Bakuman. / First Impressions / Series Introduction

OP Sequence

OP: 「Blue Bird」 by コブクロ (Kobukuro)
Watch the OP!: Download, Streaming ▼

OP0.5: 「超ヒーロー伝説」 (Chou Hero Densetsu) by 影山ヒロノブ (Kageyama Hironobu)
Watch the OP0.5!: Download, Streaming ▼

「夢と現実」 (Dreams and Reality)
From the writers of the Death Note manga, Ohba Tsugumi and Obata Takeshi comes Bakuman, an anime about two students who try to hit it big as mangaka. Produced by J.C. Staff, Bakuman shines not in animation quality, but how the characters interact with each other and how the little things in life are emphasized. An adapation of a manga written about two students trying to become mangaka by two mangaka (Try to say that three times fast). The core of the story comes in the form of our two main characters, Mashiro Moritaka (Abe Atsushi) and Takagi Akito (Hino Satoshi), the dynamic duo that make the story (and jokes) flow.

Moritaka, with his amazing art skills is targeted by Akito, a top notch student whose goal in life is to strike it big. While he believes his looks and voice aren’t good enough to secure his future in acting or singing, his literary talents are what distinguish him as a top honors student and something that he figures he can use. Figuring that becoming a mangaka is the only way for him to be successful, he goes as far as blackmailing Moritaka with his notebook full of sketches of Azuki Miho, the girl whom he has a crush on. Fearing that Akito might show the sketches to Azuki, Moritaka sits and listens to his idea of becoming a mangaka. After blowing up Akito’s ideas with detailed statistics and the fact that most mangaka fail, Moritaka refuses to become his artist. Refusing to take no for an answer, Akito takes his blackmailing up another next level. After calling Moritaka telling him he is going to confess to Akito, he manages to place Moritaka face to face with Azuki. As Akito reveals that Azuki is trying to become a successful voice actor and that he is going to become a mangaka with Moritaka as his artist, Azuki promises she will work hard to voice their anime. Entranced by how cute Azuki is, Moritaka has no choice but to play along and become Akito’s artist. Taking this opportunity of having Azuki right in front of him, Moritaka accidentally decides follow in his late uncle’s footsteps, and asks Azuki to marry him. Leading to a horrible reaction. Only to then turn around again, and have his marriage proposal accepted. With one exception, that they don’t see each other and communicate only through text messages until they fulfill their goals. Azuki – becoming a voice actress and Moritaka – becoming a successful mangaka and having his manga become an anime so Azuki can voice the leading heroine. I don’t know the specifics of how long it takes to make an anime, but I know that it takes a long freaking time and that most manga don’t even become anime. If this exception sounds like “We won’t meet for a long time, and then suddenly get married?” then the point got across clearly.

What really pulled me into the story was Akito’s exuberant personality. While I described it earlier as him blackmailing Moritaka, it doesn’t have an evil intent behind it. More of a “I really, really need you to do this, and I know you have the ability to do this” kind of persuasion. Having no interest in actually harming Moritaka or in Azuki, it’s hilarious when Moritaka freaks out about Akito going to “confess” to Azuki, then not only confessing but asking her to marry him. Akito also tends to have some crazy body movements such as flying across the screen or ending up on top of tables whenever he gets really focused on whatever topic he’s talking about. It’s this kind of enthusiasm that makes him a really interesting character to watch and listen too (His voice pitch could be compared to Kida Masaomi from Durarara, it’s that energetic). With so much enthusiasm spewing out of Akito, Moritaka is able to round out the other half of the duo. At first coming off as cold and calculating, Moritaka at first shows no interest in moving forward in life. Not caring about his future and wanting to live as a simple office worker. As soon as he gets embarrassed, Moritaka’s serious personality flies out of the window and becomes a really likable guy. After having his entire life change as soon as he finds a purpose – working hard so Azuki will marry him, I hope that he stays in this more energetic mood.

