Bakuman｡/Characters: Difference between revisions

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[[File:83515_1989.jpg|frame]]

 

An average student in his third year of middle school. Mashiro decides to become a mangaka alongside his classmate Takagi following his proposal to his love interest, Miho, under the team pen name Ashirogi Muto.

 

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Tropes associated with Moritaka:

* [[Odd Couple]]: With Takagi.

* [[Official Couple]]: With Miho.

* [[Surprise Creepy]]: Mashiro [[Heroic RROD|over-extending himself]] and trying to manage three serializations at once has some [http://www.mangareader.net/bakuman/156/17 gruesome results.]

* [[They Do]]

* [[You Gotta Have Blue Hair]]

 

== Akito Takagi ==

[[File:Akito_Takagi_1649.jpg|frame]]

 

Mashiro's classmate and the smartest student in their class. Takagi comes up with the idea to become a mangaka with Mashiro in order to do something more interesting with his life.

 

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Tropes associated with Akito:

* [[Poor Communication Kills]]: Some of his problems could have been averted more easily by being more open with others, such as telling Mashiro of his plans to make a mystery manga, telling Miyoshi about his meetings with Aoki and telling Mashiro that he's only temporarily planning on helping Shiratori.

* [[The Promise]]: Takagi and Miyoshi will only get married once Mashiro's and Takagi's manga becomes serialized.

* [[Technician Versus Performer]]: It's pointed out early on that he's a technician; he's less likely to create a hit than those who draw what they feel like, but easily follows up on one.

* [[Teen Genius]]

== Miho Azuki ==

[[File:61109_8729.jpg|frame]]

 

Mashiro's love interest and fellow classmate, who aspires to become a voice actress, specifically for Mashiro and Takagi's anime. Miho agrees to marry Mashiro once they both achieve their dreams.

 

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Tropes associated with Miho:

* [[Alliterative Family]]: With her mother Miyuki and her younger sister Mina. Her father's name is unknown.

** Also [[Theme Naming]], because the initial ''"mi"'' syllable in these three names is written with the same kanji character which means "beautiful". <ref>(But, to tell the truth, this character is rather ubiquitous in Japanese female names.)</ref>

* [[Brown Eyes]]

* [[Childhood Marriage Promise|Teenage Marriage Promise]]: With Mashiro.

* [[High School Sweethearts]]: With Mashiro.

* [[Hime Cut]]: With a curved fringe instead of a straight one, as is usually the case.

** She gets better, later on, and sends Mashiro some of her songs on a disk.

* [[Love At First Sight]]: It turns out that she has secretly loved Mashiro for eight years, since she first saw his work on display.

* [[Love Interest]]

* [[Seiyuu]]: This is what Miho wants to be.

* [[Shallow Love Interest]]: Most of her efforts are focused on fulfilling the promise and getting together with Mashiro.

* [[They Do]]

* [[Tomboy and Girly Girl]]: Girly girl to Kaya's tomboy.

* [[Yamato Nadeshiko]]

* {{spoiler|[[Yoko Oh No]]}}: [[Invoked]] in-universe. This initially happens when {{spoiler|it's revealed that she's dating Mashiro.}}

== Kaya Miyoshi{{spoiler|/Takagi}} ==

[[File:KayaMiyoshi3_9428.jpg|frame]]

 

Miho's best friend and Takagi's eventual girlfriend. {{spoiler|Now his wife.}}

 

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Tropes associated with Kaya:

* [[Fiery Redhead]]

* [[First Girl Wins]]

* [[Gag Boobs]]

'''Takagi''': Yeah, it's hard to look away from your boobs bouncing like that. }}

* [[Genki Girl]]

* [[Inelegant Blubbering]]: Very prone to this.

* [[Love At First Punch]]: With Takagi.

'''Takagi''': Just shut up and hit me!!! ''(she does so)'' }}

* [[The Pollyanna]]: In comparison to Mashiro and Takagi, at least. She's always the one with the best-case scenario in mind, and gets upset whenever Mashiro enters [[The Eeyore|Eeyore]] mode.

'''Takagi''': That's the way he is. }}

* [[The Promise]]: Takagi and Miyoshi will only get married once Mashiro's and Takagi's manga becomes serialized.

* [[Satellite Character]]: Miyoshi appears to care more about Ashirogi Muto than her own marriage.

