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Mashiro Moritaka- “My uncle never told me to become a mangaka. I'm drawing manga because I want to. A dream isn't something someone tells you to go for. It's something you fulfil on your own."

AMAZING, FANTASTIC & SUPERB.

These are just a few words to describe how I feel about Bakuman.

Story: 10/10

Mashiro is a talented drawer whereas Akito Takagi is a promising writer. While still in middle school they decide they want to become the greatest mangaka’s together in all of Japan. Under the pen name Ashirogi Muto their aim is to create a popular manga series and get serialized with Weekly Shounen jack ... so that readers across Japan can read their stories.

Throughout the 1st season you will see their journey to getting serialized will not be easy and their dedication and determination may not be enough to get them ahead. They will face many obstacles and challenges as they try to get to the top, but as we go on we learn that these two will not easily give up on fulfilling their dreams as well as a promise that Mashiro made which they set out from the beginning.

One aspect that I loved about this show was the process of how manga is created. From getting ideas down and generating a storyboard to drawing the characters, background and text to finally presenting your work to an editor with the opportunity of it being selected and getting serialized. You really understand and get the feel of what mangaka’s really do just to get serialized and even when you do it just gets even harder as you have to keep working to ensure your series doesn’t get cancelled.

As a big fan of manga myself I noticed a lot of references to other popular manga series which is great to see as it gets the characters talking about what their favourite series are and how manga influenced them in deciding to become mangaka’s themselves.

Art: 10/10

I found the art to be really good. I don’t know if it’s just me, but every time I look at Mashiro’s dark hair I just love looking at it due to the sharpness at the tips of his hair and the blue streaks compliment his black hair really well. I especially love how they are able to change to different art styles when it comes to the characters creating their manga. I find it amazing how they are able to do that for each manga they are creating. Seeing Mashiro draw with his pen made it seem so realistic and really shows off what a professional is capable of. Each character has their own unique designs that I love and their random quirks when they react to something is always hilarious to see.

Sound: 10/10

The first opening song “Blue Bird" by Kobukuro is fantastic and after listening to it I automatically fell in love with it and is probably my favourite Bakuman song. It really sets the tone for the show and is just so relaxing to watch and listen to. The background music when Ashirogi Muto succeeds really gets me excited to cheer for them as they are one step closer to their dreams coming true.

Character: 10/10

Both Mashiro & Akito are fantastic leads that have set out goals that they want to achieve so they can fulfil their dreams. They are ordinary people like you & me that have decided to devote their lives to creating manga so that their work can reach people across Japan and possibly the world. I find this truly inspiring as they never give up and will always continue to do what they love no matter what. Mashiro is an amazing drawer who really puts in the effort to bring his characters to life. Seeing them drawn & animated is really cool to see. Akito is always thinking of ideas and is constantly brainstorming on what could potentially be their next big hit. He even goes so far as to write up drafts that are only worthy of Mashiro and not just throw any random ideas at him.

There are only a few select females in this anime, but I will mention the two that greatly impact both Mashiro & Akito.

Azuki Miho is a promising seiyu (voice actor) and made a promise to Mashiro that she will accept his marriage proposal as soon as both their dreams come true. However they are not to contact each other until their dreams are fulfilled. Even though they cannot directly meet face-to-face she is always thinking about him & supporting his dream.

Kaya Miyoshi is Azuki’s best friend and is a big support for Ashirogi Muto. She sometimes helps out with ideas for their manga & usually assists in inking & toning. She is loud & outspoken and says what’s on her mind. She is someone you would definitely want around as she is so caring and early on has feelings for Akito.

There are plenty of rival characters that Ashirogi Muto will face as they all compete to be number #1. You would think that most of their rivals are only looking out for themselves and are only aiming for the #1 spot no matter what. However as we go on you find out that everyone is supporting each other and they all want to help each other get serialized while maintaining that competitiveness. One rival I found interesting was the genius high school mangaka Niizuma Eiji. At first I found him quite annoying and over the top, but I was pleasantly surprised later on at how much he drove Ashirogi Muto to improve and develop their own manga style. He saw them as rivals that had the potential to beat him and occasionally gave them advice. Turns out I freaking love this character so don’t judge him too quickly.

