Bakuman

[mage]

http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/2069/54210.jpg


* Based on a shounen manga by Ooba Tsugumi and Obata Takeshi serialised in Weekly Shounen Jump.

Bakuman follows the story of high school student Mashiro Moritaka, a talented artist who does not know what he wants to do with his future. One day he draws a picture of Azuki Miho, a girl he is secretly fond of, during class and forgets the notebook at school. He comes back to find that his classmate Takagi Akito is waiting for him with his notebook. Takagi tries to convince Mashiro to become a mangaka, a manga artist, with him, only leading to Mashiro's disagreement. Mashiro goes home and thinks about his mangaka uncle, who had only one successful series before he died in obscurity. Mashiro is interrupted by a phone call from Takagi, who says that he is going to tell Azuki that Mashiro likes her. Mashiro runs down to Azuki's house to find Takagi waiting for him. Once Azuki comes out to meet them, Takagi tells her that he and Mashiro are aiming to be mangaka. Mashiro then learns that she wants to be a seiyuu, a voice actor, and has shown promise in the field. Mashiro, once again thinking about his uncle, accidentally proposes to Azuki who accepts. However, she will only marry him after they achieve their dreams.

http://anidb.net/perl-bin/animedb.pl?show=anime&aid=7251

First episode is out by GG. Been waiting for this. It felt much more enjoyable than the manga.

Torrent (http://www.nyaatorrents.org/?page=download&tid=162307)

[RyougaZell]

I was hoping they didn't cut the 'other' manga. I was pleased they didn't. Death Note, Hikaru no Go and Naruto mangas were shown, while they mentioned Dragon Ball and One Piece.

Very well adaptated as well. The only voice I don't like very much is Kaya's. The rest are good.

Nice 'double' opening too.

[LobsterMagnet]

About time, god I remember ages ago trying to get people to start reading this back when it was in it's infancy. Manga has become excellent one of my personal favorites, alot of good stuff to look forward to. So far I'm really happy with the series. Maybe more people on gotwoot will learn to give it some love too finally.

[Kraco]

Nice 'double' opening too.

Series with two OPs are rare enough, for sure.

This seemed to give pretty much the same vibes as the manga. I liked the manga well enough but ended up dropping it because I hated how it crushed all the artistic illusions (or delusions) about the manga industry and made it look like nothing but calculations and ruthless competition.

[MFauli]

decent first ep, though i dont completely like the artstyle. looks a bit...off.

Also, I´d prefer a Death Note-sequel over this :( Just make Light come back in form of a shinigami and perfect...meh...

[Ryllharu]

The art style looks...affordable. That means we can hope for a long anime. The chapters of the manga are so dialogue heavy that while you can cram a lot of material in a chapter, it takes too much time to speak it all out. With a hundred and change chapters out, there's a decent chance that this could be a long anime. AniDB lists 25, but a second season could be very possible if it is popular enough.

When I heard who was doing the cast for the two main leads, I had thought it would have been better if they switched. But the two of them nailed it. Perfect match with how I thought of the two of them in my head. I agree with RZ though, Kaya (Azuki's friend) sounds a bit off. That actress' voice has always kind of annoyed me, but if she toned it down a bit it would work better (like her last line).

I really loved the first episode. It seems very serious and slow. A very deliberate pace, and then it ends with Saiko promising to marry the girl he barely ever talks to! It is a very character driven series, and the switch between the serious tone in the classroom and flashbacks and Saiko and Takagi going crazy in front of Azuki's house was great for a laugh.

Looking over the cast, Kawasumi Ayako, Fujimura Ayumi (Qwaser/Boobsmith), Okamoto Nobuhiko (Accelerator), and Suwabe Jun`ichi (Archer, Frouade from DenYuDen), it should make for some crazy people.

[Archangel]

It's not like it's a death note, lol. Shameless self promotion ftw.

That was pretty great, i thought the voice acting was quite good and also enjoyed the art style. Looks like a must watch for this season, looking forward to the next episode.

[Buffalobiian]

I'm onto this one. It's simply refreshing.

If only I can nail my goal in life like that...

The Hero opening was great. I believe it's also the first time I've heard anime pronounce "energy" in a way other than e-ne-nu-gi.

[neflight86]

Gotta admit, I've been waiting for this since I started reading the manga. I was not disappointed. I'll be clinching my butt-cheeks as I get to revisit all (most) of my favorite chapters and scenes in animated form. Joy.

[Illrenmazou]

Episode 2 has been out for a while:
[gg]​_Bakuman​_-​_02​_[A591C0E9].​mkv (http://www.nyaatorrents.org/?page=download&tid=164173)

[Kraco]

This was a highly succesful episode in my opinion. Especially the part of Mashiro acquiring the permission for his choice of career.

Very warm father and son relationship, though.

[Ryllharu]

This series is mostly dialogue, but the way Saiko and Shujin play off each other makes it tolerable. I loved the scene where Shujin just started laughing at him with the curtain tucked around his neck. The smartest guy in the class acts like one of the biggest dumbasses.

Shujin has a good eye for people and can get Saiko all fired up, and Saiko works well against him because he shoots Shujin down a few pegs to keep him on the ground. I bet they're both going to go nuts when they get to the studio though. Pretty crazy to have that kind of advantage before they even start.

Yay for Iwase being voiced by Fujimura Ayumi (http://anidb.net/perl-bin/animedb.pl?show=creator&creatorid=441). They didn't really have to give her any background, she's so good at playing those arrogant bitch types that you instantly get a feel for her character from just a few lines.

[Archangel]

This series is mostly dialogue, but the way Saiko and Shujin play off each other makes it tolerable. I loved the scene where Shujin just started laughing at him with the curtain tucked around his neck. The smartest guy in the class acts like one of the biggest dumbasses.

Yay for Iwase being voiced by Fujimura Ayumi (http://anidb.net/perl-bin/animedb.pl?show=creator&creatorid=441). They didn't really have to give her any background, she's so good at playing those arrogant bitch types that you instantly get a feel for her character from just a few lines.

I loled irl at that scene

Lol, voiced Cecily Campbell. Arrogant bitches indeed

This episode was even better than the last, i love character driven shows.

[Ryllharu]

Lol, voiced Cecily Campbell. Arrogant bitches indeedDude, she played Azaka. She's not typecast by any means, she's just good at it.

[MFauli]

Nice episode, though the whole "getting permission from my parents"-thing was awefully old-fashioned. Never would I keep off of doing what I want just because of my parents saying "no".

[RyougaZell]

Slow pace fits this series very well. I enjoyed it so much I was dissapointed when it ended.

[Ryllharu]

Nice episode, though the whole "getting permission from my parents"-thing was awefully old-fashioned. Never would I keep off of doing what I want just because of my parents saying "no".
They're in junior high...they're not exactly legally adults. They could wait a few years and just do what they want, or they could just ask. It obviously worked out well for Saiko to do so.

Not to mention that he said he'd consider running away from home if he had to (17:59).

[Archangel]

Not to mention that he said he'd consider running away from home if he had to (17:59).

Yeah by the way, i know that line was supposed to stress his determination but it honestly just made him come off as a naive kid. I know this is anime and i should take this stuff within context but still...

His grandpa has the right idea, preparation is key.

[animus]

"DAHAHAHAHAHA"


I loved that laugh.

[Buffalobiian]

This was a highly succesful episode in my opinion. Especially the part of Mashiro acquiring the permission for his choice of career.

Very warm father and son relationship, though.

The way they treated his mother was almost insulting though.

[Kraco]

The way they treated his mother was almost insulting though.

I've seen this series accused of chauvinism, so it doesn't really surprise me.

[RyougaZell]

The way they treated his mother was almost insulting though.

Why? Because she wanted something better for his son? I may not know much about Japanese mother's, but I think few are happy their sons are thinking about drawing manga instead of focusing on their studies. Specially with a story they have with a deceased brother-in-law.

[Buffalobiian]

Why? Because she wanted something better for his son? I may not know much about Japanese mother's, but I think few are happy their sons are thinking about drawing manga instead of focusing on their studies. Specially with a story they have with a deceased brother-in-law.

I think you've misunderstood me somewhere.

THEY - refers to the rest of the family.

The father was sexist. "We men have dreams that you women will never understand." - a jab at the female comprehension ability?

