BAKUMAN by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata

Official description

“Is becoming a successful manga artist an achievable dream or just one big gamble?

Average student Moritaka Mashiro enjoys drawing for fun. When his classmate and aspiring writer Akito Takagi discovers his talent, he begs Moritaka to team up with him as a manga-creating duo. But what exactly does it take to make it in the manga-publishing world?

Moritaka is hesitant to seriously consider Akito’s proposal because he knows how difficult reaching the professional level can be. Still, encouragement from persistent Akito and motivation from his crush push Moritaka to test his limits!”

Reflection

A sticker on the front cover states that the manga is “From the creators of Death Note,” and they make sure you know it. Not more than 20 pages into the manga, someone brings up Death Note. And again a few pages later. And again in the second half of the book. But this was more than just a Death Note lovefest.

While reading through Bakuman, I felt as though Ohba and Obata were allowing me to peer into the obstacles they had to overcome — everything from telling one’s parents of the desire to become a mangaka to learning how to use a G-Pen. Exploring the step-by-step process of creating manga was entertaining in itself. Even deciding the genre of Mashiro and Takagi’s manga was covered.

Bakuman has one similarity with Death Note. Both main characters are observant and intelligent (remind you of anyone?). Takagi cleverly uses his cunning to persuade Mashiro to draw manga. However, Mashiro’s transformation from a reluctant partner of Takagi’s to workaholic manga artist is what was really captivating.

Artwork. Nothing much to write here except that the style is similar to Death Note. But with much less blood and violence. If you’re not familiar with Death Note, Obata’s art is crisp, if a little over dramatic sometimes.

As expected from a manga about manga, several prominent series are mentioned: Dragon Ball, One Piece, Naruto, Bleach and Gin Tama, as well as some obscure manga unfamiliar to most American manga readers. Speaking of which, has anyone heard of Beet the Vandel Buster?

The flow of the story fits quite well in the first volume. At first, two classmates who barely know each other gradually take to each other and by the end, are working furiously to complete their final draft to submit to — who else — Shonen Jump. There’s a romantic subplot, and while I loathe those, this one is fairly important in spurring Mashiro’s development.

Bakuman is not going to be a blockbuster like its evil brother, but it doesn’t have to be. I appreciate Ohba and Obata going in a totally different direction with their latest work.

Other works by the same mangaka: Death Note, Hikaru no Go (Obata)

By REBECCA P.

“Haruna Aizawa thinks that school life is just like a monkey mountain — all the monkeys form cliques, get into fights, and get back together again. The school that she just transferred to is no exception. There’s even a boy called Macharu Yamashita who reminds her of a baby monkey!

It’s hard enough fitting in at a few school while dealing with family problems … Will Haruna remain jaded and distance herself from everyone around her? Or with Macharu win her over with his monkey magic?”

My thoughts
Haruna finds her family disgraced after a scandal her well-known father was in. As a result, she transfers to a low-key high school. To her, her new classmates are nothing but a bunch of monkeys. She retains a stubborn and stern outside appearance, which only results in being considered a snob and being rejected by many of her new classmates.

With the help of the childish Macharu she begins to come out of her shell and soon becomes accepted by her classmates. Haruna herself does come off as a snobbish character. She isn’t in reality and does it to be stubborn and partly out of fear. By the end of the volume she has opened up a lot but still retains a high-class mannerism yet true to herself appearance. She’s an interesting character in the realm of manga and she works. Macharu is adorable and a bit awkward, and his best friend, Atsuyuki, makes a welcome addition. The other characters in this volume fit the mold of the core story and well, that’s about it.

I enjoyed Monkey High more than I thought I would. It’s cute and just funny enough to set it above the bar of the average shojo. It’s a fast read, and it almost feels too fast. Within in a few pages of meeting Macharu and Haruna are already in the pre-relationship stage and are going out halfway through the book. I thought their relationship moved too quickly, and there wasn’t a lot to build up to it. It was disappointing, so it’ll be interesting to see if the series can keep the momentum it has or get better as time goes on.

Macharu and Haruna are the core of the story and they’re a goofy couple to say the least. However, they’re a goofy couple in a welcoming way. As opposed to choosing the cool hot guy, Haruna picks the goofy guy whom a lot of girls just pass off as a friend. It’s very sweet and endearing for that reason. It’ll be interesting to see how this goofy couple develops and to see if they can last despite social differences.

