History Manga / Bakuman

An anime adaptation began airing on Creator/{{NHK}} on October 2, 2010. Also a second anime has begun airing on October 1, 2011. The third and final season began on October 6, 2012 and ended on March 30, 2013. [[http://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2014/05/06-1/live-action-bakuman-planned-for-2015 It was announced]] in the spring of 2014 that production has started on a live-action adaptation, set for release in 2015.

* TooBleakStoppedCaring: [[invoked]] In-Universe reaction by Mashiro and Takagi to Classroom of Truth. They think that the ShootTheShaggyDog ending in which [[KillEmAll everyone dies]], [[TheHeroDies the hero included]], doesn't work.

* DarknessInducedAudienceApathy: [[invoked]] In-Universe reaction by Mashiro and Takagi to Classroom of Truth. They think that the ShootTheShaggyDog ending in which [[KillEmAll everyone dies]], [[TheHeroDies the hero included]], doesn't work.

* LighterAndSofter: Meta Example. ''PCP'' is basically a LighterAndSofter version of ''Manga/DeathNote''.
** How so?

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: In chapter 30 of the Viz translation, the rough draft of ''Kiyoshi Knight'' that Fukuda holds up clearly contains "You f-ing dickweed!" (while he talks about censorship, no less and how he's had to repeatedly tone down the contents of his manga).

* WeddingsInJapan: Akito and Kaya have a Western-style one in Chapter 77, although in the story, this is largely overshadowed by Moritaka wondering if he should quit Tanto.

* WhamEpisode: [[spoiler: Chapter 53, the duo's manga, Detective Trap, ends up getting cancelled.]]
** [[spoiler: Chapter 86: "No"]]
*** To be more specific: [[spoiler: After the duo quit Tanto (their second manga), feeling it wasn't right for them, they managed to convince the head editor to give them three chances to make a better manga. The first two strike out despite experimenting and the third is their last chance. Using all the experience they gained so far, they feel the third one will get in. Despite the editors agreeing it's a good read, the head editor feels it won't be mainstream enough and decides to put it to a vote among the editors. The votes come to a tie with his being the final say... and the above is his reponse in that chapter. Three editors ultimately change their minds, unwilling to cancel a series on this standard or by this narrow a margin, but it was still quite shocking at the time.]]

* WhamLine: Chapter 100: "[[spoiler:PCP isn't going to get an anime]]".

-->'''[[spoiler:Nakai]]''': I can draw anything or any place from any angle without looking at the actual image. I'm the fastest person around when it comes to effect-lines, shade-flashes and tone-flashes.

** [[spoiler:Chapter 164: "Congratulations. On Tuesday, September 1st at 4, the anime for REVERSI will start."]]
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: When [[spoiler:Detective Trap]] gets canceled, the three assistants are out of work. Takahama gets serialized around that time and Kato becomes his assistant, which makes them semi-regular characters, but it is never shown what Ogawa does, although it is noted that as he has a wife and a kid, it's especially unfortunate for him.

* AnalogyBackfire: After [[spoiler:being hospitalized from overworking and malnutrition]], Mashiro [[spoiler:refuses to go on hiatus or stop drawing.]] He then makes the comparison to feeling like Joe Yabuki (from Ashita no Joe) heading for his final round in the ring. Which is unfortunate, because [[spoiler:[[CasualtyInTheRing Joe dies during his final round]]]].

* TropesAreTools: InUniverse: discussed when Niizuma is pooling ideas with Mashiro and Fukuda for the next chapters of ''Crow'', when the latter are working as his assistants. They come to the conclusion that using standard shonen tropes would actually help Niizuma advance the plot. It also comes up earlier, when Takagi is bringing up things that make successful manga cool (such as the talk about swords).

* OneSteveLimit: Editors ''Akira'' Hattori and ''Yujiro'' Hattori, which is lampshaded in Chapter 21 and Episode 18's OnTheNext.

* CerebusSyndrome: Not the actual series itself, but the editors do comment that it is far easier to start with a comedic series and make it serious down the road than it is to work the other way around. They also note that TropesAreNotBad, and there's no shame in this.

* ChekhovsGunman: Ishizawa, the SmallNameBigEgo artist who knew Mashiro and Takagi in middle school, and who offered to help Aoki learn how to draw panty-shots while perving all over her before disappearing from the series. [[spoiler: He suddenly reappears after Reversi gets an anime and is responsible for spreading the word about Azumi dating Mashiro and the ensuing scandal.]]

* TheComicallySerious: Eventually the idea of "serious comedy" is brought up, which is basically this trope applied to an entire series, taking a strange and silly premise and playing it completely straight. Otter #11 is brought up as an example (everyone sees it as a comedy when Hiramaru doesn't intend it to be,) and Ashirogi Muto eventually tries to go the same route with PCP.

** Justified in two ways: 1) It's practically tradition (and referenced in Bakuman directly) for mangaka to feature their idea of a perfect woman as a recurring character in their works. Leiji Matsumoto did this with tall willowy blondes with long hair, for example. 2) The Azuki-clones are made deliberately in an attempt to make sure Azuki gets the voiceacting role if the story gets an anime made.
** Compared to the other characters, Nanamine is more slender, more angular, and has a long, graceful neck. [[http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSf3sVU2QApMSHpFVgjtEq6RGaaUiwH2UzXrmEAZzeTzPORaUwMSA&t=1 Rather like Miyano Mamoru, no?]]

* CrossOver: [[spoiler: An in-universe example when Eiji and Akina do a cross over between Crow and + Natural.]]
** And there is a crossover with Manga/SketDance.

