Bakuman, Volume 2

March 15, 2011

The team behind the wildly popular Death Note weighs in with a quite different yet appealing series about a pair of teen manga artists shooting for publication in Japan's mega-manga mag, Shonen Jump (where Bakuman is currently running). Plotting chops really count in this kind of character-driven story, and Ohba's got 'em. Moritaka is the sweet so-so student artist and Akito the supersmart writer. As the plot develops, other characters introduce twists and complications: Nobuhiro, Moritaka's late artist uncle; Miho and Kaya, the girlfriends with their own agendas; Akira, the Shueisha editor who sees the boys' potential but keeps challenging them; and Eiji, their competition. As an extra, scattered throughout are reproductions of Ohba storyboards followed by Obata's redrawn thumbnails. VERDICT Fans hoping for paranormal histrionics will be disappointed, but others will be engrossed in the suspense these creators build for the boys and their dreams as well as insider glimpses into the Japanese manga industry and the difficulties facing manga superstars. As with Hikaro No Go and Death Note, Obata's art is excellent. Up to ten volumes in Japan, the series is recommended for teens and up.--M.C.

Copyright 2011 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.