Gramps talking over the top of mum couldn't be helped based on seniority, but at least he gave her an explanation afterwards for his decision. Dad may well have given her one off screen, but to us it wasn't apparent, and therefore sexist (and insulting).



edit: I think you thought I said the way mum treated Saiko was insulting. I thought her actions were purely understandable.

[MFauli]

How is saying "We men have dreams that you women will never understand." sexist? That´s just a father trying to give his son the nods. And if you want to take this matter further, imo men and women ARE different in a lot a areas, so it´s not even objectivley spoken wrong.

sigh, in this world of today, everything seems to be sexist...

[Buffalobiian]

How is saying "We men have dreams that you women will never understand." sexist?

Because it means the father thinks the mother can not comprehend such dreams/ideas solely because of her gender.


That´s just a father trying to give his son the nods

And why can't the the mother give him the nods?
Because she never got an explanation.

Why did she not get an explanation?
Because she won't comprehend it.

Why won't she comprehend it?
Because she's a woman.

^ that, is sexist.

If that came after (or soon before) an explanation, it would have made it a lot more softer, but that wasn't apparent.

[shinta|hikari]

Please stop feeding the sexist troll. He has been doing this for ages.

[MFauli]

Because it means the father thinks the mother can not comprehend such dreams/ideas solely because of her gender.

So you´re saying that its absolutely impossible for men and women to have a different comprehension of dreams/ideas? Especially under consideration of the upbringing of girls and boys within our society? Besides that I think the father really didnt mean it in an offensive way, Im pretty sure that comprehension differs between genders, and be it the upbringing only.

I´ll stay with my impression that it was a father acknowledging his son. And the mother played along since she respected her husband´s decision.

@shinta: lol, now im a "sexist troll"? Get a grip of yourself :D

Edit: Oh, come on, insult me with your 3000. posting ;)

[animus]

How is saying "We men have dreams that you women will never understand." sexist? That´s just a father trying to give his son the nods. And if you want to take this matter further, imo men and women ARE different in a lot a areas, so it´s not even objectivley spoken wrong.

sigh, in this world of today, everything seems to be sexist...

I don't think you understand what objectivity means.

[Kraco]

Considering the workings of that family, how Saiko can't even directly talk to his old man but must use his mom as a middleman, I'd say it's extremely old-fashioned. Japan has been a patriarchal society all the way till modern times. I think giving the woman a lesser role in that family is somewhat given.

[Ryllharu]

"We men have dreams that you women will never understand."
Younger girls dream of meeting/dating a celebrity. Young boys dream of having a giant robot to smash things.

Women dream of getting married and having a family, men dream of making making something a gallon of gasoline explode in the backyard of that house, or shooting a tank of propane that's on fire (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CmewjjIBwY). The nerdy ones build railguns in their garage.

I'm not really seeing the problem here...men have lots of dreams that women can't possibly understand, mostly because they're really impractical, risky, and on occasion, just plain stupid.

Like becoming a mangaka instead of focusing on school.

[Buffalobiian]

So you´re saying that its absolutely impossible for men and women to have a different comprehension of dreams/ideas?


No. Men and women can have things they don't understand, just like people in general. The assumption that they will not understand based on gender and not attempting to explain it sits unwell with me. (The lack of reference to an explanation suggests so).

I don't think I've left anything unsaid now.

[MFauli]

Ryllharu, please stop being sexist!

[RyougaZell]

I think you've misunderstood me somewhere.

THEY - refers to the rest of the family.

The father was sexist. "We men have dreams that you women will never understand." - a jab at the female comprehension ability?

Gramps talking over the top of mum couldn't be helped based on seniority, but at least he gave her an explanation afterwards for his decision. Dad may well have given her one off screen, but to us it wasn't apparent, and therefore sexist (and insulting).



edit: I think you thought I said the way mum treated Saiko was insulting. I thought her actions were purely understandable.

Indeed. I thought you refered to how she answered Saiko before speaking with her husband.

But in the end, as others have pointed out, that's how it works for old-fashioned japanese families.

[animus]

Younger girls dream of meeting/dating a celebrity. Young boys dream of having a giant robot to smash things.

Women dream of getting married and having a family, men dream of making making something a gallon of gasoline explode in the backyard of that house, or shooting a tank of propane that's on fire (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CmewjjIBwY). The nerdy ones build railguns in their garage.

I'm not really seeing the problem here...men have lots of dreams that women can't possibly understand, mostly because they're really impractical, risky, and on occasion, just plain stupid.

Like becoming a mangaka instead of focusing on school.


Wait, this post was serious? Since when could females not dream of blowing shit up? Or young boys dreaming of getting married and having a family? Females can have the same dreams as males too. Aspirations and goals aren't gender exclusive.

[RyougaZell]

Wait, this post was serious? Since when could females not dream of blowing shit up? Or young boys dreaming of getting married and having a family? Females can have the same dreams as males too. Aspirations and goals aren't gender exclusive.

They can indeed. But I think Ryll wanted to point how the 'majority' of japanese teens act.

[Ryllharu]

Wait, this post was serious? Since when could females not dream of blowing shit up? Or young boys dreaming of getting married and having a family? Females can have the same dreams as males too. Aspirations and goals aren't gender exclusive.
True, but the point is that women tend to have more practical dreams, while men tend to have foolhardy ones. I'm not sure why you find the concept offensive.

Men and women are different, and there's nothing remotely wrong or even negative about that. It is a beneficial difference. Men take to stupid risks, women keep them grounded.

Saiko's mother is thinking the best for him, she doesn't want to see him go down the same path of despair his uncle did. The men in the family like that Saiko finally has a dream, and want him to pursue it despite the risks. She wants him to have a safety net through school. They're saying that she thinks it's impractical and risky, and that she can't understand that he should be able to take that risk, or he'll do anything to do it. Judging from his lines about being disowned if he has to, he would have. In essence, don't hold him back just because you don't understand why he wants to do it despite the history and the risks.

Saiko should know the risks of failing as a mangaka better than anyone, but he's not going to let that kind of risk hold him back. His mother is simply more practical, thus, "she can't understand."

[MFauli]

episode 3

http://www.nyaatorrents.org/?page=torrentinfo&tid=165990

[Archangel]

MILF attack

We finally got a taste of how the manga world works, along with the plot i can see how Bakuman became so popular

[Ryllharu]

MILF attackSeconded for righteous truth!

I thought it was a bit silly that Azuki's mom looked exactly like Azuki did back then, and now she's 42 and an ultra-MILF. The two of them were patting themselves on the back that Azuki will look that good when she is her mom's age. They did take a dig at her ringlets though. Then again, it wouldn't be Bakuman without the slight absurdities (like stalking your bride-to-be's mom).

The studio is a absolute goldmine. So much free reference material with all the manga tanks and back issues of JACK**. Supplies, the tables, desks, couches, tracing screens, etc. The manga supplies alone in there easily would have cost them a million yen. The manga...likely substantially more. Even getting a studio wouldn't have been cheap. That alone puts their chances well above most other mangaka just starting out.

**Final note, it's strange that they're able to reference all these famous series verbally and not just in some visual way like most anime series seem to, but yet they're not officially allowed to use JUMP.

[MFauli]

MILF attack

Thirded :D

Good episode, though Saiko´s relationship to his dad came off as totally broken, considering the way they talked to each other. And wow, that´s quite creepy to secretly visit the mom of the girl you like, and then even tell her about your feelings for her daughter, AND even revealing the fact that he´s her former lover´s nephew. haha, omg.

What a pitty that she´s married, they could have started a really weird romance between her and Saiko´s friend, haha.

[Ryllharu]

She said outright that Takagi isn't her type, much to his dismay.

I don't think their relationship is that broken. According to Azuki's mom, his father was a Judo champion. I think that added a bit of insight into his father. It makes some sense that he's stern and traditional. At the same time, it also supports his trust in his son's willpower.

I liked the smile you just see as he drops the phone from his face. He's really proud of Saiko for not backing down and chasing after his dream. He probably won't ever say it, but he is.

[MFauli]

She said outright that Takagi isn't her type, much to his dismay.

