Finally we get to the first meeting of one of the editors of Shounen Jump (or Shounen Jack, as it’s called here), and it was quite interesting, as we also get to see the full concept of the pilot that Moritaka and Akito created. It’s also here where you can see that the two still have a long way to go: the sketches looked rushed, and the dialogue of the trailer itself had some good concepts, but sounded rather cheesy without the proper build-up.
I don’t read any manga myself, but I’m still interested at how the editor said that there was too much dialogue and that his story would suit a light novel better. It’s true that that pilot sounded more like a trailer than an actual story, but that can also be a particular style, right? I’m interested in how many people like Moritaka and Akito he gets each month: do a lot of people try to contact him like that, only to give up later? The way he talked with his colleague seemed to suggest that they’re not exactly a rare case.
In the meantime, we also get to see some of Akito’s background. His mother was a bit much in the way she started crying in front of her son about something cheesy like that revenge, but overall it could have been much worse, and it’s a solid background for him either way. Oh, and finally the romance a) moved somewhere and b) stayed in the background with just a few scenes dedicated to it that were concise and to the point. When it’s like that then I don’t have any problems with it.
Rating: * (Good)
Awesome series! Still the most inspiring and entertaining show of the season (alongside “Soredemo Machi wa” of course, minus the ‘inspiring’ part).
I’m a bit annoyed they cut out Hattori’s thoughts in this episode, because it really shows that Hattori’s a calculating type. (For instance, in the manga, he thinks that he should start off with the positives to avoid hurting their feelings, and it’s implied that there’s more stuff wrong with their manuscript but he’s avoiding talking about it because they’re kids that they might not be able to handle overwhelming criticism.)
I almost think the part about it having too much words and seeming more like a light novel was the mangaka’s way of jabbing at himself because, if you remember, the artist and writer for Bakuman was also the same for Death Note. Death Note is DEFINITELY one where the words were overwhelming at times and it… kinda read more like a light novel than it did a manga. It’s true that it can be a “style,” but I think an author always should keep in mind that they’re writing MANGA and not a novel for a reason, and that reason is to let the art carry the story. If the words are overwhelming the art, there’s something wrong. (Especially since in a manga, stories can be told with only art and no words.)
I also think with the part about calculating types versus genius types, the genius type could be referring to Oda who writes and draws One Piece. Mostly because Bakuman is also published in Shounen Jump with One Piece as was Death Note, and One Piece is currently the most popular manga in Japan (and dominated the 1st spot in Shounen Jump for years). In interviews with Oda, he says that drawing manga cheers him up and he spends his spare time drawing manga, and when asked how he makes One Piece popular, he says that he’s just lucky because he draws what he would want to read and people so happen to like it as well. Which, once you meet Eiji, seems to fit the ‘genius’ mold presented quite closely.
To me, I enjoyed the part where Moritaka pointed out that them getting total on their first attempt would be jarring than any potential criticism that could come to them. That showed a larger amount of realism than what one would expect of a series about following one’s dream.
The episode also made me wonder if it really is so easy to submit something and get an opinion in person…
Funny how for me Oda was the first one to come to mind as well, when Hattori mentioned the “genius types” 😉