Bakuman is back on its home turf with episode, and it really shows. This is an arc that really shows off everything that Bakuman does so beautifully, yet it’s also a very interesting twist on old patterns.  There have been few series over the last couple of years that have […] Read more

There’s more than a little about this episode that has an air of finality to it. OP2: “23:40” by Hyadain With a new cour comes a new OP and ED for Bakuman – quite probably the last we’ll ever see.  And they set that tone, especially the OP sequence, which […] Read more

It’s hard to believe based on pacing that the Bakuman of episode 12 is the same series that gave us the first season. There are times when things being a bit rushed isn’t necessarily a bad thing.  The Nanamine story arc started out in fairly promising fashion, seeming to promise […] Read more

I confess to feeling a bit troubled after these episodes of Bakuman. Bakuman has been on a pretty nice run for a long time.  In fact, starting with the final arc of S1 I’d say it’s been remarkably consistent – and consistently good – for almost two full seasons worth […] Read more

For a series without special effects or combat or any supernatural powers whatsoever, Bakuman can be incredibly intense sometimes. I have a lot of thoughts as I reflect back on this episode, starting with this one: I really want to know if the Nanaime story is based on a real […] Read more

What’s this – a shounen supervillain appears in Bakuman of all places? This is, to say the least, an interesting development.  Not least because it represents a real sea change for Bakuman in the way it approaches its story.  The series is expert at drawing characters who dance delicately perched […] Read more

It probably hasn’t escaped your notice – it certainly hasn’t escaped mine – but Yoshida Kouji really is a terrible person. There’s a line in Woody Allen’s “Deconstructing Harry” where Woody as the title character says “Do you smell sulfur?” when his best friend runs into he and his wife […] Read more

Who would have thought back in Season One that we’d be hearing complaints about Bakuman moving too fast… I happened to glance at one of the Bakuman discussion boards, something I try not to do before I’ve watched the new episode of a series, so I knew there were quite a few […] Read more

It’s a good sign that Bakuman can come up with one of its best episodes ever without using its flashiest character. I love Eiji, but there’s no doubt that he’s a bit of a crutch for Bakuman sometimes.  It’s almost impossible to write a scene with Eiji where he isn’t […] Read more