1.) It was a joke, I seriously doubt Bakuman is the typ of story that features a highschool-student banging a 42-year old house wife

2.) IF Bakuman was that kind of story, such a negative comment could easily point TOWARDS them getting together. "Oh, I dont like you" - some time later - "I love you". Happens so many times in manga/anime.

But...that´s irrelevant, since I was joking :cool:

[Ryllharu]

1.) It was a joke
This did not escape me believe it or not, but since you mentioned it, I had to point out that little detail, which as a joke within the show I found it quite funny. Takagi though she was pretty hot, then she told him she prefers Saiko's type.

[Archangel]

Here's a hint, next time point out that you knew he was kidding. Maybe your 6000 post will be better if you do.

[Ryllharu]

Oh no! I passed Arbitrary Milestone X and wasted it!! It's too bad the average Ryllharu post has more content in it than a not-insignificant percentage of your posts combined.

/me commits Seppuku

[Archangel]

5000 is an awesome number dude, and you wasted it :(

Also, remove the amount of bitching that comes with your usual post and we're about even

[Buffalobiian]

The rolls killed it. :S.

Should have gone for a pony tail look.

[animus]

Or a side-ponytail over the shoulder ala Akiko from Kanon.

[RyougaZell]

Got tired of waiting for GG so I got the Episodes from TMD

Episode 4 (http://www.nyaatorrents.org/?page=download&tid=167815)


JACK**.

**Final note, it's strange that they're able to reference all these famous series verbally and not just in some visual way like most anime series seem to, but yet they're not officially allowed to use JUMP.

JACK huh? I didn't notice it until you pointed it out. Its weird since the manga had no problem using JUMP.

What mangas were on the table when Takagi was reading? I can't identify the one in the center. Death Note, One Piece, Bleach and Dragon ball are obvious though.

[Buffalobiian]

TMD - Episode 04v2 (http://www.nyaatorrents.org/?page=download&tid=167927)

gg - Episode 03 (http://nyaatorrents.org/?page=download&tid=167905), 04 (http://nyaatorrents.org/?page=download&tid=167886)

I watched the last 2 episodes from TMD & Co. Their tendency to fit long lines into short bursts can get kinda annoying. Funnily enough, I actually find gg's naming system easier to ignore.






Episode-wise, Azuki turning with her eyes closed looked weird. It'd have been better if they were looking down at the ground in embarrassment, then looking back up at Saiko rather than going from closed -> open.

[shinta|hikari]

I thought it was weird too. Maybe she turned really fast but it was in slow motion so it looked a lot more awkward than it should.

[Kraco]

For a moment it made her look like one of those characters in fighting series that always keep their eyes closed. Didn't exactly fit her image...

"Jack" certainly stood out like a stake out of a vampire's chest in this episode. But I guess I'll get used to it, eventually.

[Archangel]

TMD is doing a pretty crappy job with bakuman, even ignoring that awful black column on the right of the video the are a number of styling options that downright annoy me

I love the romance between those 2, the whole thing feels like something out of a Victorian novel

[Ryllharu]

JACK huh? I didn't notice it until you pointed it out. Its weird since the manga had no problem using JUMP.
Well, the manga is in Shonen JUMP, so it is kind of expected.

[MFauli]

the super-similar look of Azuki, her mother AND her little sister was somehow creepy. Like...I-can-not-explain-why-creepy.

I hope we get to see Takagi´s skills soon, since right now it´s rather hard to see why Saiko would do all the work and give the creative part to another person.

Also, the show really wasn´t friendly towards all of us failed, dream-given-up people, when they pointed out the one classmate only drawing characters from the front and only their upper body. YEAH I SUCK AT DRAWING, thx for laughing and fingerpointing at me :D

[Ryllharu]

Also, the show really wasn´t friendly towards all of us failed, dream-given-up people, when they pointed out the one classmate only drawing characters from the front and only their upper body. YEAH I SUCK AT DRAWING, thx for laughing and fingerpointing at me :DI know you're only half-serious at best, but that wasn't the point of that part, and the same goes for Takagi and Saiko's conversation after Azuki's friend Kaya called him out on it. But if you're bringing it up, it is worth discussing as far as I'm concerned.

The issue was that that guy was just doing it for the attention. He wasn't as genius-level skilled at drawing yet (they are still in middle school), but he was boasting about it like he was the best ever, "If I get serious I'll change the industry." He wasn't going for a dream exactly, Saiko and Takagi are going for it, they just have a couple of extreme advantages because they have protagonist power (Saiko's initial skill level, the studio).

At the same time, they're not boasting about how good they are in front of others and making a spectacle of it. They're getting down to the serious work Saiko knows it will take after years of observing his uncle. He's been practicing with the pens until he passes out from exhaustion. Takagi seems like he's taking it easy, but I'm pretty sure he literally meant to read every volume of manga in there while Saiko is brushing up his skills. It looks fun (and sure would be for me in his shoes!), but it's research.

Kaya called him out on it because if he was serious, he wouldn't be boasting about it, he'd be polishing his skills that obviously need work. Saiko's uncle was proof that even bad artists can be somewhat successful, and there are plenty of real world examples of that too. It just takes a lot of work.

[Archangel]

Why can't you let the man make a joke without slapping him across the head with a wall of text?

[Ryllharu]

Why can't you let the man make a joke without slapping him across the head with a wall of text?
Can't you read and post something worthwhile instead of making comments about posts while neglecting their actual content?

It's an interesting contrast/comparison to Saiko/Takagi. I felt it was worth elaborating on a few things to promote some manner of discussion.

Thanks for not contributing at all. This is a forum you know.

[Archangel]

Can't you read and post something worthwhile instead of making comments about posts while neglecting their actual content?

It's an interesting contrast/comparison to Saiko/Takagi. I felt it was worth elaborating on a few things to promote some manner of discussion.

Thanks for not contributing at all. This is a forum you know.


<@Ryllharu> now I'm trolling you :D

DerpHerp

[Kraco]

DerpHerp

Derp isn't even subbing this show. Leave them out of it.


I know you're only half-serious at best, but that wasn't the point of that part, and the same goes for Takagi and Saiko's conversation after Azuki's friend Kaya called him out on it.

That scene was fitting for this show because this is all about underlining how challenging and ruthless being or trying to be a manga artist is. Since those two know a part of it, it's natural to either laugh or scoff at those who don't but still talk big. So, it not being the point is not entirely true. Though fortunately Takagi and Saiko aren't arrogant people so it's not the whole truth.

[MFauli]

Though fortunately Takagi and Saiko aren't arrogant people so it's not the whole truth.

Yeah, that´s what saves the scene from being "really mean". Definitely would be worse if Saiko and Takagi would laugh about other´s inferior skills. And then there´s this 15-year old guy who already won a prize and is apparently better skilled than even Saiko, so it´s not like Saiko has it all, already.

[Archangel]

[TMD A-Destiny] - Bakuman 05 [480p] (http://www.nyaatorrents.org/?page=download&tid=169643)
[TMD A-Destiny] - Bakuman 05 [720p] (http://www.nyaatorrents.org/?page=download&tid=169644)

[Kraco]

I decided to have a look at Ayako's release because for some reason TMD-A-Destiny deemed it fit to make the 720p a 460MB release. However, Ayako apparently has fired all of their QCs, so it's no good.

I wonder if Ayako's video and TMD-A-Destiny's subs could be easily tweaked compatible...

[Archangel]

The 720p version looks like garbage anyway Kraco

[Ryllharu]

Translation and encoding complaints aside (which are definitely warranted), I was surprised how much time they jumped here. Or I guess I should say I'm surprised they did it, and happy they did. It wasn't a few days...between the exams and the uniform changes, it was a few weeks or up to even a couple months.

They're not glancing over the fact that getting up to the level of skill where one might feel confident enough to submit a one-shot takes a lot of time. Especially for Saiko to get to the level where he doesn't feel like he is completely losing to this Niizuma guy their own age. At least a couple of months passed during this episode. They're also complete novices at doing this kind of production at all, so Takagi takes a long time to write the names, and Saiko takes even longer to prep the manuscripts.

Manga aside, I loved the scene with Azuki and Kaya. They were so damn cute teasing each other. First Kaya tickling Azuki, and then Azuki grabbing Kaya's hands and spinning her before telling her she already likes guys more than Kaya does. You could see that the two of them are really close friends. Though the best part was Kaya mocking Iwase.

