Bakuman – 05
Have you ever worked this hard during your Summer Vacation?~
~I know I’ve NEVER been as productive as the Bakuman boys have during my Summer vaction! To me, it’s Summer, the time to laze about, catch up on anime and manga, and hang out with friends occasionally (when I actually have money that I didn’t spend on manga, heh). I think the only thing I can say I did that was productive was brushing up on my drawing skills (can I even call them skills?) and actually improving a bit! I swear, this show is starting to make me feel like a lazy bum |’D
Anyways, back to the Bakuman world, Saikou is still blushy and hopelessly romantic as the two discuss about Azuki, Saikou saying that he and Azuki have a connection to each other ever since he first saw her in sixth grade.
As Saikou told his story, Shuujin finished five pages of a name, titled the Two Earth, which he gives to him. Saikou reads it aloud and as he finishes, Shuujin gets doubtful of it, but Saikou quickly reassures him saying it’s good. He even tells him a sports story he had in mind, which Saikou gets excited for too.
Shuujin actually gets teary-eyed at Saikou telling him he really does have talent. In the end, they boys chose the ‘Two Earth’ story.
At school the boys continue working, Shuujin sharing more of his writing when Azuki’s friend, Kaya, shows up wanting to talk to Shuujin. He tells Saikou to ignore her as she comes up to them.
Kaya tells him that she was sort of scolded by Azuki about her telling Shuujin about her dream of becoming a seiyuu. She ends up scolding him, and thinks he was trying to confess to her.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about….“
Their confrontation finally ends when Kaya asks him why he asked her in the first place. Not knowing what to say, he says it’s because he wanted to talk to her. She gets really nervous and leaves before Shuujin can tell her he didn’t mean. it. That’s when Saikou tells him that she had a crush on him, which is why she acted like she did when he said it. He starts to freak out a bit, Saikou not really helping by saying she’s not a bad person since she is Azuki’s friend (heh).
Meanwhile, Kaya talks to Azuki saying Shuujin confessed to her (What? Where’d she get that idea? |’D) The two have a good girl talk about it, and Azuki tells her she has to go alone and tell him her answer just as the boys return from the roof. She looks quickly at Shuujin and leaves, leaving him quite confused (or should I say in denial?)
Time passes and their exams finish, marking the beginning of Summer vacation. Saikou and Shuujin decided to sleep over at the Uncle’s workplace to work on their manuscript, vowing to finish it by the time their vacation ends.
A little last minute crushing before school ends, heehee~.
Akito’s sleeping bag cracks me up x’D He looks like a little worm…
Some DragonBall fun while they’re at it~.
As a month passes, Shuujin finally gets brave enough to trace his manuscript in ink, making him work late into the night. He even gets so tired he messes up a page. They go out to eat for a break and head straight back to work.
Is it just me, or has anyone else been noticing this guy for some time now? I keep hearing about some music person nonchalantly in the background from the past episodes…hmmmmm. Foreshadowing?
Shuujin finally hands Saikou the full name (storyboards), and heads off to the convenience store where he buys the next issue of ‘Jack’. In the issue however, is Eiji’s manga and Saikou quickly thinks that they’re losing. He says its the art and throws away his finished pages.
With that, Saikou begins to work even harder, Shuujin not being able to help at all. One night though he attempts to ink, and fails, but finds the cutter used for screen tone-ing and begins to practice.
Finally Saikou is done with inking, and the two work together in adding the screentones, completing the manuscript just as Summer vacation ends.
As the episode closes, they decide to try and call the ‘Jack’ Editorial Department, who answers after Shuujin dials the number~.
End thoughts: Now we’re starting to get somewhere with this manga of theirs! All they have done up to this episode was basically just plan and practice their skills for it, but finally they have actually gotten a story and made a manuscript! *claps hands* They’re making such a manly manga, I swear, and I know, they are boys so it was inevitable. I also have to admit, I don’t get the story at all |’D I was reading the prologue along with Saikou, and I was seriously confused….Maybe I need to read more Shounen manga? In my mind I was actually trying to critique it (acting like some big shot writer are we now, Hoshi?) with my Advanced Composition knowledge skills because I’m an English nerd like that x’D I really liked the prologue though, and it did really make me want to read more! Another thing, I’m starting to get kind of annoyed with Saikou’s strictness with his art >___> I’m thinking like Shuujin; it looks good so why does he have to be all ‘Bleah’ about it? So what if it’s not the best, like Eiji’s, doesn’t mean you had to redraw the whole manuscript! If I were Akito, I’d be pretty pissed, but that’s me. I do respect how Saikou feels however, so I’ll let it slid, but it does pinch a nerve in my brain a lot.
We also got to see the start of Shuujin’s and Kaya’s relationship, heehee. I suspected they would get together from the opening song, and then I received a little spoiler from someone which confirmed my suspicions. I didn’t think they’d start it so early though! I was expecting much later into the series, so I was a bit shocked. They’re so cute together! (Sorry I can’t help it, I’m a girl who started off the manga/anime fandom with Shoujo manga and despite my tries to embed evil, dark, and action manga into my brain, I still have a taste for romance). I think I might like the Shuujin and Kaya couple more than the Saikou and Azuki couple and not because Shuujin’s my favorite, of course not! I actually love those couples with the two totally different personalities that make you go, “WTF, why are they together?!” a lot, so when I heard they would get together, I instantly went, “Awwww!”. They’d have cuter kids than Saikou and Azuki….~
This episode overall was pretty good, not necessarily my favorite, but I enjoyed seeing the funny moments between Shuujin and Kaya, and the boys’ finished manuscript. Oh gosh, I started having my nervous spazz attacks towards the end of the episode, especially when Shuujin called the ‘Jack’ Editorial Department. I literally was closing my ears, going, “Nananananana, he’s not calling them! Oh my gosh he is, holy crap, nananana they’re gonna say something bad to them GAH I can’t take the suspense!” |’D I haven’t had a nervous spazz attack since watching Code Geass about half a year ago (YES I was so late on that, and I still haven’t had the guts to finish it). I definitely know that next week it’s going to be even worse since they’re actually GOING TO the ‘Jack’ building! *starts taking deep breathes*
Preview:
Our boys made the call, and they’re ready to present their manuscript to ‘Jack’! What will they say, and what’s with that over exaggerated shocked expression?! *wheezes* I’ll be rocking in a dark corner until next week~
About Hoshi
A tired, over-dramatic 20 year old college student who likes manga and cheesy Korean boy bands. Prone to succumb to laziness and refuse to work for hours on end.
POWUH: Meta Team and Ringleader Extraordinaire~ with 6433 comments
I would love to watch this but ehhh, I’m still traveling! T__T
POWUH: Meta Resident and Metanorn's Hime-chan~ with 1758 comments
And finally, the events start rolling!!!!! ^^
I swear, my heart started to beat faster, when the man from Shounen Jack picked up the phone at the end!!
I’m starting to seriously LOVE this anime!!!