Bakuman. (Light Novel) - Recommendations

• Vol: 13
• 1996 - 2005

In the manga publication industry, there is a legend: If you leave a message on a bulletin board in the train station at Shibuya, you can obtain the services of a certain man: Comic Master J, an assistant mangaka who can instantly complete any publication manuscript in any art style for the price of 5 million Yen. However, he refuses to work on manga without a "soul." But what is J's true identity? Why does he wear an overcoat lined with pens and rulers? And for what reason does a man of such artistic talent choose to live in the shadows of the industry, rather than working on a manga of his own creation?

• Vol: 4; Ch: 28
• 2010 - 2013

As a manga author of a semi known series, Hirahara Daichi has the talent for coming up with stories, but is incredibly lazy and irresponsible. That leaves his two daughters, middle school student Ayumi and the even younger Sora, to pick up the slack. With the help of the assistant, Akane, the two kids are forced to draw and complete the series every month if they want an income for the household, a task no child should burden themselves with. On top of that, they must do this without people finding out because it will ruin the credibility of Daichi as an author and put a stop to the series. If being a teenager wasn’t hard enough, add to that the pressure of meeting deadlines for a national comic magazine.

• Vol: 1
• 1989 - 1992

This graphic-format biography of Osamu Tezuka—Japan's "God of Manga"—looks at one of the twentieth century's great creative artists (Astro Boy, Kimba the White Lion, Black Jack). It is also an anecdotal study of the evolution of Japan's early manga and anime business and its heroes. A never-before-seen popular culture history of postwar Japan, it is sure to fascinate fans and anyone interested in manga, anime, and the potential of the graphic storytelling medium.

• Vol: 13; Ch: 52
• 2001 - 2004

The super excited assistant and always alert. Fiercely editor. Endless deadlines. There was no day without any surprises in Moyoru Hono’s life as a comic artist. Quite often he had to choose between idealism or his editor demands. Everything finished in his pen strokes.

• Vol: 7; Ch: 73
• 2012 - 2014

For the entirety of his life, Yokoda Takashi has been drawing erotic drawings and it has been his way of expressing his sexuality. And now, he has managed to become a successful erotic comedy manga author for a monthly magazine. His series stars a character named Aimi who is actually based loosely on his niece with the same name. He keeps his job a secret, especially from his family from the fear that using Aimi’s name in such a perverted way would cause hatred from everyone. But his manga’s popularity rises and gets moved to a weekly magazine where there are vastly more readers and it seems like only a matter of time until the truth comes out. Takashi has to struggle between protecting his secret while keeping up with the production and erotic creativeness that comes with a weekly magazine series.

• Vol: 5; Ch: 54
• 2015 - 2017

The days go on as 32-year-old Futaba Kiryu continues on working on her manga with her manga assistants, but soon, one of her assistants, Hiro Asakura, and the anime scriptwriter for the "Bottoku" anime, Kitamura Kyosuke grow an interest in her and eventually make a move on her. How will Futaba fare in this love triangle when her knowledge of romance is next to nothing?

• Vol: 5; Ch: 39
• 2014 - 2016

Meet Kimijima Sen, an aspiring manga artist who specializes in hot-blooded battle shounen genre. In order to polish up his techniques to achieve his goal of professionally debuting, he became the assistant of the pro manga artist Ikoma Agito-sensei. A not-so-normal high school girl who loves drawing moe manga, eroge and has an extreme fetish for beautiful girls and big breasts. Together, they must work together to get their manga serialized.

• Vol: 3; Ch: 20
• 2013 - 2015

After dropping out of the art school in Hokkaido, Hibino Ryouichiro moves to Tokyo and starts a living as a novice ero-manga artist Hanabino Q-ichiro.

• Vol: 1
• 1997

• Vol: 1; Ch: 12
• 1990 - 1991

Welcome to Honoh Productions, where a crackpot team works to create the next big action-packed manga. Spearheaded by the eccentric Moyuru Honoo, he and his long-suffering assistants will fight with all their might on the battlefield that is the manga industry. Whether its struggling to meet deadlines, negotiating the end of a series with a bodacious editor who won't say no, or going through the soul-crushing process of constant redraws, Moyuru's journey is full of thrilling ups and downs!