Episode
Bakuman: Literature and Music
Overview
Mashiro and Takagi continue submitting a story every two weeks, with Mashiro sacrificing sleep to do so, but they have several weeks to go. They see Nakai with Ko Aoki, the runner-up of the Story King competition. Nakai reveals that he's entering- with her, and that Fukuda's entry is expected to place first. Hattori reveals that Muto Ashirogi's work has gotten into the Golden Future Cup, and while the rank influences how it will fare, so will the number of people who voted that they liked it. One of their rivals is Koji "Koogy" Makaino, a popular musician who wishes to become a mangaka, and Fukuda believes that his fans will give him an unfair advantage in the questionnaires. Fukuda, Nakai, Mashiro and Takagi then go to the editorial offices to protest this.
Details
- Series
- Bakuman
- Season
- Season 1
- Episode
- Episode 21
- Air date
- 2011-02-26
- Runtime
- 25 min
Episode context
Literature and Music is Episode 21 in Season 1 of Bakuman. It aired on 2011-02-26. The runtime is 25 min.
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Episode 20: Cooperation and Conditions
Mashiro and Takagi discuss how to improve the concept behind the story, now known as Detective Trap, and Takagi begins looking over many detective stories that Hattori sent him. The two meet with Hattori, insisting on proceeding with Detective Trap while still in high school, and Hattori tells them that in order to get serialized, Detective Trap must do well in the Golden Cup, and they must bring him a 19-page story every two weeks to show that they can do so every week with assistants. They succeed in keeping up in spite of the difficulty involved in doing so, and are officially entered into the contest.
Episode 22: Solidarity and Breakdown
Team Fukuda reaches the editorial offices, but despite their protests, the editors do not believe Koogy's advantage is unfair or his tactics are unethical, and Mashiro decides to defeat him by making a better manga. Fukuda then proposes that the authors check each other's names, and they are surprised by each other's level of skill. Midway through the session, Aoki refuses to continue to participate, saying that her manga is better than the others, and the session ends with Nizuma says two of the manga are significantly better than the third, but declining to specify. Mashiro then ponders rewriting the name in the face of his competiton, and after getting an email from Miho discussing her doing singing again and her becoming more confident, decides to do so.
More episodes from this season
Episode 19: Two and One
Summer ends without Mashiro hearing back from Takagi, and Takagi returns the key to Mashiro's uncle's apartment, apologizing for failing to come up with a name in time but resolving to become a manga writer. Mashiro meets with Hattori, who is impressed with his idea of a detective who cons criminals into exposing themselves, but doubts he can succeed without Takagi's help. Hattori learns that Takagi is also intending to make a mystery, but does not reveal Mashiro's story to him until another editor asks Mashiro to illustrate a runner-up for Story King. Hattori then plans for Mashiro and Takagi to work on their detective story for two years before it gets serialized, without having either tell the other. Mashiro struggles to write a name on his own, but Takagi approaches him and shows him five names, one of which is a detective story. Mashiro and Takagi decide to work together again, and to work on their detective story for the next six months.
Episode 23: Tuesday and Friday
Mashiro and Takagi both decide to rewrite their manga. Fukuda, Aoki and Nakai also rewrite their manga. Later Fukuda's manga is shown first with positive reviews. Next Mashiro and Takagi's manga is also shown with good reviews. Nakai panics and thinks that when Nizuma said that the winners were tied and there was a third place, he meant his manga. Then Aoki and Nakai's manga is shown with also positive reviews. All three series are okayed to begin work on names for serialization. Azuki said that she liked Mashiro and Takagi's manga, which gives Mashiro hope.
Episode 18: Jealousy and Love
While reworking Chapter 5, Fukuda reveals that he is dissatisfied with many aspects of Jack, particularly how series are ordered by their popularity, but Yujiro tells him to get serialized before he talks about changing Jack. Nizuma tells Mashiro that he has been drawing since he was young, when his family had no money for video games, and Mashiro remembers how he also was drawing all the time before his uncle died. Mashiro, remembering his passion for manga, resigns as Nizuma's assistant and goes home, where he looks through his old manga, and decides to write a mystery next. Meanwhile, Takagi is writing cell phone novels for Miyoshi to publish, causing Mashiro to wonder if he is working on the name at all. Mashiro notices the contrast between Takagi's relationship with Miyoshi and his own relationship with Azuki, and wondering if the distance between them is increasing, asks why she is willing to accept not seeing him.
