Two school students work together to create a manga. What they aren’t fully aware of is how much work it is. Will they endure, or will they have to throw in the white towel?
Several Japanese movies have been made about making a manga series. Bakuman is yet another movie that focuses on how difficult it is and how much work you have to put in to succeed. There are very few who manage to pass through the eye of the needle in this line of work.
Although I have seen several movies that deal with the same topic, I think Bakuman is educational and inspiring. The two students are hoping and waiting for their big breakthrough. But first, they have to convince the publisher, and it’s not so easy when there are so many others who share the same dream.
The movie focuses on collaboration, friendship, and hard work. You feel a little dirty and burnt out after watching Bakuman. The two students lock themselves inside a room where they draw and work hard to get their work published.
The two students we follow also get an enemy. But he’s not an evil person, he has a natural talent that few have, and that creates a little envy.
The one thing I didn’t like at all was the dead love story between a boy and a girl who attends the same class. The entire story is just nonsense from start to finish. They have just chosen to squeeze in a love story that does nothing at all. The movie has to have more depth to make this love story work, which isn’t found here.
When you see what the two students have to do, you can see why so many Japanese people die from working too hard. You could say that Bakuman is an inspirational movie when it comes to following your dream. But there’s a limit to pushing your body and mind. The Japanese are extreme, and that isn’t positive at all when you see how many die of stress and overworking.
This is a great movie if you are interested in Japanese manga and how difficult it is to succeed and maybe working full time in this profession. One has to sacrifice most of your life in this profession. You get isolated, and the pressure is extremely high considering that you have short deadlines as we see in this movie. This isn’t a profession for a lazy person!