* [[Shallow Love Interest]]: Not really shallow, but you know what we mean.

* [[Squee]]: When "The Perfect Crime Club" gets serialized. Also when {{spoiler|Reversi gets an anime.}}

* [[They Do]]

== Nobuhiro "Kawaguchi Taro" Mashiro ==

[[File:KawaguchiTaro_5628.jpg|frame]]

 

Moritaka's deceased uncle, who, like Moritaka, had hoped to marry his childhood love interest after becoming successful himself, but by the time he felt secure in his career, she was already married. After his first series ended, he was unable to follow up with another, and died from overworking himself while deep in debt. This caused Moritaka to abandon his desire to become a mangaka until he met Takagi, confessed to Miho and learned how hard his uncle had worked.

 

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Tropes associated with Nobuhiro:

* [[Nerd Glasses]]

* [[One Degree of Separation]]: Most editors who have been in the manga industry for at least 10 years prior to the start of the story have met him, and virtually everyone else has heard of him. When you consider that the main character is his nephew, it's quite easy to link people to him.

* [[Personal Effects Reveal]]: He told Moritaka about his relationship with his crush, but going through his office reveals that the person he was in love with was Miho's mother.

* [[Posthumous Character]]

The author of Crow {{spoiler|and now Zombie Gun. He is also the artist for Natural}}. He sees Ashirogi Muto as his primary rivals. Unlike Takagi, who plans what he writes based on what he can do and what is popular, Eiji writes whatever comes to mind.

 

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Tropes associated with Eiji:

* [[Country Mouse]]: Well, Aomori (the city in Hokkaido where he comes from) isn't exactly a small town, but it's pretty "country" compared to Tokyo - he even admitted to getting a bit off-put with the bustle of the big city (to the point he's actually afraid of taking the subway).

* [[The Cuckoolander Was Right]]: Whenever he's asked to give an analysis on other manga, he's pretty spot-on, as when he predicted the result of the Golden Future Cup in Volume 4 (the one where Mashiro/Takagi, Fukuda and Aoki/Nakai competed together).

* [[Curtains Match the Window]]

* [[Gratuitous English]]: Another part of his speech.

* [[Insufferable Genius]]: Quite arrogant at first, but becomes somewhat humbler and better at interacting with other people over time.

* [[Mangaka]]

* [[The Rival]]

* [[Saying Sound Effects Out Loud]]: Does it a lot, and with passion.

* [[Significant Anagram]]: His pen name, "Moneys", {{spoiler|while illustrating for Iwase}}, is an anagram of his surname ("Ni-zu-ma"-> "Ma-ni-zu")

* [[Verbal Tic]]: [[Saying Sound Effects Out Loud]].

== Aiko "Aiko Akina" Iwase ==

[[File:AikoIwase1_724.jpg|frame]]

 

The second smartest student in Mashiro's and Takagi's class. Iwase has an initial one-sided rivalry with Takagi that eventually develops into feelings for him. She eventually becomes a mangaka and writes Natural+.

 

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Tropes associated with Aiko:

* [[The Only One Allowed to Defeat You]]: In regards to Takagi.

* [[Serious Business]]: ''Everything'' she takes an interest in becomes like a competition to her, especially where Takagi is concerned.

* [[Teen Genius]]

** [[Insufferable Genius]]: Iwase is very smart, and Takagi freely acknowledges she's quite talented as well, but her very standoffish personality means that a lot of people in-universe have trouble liking her very much (She gets along pretty well with Niizuma, though). Fans are divided over whether this is simply a sexist overtone of people not liking her for being an intelligent, competitive go-getter ''and'' a woman or if it's simply that her snobbish personality that turns people off, which has nothing to do with her being a woman.

The author of Otters 11 and later, You Can't Reach Me, who got started as a mangaka after picking up an issue of Shonen Jump and quitting his job to do manga. He realizes that being a mangaka is more work than he thought, but his editor manages to manipulate him into keeping motivated.

 

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Tropes associated with Kazuya:

* [[Brilliant but Lazy]]: His editor basically has to pull [[Manipulative Bastard|Manipulative Bastardry]] in order to get him to do any work at all.

* [[Bunny Ears Lawyer]]: Despite the fact he seems to do anything he can to get out of working, he's still quite good at his job. His manga does consistently well throughout the series and the bits they actually show of Otters 11 are genuinely good.