We better see more of Kaya. Though I should think we should also finally see a bit more of Iwase. She has been mentioned a bunch of times, but we've barely heard her speak. I can't help but wonder how much of a role she'll play in all this with this level of attention toward her.


I should also mention that we see Saiko's mom being worried about his test scores (I assume Takagi helped him study). Gee, could it be that she didn't want him to do something impractical because she was acting like a good parent?

[MFauli]

wow, this ep was over too fast.

I dont know how I should feel about Saiko praising Takagi´s stories. Is it just a "within-the-universe-of-bakuman"-praise, or do the authors of the show really think such stories are fine and original? Well, I shouldnt complain too much about that, since Im currently writing a story thats not too dissimilar to Takagi´s first entry :D

Saiko continuing to ink his drawings when he was clearly too tired angered me a bit - and it didnt surprise me what happened then, ruining a whole page of their manga. As a pro, one should acknowledge when stamina is interfering with the kind of quality you want to achieve.

But...something a bit more general I realized while watching this episode: What exactly is the pull towards this show? I guess it´s the insight into the process of manga-making, because...there really isnt any excitement, is there? Saiko has great drawing skills, Takagi great story writing-skills, and even though there´s another boy currently triumphing over the two, it´s clear to me that Saiko and Takagi will succeed in the end. I´ll keep watching, surely, but I couldnt help but feel that the show would be more interesting if the main characters weren´t such already skilled guys. See that classmate of last episode that thought he was oh so great, but really wasnt. That would be a more interesting starting point for a show´s hero.

[Ryllharu]

What mangas were on the table when Takagi was reading? I can't identify the one in the center. Death Note, One Piece, Bleach and Dragon ball are obvious though. I realized it when I was writing up the rest of this post. One of the manga is Hikaru no Go, the other is probably another title by Obata Takeshi (Bakuman, Death Note artist).


I dont know how I should feel about Saiko praising Takagi´s stories. Is it just a "within-the-universe-of-bakuman"-praise, or do the authors of the show really think such stories are fine and original? Well, I shouldnt complain too much about that, since Im currently writing a story thats not too dissimilar to Takagi´s first entry :D
I thought "The Two Earths" was a bit of a cliche shonen battle concept. It basically creates a means by which there can be some kind of "revolutionary" combat with sci-fi, "oh crap, you're my double!" surprise moments. That doesn't make it bad, but it gives us a good idea of what they're into as a mangaka duo. Pretty much the same stuff the Bakuman/Death Note duo is into, unsurprisingly.


Saiko continuing to ink his drawings when he was clearly too tired angered me a bit - and it didnt surprise me what happened then, ruining a whole page of their manga. As a pro, one should acknowledge when stamina is interfering with the kind of quality you want to achieve.I agree that Takagi should have stopped him when he saw Saiko nodding off, but I guess it is a pretty common occurrence for mangaka. They have things like that in their gaiden pages in the volumes all the time.


But...something a bit more general I realized while watching this episode: What exactly is the pull towards this show? I guess it´s the insight into the process of manga-making, because...there really isnt any excitement, is there? Saiko has great drawing skills, Takagi great story writing-skills, and even though there´s another boy currently triumphing over the two, it´s clear to me that Saiko and Takagi will succeed in the end. I´ll keep watching, surely, but I couldnt help but feel that the show would be more interesting if the main characters weren´t such already skilled guys. See that classmate of last episode that thought he was oh so great, but really wasnt. That would be a more interesting starting point for a show´s hero.It's not really the goal, which is marriage to Azuki for Saiko, it's the path they take to get there. The draw for me in the manga has always been the characters primarily. Takagi and Saiko doing stupid things and having "serious humor" moments throughout the series. I'd say there is a lot of room for excitement. The two taking their work to JACK [JUMP] and making progress and growing as mangaka while having panics, crises and humor along the way.

As a fan of the manga, amazingly, it works. There is tension in the series because the original authors are a really good author/artist combo. They know how to evoke tension both in the story and display it visually. They can make a topic like making a phone call exciting because to Saiko and Takagi, it is. They're nervous as hell.

It's hard to describe, and I know I won't be able to without citing examples and spoiling the story.

[Buffalobiian]

gg - Episode 05 (http://www.nyaatorrents.org/?page=download&tid=169948)


"I like boys even more than you do!" - How does one respond to that? :D

That was both honest and funny at the same time.

[RyougaZell]

I laughed a lot at the FUSION :D

[Buffalobiian]

gg - Episode 06 (http://www.nyaatorrents.org/?page=download&tid=171643)

[Kraco]

A jolly good ep. Hattori's analysis of the manuscript was sound. The teacher forcing those two to sit right next to each other was hilarious.

[MFauli]

Rather weak, because predictable, episode. At least my fear that some old editor would remember Mashiro´s uncle didnt come true. That´d be really stupid.

It´s going all too mooth, imo, though. Same with Azuki becoming a seiyu. This show makes it look like getting into that business is super easy.

[shinta|hikari]

Easy..? Did you miss the part where they worked their asses off the entire time? They also have the talent for it.

Maybe the time skip made it seem less difficult though.

[Kraco]

Azuki isn't a seiyuu yet. She was just attending a class for training one's verbal skills. And I very much imagine anybody with just enough dough to pay the fee can attend that class. So, it's quite the contrary to what you said: She needs to work and train hard to get into the business. She won't be a voice actress until she has got her first role in a production.

[Dark Dragon]

I also have to say that was not "easy" in anyway.

Mashiro is a talented artist who have won many award for his skills. Takagi is a genius student who's the top of his class and shows talent for writing. The both of them realizes how difficult it is to get into the business despite having talents at what they do. Mashiro was willing to scrap his entire initial draft and redo simply because he thought it wasn't good enough when compared to Nizuma Eiji.

[Buffalobiian]

I also have to say that was not "easy" in anyway.

Mashiro is a talented artist who have won many award for his skills. Takagi is a genius student who's the top of his class and shows talent for writing. The both of them realizes how difficult it is to get into the business despite having talents at what they do. Mashiro was willing to scrap his entire initial draft and redo simply because he thought it wasn't good enough when compared to Nizuma Eiji.

What made it seem "easy" was that they didn't get bounced back by an editor (well, they did.. but it wasn't a complete bounce), and much of their work and prior "errors" were self-corrected, making it seem more like they polished themselves up rather than hitting a wall.

Takagi laughing his ass off in the back row made that scene for me.

[Buffalobiian]

gg - Episode 07 (http://www.nyaatorrents.org/?page=download&tid=173151)





-----------------------------


Of all things, I never expected Nizuma Eiji to speak like a normal human.

[MFauli]

do i have to write something controversial so that you guys start talking about this episode? :P

Rather boring imo. Looked like they were going to develop their relationship, but in the end nothing happened. More focus on their manga-career please. Oh, and Azuki still looks kinda creepy because it looks as if she has no eye brows.

[Archangel]

do i have to write something idiotic so that you guys start talking about this episode? :P
Fixed

And lack of discussion comes from lack of content, it was a boring episode

[Archangel]

[TMD A-Destiny] - Bakuman 08 [480p] (http://www.nyaatorrents.org/?page=download&tid=175209)
[TMD A-Destiny] - Bakuman 08 [720p] (http://www.nyaatorrents.org/?page=download&tid=175210)

Falcon Punch!!!

[Dark Dragon]

This episode was very nice. It's probably my favorite episode so far.

It's great to see that Saiko and Akito are becoming good friends on top of working with each other. Usually a partnership can break down easily if one person feels that the other is holding them back.

The punch scene was great. I didn't really have a strong reaction the first time i read that scene in the manga, but it was much more effective here and i actually cheered out loud when Akito decked that punk.

As for discussions, it's something that hard to have with this particular series right now. The story really just involves the two of them working hard and occasionally run in hurdles and working pass it. There really isn't much to discuss since most of the cast are still missing. Characters like Hattori and Nizumu Eiji have been introduced but they don't really have a solid presence yet. I think that once the series gets to the point where the two are more involve in the manga world, there will be much to discuss.

[MFauli]

I dont really know how I should feel about them failing the Tezuka-award again. Sure, the manga-business is hard, but Mashiro´s drawings looked more than solid. And it´s just turning out to be filler in that the next time they´ll make it 100%. too predictable. Take Kirino for example, that´s how you do it, suckers!