From what I’ve seen so far, I really enjoyed Bakuman. The characters flow together nicely, and they all have their little quirks that distinguish them from one another. Plus, some of the jokes this episode literally made me fall out of my chair. I can’t wait to see some real mangaka action between Akito and Moritaka. I haven’t read the manga, so I’m really excited on whats in store for this anime adaption. I really enjoyed the Death Note anime, and J.C. Staff never fail to deliever quality work. So combining the two should be a recipe for success. For me, there aren’t many notable seiyuu except for Hino Satoshi (Rie Kuigimiya’s partner in Zero no Tsukaima and Shakugana no Shana), but I think the content of the anime will be the real reason to watch Bakuman.

 

ED Sequence

ED: 「BAKUROCK~未来の輪郭線~」 (BAKUROCK ~Mirai no Rinkakusen~) by YA-KYIM
Watch the ED!: Download, Streaming ▼

The opening song is really, really catchy. As I went through trying to write up the post, I kept playing it over and over in the video. With the way it’s sung, it kind of reminds me of those older Asian songs that use singers with deep voices and have a slower overall pace. The animation sequence with the opening focuses on the main characters, but has a really well done circling shot of Moritaka and Azuki. With the music fitting perfectly with the scenes, it creates this really calming feeling when you watch it. The ending has a Naruto-esque feeling with Moritaka and Azuki running in the background with a sideshow playing beside them. The song itself is very upbeat, and is something that I could see in some kind of shonen anime.

Preview

78 Comments

  2. Did anyone else notice that in the first bedroom scene, all of the Dragon Ball manga was on the shelf, and the spines were actually accurately drawn? Now that’s dedication. Love the manga, and will without a doubt love the anime, too. Mark me down for actively following the anime series and blog series

    Bossun
    Reply

    2. Not only that, but on the bottom shelf in the book store you can see the mangas Hikaru no Go and Death Note, both mangas illustrated by the author. While the latter is much more famous to manga/anime fans these days, the previous is little more well known to fans who’ve been reading up to 10 years ago.

      Click
      Reply

      1. Oh, wow. Good find. Also, I never knew Hikaru no Go was illustrated by the same person as Death Note and Bakuman (written by a different person for those reading this, though). Looking back, they do have similar artstyles

        Bossun
        Reply

    5. now, i don’t actually know how they did it, but i’m thinking it’d be actually quite simple to get someone’s collection IRL and then snap a photo, before adding effects and photoshopping it back into the small frame…

      [V]ortex
      Reply

  3. Nice post Takaii! I loved this intro to the series as well. At first I had my doubts about Akito, but laughed out loud when he did his first leap on to the desks in the classroom! They really do make a great comedic duo. I also loved the comic tribute to Death Note with Akito’s suggestion that Moritaka’s sketchbook/notebook was a Death Note lol

    I have high hopes for this series now…and I’m sure it will deliver 😀

    PhoenixBurning3
    Reply

  5. Didn’t like the voice acting (which kind of dragged on and on) or the OP/ED (and the music in general), but overall in line with the manga and therefore pretty good. Glad they kept the DN reference in, hopefully they’ll keep the future WSJ references too (of which there are many).

    Anon
    Reply

  7. I’m glad that it was so faithful to the manga and I really like the opening and ending, it really gives it that slice-of-life feel. <3 It was only after watching the episode that I noticed/remembered that they were pretty much just talking the whole episode. XD I'm glad that they can do such a thing without it being boring.

    Irational Promise
    Reply

    1. Exactly, there was a good flow to it. I admit to have wondered about the faithfulness to its manga counterpart but by the end of the episode, I was relieved and even more excited.
      Overall, fluid flow in both story and graphics. It’s going to be another fun series to follow.I will definitely look forward to the rest of the 25 episodes.
      Btw, Takai, nice post!

      Shinjiro
      Reply

  8. The opening sort of took me by surprise but in a good, relaxing kind of way.
    It just kind of fits with what I was hoping for from this adaption which is great. <3
    Wasn't in the least bit displeased so I hope they keep it up.

    And great post Takaii. Can't wait for more!

    koukiryu
    Reply

  9. So far this is the best of the new anime’s this season I have seen. Much better then Iron Man or MM. I almost fell out of my chair laughing when he out of left field asked her to marry him. I so did NOT see that coming. Looking forward to more.

