Bakuman: Volume 6 cover image is courtesy of barnesandnoble.com.

Rated “T” for “Teen”

Akito Takagi is an aspiring writer.  He convinces his artistically inclined classmate, Moritaka Mashiro, to join him in an attempt to create manga that will be published.  The two young creators take the penname, Muto Ashirogi.  They eventually get their own manga, “Detective Trap,” into the manga magazine, Weekly Shonen Jump.  Do the boys have what it takes to make it in the manga-publishing world?

In Bakuman, Vol. 6 (entitled Recklessness and Guts), Moritaka and Akito’s work is paying off, and they start to challenge the most popular manga in Weekly Shonen Jump for top position in the reader surveys.  Then, a setback threatens to derail their career, until their friends and fellow creators rally around them.

THE LOWDOWN:  Whatever kind of art or entertainment that I like, I’m usually interested in getting an insider’s perspective or a behind-the-scenes look.  Perhaps, that is why I am inclined to like Bakuman, this superbly produced series from writer Tsugumi Ohba and artist Takeshi Obata, the creators of the controversial Death Note.  I find it a thrill to read this fictional interpretation of manga publishing – from the inside.

Bakuman (stylized as Bakuman。) has quality characters and practically each storyline and subplot is as engaging as the next.  This is as exciting as a fight comic or battle manga, and thanks to the cliffhanger ending, I (once again) can’t wait for the next volume.

POSSIBLE AUDIENCE:  Anyone interested in stories about chasing a dream will want to give the excellent Bakuman a try.

A+