:/

[shinta|hikari]

I think the drawings aren't bad (in fact, they look great), but they do not match the preference of the target demographic. His art looks seinen oriented, not shounen, which is what Jack publishes. There might also be room for improvement when it comes to drawing movement or designing scenes, since Mashiro used to draw sketches, not manga.

[Kraco]

Yeah, there's no indication it had bad graphics (except for the armchair expert scumbag's stance). They were obviously good but the competition had even better, in the jury's opinion.

The best scene was the punch, no doubt of that. Made even better by the fact Akito is supposed to be a smart guy in everybody's eyes, not any punk.

[MFauli]

But I didnt like how BAD the anime made this guy to come off to be. It´s like...on the one hand you have a manga drawing prodigy....on the other hand you have someone that isnt as talented AND he´s an asshole. I´d prefer to see more middle ground, you know, a person that tries hard, but just isnt that good, and doesnt brag with his amateur-drawings.
How the anime handled it made it feel again like a punch into the audience´s face, like "just get the fuck out if you arent already a pro! dont ever try to use a pen again!".

[shinta|hikari]

I didn't see it like that. It would be another thing if a serious and hard working person gets shamed and fails, but since it was an asshole, the message is quite different. It is basically saying that half-assed arrogant jerks will get owned.

[Kraco]

Indeed. This guy deserved nothing but that punch. He had personally never risked and given his everything for any (manga related) goal, yet he had the impudence to attack Saiko publicly, using somebody else's achievements (Eiji's) against him, as if they had any relation at all to his own untested skills.

[Archangel]

Episode 9 had some bulshit pacing, they actually stretched half a chapter into a whole episode

It's planned to have 25 episodes and the manga is already over 100 chapters, what the fuck are they thinking?

[Dark Dragon]

[GG] Bakuman 09: MU (http://www.megaupload.com/?d=OAUSPAZW) - Torrent (http://www.nyaatorrents.org/?page=torrentinfo&tid=176531)

[MFauli]

ok, stuff I noticed:

- a girl beating a man just like that isnt funny. were roles reversed, it´d cause outrage.

- I seriously question Tagaki´s story-writing qualities if he produces THAT many different multi-page stories in such a short amount of time. I´m sorry, but if you want to create a truly great story you have to stick with it and work on it, improve it if necessary. And these aren just short concepts, they´re, as I mentiond, many pages thick. A truly great story doesnt come by that easily. In that way, Mashiro´s drawing skills are much more believable at this point.

- Nizum is mental, retarded, crazy, you choose it. His portrayal is too unrealistic.

[Ryllharu]

- I seriously question Tagaki´s story-writing qualities if he produces THAT many different multi-page stories in such a short amount of time. I´m sorry, but if you want to create a truly great story you have to stick with it and work on it, improve it if necessary. And these aren just short concepts, they´re, as I mentiond, many pages thick. A truly great story doesnt come by that easily.Uhh...I have no such problem doing the same. I do it all the time for D&D, and I've got a bunch of ideas on top of that in the other genres. Belting out a five-page concept is nothing. That's like an essay for an exam. Maybe the time it takes to actually write it out, but if you've got a vivid imagination, they come pretty easily.

Not all of Shujin's ideas are good either. Saiko rejects a lot of Takagi's ideas because they don't really grab him or don't work in manga format. Takagi is a creative guy with a vivid imagination, and he obviously likes writing for fun. Given his suspension, he had plenty of time, though I can't imagine how sore his wrist got.

He's not dumping the equivalent of Dostoevsky, Heinlen, Herbert, Tolkien. etc. out in his free time or while scratching one out in class.

[MFauli]

First, his concepts look quite thicker than "5 pages". Secondly, I just dont buy it. You cannot create a truly good story if you keep rushing out crap. And since he didnt just write 20-30 one-page summaries, but multi-page concept stories, it comes off as being rushed to me.

At least, if we assume that Takagi is not the single best writer in the whole world, that just doesnt work. Dont get me wrong, thinking of a basic concept for a story is easy. "Middle-aged guy wakes up, finds himself surrounded by robots, later is revealed that he himself is a robot", bamm, there you have a 5-second concept from me, enjoy. Now, even bloating this up to a whole page would be okay. But spending the time to go on for 10-20 pages and just THEN realizing "uh, its shit"?

No, you keep brainstorming, then you find a theme, followed by a more detailed hook for the story, then you try to create one or several lead characters, you set important points within the story, what it all leads towards, and if you´re good, that story will be great. What you don´t do is rushing out to write 10 or more stories a day, each a 10-20 page concept, and afterwards decide "ugh, thats crap". That´s ... anti-skill. You just keep going until you´re lucky enough to enjoy what you wrote. Consequently, it gives off a message of "I didnt really care about the story I created from the beginning".

So, if you arent arguing that Takagi is Dostowesky, Heinlein, Herbert and Tolkien combined into one writing-deity, I cant see your point.

[Dark Dragon]

Nizuma isn't retarded, mental or crazy. None of those terms fit his character portrayal since he already showed that he is serious and to the point when he needs to be. Eccentric is the word you're looking for and I have met some people who are almost as random as he is. I don't think his character is unrealistic at all, maybe exaggerated to some extent but still very real.

The size of those manuscripts is exaggerated in the anime, in the manga all you see is small panels with 2 piles of different names and most of them doesn't look to be very long. This is the last page of chapter 10 so there should be no spoiler.

While that scene has a comedic tone, it was more of the intention of coupling the 2 together. What Takagi did was pretty shitty and he decided that he would accept the punches. Of course there would be outrages if the roles were reverse, that's just public perception. It was also exaggerated since she only punched him 3 times, that's hardly qualify as a "beating".

I want to clarify that while this show is suppose to be "realistic", it's still a manga/anime at heart. That means the author will sometimes exaggerate certain details for effect and if you keep nitpicking at every detail, it'll definitely negatively affect your enjoyment of this show.

edit: [gg] Bakuman 10: MU (http://www.megaupload.com/?d=BVU8BUAE)- Torrent (http://www.nyaatorrents.org/?page=download&tid=178017)

[RyougaZell]

GG Messed up Oda-sensei's name and wrote Ota...

[animus]

Wait so Saiko's dad's full name is Mashiro Masahiro? Lulz.

[Dark Dragon]

Wait so Saiko's dad's full name is Mashiro Masahiro? Lulz.

And his uncle is Mashiro Nobuhiro, his grandpa certainly has a very interesting naming sense lol.

[shinta|hikari]

Why is it so strange? It's pretty common to have similar sounding surnames and first names, even in other countries with different languages.

[Buffalobiian]

gg - Episode 11 (http://www.nyaatorrents.org/?page=download&tid=179607), 12 (http://www.nyaatorrents.org/?page=download&tid=180960).





----------------------------

Saiko and Miho's relationship still seems really fairy-tale-like to me. The sheer idealistic nature of it makes it hard for me to back it up 100%. On the other hand, Takagi's and Kaya's seems much more realistic and sensible.

I feel sorry for Iwase. However arrogant she came off as in the beginning, she never really did anything bad for us to dislike her. I would like to see her again, but if she comes back to check on Takagi, then it would mean she never moved on after losing her rival - which isn't exactly a scenario I'd want to see her in neither.

[Kraco]

It certainly is fairy tale like, but I find it pretty amusing. Just like I find amusing the moments when Kaya suddenly thinks Takagi's being really cool. I'm not sure if both are or aren't due to the influence of having read (and believed to an extent) this story is chauvinistic...

[MFauli]

I agree about the relationship and have to add that I dont care one bit about that part of the story. Fortunately, their manga-business has reached a really nice pacing now. I still think the beginning was too rushed, too "easy" to get in, but starting with ep 11 I can ignore that. And Im really excited about their battle with Nizuma.

[Ryllharu]

Reviving this thread a bit:

[TMD​_A-Destiny] Bakuman 14​[720p] (http://www.nyaatorrents.org/?page=download&tid=186937)
TMD might be behind an episode, but they're an improvement on the alternatives.

