they're stories.

7/10 Rating with +1 for the new insight about JUMP
8/10 Overall

I had been putting off rating and commentig on this because it wasn't far enough in yet...and then I ran into a really good part and could't tair myself away. But I have to say around chapter 65 to about 85 things were dragged out and it took all of my concentration not to give up on it. I almost lost hope. But things got much better around 85. I am glad I tuffed it out. though I can see were those chapter help move the story and made it a bit more realistic...it was a little infuriating and dry. Right now I am going to rate this an 8 but I will update it when I get futher along.
I have to say for the art though its amazing as usual for Takeshi Obota. ^^ (I think I became a huge fan because of Death Note and I have read most of Obota's works since then.
The story itself is interesting and is better (in my opinion) of other mangas that are about drawing manga.

this is one of the very few series that i'm following (along with One Piece and Kimi ni Todoke) and i have to say, i absolutely love this authors work. his art is incredibly good as it suits my style. i think the main reason why i enjoy this series is because i'm interested in drawing myself, and this manga is, after all, about drawing and stuff~