There’s an underlying theme to Monkey high in social status. Haruna’s family was formally very upscale and it’s reflected in her mannerisms as she’s educated in different areas (such as sewing and cooking) and acts more mature than some of her classmates. Macharu on the other hand is your average high school boy, though a bit childish and less mature, he does show a side more mature than some of his classmates in certain circumstances. It’s a tale of social class and expectations and Haruna is thrust out of a top hierarchy because of her father’s ill-doings and into the norm.

To summarize Monkey High, it’s a good series so far. It’s not perfect, but it does rank above your average shojo on the marketplace and it’s fun. It’ll be interesting to see where it leads and how social aspects affect the relationships of the characters in general. The art style is good and what you would expect in a shojo, and that’s all it needs. While I don’t plan on running out to buy the second volume of Monkey High, it is a series I plan on continuing because it has promise and I think the mangaka is well on her way of grasping it.

By REBECCA P.

“Her whole life, Hikari Hanazono has been consumed with the desire to win against her school rival, Kei Takishima — at anything. He always comes out on top no matter what he does, and Hikari is determined to do whatever it takes to beat this guy … somehow!

At age 6 Hikari lost to Kei in an impromptu wrestling match. Now, at 15, Hikari joins “special A,” a group of the top seven students at a private academy, for the opportunity to trounce the guy who made her suffer her first defeat.”

My thoughts
Poor Hikari just can’t seem to beat her lifelong rival, Kei. Despite years of failing to beat him in anything, she continues to work hard. Hikari and Kei are the top two students at an elite private high school and belong to the top group of students known as “Special A.” All of the students, excluding Hikari whose father is a carpenter, come from rich families and strong backgrounds; sound familiar?

The first volume of SA is average to say the least, but it’s not without potential. The characters don’t stand out a lot themselves and this results in a bland atmosphere and dialogue pattern. However, Hikari is a strong character with a good head on her shoulders and is a welcome personality in the world of shojo. For Kei, I found him to be a curious character whose feelings and motives are unclear as of the end of the first volume.

Story-wise I had to laugh at Hikari. As much as she tries to beat Kei she comes up just short. Kei isn’t uncaring to her efforts to beat him and in more than one scene shows that he admires her work ethic and worries that she tries too hard by scolding her. Yet, by the same token he teases her to keep trying. By the end of the volume, the author has set the stage for a potential “thing” between Hikari and Kei, but the question is how will it develop and not become a stale romance out of rivalry.

I do have a pet peeve with SA. Every chapter begins with a story summary. This includes reintroducing all seven members of the special class and Hikari’s rivalry with Kei. It takes away from the story and quickly makes things repetitive. It’s unnecessary and SA isn’t the only manga I’ve read that does this. All it succeeds in doing is boring the reader and adding useless details unnecessary for the story or reader enjoyment.

Speaking of story, not a lot happens in the first volume. It feels as if the first volume is composed of short story shots that try to build character but ultimately create vague spots of shallow plot development. There is potential, I just don’t think we’ll see it until the second or third volume. The artwork of SA is well done and the individual characters have looks that reflect their personalities. Hikari has a determined and strong look while still looking feminine, and Megumi looks quiet yet artistic.

Overall, SA as a volume is well, average. It’s a mixed bag of shojo fun that has a lot of clichés, good artwork and room for potential. I didn’t dislike reading SA, and it can be a fun read at points, but it’s obvious the author didn’t go as far as she could have. The question remains if the author will utilize this or if SA will just become another high school shojo.

Originally posted Aug. 27, 2009
By REBECCA P.

In volume one we’re introduced to Takuya, Minoru and their father Harumi. We’re introduced to their daily lives not long after the death of Takuya and Minoru’s mother and Harumi’s wife, who struggle to deal with raising Minoru and moving on without her. Aside from the pain of loss, we see different aspects of Takuya’s life (and how much it has changed) as well as the effect Minoru has on all their lives. Japanese culture plays a huge role and we see pressures on the boy’s father to marry as well as how their relationships with others play a role in their lives.