---------------------

Kaya is easily one of my favorite anime characters. She seems so level-headed around all these other extreme personalities. She's cute, and a beacon of common sense regarding relationships. It's hard to really pinpoint, but there is just something about her that comes off as so natural. Saiko and Takagi were spot on about their assessment of her too. She's nice, and indeed she does have a big chest.

Niizuma is also a fantastic character. They portrayed him as a bit of an egotist, self-absorbed genius-type who does whatever he wants with little disregard simply because he is talented. But that's not really true. He does what he wants, but in the end, he just really really really loves manga. It's all he knows. He compliments Saiko and Takagi...and he really means it. It's refreshing to see that spin on a rival character archetype. He has no enmity toward them, right now he's just better, but he still loves their work.

Regarding Saiko and Takagi. I think they are wrong. They're not playing into their strengths, they're falling into the trap of trying to be better by emulating.

[MFauli]

Hm, did they skip ep13? :D

Edit: Thx, Marik

[Marik]

Hm, did they skip ep13? :D

No. TMD​_A-Destiny​ - Bakuman​ - 13: 720p (http://www.nyaatorrents.org/?page=download&tid=183489) | 480p (http://www.nyaatorrents.org/?page=download&tid=183488)

[MFauli]

Just watched ep13 and 14, really enjoyed those. I was happy to see them not backing away from doing a shounen manga. What I dont like is how Nizuma wants to become friends with them. Kind of could damage the whole rivalry-thing that´s been going on.


episode 15 (720p):http://extratorrent.com/download/2359969/%5BTMD%5D+A-Destiny+Bakuman+15+%5B720p%5D%5B906CFF37%5D.mkv.to rrent

[MFauli]

Bakuman Episode 16:

http://www.nyaatorrents.org/?page=download&tid=188994

[MFauli]

Is noone watching this anymore? Just when it started to be fully enjoyable!

Really like the assistant group, although the evil jokes about the old guy were a tad too cruel. Afterall, aren´t most mangakas NOT young prodigies, but 30+ years old guys? :P

[Dark Dragon]

I think he's a failure not because of the fact that he's 33. It's because he's been trying to get serialized for 10+ years without any success. It is cruel, but that's the reality that comes with the profession. Most mangaka that created widely popular works often debut at a young age. For example, Toriyama debuted when he was 24, Mitsuru Adachi at 19 and Oda at 24 after winning the Tezuka award at 17.

The assistant group offer a lot of different perspectives. I think it was around this point when Nizuma became my favorite character.

[Kraco]

Fukuda might have been a tad cruel but I suppose that was simply his characteristic as a talented mangaka. He did have some achievements already and was able to analyse Niizuma's weaknesses correctly, so he was not just somebody arrogant yet full of air. Besides, in that business it's better to have self-confidence than not to have (unlike in some other Japanese professions, no doubt). Naturally it was also a way to thwart the fear of ending up like Nakai...

[Buffalobiian]

I used to really dislike Kaya and Nizuma, but they've turned out to be even more enjoyable than the main characters since they're so outgoing and spontaneous. Other reasons include Kaya not turning out into the violent bitch I thought she'd be, and Nizuma not turning out into one elitist stuckup genius stereotype.

I'm still amazed at how much work is put into just trying to maintaining one's ratings rather than simply trying to write something good in general. I suppose I've always thought of manga as a segmented book of sorts where the end product is looked at as a whole rather than each individual parts with such importance.

[Buffalobiian]

TMD A-Destiny - Episode 17 (http://www.nyaatorrents.org/?page=download&tid=191023), 18 (http://www.nyaa.eu/?page=download&tid=193234), 19 (http://www.nyaa.eu/?page=download&tid=194048).




------------------------


I really liked Episode 19. The break-up provided the much needed tension since while everything hasn't been smooth-sailing, nothing's ever came up that really jeopardised their long term interest - but a timely resolution was also needed since they suck at each other's jobs, and the lack of interaction would have killed Bakuman fundamentally anyway.

[MFauli]

Hm, I didnt like the sudden break-up in the beginning of this episode. It didnt feel right, went too smooth. "Oh, you didnt finish a name? Ah well...bye". But they got back together, so it´s okay.

Oh, and Azuki is ridiculously hot in her school outfit, lol

[Ryllharu]

Oh, and Azuki is ridiculously hot in her school outfit, lolVery true.

Hm, I didnt like the sudden break-up in the beginning of this episode. It didnt feel right, went too smooth. "Oh, you didnt finish a name? Ah well...bye". But they got back together, so it´s okay.Saiko had a point though. If a mangaka can't meet their deadline, is it going to go nearly so smoothly with an editor, much less the head editor if need be? They would drop a newbie in an instant. They would need to scramble to find a one-shot, or some other means of filling the unexpected gap in the magazine. It's one thing for an author to take a preplanned break, but there is no excuse (aside from serious illness) for not meeting a deadline.

Kaya is just so good. She understands how well they work together, and does everything she can to try and convince them to resume their partnership, even if she wasn't all that great at that. It was nice of Saiko to extend an invitation to their studio again in return. She's the biggest fan right now, and their primary cheerleader. Saiko should probably trust her more, she understood from the start of her relationship with Takagi where his main priority was, and doesn't really try to dissuade him from that (the first thing she was willing to do was have him ditch her novel). She wants Miho to be happy more than she wants herself to be. She's also more talented than she thinks.

Looking forward to their plan to trick Hattori.

[MFauli]

Looking forward to their plan to trick Hattori.

Regarding that, I expect some kind of horrible backfire for Saikou and Takagi :D Like, Hattori assuming that things arent working out between the two like he thought and thus making different plans for them, therefore getting them into trouble (due to their own fault, though).

[Buffalobiian]

Regarding that, I expect some kind of horrible backfire for Saikou and Takagi :D Like, Hattori assuming that things arent working out between the two like he thought and thus making different plans for them, therefore getting them into trouble (due to their own fault, though).

How will that work? Hattori's willing to let them do their own thing (Takagi to write his mystery, Saiko to come up with whatever names he could) until Takagi is ready with something. All they're going to do now is to turn up with nothing for six months, then slam him with something amazing.

Azuki's got a lot more sparkle in her eyes than any other character. The reflections make them oh so pretty. :o

Kaya's the complete opposite. I'm probably still not a fan of her design (disregarding her outfits, since she turns up in some pretty good ones), but her personality and voice makes you like her regardless.

[Kraco]

Saiko had been increasingly suspicious of Takagi for a few eps now. He was just too polite to attack him every time he was doubting Takagi's behavior and priorities. Takagi wasn't too stupid not to realise that might happen. He probably felt a bit guilty being in Kaya's company despite not being able to meet the deadline. There was little room for big arguments anymore when the deadline came and went.

[Buffalobiian]

[Nipponsei] Bakuman OP Single - Blue Bird [Kobukuro].zip (http://tracker.minglong.org/torrents/%5BNipponsei%5D%20Bakuman%20OP%20Single%20-%20Blue%20Bird%20%5BKobukuro%5D.zip.torrent)

[MFauli]

And episode 20 is out:

http://www.nyaa.eu/?page=download&tid=195112

[Buffalobiian]

[Shin-S] Bakuman. ED2 Single - Fuku Warai [Takahashi Yuu].zip (http://www.nyaa.eu/?page=torrentinfo&tid=195757)

[MFauli]

man, are you guys only listening to this show´s music? new ep is out, too :D

http://www.nyaa.eu/?page=download&tid=196991

[Buffalobiian]

I was hoping Takagi at least would be level headed and dissuade, or at least not go with Saiko to the protest. Whatever the girl has to say next episode, I guess I'll be agreeing.

Not that the editorial department will give a shit about this neither. If fans know their favourite star is writing a manga and support him only because of his musical popularity, then Jack sells more mags regardless. The manga is "popular" regardless of whether it sprang from its quality or its writer.

Further, there's not a damn thing they can do about it neither.

[MFauli]

I was hoping Takagi at least would be level headed and dissuade, or at least not go with Saiko to the protest. Whatever the girl has to say next episode, I guess I'll be agreeing.

Im glad they´re joining the protest. Because think about it: Even if Takagi/Saiko decided to be all "we´re so awesome, Colorfusical might win the one score, but we´ll become first with that other score", it´d still be unfair to the other two competitors, who´d be basically shut out, regardless of the effort they put into their work. So, from a series hero-point of view, they have to join the protest.

