Bakuman. 2

kenikki Oct 1, 2012

8

Bakuman 2. the second season revolving around a pair of manga authors - Mashiro Moritaka and Takagi Akito - and their peers, as they try to make a name for themselves in the intense business world of manga publishing. This was a terrific choice for my "return to anime", because it's so easily digestible and thus easy to marathon. I blasted through it in two days, and it didn't feel like a chore for a single second. When a series hooks you in in sucha  way that you jsut don't wanna stop watching it, you know they're doing right. One of the main reasons why I love this series so much is because of it's fantastic cast. Every single character is well written. They each have their own distinct personality, no one is perfect and we constantly get to see things from their perspective. I love how characters can be complete assholes at one moment, and very likable people in the next moment. Now that's what I call life-like :) The cast is - to be honest - one of the overall best anime casts I've come across. And I've seen quite a bit of anime - or TV series all together. That is because every character is great by themselves, but also have very entertaining interactions with each other. Even minor aspects like Miura's and Yamahisa's rivalry is very entertaining, despite not amounting to much story-wise. As for the negatives of this season; I feel that some may consider this to be TOO similar to the first season, because there is A LOT that is very similar. Personally, I just consider it to be more of the good stuff :) Then there's also the OPs and EDs. They're not terrible, but they are definitely boring and I skipped them nearly every time. Granted, it's not a big thing and has nothing to do with the actual story, but for a series that's all about creating stuff the public will like, they sure dropped the ball in this aspect. Also, I wasn't very fond of the whole "Takagi might cheat on Miyoshi" subplot, but fortunately,  it resolved itself both fast and satisfyingly. By the way, this seems like a good time to mention that Miyoshi is one of my favorite characters in the whole series. While not doing actually doing all that much, she is one of the strongest supporting pillars in the entire show. The biggest minus I give it is that it is very childish/cheesy at times with some overly dramatic speeches and statements here and there. It may sound like a minor thing, but it's stuff like this that makes me weary of recommending many anime to my non-anime watching friends (i.e. all my friends). This is however nothing that detracted much of my overall enjoyment of it. I'll end with saying thatI found this season be just as good as the first season. If you liked the first season then you'll almost definitely like this one as well. If you didn't like the first season, then you may as well stay away from this one. "More of the same" has never rung so true and yet been so fulfilling. 8/10

duchessliz Apr 27, 2012

8.5

Story: This is the sequel of the first Bakuman which introduced Takagi Akito and Mashiro Moritaka; two teenagers who aspire to be mangakas with a popular long running manga serialization that gets turned into an anime. Mashiro in particular wants their career to take off quickly because of a promise he made with Azuki Miho, the girl he'd been in love with since elementary school, that the two of them would marry once they accomplished their dreams. With a new serialization for their manga Detective Trap they set about accomplishing that goal. But on their way to achieving their dreams many unexpected obstacles are tossed their way and it'll be up to their strength of will and determination whether they'll be able to achieve their dreams or not. The storyline for this anime is very fresh, new, and unique. I never got bored, not in a single episode. I always wanted more. . . Animation: I thought that the animation was quite good. I never would have guessed that the mangaka who created Bakuman is the same one who created Death Note. . .the art is very different and I far prefer the art in Bakuman to that of Death Note. Sound: I thougt the voice actors did a spledid job. My only complaint is that I wasn't particularly fond of the opening song. Just like the opening for the first season I dont think that the music did the anime justice. Characters: I simply love the various characters with their assortment of personalities. They definately added depth to this anime. I personally rooted for Takagi and Mashiro to succeed as well as many of the other characters as well. You really feel for the characters and I quite liked that. They made you laugh with them, as well as cry with them. I personally think that just goes to show how well they were made. Overall: Overall, Bakuman is one of my favorite anime series and this was a wonderful second season! I recommend it to any manga or anime fan who would like to learn more about the business aspect in what it takes to create the manga that their favorite animes are based off of. I also highly recommend this to any anime fan who is just looking to be entertained.

Zutto Jun 25, 2012

9

Good anime overall. I enjoyed first season and the second one also. But i think it could have been better if the setting was a bit more 'mature', if you know what i mean. One thing i hate is their new editor. Miura you useless piece of shit, don't let me ever meet you in real life. It's okey for couple of episodes. But to fail the entire season? Fall in a hole and get eaten by vermins please.