* [[Butt Monkey]]: His editor's schemes often don't go well for him, as when his editor gives him a necklace to give as a gift to Aoki, he leaves it in his Porsche, which gets towed when he parks it in front of the building.

* [[Determinator]]: {{spoiler|When a drunk and angry Nakai wants to confront Aoki, Hiramaru confronted him personally instead of calling the police. Due to being pretty weak, Hiramaru got thrown around, but he refused to give up for Aoki's sake.}}

* [[Dogged Nice Guy]]

* [[Hidden Depths]]: At first his infatuation with Aoki comes off almost as superficial and pathetic as Nakai's obsession with her... {{spoiler|Until we find out Hiramaru actually does respect Aoki as a person and even calls out his editor for using her. When they get together, he actually works towards improving himself. Hiramaru might be completely neurotic, but in the end he is really a [[Nice Guy]] who has proved he genuinely cares enough about Aoki to try to change his habits for the better.}}

* [[Hopeless Suitor]]: For Aoki.

** {{spoiler|Not so hopeless anymore....}}

* [[Pinky Swear]]: {{spoiler|With Aoki, to get serialized again}}

* [[Real Life Writes the Plot]]: Otter 11 seems to be based off Hiramaru's life, with him working at a job he hates, getting along poorly with someone named Yoshida and wanting to live like an otter rather than a human.

* [[The Slacker]]

* [[The Alcoholic]]

 

== Takuro Nakai ==

[[File:TakuroNakai_2915.jpg|frame]]

 

An assistant who has considerable experience drawing, but has been unable to get serialized for years. He also has the goal of getting a girlfriend, and is attracted to Aoki. {{spoiler|He ultimately alienates Aoki by offering to draw for her if she will be his girlfriend, turns Kato, another girl whom he's interested in, away from him after that comes to light, and loses his position as assistant after Takahama's series gets canceled. He ultimately decides to return home to Akita. However, he later comes back as Nanamine's new "super-assistant," until he was fired for accidentally driving away what remained of Nanamine's online correspondents. He is now Hiramaru's asisstant}}.

 

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Tropes associated with Takuro:

* [[Gonk]]: He's obese and not often clean-shaven, and the manga clearly shows that he's not very attractive. {{spoiler|And it gets even worse when he comes back}}..

* [[Jerkass]]: While some see him as a [[Jerkass Woobie]], there's still the fact that as an assistant for {{spoiler|Nanamine}}, he acts like a real dick to the guys working with him and clearly shows the cuter girls preferential treatment; none of the other assistants seem too fond of working with him as a result.

* [[Just Friends]]: This seems to be what "Aoki Ko" wanted to have with him. There might have been some sort stronger relationship between them, {{spoiler|but he ruined everything when he became a [[Jerkass]]}}

* [[Mangaka]]

* [[Oh Crap]]: Gets this when things go wrong, particularly when {{spoiler|he sees Aoki [[Pinky Swear]] with Hiramaru}}.

** {{spoiler|[[The Bus Came Back]]}}: {{spoiler|On chapter 123.}}

 

== Yuriko "Ko Aoki" Aoki ==

The author of Hideout Door, and later, The Time of Green Leaves and The Gift God Gave Me. She initially appears quite cold, and is largely distrusting of men, but after opening up, reveals herself to be a kind person.

 

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Tropes associated with Yuriko:

* [[Expy]]: Her hairstyle resembles that of Mello from the duo's previous work. Incidentally, Mello was mistaken for a girl by many during his initial appearance.

** It's also stated by [[Word of God]] that she looks like J-Pop singer Kaela Kimura.

* [[Graceful Loser]]: Tends to take cancellation relatively well.

* [[Hair of Gold]]

== Shinta Fukuda ==

[[File:Shinta_Fukuda_6739.jpg|frame]]

 

Initially one of Nizuma's assistants, he writes Kiyoshi Knight and later, Road Racer Giri. He sets out to change Jump, and forms "Team Fukuda".

 

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Tropes associated with Shinta:

* [[Creepy Cool Crosses]]

* [[Friendly Enemy]]: Fukuda helps out his fellow mangaka Mashiro, Nakai, and {{spoiler|Aoki}} -- despite the fact that they ''are'' his competition.

