About Bakuman

First released in 2010, Bakuman is an anime series based on the successful manga series of the same name. It revolves around the journey of two ninth graders, Moritaka "Saiko" Mashiro and Akito "Shujin" Takagi who dream of becoming successful manga creators. Throughout the series, the pair faces various challenges and obstacles on their way to the top of the manga industry.

Making / Production

Bakuman was directed by Kenichi Kasai for the first season and by Noriaki Akitany for the rest of the series. Created by J.C.Staff, the series faithfully follows the plot and art style of the original manga series created by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata, the creators of Death Note.

Actors

• Atsushi Abe: He portrays protagonist Moritaka Mashiro, adroitly capturing the character's passion and determination.
• Satoshi Hino: He voices Akito Takagi, effectively showcasing the character's intelligence and perseverance.
• Saori Hayami: She plays the role of Miho Azuki, embodying her character's dream-filled persona.
• Nobuhiko Okamoto: He plays rival character Eiji Niizuma, portraying his genius and eccentric tendencies.

Trivia / Interesting Facts

• The main characters Mashiro and Takagi are homage to the writers of the Bakuman manga series, Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata.
• Bakuman closely follows manga production in Shonen Jump, giving the viewer a highly detailed look into the manga industry.
• Many characters in Bakuman are drawn from real-life manga artists or editors.

Awards

Bakuman won the Shogakukan Manga Award for the shōnen category in 2011, a result of its popularity and quality.

Quotes

• "In this world, not everything will go the way you want it to. But if you can keep going on the path you believe in, you'll succeed eventually." - Moritaka Mashiro
• "Effort and Results... those two are always connected directly. What these people call effort may not be correct." - Akito Takagi
• "I'd rather try and fail, than never to have tried at all." - Eiji Niizuma

Music, Soundtrack

• The series enjoys upbeat and diverse soundtracks, with original scores created by Audio Highs.
• Opening Themes like "Blue Bird" and "Moshimo no Hanashi" have become iconic.
• Ending themes like "Genjitsu to iu Na no Kaibutsu to Tatakau MonoTachi" mirror the storytelling of the series, being bold and motivational.