Episode 24: Call and Eve
Koogy's manga does poorly in the Golden Future Cup, leaving Mashiro and Takagi, Fukuda, and Nakai and Aoki as the top contenders. An unprecedented two-way tie happens, with Fukuda and Ashirogi Muto both getting first place. Azuki calls Takagi to thank him for supporting Mashiro and encouraging him to pursue becoming a manga artist, but is too embarrassed to congratulate Mashiro directly herself. Having won the Golden Future Cup, Mashiro and Takagi prepare to submit their story for serialization.
Episode 17: Braggart and Kindness
Mashiro starts work as an assistant for Nizuma, and meets the other two assistants; Shinta Fukuda, who had placed lower than he did in NEXT, and Takurō Nakai, who won an award 10 years ago, but has been unable to accomplish anything noteworthy since then. Despite Fukuda and Nizuma questioning why he is working as an assistant instead of trying to get published, Mashiro is determined to learn what he can to help Takagi. Fukuda realizes that "Crow" will eventually get canceled after the novelty wears off if Nizuma does not make it more substantial and interesting. Nizuma adjusts the story accordingly, while also deciding to meet with his editor.
Episode 25: Yes and No
Thirteen series are submitted for the serialization meeting and are discussed by the team captains, editor in chief and deputy editor. Of all 13, Detective Trap and Otter 11, a manga by newcomer Kazuya Hiramaru, are chosen for serialization. Mashiro receives congratulations from his rivals, who promise to get serialized themselves to compete with him. Mashiro then reflects on how far he has come and how far he has yet to go, before he receives a call from Azuki, who congratulates him and tells him that their dream will come true. Hattori stops by with a man called Miura, who will be their new editor.
Episode 16: Wall and Kiss
Mashiro and Takagi, incorporating Hattori's suggestions, comes up with a concept for a story about an angel fighting other angels who kill humans to advance themselves, but are frustrated at their lack of progress. The name is rejected, but the feedback notes that they have promise. Around this time, Takagi is struggling to think of another idea, and begins seeing Miyoshi more often, prompting Mashiro to wonder if he is working on it at all. Hattori learns that Nizuma needs an assistant and that Takagi would not stop Mashiro from going to work for him. Mashiro hears of the offer, and is hesitant to accept it until he happens upon Takagi kissing Miyoshi.
Episode 15: Debut and Hectic
Hattori goes over the weaknesses of Mashiro and Takagi's storyboard, and tells them that they need good characters, simple yet exciting battles, cute heroines, and tragedy and humor to make a good storyboard. Nizuma admits that he wrote the name on the spot, rather than having it in his head, and Mashiro and Takagi realize that he is a "genius" who can draw what he wants. Nizuma tells his editor that he likes the passion in Mashiro and Takagi's eyes, and sees them as his rivals. Meanwhile, Azuki auditions for Saint Visual Girls' Academy, a midnight anime, and gets a bit part. Mashiro, seeing her progressing toward her dream, becomes somewhat impatient and asks her to continue waiting for him, and she promises to do so while telling him to stop sending emails like that.
Episode 14: Battles and Copying
Mashiro has come to the conclusion that doing mainstream battle manga is the way forward, and draws characters from other battle manga to polish his skills at drawing this type of manga, Meanwhile Nizuma's manga "Yellow Hit" is on the verge of being serialized, but Nizuma's editor learns that he is planning on submitting "Crow" instead, and brings him down to the editorial offices. At the same time, Mashiro and Takagi are meeting with Hattori, who tells them that they are not suited to mainstream manga and that the mainstream authors who are popular are considerably more talented. Nizuma meets Mashiro and Takagi, telling them that he liked Money And Intelligence and wants to be friends with them, before drawing a name in front of them. Hattori hopes that demonstration will convince them that they're not able to compete with him in mainstream manga, but they remain determined to do so, and he gives them six months to submit a good mainstream work before he steps down as their editor.
Episode 13: Early Results and the Real Deal
Mashiro, at Miyoshi's suggestion, sends an email to Azuki to begin correspondence with her. During the first day of high school, Mashiro and Takagi submit their new pseudonym, "Muto Ashirogi". Hattori is impressed with their work, but Mashiro notices that he is not expecting Money and Intelligence to be serialized, wondering if it is because of his desire that they wait until after high school to get serialized. Money And Intelligence gets first place in the early results of the NEXT polls, but drops to third place in the actual results, with Nizuma's work getting half the votes. This development convinces Mashiro and Takagi that they must make a mainstream work to go for first place, and resolve to make one better than their previous efforts.