Oh, and token notice: The new girl is super hot.

[Kraco]

It's the editors' very job to analyse questionnaire and the general market situation and decide what's best for the magazine, so in that sense the protest is useless. But I guess if the editors feel like advising the mangaka all the time, then the mangaka can return the favour by advising the editors, har har...

[Buffalobiian]

SubDesu - Episode 22 (http://www.nyaa.eu/?page=download&tid=198333)



------------------------------------


Yeah.. now if only these guys thought through the scenario before acting on it. All it took was a bit of though and they all went "oh, we'll just have to write well then". Duh.

Niizuma's such a jolly fellow. I like him much, much more than Mashiro. That guy can actually enjoy writing his manga. Mashiro seems to be so bogged down on his goal and deadlines, he's almost missing the point of why he wants to be a mangaka. Almost, but not quite.

[MFauli]

I really dont know how I should feel about Azuki selling her body like that, lol. Totally doesnt fit her introvert character, neither is it something that´s necessary for her actual dream career. If I was Mashiro, I´d hate that :D

The mangaka-meeting was kind of silly executed. To us, it made sense, but for them: Meet at Nizuma´s, sit down, quietly read each other´s names, then conclude "my story is better anyways" and say goodbye. Erm, okay.

Just for fun, my guess about Nizuma´s ranking:

1. Ashirogi and Aoki/Naki
3. White hair-guy


That guy can actually enjoy writing his manga.

Agreed much

[Buffalobiian]

Just for fun, my guess about Nizuma´s ranking:

1. Ashirogi and Aoki/Nakai
3. White hair-guy





That was my initial thought, but I've changed it to the following just because I think a bit of hiccup would be interesting for the confident (read: stuck-up) Aoki.

1. Ashirogi and Fukuda
3. Aoki/Naki

It'll also smash home what Fukuda said that her story isn't Shounen enough, and that while she's good she doesn't quite understand who she's writing for in Jack.

[Buffalobiian]

Subdesu - Episode 23 (http://www.nyaa.eu/?page=download&tid=200998)

[Kraco]

I really dont know how I should feel about Azuki selling her body like that, lol. Totally doesnt fit her introvert character, neither is it something that´s necessary for her actual dream career. If I was Mashiro, I´d hate that :D

She was really nervous, which means it fits her character. Plus, from what I've understood, it's also highly beneficial to her career, because in practice the otaku masses are highly influential in the anime industry due to deciding what sells and what doesn't. There certainly are more popular and less popular voice actors (just like with movie stars). Doesn't hurt to belong to the more popular ones, you know.

[Buffalobiian]

For some time there I thought Koogy would actually be getting someone else to do the drawings for him, since it's so unrealistic for someone to be good at so many things, along with his casual attitude and late start on the manuscript.

[MFauli]

Well, Kraco, i´m not that okay with Azuki´s current career decision, but okay.

Anyways, I reaaaaaally hope that Ashirogi win the competition. No more teasing. I want some serious development, so they can concentrate on the next step.

Oh, also, how old did they say Aoki was? Just so I can calculate how creepy her partner´s attitude is ;)

[Buffalobiian]

SubDesu - Episode 24 (http://www.nyaa.eu/?page=download&tid=202222) / 25 (http://www.nyaa.eu/?page=download&tid=203856)

[Buffalobiian]

TMD_A-Destiny - S2 Episode 01 (http://www.nyaa.eu/?page=download&tid=249964)

I was not in the mood for a recap ep. Glad that wasn't the case.

[Sapphire]

GotWoot - 8 bit (http://www.nyaa.eu/?page=download&tid=250097)
GotWoot - 10 bit (http://www.nyaa.eu/?page=download&tid=250098)
GotWoot - DDL (http://www.fileserve.com/list/7xb8vBe)

[MFauli]

So mangaka are now treated like superstars? didnt know that.

And Ashirogi´s new editor has to be the oldest sounding 23-year old one I´ve ever seen. Im 25 and I dont look/sound that old, lol.

[Kraco]

So mangaka are now treated like superstars? didnt know that.

They might have made two high-schoolers feel like superstars, but that's about it. Otherwise it was just a party organized to inspire the mangaka and on the other hand try to make sure they won't switch to another publisher. Lots of workplaces have a party or two every year. They are oft called recreational events.

[Buffalobiian]

This was the pre-New Years party wasn't it? They're big in Japan.

[MFauli]

Well, Kraco, it was more the driving service in a huge, black limo that surprised me :P

[MFauli]

Seems noone else is watching. Next 2 episodes are out. Just watched ep2 and wtf, how did this suddenly turn into blackmail-rape doujin-story, lol.

Damn shame, though, that Azuki isn´t doing the photo collection :P

Edit:

Watched ep3. Lol, starting like ep2. Lots of sexual tension, not much focus on actually creating manga. Well, anyway, I was disappointed that Nakai and Aoki didn´t hook up with each other properly, when they spent a whole episode on those two.

Seems like ep4 will be about, ya know, manga again, so looking forward to that.

[Ryllharu]

I'm watching it, but being a manga reader, it's hard to get excited about seeing a specific arc animated. It's largely a perfect adaptation. So I usually watch the episodes in bursts. I mostly watch the anime just for Miyoshi.

I'm not certain if you are watching the same series if you didn't think episode 3 was about writing manga. It wasn't about the skills of drawing manga, but pride of an author and artist and what qualifies as "shonen" to each of them. The two of them are much like Saiko and Takagi. One of the two is far better at writing (Aoki/Takagi), and the other is far better at drawing (Nakai/Saiko). But don't forget that Aoki actually is an accomplished manga artist as well, just not for shonen-style art.

Nakai thought she rejected him because of his skill and went with that artiste KOOGY (whom they all hate because he uses his fame rather than skill to be successful). Nakai is probably the best artist in the entire series. He's got pride in his work.

Aoki was depressed because she didn't think her writing was good enough. Aoki doesn't want to conform to a standard shonen formula. She left the shoujo magazines to prove that her writing can appeal to all, not just young girls. That's why she was arguing with her editor. Nakai's determination (particularly to save the manuscript) re-invigorated Aoki's pride in her own work.

There's no sexual "tension" if all of it is one-sided. Aoki's too prideful to like anyone she would work with. Not Nakai, and not KOOGY. She just sat there emotionless while KOOGY was trying to flirt with her.

[Kraco]

Episode 2 - GotWoot (http://www.nyaa.eu/?page=download&tid=251345)
Episode 3 - GotWoot (http://www.nyaa.eu/?page=download&tid=254417)



Personally I think this show needs interludes such as this. It would get somewhat monotonous if all we got was Mashiro drawing and Takagi writing episode after episode, with occasional meetings with the editor. This builds up a larger gallery of manga related people, and consequently makes the victories and failures feel more meaningful, not just statistics.

Although I stopped reading it at some point, but I have also read the manga far beyond this point, so I can't really write any speculations or such yet. I can just sit and enjoy watching this animated. The characters are interesting and the story isn't bad, even if it makes the manga world look (probably realistically) very ruthless and too much based on calculations (which is the reason I dropped the manga).

[Archangel]

Lol Kraco, you'd rather live in ignorance that have the magic of manga be taken away from you? :P

[Kraco]

Lol Kraco, you'd rather live in ignorance that have the magic of manga be taken away from you? :P

Yes, 100 times out of 100. I mean, this is entertainment. If I was absurdly planning to make a career out of it, my view would be different, but as it is and I'm only a consumer, it would have been nicer to live in self-induced oblivion of ignorance. Not that I really was there to begin with, since this isn't really that different from, say, the calculations behind Harry Potter, but it's different from having it pictured before you in a manner impossible to ignore.

[MFauli]

Seems nobody is watching this anymore, so I didn´t notice that new episodes were out already. Just got done watching ep 6. While iz certainly adds an element of surprise, the way Saiko´s illness is handled is really poorly done. It just clashes too much with the otherwise pseudo-realistic tone of the show. On one hand, drawing manga at the hospital would by fine...by itself. However, the anime puts that much focus on how heavily sick Mashiro really is, that I cannot accept him continuing with his work. Azuki putting the pen back in his hand, when he´s having a near-break down wasn´t dramatic, romantic, or whatever else. It was overly stupid, reckless and non-sensical.