My thoughts
Baby & Me is an interesting title to read. For one, there are very few manga that fall into the genre of raising children and babies (save for series like With the Light). That said, readers will find few if any manga clichés here. Baby & Me tackles serious issues in serious, realistic and fun ways. Following the lives of two boys and their father after the death of their mother creates a hard situation, and one that will be a continuing battle and growing experience.

Baby & Me is a hard manga to classify as to whether or not readers will enjoy it. I personally enjoyed it very much and plan on continuing to read the series. It’s not one I’ll immediately run to the store and get, but it is one I got my money’s worth from and has a high re-readability value. However, Baby & Me doesn’t have an easy target audience, but I felt it was aimed at young to older women (and even a selective audience in that respect) as opposed to a male audience. Yes, it is shojo, but with many titles there usually is some draw to a male audience. However this is not the case with Baby & Me, despite the fact the main characters are all male.

Those interested in Japanese culture will find Baby & Me very enjoyable because it’s filled to the brim with it. The art style is simple and cute, but the characters are very expressive. One thing that really will stick out in Baby & Me volume one is the emotion it creates. Reading along with Takuya’s struggles with his baby brother and occurrences in his young life, I felt angry, happy, sad and at peace alongside him (and though to a lesser extent, the same way with his father, Minoru and some of the other characters). Character-wise, the characters are authentic, very realistic and natural (something many manga lack) and the dialogue is crisp and well written.

All in all, this is an underappreciated series (just in reading volume one) and I do look forward to reading the rest of the series. If you’re looking for a series that’s realistic, cute and not what you’re used to reading in every other shojo, pick up Baby & Me. My only warning is unless you’re interested in babies or children, slice of life and shojo, Baby & Me might not be for you. But, coming from a girl going into education that enjoys more realistic and non-cliché stories, this is a hit.

Originally posted Aug. 3, 2009
By REBECCA P.

My thoughts
I picked up From Far Away on a whim. I’d heard about it before and decided to give it a read. From reading the cover I could tell it would be a lot like Fushigi Yugi. Even from the first few pages I felt like I was reading a watered down copy of Fushigi Yugi. I even looked at the dates they were released. Fushigi Yugi came out in May of 1992, Far Away in November of 1992 (hm… I could do a lot of comparisons). However, that aside, does Far Away stand as a notable title or a “been there, seen that” title?

In the beginning of the story we’re introduced to Noriko, a calm, laid back and sweet young girl who’s been having strange dreams about a parallel universe. She ends up getting caught in one where she meets the handsome Izark. However, the two quickly learn they can’t speak the same language. They slowly begin to form a friendship and Noriko takes to learning the native language. Of course, it’s no simple affair as Noriko’s presence fulfills an ancient prophecy.

There are a lot of clichés in From Far Away and you won’t see anything you haven’t read or seen before. It does offer a neat twist in that Noriko can’t speak the native language (finally, realistic manga about plunging into strange places!); however, that’s all that’s refreshing. None of the characters really stand out except for Noriko and that’s because she’s a very likeable character. She’s not stupid, she’s kind and considerate, a good observer and just an all-around good character. We aren’t introduced to many other characters in volume 1, but the ones that do appear are, well, dull.

Speaking of dull, I’m sorry to say that I found volume 1 to be very dull. The dialogue was slow and didn’t offer much spark. The story doesn’t really move much and goes at a slow pace. I actually found it to be a hard manga to read because of that and it has little to offer in refreshing material. I will point out again; this is an older manga so it has the classic ’90s style. I’m fond of it myself and it doesn’t leave for much disappointment (though simplistic).

Can I recommend reading From Far Away? I’m not sure. This is only the first volume and some series have slow starts and get better while some stay dull. I won’t recommend From Far Away unless you’re a huge fan of manga like Rayearth or Fushigi Yugi. While it doesn’t have a lot to offer, it could have potential. Give it a read if you’re up to it, but don’t be alarmed if you find disappointment.

Originally posted Aug. 19, 2009
By REBECCA P.

“Meet Nana Komatsu and Nana Osaki, two girls with the same last name, but very different lives and personalities. Nana Komatsu is naïve, childish and not the brightest crayon in the box, but she knows about love. By moving to Tokyo, will she find happiness with Shoji?

Nana Osaki on the other hand is a singer in the popular band blast. She’s tough, cool, and just needs her music. She’s currently with the love of her life Ren and everything is going right in her life until Ren is offered the deal of a lifetime to play for the band Trapnest leaving Nana behind.

