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Manga: Bakuman

This post I re-read Bakuman, a semi-autobiographical manga about two boys trying to make it big in the manga industry, written by Tsugumi Obha and illustrated by Takeshi Obata.


Re-reading Bakuman was especially interesting for me because the first time I read it was early in high school when I was having big dreams and thinking about going into art school, and now that I'm reading it again, I'm a junior in illustration starting to actively look for jobs and internships. One part of Bakuman that I can especially relate to now is when Moritaka and Akito move from being the "big fish in a small pond" as the best creatives in their high school, to being a part of the "real world" art industry and having to make it among professionals. I was the best artist in my relatively small high school as well, and though it's easy to intellectually recognize that things will be harder in a larger art community, I think it's almost impossible to completely prepare yourself for the realities of being surrounded by daunting competition. 


Bakuman also does a great job showing how hard the professional world of manga (and of art in general) is even when you're finally getting successful and starting to "make it." Expectations are higher, you have to keep up the fast pace that let you become successful in the first place, and professional deadlines are often very short. This is another aspect of art that I am constantly experiencing now that was never present in high school--not sleeping, trying to meet deadlines when I can't see straight, and letting my health slip to get work done. Bakuman does a great job of showing these realities, and I'm very glad re-read it again to see it in a new light after having many of these experiences for myself.

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