A review by nicole_p
Bakuman., Volume 1 by Takeshi Obata, Tsugumi Ohba

2.0

My girls love manga. I've never been too interested, but because this one is dealing with creating manga and a peek into the publishing world of a popular manga magazine, and because a friend enjoyed it, I'm trying the series. I like the art and the inside look - however fictional or non-fictional it may be - of manga publishing, but I don't like the author's attitude toward women - or at least his characters' observations about women (ie. girls know that it is better to be cute than smart and a really smart girls will not try to get too good of grades in school in order to be more cute). It's kind of interesting/funny, as I believe this is "shonen" manga (if I'm not mistaken) which is aimed at boys. So, while there is a romantic sub-plot, the romantic characters have decided not to speak to each other (or even get to KNOW each other) until they have each achieved their respective career dreams and then... they will get married. Riiiiiiggghhht. Perhaps this plot will mature as the 14 yo characters mature throughout the series (let's hope so), but at present, it seems to be a shy, adolescent boy's fantasy of ending up with the cutest girl in school wanting to marry him, but he doesn't actually have to talk to her...EVER. hahahaha!

I'm making my way through the 2nd and then 3rd books in this series, trying to give it the benefit of the doubt, but I must admit at this point, there is quite a bit of doubt. I know, perhaps, I need to suspend my disbelief a bit more to enjoy the story, but quite often I'm finding myself shaking my head.