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IMO this was the best anime of the 2014/15 season. To be honest, I read the manga as I watched the show. One of the most interesting things was the way the music energized the story. The manga told the story, but the anime really made it come alive through the great music. I can see where some see this story as a melodrama, but then life can sometimes be viewed that way. What is important is how honestly we meet our challenges and the strength of our determination to deal with what life (reality) hands out. A-1 ... really did a great job with this show.

I enjoyed this show, but I'm still puzzled as to why. It's a pretty show, but to sum up my over-all impression in a word, I'd say "Incoherent" or maybe "Incomprehensible" In an attempt to find the story (assuming that was possible) at the end I went back and re-watched the first episode, then watched the end again. The two were certainly connected, but poorly at best. It would be nice to find a writeup somewhere that explained what the underlying story was supposed to be, but I'm not going to hold my breath. I didn't hate the show, ... I just didn't see the point. Maybe it was the translations, but I don't think so. Japanese is a difficult language to translate given it's inherent ambiguity.

I've seen several sports-themed anime, and in my opinion this one of the two or three best.

To me, one of the most attractive aspects of this story is the method by which the protagonists attain their expertise at the sport. Not a single character spends time meditating by standing under a waterfall. No one ever packs up camping gear and hikes to remote areas in distant mountains for training (defeating bears and wildcats along the way.) There is not a single "secret" or "special" move that "magically defeats one's opponent.

What stands out is the main character's ability to analyze not only his ... opponent's strengths and weaknesses, but his own as well. You could call this "effective reflection", I guess. Skill is invariably gained by realistic training activity and practice.

Some facial expressions / reactions are "over the top", but do not materially detract from the story; some are funny. After all, this is a story about an accomplished nerd transforming himself into an accomplished athlete. The main protagonist's reactions/interactions with the main female protagonist are consistent with their established characters. The slowly developing romance between the two is realistic and believable. Those looking for fan service will be disappointed, as there is none.

The strength of the story carries this anime, and even if your interest in tennis is zero, that fact will not detract from your enjoyment!

Baby Steps 2 just started as part of the Spring 2015 anime line-up, and after viewing the first episode I have high hopes for the continuation of the Baby Steps story. I will probably review it separately at a later date.

Watching the first few episodes of Bakuman lead me to read the manga (at least the first 117 chapters). Both are first rate, although the pace of the manga strikes me as slower than that of the the anime. I've watch the available anime episodes several times and read the manga two or three times. I think this is going to turn out to be one of my favorites. The slow pace doesn't bother me much as it seems entirely appropriate to the story and characters. The internal interaction of the artist/writer team is believable and Kaya is a great ... influence on the team. Miho is perfect as the embodiment of the "dream" ideal which drives Ashirogi Muto.

The anime has followed the manga very closely (some deviations are to be expected).

Although this has a long way to go (glad to see a 2nd season has been approved) I expect to follow it all the way. There is something to be said for slow, careful character development and this work (IMHO) proves that it is worth doing.

This is a first-class work, and although it may disappoint those who prefer a much faster pace, I hope the producers/authors maintain their careful development of this story.

Long term, I strongly expect this will become a classic!