    Karmafan
    Reply

  12. This is a great first episode, some non-cliche character depth and backstory. I liked his relations with his late uncle, and especially his jaded student outlook on life, which is fairly accurate in more societies than just Japan’s. It’s vexing, but instead of moping about it i’m glad his fire’s been lit thanks to his new mangaka partner (akito) who has already seen the light.

    I dig the Op too; good post Takaii keep it up.

    Dawn
    Reply

  14. yep im also excited on what the anime will be. i havent read the manga much yet(since yesterday). and i also see the story developing nicely considering “After our dreams come true, pls marry me” word meaning their is more hardship to come.

    Croosboy
    Reply

  15. Saikou reminds me of Touma from Index a lot xD But I guess it’s only natural since not only the seiyuu is the same for the characters, but the studio for the animes too. Anyway, I really liked the first episode, although I’m not sure why. Except for the marriage proposal, nothing really interesting happened, and it wasn’t overly funny either, but it was just entertaining for some reason ^^
    On the other hand I saw quite a few people complaining about the character designs but I actually like them a lot, I guess those people are infatuated with the cute-looking characters which became quite the standard for most animes by now.

    Hitomi
    Reply

  16. since its 25 episode but given the fact the maga already has a lot of material to cover with lots of words, the anime should not need to stray from any paths outside main storyline; so it seems like if all 25 go well they might so squeals, gonna love it

    Chimasternmay
    Reply

  17. I really didn’t care for the manga when it first started. I figured trying to watch the anime would gain my interest a bit more, and it did. This exceeded what I thought would happen. And your review made me itching for more! Great review; keep up the great work!

    Nikki
    Reply

  18. Animation was craaap but other than that yay! Bakumaaan!!
    I couldnt stop staring at their mouths… I realize that in the manga they actually do look like that when they’re talking, but it just seems more awkward in motion… -_-;

    Kit Kat
    Reply

  20. lmao @ the second ending sequence pic. xDD

    Anyway.. This show is going to be a classic in my books. Moritaka is definitely a character I can relate to. I’m going through the EXACT SAME THING! Like, my classmate from High School is a great writer, and wants to be a journalist and make his name known for his novels too. I’ve read his material and he’s really good. Me, I haven’t the same confidence in myself like he. But he believes in me with that same enthusiasm that Akito has!!

    When I read about this in the Fall Preview, I was nothing short of excited. I had to laugh at how bad of a reality check it was. I think it might have the same effect that Welcome to the NHK! had on me. (I went out and got a job after a year of being a hikikomori.) Hell, I might actually start using this show to get more determined and find ways to become better at what I do.

    I was actually a little depressed and shocked at the reality that Moritaki was telling Akito about when it came to actually “getting” to be successful in the manga/anime industry. That 0.0001% ratio was pretty de-motivating but Akito’s determination was so strong, he looked past that. My friend is kinda like that too. ^^;

    So yeah, aside from this show just being epic, it hits home on a personal note. I just love how it touches down on real-life problems and habits. Can’t wait to see what’s in store for us next week. :}

    Here’s to both our comics! 😀

    Shirt
    Reply

  22. One of my favorite mangas becoming an anime. . . and not dissapointed at all. Im glad they followed the manga very closely in the first episode and I hope they continue to do so. I think there is enough manga material to where they dont have to throw in any filler material. Here is hoping for more Bakuman goodness.

    Oblivion
    Reply

    1. It’s really out of place, considering the magazine it’s published in. Even more so as you find out in the manga (and I assume in the anime too later) exactly how the publisher uses the polls to decide who gets to stay and what is dropped.

      Znail
      Reply

  28. I’ve only watched the first ep, and haven’t read manga, but I really like it.
    Especially Akito as a character is very interesting. I hope it’ll stick to manga, so that I’ll just continue reading where it leaves off then :3

    Lee
    Reply

  33. Nice going Takaii, I can really fell with Saiko and certainly agree with his views in life as introduced…except that I don’t have a ‘Miho’ or something to really work hard for right now…hah

    anyway, nice animation quality, excellent seiyuu’s for the first episode, actually i haven’t read the manga yet but based on this episode i can see it’s really a good one so maybe i can give it a go.