** However, unfortunately, fans often [[YokoOhNo have similar reactions]] [[TruthInTelevision in real life]].

* ContrivedCoincidence: The most recent fiasco in the duo's efforts to get an Anime Miho can act in comes about when the ''one'' guy that could have pieced together something from one of Miho's coworkers' blog post in the two days before it was deleted noticed the post and started an in-universe InternetBackdraft against Mashiro and Miho that somehow seems to sweep the web and media despite the fact that nobody in a position to comment on the matter confirmed or denied it.

** Ishizawa, who is quite arrogant about his manga drawing skills despite not having much talent, mocks Mashiro's artwork (getting him punched by Takagi in the process), and who offers to only help Aoki if she does poses for him. [[spoiler:It turns out he's among those fanning the flames of the InternetBackdraft over Mashiro and Azuki's relationship]].

** [[spoiler:Ashirogi Muto plan on hiring him back for their newest series, Reversi. It's mentioned he has a third kid now. And he manages to help put out some chapters on time by bringing in outside help to the overstaffed studio crew.]]

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: When [[spoiler:Detective Trap]] gets canceled, the three assistants are out of work. The first gets serialized around that time and the second becomes the first's assistant, but it is never shown what the third does, although it is noted that as he has a wife and a kid, it's especially unfortunate for him.
** [[spoiler:Ashirogi Muto plan on hiring him back for their newest series, Reversi. It's mentioned he has a third kid now.]]

* {{Foil}}: Mashiro and Takagi's partnership can be considered this to Nakai and Aoki's. While the former pair goes through a few rough spots at times, they ultimately stay together and succeed because of their mutual respect and friendship for each other. Even before [[spoiler:Nakai's unwanted advances on Aoki]] shattered the latter partnership forever, the latter pair simply had too many clashes in personality and differences in goals (Aoki wanted to stay true to her vision of her manga even if it meant being canceled, while Nakai wanted to keep going as long as he could) to serve as a functional pair, not helped by Aoki eventually becoming good enough of an artist that she didn't need Nakai anymore.

* BigDamnHeroes: Fukuda in chapter 67.
** Doubles as CrowningMomentOfAwesome and ShutUpHannibal
** Ashirogi in chapter 114.
** [[spoiler:Hiramaru, of all people,]] in chapter 128 leading to the next.
** [[spoiler: Ogawa]] in chapter 156.

* CharacterDevelopment : Most notable in the main character. He wasn't exactly a happy camper at the very beginning, (pining for his crush, still hurt by his beloved uncle's death, feels he can't pursue his love of manga) but proposing to Azuki was probably when his mood began to visibly change for the better.

* EarlyBirdCameo: A few in the anime. Koogy is mentioned a few times before he makes his debut as a mangaka, Kaya appears in the first episode, and Hiramaru overhears a conversation between Mashiro and Takagi about being a mangaka before picking up an issue of Jump and getting the inspiration to become a mangaka.

* LastNameBasis: Preferred among the characters, even (so far) between OfficialCouple Mashiro and Azuki. [[spoiler:Hiramaru reveals that Aoki, who has started going out with him, still calls him "Hiramaru-[[UsefulNotes/JapaneseHonorifics san]]," prompting Yoshida to tell him that her feelings toward him haven't changed to get him depressed enough to write the humor he's best at]].

* EveryoneHasStandards: Becomes a plot point in and out of universe. [[spoiler:Perfect Crime Party enjoy doing harmless pranks, but in an early chapter, one member vetoes a plan to break into a vault, taking nothing and leaving only a message behind, because the security company's reputation would suffer. Unfortunately, a group of PCP copycats miss the point and copy that "perfect crime", and the MoralGuardians also fail to pick up on this. Takagi, after several weeks of trying to think of good stories that won't seem to promote crimes, decides to write a story in which Akechi, TheRival to PCP, goes after a PCP copycat and gives him a TheReasonYouSuckSpeech, saying he knew it could not be PCP who was stealing the textbooks because [[TakeThat PCP would not cause trouble for others]].]]

* {{Foreshadowing}}: Yoshida expresses some concern about how MoralGuardians will view PCP's "perfect crimes". This comes up again [[spoiler:as the reason PCP won't qualify for sponsors for an anime]].

-->'''Aoki''': Would you like to see ''my'' panties, Takagi?[[note]]Aoki, who is calling Takagi to ask for advice on how to do fanservice shots, accidentally lets slip a hint of her attraction to him[[/note]]

** An interesting example to fans of Death Note: When Mashiro and Takagi start attending college, they mention how good it is for them to have Miyoshi hang out with them due to how they'd appear to be a couple if they didn't have a girl with them. In other words, Ohba and Obata are quite aware of the gay subtext made between Light and L when they start attending To-Oh Uni together, and their apparent closeness. Yes indeed, the fans were rumbled.

* TwoGuysAndAGirl: Mashiro, Takagi and Miyoshi.

* BookEnds: Toward the end of Chapter 1, Mashiro proposes to Azuki in front of her house. [[spoiler: Fast forward to the last few pages of the last chapter. Mashiro drives Azuki (from the completely separate house she had been living in) to her old one, all to propose again in the same way, almost word for word. (In the English translation, the only change is the omission of a single word - "when" - which changes his proposal from the statement of a goal to achieve to a statement that it has been achieved.)]]
** To further cement this, chapters 1 and 176 have the same title - "Dreams And Reality".
* {{Bowdlerize}}: The chapters that ran in Shonen Jump remove all references to suicide, even though Nobuhiro actually did not commit suicide.

* KatanasAreJustBetter: [[ConversedTrope Conversed]] when Moritaka and Akito are developing ''Out Of A Hundred Million''; they note katanas are popular features of several shounen series, but decide to go with [[LaserBlade beam sabers]] instead.