Bakuman: A Look at First Impressions

People often stress the importance of first impressions, but often, people aren't quite what they seem at first glance. This post will examine how Shinta Fukuda, Takuro Nakai, Yuriko Aoki and Eiji Nizuma are introduced in Bakuman, and how their introductory scenes subtly establish their true characters.

Fukuda and Nakai

Moritaka Mashiro, an aspiring manga artist, agrees to work for his long-time rival Nizuma as an assistant in order to hone his skills and improve himself enough to launch his manga in Shonen Jump. At the door to Nizuma's studio, Mashiro meets Nizuma's assistant Nakai, who is close to twice Mashiro's age. Nakai politely greets Mashiro, introduces himself and explains some of Nizuma's quirks.

After Mashiro tries to introduce himself to Nizuma, who's too busy to notice that his rival has just decided to work for him, Fukuda chimes in, noting that Nakai doesn't need to be so respectful to someone much younger than him. Fukuda advises Mashiro to focus on his own work, declaring that one day, he'll surpass Nizuma. Fukuda then gives Mashiro some constructive criticism on his first serious attempt at making a manga, but makes it clear that he doesn't think as highly of the other manga artists in the room. Fukuda considers Nizuma nothing more than a flash in the pan, and Nakai a washed-up has-been who can't aspire to being anything more than a manga assistant. Fukuda chides Mashiro for being rude as a "young" person, only for Nakai to mentally point out that Fukuda's still young and he's even ruder.

All this would suggest that Fukuda is an arrogant jerk and Nakai is a humble nice guy, but is it that simple?

After Nizuma finally recognizes Mashiro, the discussion shifts to how Eiji's series, Crow, went from first place in the first chapter to fourth place in the second. Mashiro seems confident that this development isn't so bad, but Fukuda realizes the writing is on the wall, and believes that his chance will come when Crow is canceled. He keeps his opinion to himself for a while, until he finally speaks up, warning Nizuma that his work could be canceled if he doesn't shape up, and giving him specific advice on how to improve. Fukuda still is a bit of a jerk, as he dismisses Nakai's assistant skills as insufficient for being a manga artist, but this willingness to help his friends and rivals leads to the birth of the manga artist alliance known as Team Fukuda. After all, Fukuda can't leave other people alone, even those he dislikes, as seen when he later tries in vain to get Nakai to come to his senses.

As for Nakai, Mashiro sleeps with him in the studio, and listens to him crying about his lot in life. Nakai gives Mashiro some advice about how he shouldn't work as an assistant too long, and laments how the editors don't take him seriously. Mashiro clearly sympathizes with Nakai's plight, but one has to wonder if Nakai has fallen into self-pity and refuses to do what is necessary to improve himself. Nakai also complains about Fukuda to Mashiro, despite having silently endured Fukuda badmouthing him throughout the day. This, combined with Nakai's earlier thoughts about Fukuda's rudeness, shows that Nakai is clearly more resentful toward others than his polite facade implies.

Nakai and Aoki

Nakai's partnership with Aoki, a woman for whom he harbors unrequited feelings, also comes across differently in hindsight, and serves to subtly foreshadow his true personality.

When their first attempt at getting serialized in Shonen Jump fails, Aoki decides to go it alone, only for Nakai to plead with her and even draw manga outside her apartment until she relents. He continues in the cold, even as passers-by assault him, and while Mashiro's partner Akito Takagi(who lacks Mashiro's sympathy for Nakai) remarks that Nakai looks like a stalker, Aoki is moved enough to get back with Nakai. 

Eventually, Nakai and Aoki get a series, Hideout Door, serialized, but eventually, its ratings begin to decline, resulting in the usually mild-mannered Nakai berating an assistant in a fit of anger, showing that his true personality slips through when his composure falters. Aida, the duo's editor, meets with the two of them, but finds that they're at a disagreement- Nakai will do anything to stay serialized while Aoki is willing to accept cancellation rather than sacrifice her vision, and Nakai is inwardly flabbergasted that Aida would take Aoki's side.

At first glance, one would assume that Aoki is being stubborn and understand Nakai's desperation, but try looking at it another way. While both Aoki and Nakai will be out of work if Hideout Door gets canceled, the onus is entirely on Aoki to make the necessary changes, but Nakai mentally insists on Aida convincing Aoki to do what she must to stay serialized without considering her interests. They do, in fact, get canceled, but the arc also shows that pandering to the readers is never an option for manga artists. Mashiro and Takagi, who are canceled alongside Aoki and Nakai, briefly considered implementing reader suggestions to stave off cancellation, but Miura called them out on it, and they also chose to face cancelation on their own terms.

The Aoki-Nakai partnership also acts as a foil to the Mashiro-Takagi partnership. Mashiro and Takagi have feuds of varying severity over the years, they're also mostly on the same page (to the point that they often come to the same conclusion without discussing it with each other). Aoki and Nakai, however, have entirely separate goals, and when Aoki learns how to draw manga by herself, it proves she never needed Nakai. Nakai is not only infatuated with Aoki, but he's also unable to write a manga on his own, meaning that he has almost no chance of succeeding on his own, thus explaining why he's so adamant about them not getting canceled or parting ways.

All this culminates in Nakai only agreeing to work with Aoki if she goes out with him, resulting in her slapping him across the face. As the previous scenes show, Nakai had always been somewhat selfish and hid his less than savory true colors behind a facade of politeness, so this development is not all that surprising in hindsight.

As for Aoki, her initial personality is relatively cold, aloof and brutally honest, and while she turns out to be a kinder person than she first seems, part of that is due to changing as a result of spending time around her fellow manga artists. Nevertheless, she, like Fukuda, comes off as more sympathetic in hindsight, whereas Nakai becomes less so.

Nizuma

For a final case, let's look at Nizuma, and how two of his earliest appearance, come off differently in hindsight.

Nizuma is first introduced as an up-and-coming manga artist, one step ahead of Mashiro and Takagi. In an interview, he credits his success to drawing manga while all the other boys were playing video games, which initially seems as though he's looking down on the competition. However, when Mashiro works for him as his assistant, Nizuma reveals that he grew up to a poor family who couldn't afford video games, forcing him to spend his time drawing. After becoming a success as a manga artist, Nizuma sends money to his parents.

Nizuma's first actual appearance involves Shonen Jump's editor in chief, Sasaki, visit his home. Nizuma makes a deal with Sasaki- if Nizuma becomes the #1 manga artist, he gets the right to cancel any series he wants. His parents are shocked at how brazen his demand is, but Sasaki agrees to it, saying that if he still feels that way after reaching the top and learning what it means to be a manga artist, he can make that demand. Much later in the series, he achieves that rank and chooses a series to end- his own series. His reasoning is simple; he wants to go out at the top, rather than be forced to continue his work as long as Shonen Jump can wring a profit out of it. While Nizuma often does as he pleases, he's nevertheless a true artist who always stays true to himself.

In short, while Nizuma often comes off as tactless and whimsical, he nevertheless has a good heart and a passion for manga, and these important moments early on in the story effectively demonstrate those aspects of him.

Conclusion

Some characters change greatly over time, others mostly stay the same and still others reveal sides of themselves that had never been seen before. Fukuda, Nakai and Aoki all change significantly over the course of Bakuman, but some of their positive and negative qualities had always been there, even if they weren't as obvious early on in the story. These small hints to their personalities not only foreshadow future developments, but are also things that attentive readers can appreciate more on a second reading.