Enjoyment: 10/10

I thoroughly enjoyed this anime. Learning about manga and what goes into creating one and then the steps to getting serialized I found interesting and gave me a whole new appreciation for manga. The time and effort that is put into each chapter by the mangaka’s and the stress they put onto their bodies just to meet deadlines. All the characters had their own personalities which I loved and the comedy was hilarious. Most importantly was seeing Ashirogi Muto work hard to achieve their dreams and continue to move forward.

Overall: 10/10

Overall this is a masterpiece of an anime. As a whole this has entered into one of my favourite anime’s of all time. I would definitely recommend this to anyone that wants to know about manga and what goes into getting serialized. Great lead as well as supporting characters. The music and art is fantastic and their journey to being #1 is something you want to see them achieve by the end of it.

So the next time you read manga in a library/store or decide to purchase some just maybe think about how much time and effort the mangaka put in to get their story across to their readers.

Ansatsu Kyoushitsu (Assassination Classroom) incorporates a mix of comedy and action which is executed well and differs from other shounen manga that I have read before. From the start I found the premise a bit strange and how could this be popular at all, but as you go on I found the series to be interesting and enjoyable to read.

How exactly do you assassinate someone that can travel at Mach 20 and move from one location to the next in the blink of an eye?

Story: 9/10

The story is simple and is about a super powered alien octopus (Koro-Sensei) that has destroyed a ... part of the moon and declares that he will destroy the Earth unless he becomes the Homeroom teacher of Class E (End Class) at Kunugigaoka Middle School. His students train to become assassins where they have to assassinate him before they graduate and be able to claim a large sum of reward money from the Japanese government.

It is not solely based on the students trying to assassinate Koro-Sensei as we get to see how the students have to deal with being in Class E and labelled losers and rejects from the other classes. The situation the students are in is definitely not ordinary, but at the end of the day they are just only students who have to study and sit exams like anyone else.

All the antics that the students and Koro-sensei get up to are always fun to read and most of the time there is a lesson that has been taught which I enjoy.

Art: 8/10

The art is simple, but is unique in that all the characters are drawn differently and are quite distinguishable from each other. The best part is Koro-Sensei’s face and the various emotions that he portrays. From smiling, being flustered and perverted to outright angry and furious I always get a smile at how many he can pull off and continuously be ridiculous. His emotions may be simple, but sometimes simple is best and this works so well with Koro-Sensei.

The cover page for most chapters are always great to look at as you get to see something different involving the teacher and/or his students.

Character 9/10

The students that develop and grow throughout the series is what I really love about this series. The way they overcome being in Class E together and work as one to accomplish their tasks is what I love seeing. Nagisa Shiota who is the main character is someone that believed being at the bottom meant he had no chance or opportunities to display his actual worth to the people and world around him. However with Koro-Sensei’s guidance he and all the other students were able to overcome their current situations and set out goals that they wanted to achieve.

You would think that a super powered alien octopus that has super speed along with other abnormal abilities would be menacing and terrifying all the time, but turns out he is ridiculous with his approaches to teaching and the things he does such as travelling from one side of the planet to get a dessert or wanting to watch a movie.

Even with his outrageous approaches Koro-Sensei is still a teacher at heart and wants his students to achieve their goals.

The other teachers Karasuma and Irina Sensei are also both enjoyable characters as they grow to understand the students and each other as well.

Enjoyment: 9/10

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this manga and I look forward to each week wondering what kind of adventures they will get up to next. Whether it be inside or outside of the classroom.

At the time of posting this review I have already collected 8 volumes of the English translated version of this manga and plan to re-read this series as this is how much I love reading this story.

Overall: 9/10

This is a fun and enjoyable manga to read. The story is simple enough to grasp and easy to pick up. The premise may sound strange, but I would definitely recommend this to anyone that loves the shounen genre or anyone that is looking for something different. Just because you are at the bottom doesn’t mean you can automatically give up. By working together and encouraging each other you can accomplish the goals you set out.

Support - Kindness - Encouragement - Troubleshoot

Story: 9/10

The story is fairly straight-forward and follows The Living Assistance Club (Sket Dance) at Kaimei High School that help out their fellow students with problems that they are currently facing. No matter how big or small they are always there to provide assistance and advice to deal with the situation.

Coming into this show you will find that a majority of the episodes will deal with a student having a problem and the club members coming up with a way to solve their problem. And yes it does get episodic which for some people could get boring ... and perhaps repetitive. However it is the way the club members go about trying to solve the problem that I find enjoyable to watch.

This show is hilarious and funny with plenty of jokes to get you laughing. Not everything goes exactly according to plan, but in the end they are able to achieve a conclusion that most of the time everyone is satisfied.

