Ep 23 – Tuesday and Friday – 火曜と金曜 (Kayou to Kinyou)
Ep 24 – Call and Eve – 電話と前夜 (Denwa to Zenya)
What’s been rather nice about the latest episodes of Bakuman is that their pacing has improved significantly, with the events surrounding the Golden Future cup really doing a great job with furthering the plot. What has really turned out great for this series is the introduction of all the new mangaka and editors into the story, whose presences do a great job with upping the tension and competitive atmosphere. Seeing how everybody is both very friendly with each other (almost like companions for a cause) yet at the same time intense rivals, really gets you to cheer on the characters in your own way.
The interesting change to this series is how the pacing feels like it has improved immensely. Seeing the change in the rate of passage of time (where sometimes a few months and weeks pass, and other times only a few days) is a rather odd, yet at the same time very effective, way of developing each of our characters. From seeing the hot-blooded Fukuda, to the innocently optimistic Nakai, and the eager Mashiro and Takagi team, these past few episodes have been great at making the characters feel like… well, characters that you can actual come to like and care for. I guess you could say their motivation and eagerness really does shine through, almost to the point where it’s infectious.
The big thing you shouldn’t forget here is how even the editors have their own unique motivations and drive to do things. The unique dynamic between the editors, the aspirational mangaka, and the inherent tension between their relationships really produces a unique dynamic that has turned out to be rather likable. Even the romance has reached the point where it’s not as corny and overbearing as before (though it’s still a bit too sugary for my tastes). Also, the scene between Yujiro and Hattori towards the end was a nice little added touch to the story.
Either ways, there are a few anomalies to these few episodes, such as the random eavesdropping guy that has been frequently been popping up, and how the Koogy side story feels kind of…well, side lined. Aside from those, though, this episode proved to be a rather interesting way to showcase the charms of the entire main cast, which has grown rather large in recent episodes. There is a second season announced for this series, which I certainly hopes maintains and improves upon this mangaka dynamic we’ve been seeing so far.
Overall Enjoyment: 4.1/5
Screenshots are later in the post.
Next Episode Preview:
Distant Paradise 
About “that guy”: He is Hiramaru, a very popular and “unique” character in the manga, it’s so much like that that the OVA of Bakuman (If it’s still up) is actually one of his works in the manga, “Otter 11”, and he’s one of the characters “U must see” in the next season of Bakuman. He’s introduction in the manga has very forced so I think they want to make him known before his dobut.
Koogy’s story IS “side lined” on purpuse, the only reason why they showed him is to see the reunion of the mangakas, that “reunion” is VERY important in the future for other important stuff…
I actually like the half shojo part of the series (no too much but is think is good) so, for me, this last chapters are almost perfect ^^
Well, I realized that Hiramaru has yet to be introduced yet, but he still feels slightly out of place. Koogy’s side story, on the other hand, had some buildup but was completely sidelined in the end, which was a littl eodd in my opinion. Not like it was bad or anything, just odd.
The shoujo parts in more recent episodes have been better, but in earlier episodes they’ve been either hit or miss. I can see why the director is saying that he’s trying to aim for a more shoujo audience (which is why people of the shounen manga have been complaining lol).