Bakuman. English Sub & Dub

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.

From there, 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.

In a comedy series like this, timing, character chemistry and running gags decide whether it lands. Voice work is led by Atsushi Abe as Moritaka Mashiro and Saori Hayami as Miho Azuki. 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. Because it leans on comedy, timing, character chemistry and running gags decide whether it lands. A 7.9/10 score points to a dependable, well-liked series. On the casting side, Atsushi Abe voicing Moritaka Mashiro gives the lead role a recognizable voice. Released in 2010, it competed with that season's other new series for attention.