    BTW, Abe Atsuhi is actually a notable seiyuu for Kamijyou Touma of To Aru Majutsu Index…I say he did a good job voicing Saiko in this episode. 😀

    ufobaby
    Reply

  35. I was really looking forward to this series, and I’m still eager to see how the animators adapt a manga that I think is going to be really hard to make into an interesting anime. The first episode, to me, bounced back and forth between showing great potential and being boring. I’m afraid that it might drift further into boredom as the show focuses on somewhat repetitive scenes in the manga industry.

    However, the show could be really good if the director, who did such a great job with characterization in Honey and Clover, does the same here. There’s a ripe cast full of wonderful characters. I hope the series gets to these them quickly.

    Charles
    Reply

    1. these are my fears too! i’m mostly motivating myself to give it a chance off most peoples excitement towards this shows release. i’ve read next to nothing of the manga because “honestly” at first glance it seems boring. but i’ll give it a few ep’s, u never know… i been surprised before

      BROOKLYN otaku
      Reply

  37. If it has not been mentioned, but this is a Kenichi Kasai-directed anime. Anyone who has seen the first seasons of Honey and Clover and Nodame Cantabile, and KimiKiss, you would notice the style.

    sadakups
    Reply

  38. MAN, I should have told my first crush to wait for me till I become a famous video game designer. Darn it, opportunity is lost forever…sign. Q_Q LOL
    Anyways, this show is jokes. I may end up reading the manga as well.

    Otaku ESA
    Reply

  39. I’m so overjoyed Bakuman is finally here and being animated, I really love the manga and I have no doubt with JC staff there will be any trouble if they skip anything just to show higher points of interest. Go my young mangaka dreamers!

    Bluance
    Reply

  43. It kind of felt that things went a little too quickly in the beginning but maybe that’s just me.
    Putting that aside I’m really excited to watch this, I’m really enjoying the manga and so watching the beginning happen all over again this time animated is great.

    stefkov
    Reply

  44. I was skeptical about the anime adapation, but the first episode has really reminded me the charm Bakuman once had when the story first began…two high school students giving it all to achieve their dreams.

    I don’t know if it’s just me, but recently the Bakuman mangas feels like its lost its way a little bit in its sea of characters and storylines.

    violinkit
    Reply

  46. Like it so far – I’ve been reading the manga for the past few months, and there aren’t many manga that’ve held my attention lately. So far, they’re being pretty faithful to the manga, though I’m disappointed that most of the side characters weren’t featured in the OP, as if there were only 4 characters in the anime. They meet their primary rival – Show Spoiler ▼

    – pretty quickly, and we only just barely get a glimpse of the other characters in the ED. Though it looks like the series is only getting 25 episodes this season at least, so who knows how far they’ll get in 25 episodes? As for how soon our heroes get their anime, I’ll give you a hint – Show Spoiler ▼

    .

    Kraven
    Reply

  51. Hattori = Ryuk (named after one of the Yotsuba guys)
    Akito Takagi / Shujin = Light Yagami / Kira
    Moritaka Mashiro / Saiko = Taro Kagami
    Eiji Nizuma = L Lawliet
    Azuki seems contrasted to Misa Amane since the former is shy and silent while the latter is one of the creepiest genki girls ever.

    Well there are a lot of references to Death Note…made by the characters and also by Ohba/Obata in the metafiction and in the names

    Basically
    Reply

  52. WHY ALSO did they remove the Death Note reference in the first episode?! I remember Shujin (who, more in the anime than the manga, looks like Light) saying “It’s not a Death Note, is it?” because Death Note is popular in the story but why did they remove the part where Saiko said “You mentioned Death Note? The author said if you don’t get a job in five years, you’ll die.” ?!

    Basically
    Reply

  53. It’s Miho Azuki not just Azuki since you compared with Misa Amane rather than just “Amane”

    Whoa…look at the names

    MIHO AZUKI
    MISA AMANE

    and maybe ENVY ADAMS…lol Scott Pilgrim

    Correction
    Reply

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