How will the lives of these two opposite girls clash and more importantly will they survive each other and find their true loves in Tokyo?”

My thoughts
The first volume of Nana is a volume introducing us to both Nana Osaki and Nana Komatsu. We’re told their love lives, career and school lives, about their friends and we just get an overall introduction up to the point where they’re on their way to Tokyo. This doesn’t set up much for the story being an introduction volume (and literally the only progress made is getting to know the two Nanas), that aside their starts are interesting to read.

Art-wise the style is simple, yet intriguing. It’s not anything special, but it’s unique in a good way. Not much emphasis is placed on the area or things surrounding characters, but 95 percent of the drawing is given to character designs and fashion (special emphasis on fashion). While the art may not be a big hit, the story is catchy and the focus and attention lies in the smart dialogue and progressing story.

With two main protagonists, its important for them to be likable. Nana Komatsu is the bubbly airhead who falls for a lot of guys (oh, and gets with a married man) and I found her to be annoying, but she’s still young and even from reading her story we can see her maturity slowly grow. Nana Osaki on the other hand has a chip on her shoulder and is prideful. She’s more together and the opposite of Komatsu in every way. I liked Nana Osaki more than the other Nana, but let’s see what happens once the two meet, shall we?

There is a healthy cast of other characters that help bring out the story. The story isn’t perfect as it hasn’t even begun (let’s just call this a “meet the characters” volume) but leaves a lot of story open for future volumes. One thing I also enjoyed was how realistic the characters were and how uncliched they were. Komatsu has an obsession with the demon lord that’s a figment of her imagination, and I’m sure we all have one friend with some strange jokes we don’t quite get (said demon lord is created to bring destruction to her).

The first volume is a great read to a fantastic series. There’s a reason it’s one of the top selling shojo manga of all time: it’s that good. While this is merely a “meet the characters” volume, it’s a must-read to understand a complicated and very good series. If you like romance, fashion, and reading about the life of a young woman in Japan, this is for you.

Originally posted July 26, 2009
By REBECCA P.

My thoughts
Girls sneaking into schools pretending to be guys is not a new idea. However, Haruhi never intended to be mistaken and that gives a fresh taste to the girl pretending to be a boy genre. It’s also a somewhat twisted Harem manga only with a girl surrounded by cute guys (as opposed to a guy surrounded by girls). Luckily, Ouran Host Club isn’t what you fear it’ll be. It’s something that overcomes clichés and inputs new and fresh ideas.

This of course, wouldn’t be possible without the person Haruhi is. She doesn’t think too much of her situation or having to pretend to be a boy or of being surrounded by the six host club members. Other girls would blush, be awe-stricken or react well … normally. Haruhi is unfazed by all of it and that’s what makes her such a unique character. She’s not your typical heroine and is a memorable one.

Bisco Hatori truly has a good sense of humor. Host Club is one manga that’s easy to laugh with. There are times when the manga makes fun of itself and its “stereotypical” characters who end up revolting and show a lot of character depth. The story is really kept up by the personalities of the characters. Few of the characters are 2-D and the author sets up a lot of points for deep character development in the future. The story is plain, but with characters like the host club members and the patrons themselves this is no dull affair.

As far as art goes, it’s Bisco Hatori, the same woman who did Millennium Snow (she dropped it for Ouran Host Club) and Please Save My Earth. I feel like the art style is Host Club’s greatest flaw. It’s not bad and I wouldn’t say it’s average; it’s good, but at the same time unique. It’ll be either a hit or miss with the reader and when I initially read Ouran High School Host Club, I wasn’t too keen on the art style. The characters are a little plain and bland, but at the same time still attractive. I give particular notice to Haurhi’s design. Looking at her, she looks like she could be a boy or girl with her hair cut with huge doe eyes.

If you’re looking for a manga with a good dose of humor and some characters who’ll make the manga, Ouran Host Club is a manga you’ll enjoy. I should mention too it’s a standard shojo title and might not be of interest to some guys (some elements might put male readers off). That being said, Ouran Host Club is a solid read. The art style isn’t perfect and the story has been done, but not in the way Bisco Hatori is doing it. It’s with that, that I have high hopes for future books.