Bakuman.

Description

From Viz:
Average student Moritaka Mashiro enjoys drawing for fun. When his classmate and aspiring writer Akito Takagi discovers his talent, he begs Moritaka to team up with him as a manga-creating duo. But what exactly does it take to make it in the manga-publishing world?

Read for free on Manga Plus

Note: Nominated for the 3rd Manga Taisho Award (2010).

Type

Manga

Related Series

Otter No. 11 (Spin-Off)

Bakuman Bangai-hen (Sequel)

Associated Names

Baku-man

Bakuman

Bakuman - Giấc mơ họa sĩ truyện tranh

Bakuman。

Бакуман.

बाकुमान

วัยซนคนการ์ตูน

バクマン。

爆漫-夢與現實 Baku Man

爆漫王。

食夢者

食梦者

바쿠만

Groups Scanlating

Latest Release(s)

c.176 by MANGA Plus 3 years ago

c.175 by MANGA Plus 3 years ago

c.174 by MANGA Plus 3 years ago

Search for all releases of this series

Status in Country of Origin

20 Volumes (Complete)
12 Volumes (Bunkoban, 2017, Complete)

Completely Scanlated?

Yes

Anime Start/End Chapter

Starts at Vol 1, Chap 1 (S1) / Vol 4, Chap 35 (S2) / Vol 11, Chap 98 (S3)

Ends at Vol 4, Chap 35 (S1) / Vol 11, Chap 97 (S2) / Vol 20, Chap 176 (S3)

User Reviews

Bakuman by Mangaka714

Forum

61 topics, 493 posts

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User Rating

Average: 8.5 / 10.0 (2611 votes)

Bayesian Average: 8.48 / 10.0

29%

25%

12%

Last Updated

July 14th, 2024 8:37pm PDT - 10 months ago

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Genre

Comedy Drama Romance School Life Shounen Slice of Life
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Categories

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Category Recommendations

Usagi Yojimbo

Liu Yao: The Revitalization of Fuyao Sect (Novel)

Recommendations

Hagane no Renkinjutsushi

Author(s)

Artist(s)

Year

Original Publisher

Shueisha

Serialized In (magazine)

Shuukan Shounen Jump (Shueisha)

Licensed (in English)

Yes

English Publisher

MANGA Plus

Viz (20 Vols - Complete)

Activity Stats (vs. other series)

Weekly Pos #754 (No change)

Monthly Pos #1165

(-348)

3 Month Pos #2470

(-10)

6 Month Pos #2790

(+466)

Year Pos #2806

(-156)

List Stats

On 4373 reading lists

On 1564 wish lists

On 4609 completed lists

On 368 unfinished lists

On 727 custom lists

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Forum Posts Click to view the forum

Bakuman Live-Action Film's Premiere Date, Visual Revealed

10 years ago

End of Bakuman

13 years ago

Should I pick this up again?

13 years ago

169

13 years ago

Reversi

13 years ago

User Comments [ Order by time added ]

love it

by Sukets
15 years ago

Rating: 10.0 / 10.0

Well.. first, i really enjoy to read this manga...its impressive that came from the same person that made 'death note'.
the plot is really diferent, make's an change of pace for all the manga's on jump, doesnt really have an enemy. the manga itself is just like the manga that the main characters do, an non-jump manga being famous on jump.

It fell like an documentary in manga mode, with a lot of critics for jump, its system of good or bad's mangas, the artwork is really good, really well detailed, lightly remember the art of death note, but more bright.
the characters, is really fun...mashiro and azuki love... its just so pure that usually would make u hate the manga, but i dont know why, doesnt bother me, and i really like it. so...this just prove how good is the author

... The author needs to stop making them start over on a new manga... seriously.

dont you think that this is cause he want to show that being a mangaka is REALLY difficult? cause being an mangaka, even if a lot of people like it, has a lot of prejudice
...and he want to show to how much an mangaka can overcome a lot of his faults in a new plot.

Story 10/10.0
Characters 10/10.0
Artwork 10/10.0
first 10 that i give for an manga

... Last updated 15 years ago

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Strong start, but in a slump

by VinManAgent11
15 years ago

Rating: 7.5 / 10.0

The process of manga creation is probably of interest to anyone with a greater-than-average interest in manga itself. Bakuman's focus is ostensibly, about that process (which differs greatly from the production of mainstream comics in the U.S.), but thankfully goes deeper than that. You get some insight into the differing motivations for creating manga (love, money, popularity, boredom, etc.) through the interaction of some eccentric and varied caricatures, which progressively evolve into more complete characters (again, thankfully).

Bakuman is an easy-going read, in my opinion. The art is solid (albeit non-consistent—it’s sort of like Obata can’t get used to his adopted “lightweight” style, and doesn’t know exactly what to eliminate to sell the style 100%). The story is lighthearted, and overall enjoyable. You wanna see the protagonists succeed, get the girl, etc. Redundant critique of clichés aside (you have to expect them in shonen), that doesn't excuse it from dropping off into some formulaic plots and twists.