Of course, by cursing Mashiro with a 3-month-hiatus sickness, the author put himself in a corner, so Mashiro continuing to draw was the only available option. Though I expected some sort of "TRAP goes on hiatus -> Mashiro and Takagi are worried to death about their manga´s future success -> chapter 21 is released in Jack, and comes with massive fan-hype, due to fans having found out about the reason of the hiatus". Would have been the better plot choice in my opinion.

Edit: And whoah! What´s up with Takagi looking at Azuki and thinking how she got more mature and prettier?! It didn´t add anything to the scene, so I fear we might see some reeeeeally unnecessary relationship-drama in the near future. sigh

[Marik]

3rd Bakuman Anime Series to Be 25 Episodes Long (http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2011-12-16/3rd-bakuman-anime-series-to-be-25-episodes-long)

[Ryllharu]

[SFW-Whine] Bakuman S2 - 12 [Hi10P] (http://www.nyaa.eu/?page=torrentinfo&tid=269346)
[SFW-Whine] Bakuman S2 - 12 [720p] (http://www.nyaa.eu/?page=torrentinfo&tid=269347)



------------------


When I read this Miura arc in the manga, I felt that Mashiro and Takagi were being too harsh on Miura. Acting like brats. It felt like they throwing a fit only because Hattori wasn't their editor, and were taking it out on Miura. Indeed, when the boxes came, they were grasping at straws and making up reason why Hattori was better ("well he sent SIX boxes!"). Really?

That said, the portrayal in the anime was a bit different. It was a lot harder to sympathize with Miura when he keeps going off like that. It wasn't different in any way, it's just the voicework changed my interpretations of those scenes. He was definitely forcing the two of them into doing what he wanted. It took those boxes loaded to the brim with notes to see how much thought Miura had actually put into it. He's still a little misguided because it's only his opinion on what humor works where, but he's got the right idea.

That behavior showed why the editor in chief would have been right about putting them on hiatus until college. The two of them aren't really mature. They don't have the work ethic that some of their mangaka friends do. The kind that makes the desperate to get published no matter what. Motivation is an ongoing topic throughout bakuman, and it's a good one to focus on. Aoki is starting to have her worries, Hiramaru is always trying to get out of working despite how good he is at it (Otters11 is a big hit in the bakuman universe), Niizuma can't help doing it, Fukuda will do whatever it takes to get published.

Saiko and Shujin waver back and forth. Part of the problem is the two of them are poisoned by a secondary motivation, the promise with Azuki. She's making good strides on her own to satisfy her end of the promise, but the two of them are burdened by both needing a hit, having it be something that can be made into an anime (by being in the appropriate demographic), and it needs to have a heroine role that Azuki can be cast in. In a way, that really limits their creativity.

So Miura had the right idea, just went about it the wrong way. As an editor, he's got good ideas, but he's too new to understand how he should implement them. He should be encouraging the two of them to try new genres. They are good a serious, high-minded series. But they can't really grow without trying other things, particularly Mashiro. Takagi can always try to write different things in his free time, but Mashiro needs to practice with different art styles to strengthen his core skills. He can't develop by only doing the same thing over and over. To be great at their strong point, they need to branch out.

The best mangaka play with the medium to its full extent. Serious, drama, romance, battle, comedy, action, even sports. Then they take those components back to their strong suit and make really great series. Miura is right, Saiko and Shujin needed to leave their comfort zone, and comedy is a safe play to play around in.


Lastly, this episode marked the opening volleys to one of my favorite arcs. Iwase is back, challenging authors she knows of to why they write manga instead of writing novels.

[MFauli]

Just finished watching ep 14.

Azuki earned herself the bitch-title phenomenally. Wow. She *knows* that Takagi is his best friend, and his best friend asked Mashiro not to tell Azuki about Aoki, yet she cannot accept that? yeah, bitch.

Also, I didn´t like the scene with Nizuma, because from previous episodes, we know that whatever he thinks of Ashirogi turns out true. So, I´d be very surprised if Tanto ended up a hit.

To end this posting, I´d like to mention that Hiramaru is the best character at the moment. Like, super funny, haha.

[Ryllharu]

Indeed. Hiramaru and his editor are comedy gold.

But I disagree with the rest of your post.

Niizuma is smart, and he loves manga, but he's not an oracle. He said that Saiko and Shujin do serious series best. And that's true. Mashiro's art isn't geared well toward comedy like his uncle, nor is it geared toward action, which is why they keep losing to Niizuma. Takagi is a smart guy, and he knows what works for him too. But at the same time, they need to experiment with their style and grow. If they succeed with Tanto, they will broaden their scope and be able to write more well-rounded manga in the future. Also, Niizuma has his own specific tastes. He likes their serious work the best, but he enjoyed TEN as well for its own merits. Tanto may in fact be a big hit with kids, which according to the editors is an under served demographic for JUMP JACK right now.


Don't forget that Kaya is Azuki's best friend. The Kaya who right now believes that her boyfriend (whom she loves a lot and has been going out with for a long time) is cheating on her with her rival from middle school, who she always felt inadequate toward. Azuki is just backing her up the best way she can...telling Saiko she can't trust him after all.

It all comes down to misunderstanding and improper communication. The two guys didn't know about the heartfelt tsundere letter, and the girls didn't know that the two guys were hiding the ambush meeting because they didn't want Kaya to get hurt.

Azuki is trying to resolve the problem, and feels that she needs to know the whole story to do so, but Saiko is backing up their original intention to not make things worse by not mentioning Aoki. Azuki knows that Saiko is lying by omission to her because he's really bad at lying, and they have that whole connection thing going on between the two of them. The one where they sit together in nervous, absolute silence, but still know what the other is thinking.

[MFauli]

That´s correct and all, but still, when your best friends asks you not to tell something, then your gf should accept it. Especially when you´re making it clear that it´s nothing terrible that he´s omitting. Well, I hope this gets cleared up soon.

[Ryllharu]

That´s correct and all, but still, when your best friends asks you not to tell something, then your gf should accept it. Yeah...tell your girlfriend something to that effect and see how well it goes for you...

Just saying. :rolleyes:

[MFauli]

Will do when I ever have one :(

lol, but still ... even if we go by the notion that you should be able to tell your gf anything, Azuki is unfair, because she know´s how close friends Mashiro and Takagi are. Guess she doesn´t realize that in her crusade for Kaya.

EDIT:

Watched episode 15. Really hope that any drama between Takagi - Miyoshi - Aoki has come to an end now.

Nakai was an ass in the restaurant scene, BUT Aoki is also a bitch. She´s completely disregarding Nakai´s feelings by trying to work with him again. And Nakai wasn´t just short-term horny or whatever, but actually gave it his everything to convince Aoki of his love for her. Made me upset how she couldn´t understand that.

[MFauli]

ep 18 watched.

The Ashirogi-side of things is kinda frustrating to watch at the moment, because they´re clearly better at serious manga. They somehow managed to get their comedy manga serialized, but I´d bet a lot on the fact that it won´t get them the desired long term-success. So, it´s all a waiting-game for when they return to a serious story, before they can even dream of competing with Niizuma.

Speaking of which, Niizuma is now almost too good-hearted of a character. Yes, you can try to apply personal motives to his reasoning, buuut it´s also obvious that he intends to help Ashirogi.

Best character remains Hiramaru. Omg, his desperate near-date rape-plan. And his "Don´t do two manga", rofl. Looking forward to the next couple of episodes.

[MFauli]

Am I really the only one who´s still watching this anime? Weird.

Anyway, ep 19 painfully strengthened my belief that Ashirogi have to scrap their gag-manga and get back to a serious story. Nothing about Tanto so far implies that it´ll be able to be any competition to Niizuma´s two manga series. Guess we´ll have to wait till Tanto drops some more. Though the anime imo hinted that Tanto would remain a "kinda successful manga", which would put Ashirogi in a difficult, annoying position: Continue doing the mildly successful series, or risking it all for something they truly like creating.

[neflight86]

The thing is, just about anything we would want to discuss they already do or have discussed in the show itself. It's tough to create meaningful, or at least insightful conversation from Bakuman because the characters are almost overly thoughtful. All that's really left to talk about is speculation...