In some occasions you get a back story on the three main characters, Bossun, Himeko and Switch which slowly leads to show how the club was formed. You get to understand who they were before and who they are now.

There are also references to other popular anime that appear throughout the show which they like to joke about.

Art: 8/10

The art is nothing spectacular, but the characters are drawn nicely. The background is colourful and similar to other types of anime based around a school setting.

Sound: 8/10

The opening songs are quite catchy and the rock music works very well with this sort of anime. The background music when something funny or ridiculous pops up fits the moment and I always get a smile or laugh from it.

Character 9/10

Fujisaki, Yuusuke AKA Bossun is the leader of the Sket Dance. He is not your typical main character as he doesn’t really stand out from others, but his sense of always wanting to help others and not giving up is what I like about him. His talent seems to be able to pick up new skills like drawing manga and creating origami very quickly which his friends see as impressive. However he doesn’t seem to care as much, but does get obsessive over it once he gets into it.

Onizuka Hime AKA Himeko was once called the legendary delinquent “Onihime” before she joined the Sket Dance. She is always looking out for Bossun and Switch and tends to be the motherly figure of the group which I find adorable. Just don’t get on her bad side or she will take you down with her signature hockey stick that she always has with her.

She is also the “straight man” of the group and always points out the ridiculousness of what someone says and tends to go overboard when she explains why it is so absurd. This aspect of her character is what I love as she can be really funny, especially when it is directed at Bossun.

Kazuyoshi, Usui AKA Switch is unique from the other two since he speaks through his computer after an incident in his past. He is an Otaku and loves everything anime, manga, games and figures. Judging from his appearance he looks serious, but can be hilarious and silly as well. He has information on virtually everyone at school so he is the brains behind the club when they need information that they don’t have.

There are also plenty of support characters throughout the series that all have their own unique traits and personalities.

Enjoyment: 9/10

This show was a joy to watch. There were plenty of laughs throughout the series with the introduction of different characters as I went on. There was always a sense of satisfaction when the club solved a student’s problem which always gave me a smile. Sometimes there were moments that were not as enjoyable or funny, but that didn’t take too much away from the show. Sometimes I wish I could join the Sket dance as it seems like so much fun.

Overall: 9/10

With 77 episodes there was plenty of laughs you could get from this show. The music was fun to listen to and the art was fairly standard. I would recommend this to anyone that loves anime based around a school setting and seeing how the club members go about solving their fellow student’s problems.

SMALL SPOILERS BELOW!!!

First of all I would like to say that I had heard very little about this series when it first came out besides knowing it is based off a mobile card game. My initial thoughts were is it just another one of those mobile based card games that I could easily brush off to the side without a second though which I did.

However as one of my good friends had completed the show he suggested I check it out and give it a go. So why not, going into it I was really surprised at how great it turned out as I ... was launched right into an adventure with our protagonists and seeing their journey from one location to the next. The action is spectacular and the comedy here and there is always fun to watch.

Story: 9/10

In the past the dragon (Bahamut) came close to destroying the whole world. However with the humans, gods and demons working together they were able to seal the beast and split the key into two parts so that they would never be connected again to prevent Bahamut from reviving once more. Many years later a girl named Amira stole one of the keys and from here on is where the adventure begins. This may sound generic, but the execution of how it is portrayed is what I found to be enjoyable.

Sometimes it felt like I was watching a movie due to how fast the pacing went which was actually a good thing in some parts.

Art: 9/10

I found the art to be done very well and beautifully. The animation on certain monsters was done quite well, even when they were 3DCGI I found them to be menacing and the detail on them is very nice. The scenery and background I just loved as it is really reminiscent of a fantasy type anime. I was amazed at how good the animation was especially when this was based off a card game.

Sound: 9/10

I found the opening Song "EXiSTENCE" by SiM a fantastic way to get you pumped and excited heading into each episode. The scenes where there was a massive battle occurring felt like something big was going to happen which the music complimented it very well.

Character: 9/10

I am going to mention the four main characters/protagonists of the series.

Favaro is a bounty hunter that goes around claiming bounties which he spends on alcohol, food and women. He is often silly and the face he makes when he is trying to be serious is quite funny. In terms of skill and combat he is a competent fighter who is good at using a sword and always has a trick up his sleeve when in a tight situation.

