BAKUMAN

Student Moritaka Mashiro is whiling away his school days without much thought for the future when he is approached by the top student in his class, Akito Takagi. Takagi's request? "Team up with me and create manga!"

In order to marry Miho Azuki, the girl of his dreams, Mashiro decides to become a manga artist. But first he has to convince his family to let him try despite his manga-artist uncle Nobuhiro's death from overwork and exhaustion just three years prior.

Mashiro takes Takagi to Uncle Nobu's studio to see old storyboards and find love letters.

Mashiro becomes obsessed with mastering the use of the G-pen to draw, to the point of blowing off studying for exams. Takagi is worried, but also begins his own research project to aid him in creating manga stories.

Mashiro and Takagi decide to finish up their first manga over summer vacation and bring it to an editor. Meanwhile, Takagi tries to explain to Miyoshi why he was asking her about Azuki, but only ends up making things more awkward.

Their first submission ready, the boys bring it to a publisher and meet one of the editors, Akira Hattori. His feedback has the boys wavering between ecstasy and misery.