Basic pattern is as follows: Our heroes want to get serialized in Shonen Jump, present new series to editor, meet with editor’s critique/praise/flat-out rejection. If “critique,” revise with protagonists reading manga of some vague genre and some library books to get new ideas to make the manga better. If rejected, all of the above plus some dejected dialogue and heavy moods. If praise, 2 chapters or so of sweat droplets and pacing (can you picture one of those “follow the arrow” diagrams yet?). At this point, either the manga succeeds in getting serialized, or doesn’t. It’s fun at first to see the protagonists win and lose, but it’s starting to strike like clockwork. Yes, I understand these are the tenets of crafting tension, but really…when will things start moving?

My other main concern is the complete preoccupation with “getting popular.” Yes, I know Mashiro wants the manga to get popular enough to warrant an anime, and then marry his voice-actor wannabe bride-to-be, but honestly, the pandering to demographics is startling (which might be a subtle and intentional poke by the authors…I mean, did you see how awful Tanto’s character design is? Heart-head?). Considering Takagi’s talents in crafting off-beat stories, it’s a shame to see his talents wasted in “battle manga” and “funny scenes.” Hopefully the time comes when they snap out of their short-sighted ambitions and go back to dark, cult manga (feels soon…perhaps 3-4 chapters if all goes well with Hattori’s master plan). Now, considering Takagi’s new grasp on humour, perhaps the new project will combine a sinister plot with some black comedy, and strike an unexpected chord with a mass audience.

I’m obviously still hooked. This is mostly nitpicking. There are many series far worse, and with better starting premises than this. So, even with some predictable things going on, Bakuman has remained pretty damn fresh after 70 chapters.

... Last updated 15 years ago

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This manga makes me smile

by tarmie
15 years ago

Rating: 10.0 / 10.0

I expected quallity from the duo that made Death Note, and quallity was what I got.
This manga is brilliant, like any good manga it is driven by the chracters and their motivations, and the characters are very likable, the way Shuujin and Saiko interact is dynamic and sometimes hillarious. The romance between Saiko and Azuki is extremely cute and innocent, but still progeresses little by little througout the series.

The story itself is very VERY simple, and in a character driven series like this it has to be. If you don't like the characters or if you prefer series with deep and intense plots then this manga will probably bore you.

The art is as awesome as you'd expect from Takeshi Obata, though the style is completely different from the one used in Death Note. It is very cartoonish and over the top, but it fits the story perfectly and gives it a uniqe look. Tecnically there's as good as no flaws, Obata is extremely skilled.

This manga is for anyone who wants a manga that is otpmistic, cute and completely driven by the characters. Also it gives an interesting peek into the world of manga publishing. 🙂

... Last updated 15 years ago

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Could have been perfect

by Glad-kun
12 years ago

Rating: 8.0 / 10.0

This manga is a victim of its biggest weakness. The combination of its strength and parts that were all over the place.
It is wordy. Lots of text. Which is great for engaging parts but it makes more boring parts downright painful some times.
And with the way it went all over the place even losing the track of main supportive cast... 20 volumes of the wordiest manga I remember. Could've easily lost 5 volumes.

Everything Miura touched turned to shit. Painful and frustrating arc. Too long and fruitless.

And the second half is the guiltiest of going all over the place

Villain? Seriously? Ok, the first Nanamine arc was good. The second one was ridiculous.
Completely lost the sight of their goal, ideas like Mashiro learning to draw faster lead nowhere, Kaya and Azuki almost disappear and their goals only get mentioned as a reminder that they are actually there.
Shota with a dog disappears. Would've loved to see him working with Aoki. They had such a fitting characters.

Tempo(manga time per volume) is inconsistent and some of the stretched out periods overstay their welcome.
Still 8. Might be to generous though.

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Not my type, but one of my fav

by Ibleda
13 years ago

Rating: 10.0 / 10.0

This is absolute PERFECTION! I'll admit although it's up on my top 5 list, it's not my fav fav. The reason for that is personal taste and nothing else.

Let's say this, my opinion is that this manga exceeded the limits of it's settings with execution. Alot of times mangas have interesting settings, but the mangaka failed to pull that potential out. Bakuman I feel is the complete opposite.

This is my opinion only, but I feel like these types of manga that gives a light atmosphere, is limited in potential. They simply don't leave strong enough impression on you. For example, mangas like God's Child, NANA, and even Death Note, they leave a much stronger impression on you than mangas in the school life genre. Those that focus on the extremes of human emotion, I feel they have more potential to make it right there at the top of my list at least.
However, in Bakuman's case, if not for the limits of the topic and my taste, the execution of the story can only be said to be the best of best. Therefor, it's the most perfect manga I've read probably. It crossed the borders of limits with skill and not potential.

... Now, biased time over lol. This manga always catches me by surprise, totally unpredictable and never lets you down. You think one way and it'll turn out not the other way but one you never dreamed of. Keeps you on your toes reading. This is probably a huge reason to the below mentioned too, having to be able to just drop all the thinking and predictions and follow the plot. With that said, this is definitely a very standard shounen manga, with the fact that it's under slice of life and doesn't focus on physical fighting. I find this a very refreshing change. There's nothing wrong with stereotypes, they just have a whole bunch of replicas. I'm sure there was a day when we all enjoyed the very basic and run-of-the-mill mangas. The problem with that though, every manga is pretty much the same once you swap out the character names. However, in Bakuman and other rare cases, they give you the very basic and standard shounen, in a new way. I do love shounen, but it's hard to find one that doesn't bore you out.