Amira’s beauty, lovely pink hair and personality is what I like about her character. She is simple-minded and doesn’t seem to know much about the world around her. She loves to eat and is usually the only thing she thinks about. Her demon form when I first saw it is freaking awesome and the way she fights is glorious to see. She is someone you don’t want to mess with.

Kaiser was once a noble knight. However an incident involving his father led them to losing their titles and since then has become a bounty hunter like Favaro.

Rita the zombie girl I would say is my favorite out of the four. She is a necromancer who has the ability to control the dead. However she is bitten and later on becomes a zombie, but stills has the ability to think for herself. I love how she is always calm around the other three and likes to break up situations, especially when Favaro and Kaiser get into fights. Her powers are quite handy and can definitely turn the tables against an opponent. With one bite she is able to take full control of anything living or dead. You would think when watching her interact with the others she doesn’t seem to really care about them, but in actual fact she is always looking out for them and is always keeping an eye on her surroundings. I am also a big fan of Sawashiro, Miyuki who voices here so that was an added bonus.

Enjoyment: 9/10

I thoroughly enjoyed this show a lot more than I should have. The action was fantastic especially the massive battles that occurred every so often. I loved the characters. Each of them had a unique charm about them which I found enjoyable to watch while getting to know them.

Overall: 9/10

A great fantasy anime with plenty of action and adventure in only 12 episodes that I would recommend to anyone. A straight forward story, but the way it was done kept me wanting more. You got humans, demons and gods involved, what more could you ask for.

This is the only One piece Movie that I have ever seen so far so I cannot really compare it to previous ones. After watching the anime my friend suggested that I watch this movie and all I can say is awesome and amazing.

Story: 10
Storyline pretty easy to understand. Bad guy declares destruction to the world. Good guy Luffy somehow gets involved especially when a nakama is involved. Luffy beats the bad guy up along with his crew while doing it really cool and awesome.

Art: 9
The animations are done really well for each character as well as the scenery for the whole movie.

Sound: ... 9
The sound effects are really good, feels like you are kind of there in my opinion as well as the explosions which I mean come on, One Piece gotta have explosions.

Character: 10
All I can say is gotta love the Straw hat crew. Luffy leading the crew, pure awesome. Bad guy also developed well.

Enjoyment: 10
Loved it, fighting is great as always and you are always wanting more, fighting for your nakama is why One Piece is awesome.

Overall I gave this movie a 10 as it has it all for a good all round One Piece Movie that is sure to deliver action, comedy, nakama power just like in the anime.

The second Bleach Movie and out of all the four that I have seen this is my favorite. This one really shows off everyone's power from Ichigo to the whole of the Gotei 13. In my opinion it is an excuse to show off their abilities that we already see in the anime but all within a movie. It is always good to see all your favorite characters display their abilities that we may not see in the anime. As always Ichigo shows off how much he has grown that I just love and overall if you wanna see a Bleach Movie this should be ... your first one to see.

By far my favorite Naruto Movie to date in my opinion. This one involves the whole of Konoha 11 and allows us to see more of the other characters as well as their combination of jutsu's that I just love and seeing all of them work together.

A really good movie that has a good amount of action and focuses on nakama power which I always love.

This is one of those anime that starts of pretty slow at the beginning but after 20+ episodes, it really starts to get interesting. Set in the mafia world where a baby is a hit man may seem a bit weird but after character introductions in the first 20 episodes you really get to see the world of mafia and how cool it really is.

The fights are cool and do take time so it displays a hard fought out fight and not a one hit K-O in one episode. I love how the powers are related to elements and I love the meaning of ... each element. Character development is also good as it shows how each member grows to become stronger which I love as well. The comedy is also quite funny at times and overall I really enjoyed this anime.

The anime may have finished but I really hope they bring it back as there is still a lot to get through.

One of my favorite anime of all time and it only took my a few months to watch it all as that is how addicted I am to this anime. May be a bit long with 575 episodes since the time of writing of this review, but it is totally worth it.

Great character development. Love Nakama power. Fighting is awesome as well as the powers. Very funny at the best of times and is very hard to stop watching once you get into it.

It may be a bit slow at the beginning but that is pretty much with all anime but once you ... start watching a whole lot, it gets better and better.


All I can say is pure awesome and I hope it goes on for a very long time.

This is one of my favorite anime of all time and if anyone is looking into getting started into the world of anime than this is where you should start. It is pretty easy to understand the concept and is very entertaining to watch. In my books this is a must-watch anime for all.