** He even gets [[Ocular Gushers]] when he hears about {{spoiler|Mashiro's marriage promise}}.

* [[Junichi Suwabe]]

* [[Nice Hat]]

* [[No Indoor Voice]]: Sometimes.

* [[The Promise]]: His goal is to change Jump, particularly the voting system and how the rankings affect placement in the magazine.

 

== Toru Nanamine ==

* [[Expy]]: Of Light Yagami.

* [[Fan Boy]]: Of Ashirogi Muto, although he is disappointed in their writing Tanto and going along with their editors.

* [[Hannibal Lecture]]: Gives one to his editor, Kosugi, blackmailing him by reminding him that he needs a success to keep his job and taking advantage of his lack of confidence to browbeat him into going along with his plan.

* [[Heel Face Turn]]/[[Heel Realization]]: {{spoiler|Subverted. At first, after his massive fall from grace and a rousing speech from his editor on not giving up, it seems that he's learned the error of his ways. However, he goes back being the same weasel as before, just changing his previous plan to a more corporate angle.}}

* [[Jerkass]]: He views most people with contempt and only acts nice to them as long as he needs their help.

* [[Jerkass Has a Point]]: In one of his fan letters, he points out that the main characters aren't suited to gag manga, although he's hardly the only one to think this and this is before they realize his personality.

* [[Alliterative Name]]

* [[Dude Looks Like a Lady]]

* [[Older Than He Looks]]: Shiratori looks like a child (like Near) but is a bit older than he looks.

 

== Editors ==

== Akira Hattori ==

 

 

The main characters’ first editor, who helps them with their first submissions. He gets replaced by Miura after Detective Trap is first serialized, then returns to being their editor after Perfect Crime Party is serialized. After {{spoiler|PCP moves to Hissou Jump}}, Hattori becomes their editor for their manga Reversi.

 

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Tropes associated with Akira:

* [[Drowning My Sorrows]]: {{spoiler|Believing he will not be Mashiro and Takagi's editor on Reversi}}.

* [[Gonk]]: Has large lips and eyes.

* [[My Card]]: He gives this to manga artists, along with his e-mail address if he’s impressed, and his cell phone number if he’s very impressed.

* [[One Steve Limit]]: Has the same name as Yujiro Hattori, Niizuma and Fukuda's editor. The other editors even mention the fact that both Hattoris are in charge of such big name manga.

* [[Trickster Mentor]]

* [[Verbal Tic]] / [[Signature Laugh]]: "Ha ha ha." He only has it in the first volume he appears (2); the first few pages of volume 3 tone it down until it's completely dropped in the same issue.

* [[Xanatos Gambit]]: His plan to have Iwase team up with Niizuma in order to get Ashirogi Muto and Aoki to push themselves even further.

 

== Goro Miura ==

 

Mashiro and Takagi’s editor for Detective Trap and Tanto, and also Takahama’s editor. {{spoiler|He later becomes Iwase’s editor}}. Has an affinity for gag manga.

Tropes associated with Goro

* [[Berserk Button]]: Whenever the main characters question his skill or indicate they trust someone else more.

* [[Gonk]]

* [[Inferiority Superiority Complex]]: He’s often insecure about his own abilities and unsure what to do, but when in disagreement with Mashiro and/or Takagi, will become exceptionally stubborn.

* [[Irrevocable Message]]: After angrily saying that if Mashiro won’t do gag manga, Takagi should end his partnership with him, realizes that he has already sent materials that would convince them to go into gag manga and thus possibly make them angrier.

 

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== Editor In Chief Sasaki ==

 

The current editor in chief of Shonen Jump and was Kawaguchi Taro's editor when he was alive. {{spoiler|Becomes Editor-in-Chief of Hissou Jump in Chapter 150.}}

Tropes associated with Sasaki:

* [[Brutal Honesty]]: Says the above quote to Takahama when he asks to change editors because Miura won’t let him draw what he wants, also pointing out that not even veterans can make this request.

* [[No Name Given]]: Sasaki is his last name, and is rarely used, at that.

* [[Reasonable Authority Figure]]: For the most part, he’s willing to allow his authors to make their own decisions provided they understand the consequences, and respects determination.

* [[Vitriolic Best Buds]]: Happens to be his relationship with Hiramaru in the end.