Bakuman.

About Bakuman.

Looking for background on Bakuman. (バクマン。)? This comedy, drama and romance series by J.C.STAFF (2010) starts out like this. The setup: Moritaka Mashiro and Akito Takagi are pretty much foils of each other. Mashiro, an average 9th grade learner but talented artist, and Takagi, an overall advanced 9th grader and aspiring writer.

Further in, after great convincing, Takagi convinces Mashiro to join him in becoming the greatest mangakas Japan has ever seen. Takagi, with his gift of writing, hopes to become a successful mangaka, and Mashiro, with his gift of art, hopes to marry the girl of his dreams, Azuki Miho.

With comedy at the core, timing, character chemistry and running gags decide whether it lands. Moritaka Mashiro (Atsushi Abe) and Miho Azuki (Saori Hayami) are two of the characters you will meet early. It will appeal most to viewers who want something light between heavier series. With 25 episodes in total, there is enough room for the story to develop.

Production & Appeal

J.C.STAFF is the studio behind Bakuman., and its direction shapes everything from character design to motion. The comedy focus matters here: timing, character chemistry and running gags decide whether it lands. At 7.9/10 it earns a solid reception, a safe pick for fans of the genre. On the casting side, Atsushi Abe voicing Moritaka Mashiro gives the lead role a recognizable voice. It aired in 2010, which makes it easy to place in the wider anime calendar.