Another thing, as someone who came from watching animes first, I do enjoy very much how well Bakuman leads our emotions. I cooled down a lil after dropping season 2 and picking up the manga, but it's definitely one of the best in that area. Yea... basically means I'm a huge fan of Ashirogi Muto. There's many who says the main characters are on the weak side, but I have to say I argue against that. Sure, they do have a bit of a more realistic and um... less aggressive? personality. I gotta say, that's a huge reason to my love for them. (Not that I don't love the others as well.) I feel they fit Bakuman perfectly, and a large part to keeping the manga original in a way.

Again... there's probably people with different thoughts, but for me, these types of manga just aren't taste. But I still love it enough for it to be in my top 5. It's my opinion, nothing more nothing less.

(One thing to mention to all those Bakuman haters out there, yes, you rare few. Stop judging a manga for what it's not. You don't like shounen? How did you get here then = =.)

... Last updated 13 years ago

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Very realistic

by maine12329
13 years ago

Rating: 10.0 / 10.0

I think it takes a lot of skill and class for a mangaka to make something in the Slice of Lice genre so interesting. I really enjoyed Bakuman and felt that the arcs and chapters were well-paced. Although I found myself hating on people like their antagonist, I guess it was also intended.. 'though I really prefer liking antagonists in manga since I like a lot.
I gave it a 10 rating because it's been a while since a manga has got me this engrossed and captivated
If you're looking for a tragedy/thriller, please look elsewhere! This manga is the brightest, happiest work ever, even if the mangaka in the manga are writing 'dark' stories

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not for everyone

by trade
14 years ago

Rating: N/A

To start off, this is not your normal manga. It's unique in that it allows us manga readers to see what goes on behind closed doors. The characters are more or less standard with the exception of the main rival as well as the occasional recurring side character. The story is what you come back for, it's not an action packed "will they make it out alive?!" kind of story, so don't expect that. Rather the chapters often end with a cliffhanger ending of finding out where the main characters scored with their readers.

Pros:
Gives readers insight into the manga industry and the way things REALLY work

Enjoyable characters for the most part

Nice little side romance plot line

Very natural and realistic feeling

Cons:
Very text heavy, some chapters have more space for speech balloons then actual manga

Slighty repetitive.

Very slow at points, there are chapters that, while necessary to the story, you forget 15 minutes after reading them.

overall, it's probably around a 5-8 depending on how much your actually interested in the manga industry and how big a fan you are of action packed sword swinging manga. This is not for everyone.

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I like it :D

by making_mooz
16 years ago

Rating: 10.0 / 10.0

I personally like this manga because unlike the majority of JUMP manga, it's not a battle/sports manga. It's really interesting for a storyline, and I'm actually surprised at the amount of information the author gives you about manga-making. I am a little tired of the whole "genius" thing, but I think the "man's dream" and "bored teenager" is definitely going to be incorporated into a modern, realistic drama, since that's one of the major themes in Japanese life as of this moment. Hell, the bored teenager thing applies to all of the students who are stuck on the stupid road to 1. get good grades, 2. go to college, 3. get a job. It's nice to read about someone who's trying to achieve a dream, especially when you don't think it's possible for you. It's like they're living a dream for you :3

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Like it

by MySwirl
14 years ago

Rating: 10.0 / 10.0

When I started to read this manga I immediately fell for it. I don't think it's just about "looking behind the scenes" but also a moving story about friendship. The weak point is the romance because it's rather unrealistic and boring and I don't think such a thing would motivate anyone to draw manga, its the passion you have for manga. I also draw manga so I think it's a good work (the best work about drawing manga I've read so far) but I also like their relationships and the side-characters are very funny (maybe even more interesting than the protagonists theirselfs). I enjoy reading this work.

BUT: don't compare this one to Death Note! There is no point in doing so because a mangaka is not suited for only one kind of story, remember that! Death Note may be created for a huge audience and many people like it passionately but please recognize that Bakuman is also great in its area. Ohba/Obata didn't create a one-hit-wonder with Death Note because Bakuman is great as well but different. I mean, it was also made into an anime so I think there are many people who doesn't draw manga who like it ;-)

Give it a try. It's worth it. Death Note was great but this one is also recommendable!

... Last updated 14 years ago

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AWESOME

by monkeyvoodoo
16 years ago

Rating: 10.0 / 10.0

Great characters, great artwork and a great story that progresses well with each chapter but also manages to leave you hanging at the end of each chapter (and thus really eager for the next one).

Smart characters and a sense of urgency in both the plot and the characters' attitudes make for quite the exciting read. The simplicity of the story really speaks to the author's talent -- it's no simple task taking a story about two kids writing manga and making it so exciting the reader can't put it down (or can't believe the chapter ended and has to wait for the next issue). I still find myself surprised with every chapter at how good this is. Highly recommended!

... Last updated 16 years ago

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