Hey-ya and welcome to my read-through of Bakuman Chapter 137: Front Color and Center Color in which everyone is trying and failing, but the boys have a chance with a novel idea.

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Front Color and Center Color Summary

Siphoning Votes

The Members of Team Fukuda’s battle commences with Nizuma in Issue 26 on May 30th. On June 3rd, the results are in and…

PCP hasn’t moved position. Darn.

Shujin and Saiko express disappointment at their static results, but Hattori thinks there’s no need for pessimism. The actual vote differential has changed substantially. PCP itself received 21 more votes than last week.

Giri, too, received 21 more votes; Mikata got 16 more and Crow lost 33 votes. Shujin brightens up at the truth: they are actually hitting Nizuma harder than he thought and they only 100 votes from beating him.

Shujin laments, however, that with the assists from the rest of Team Fukuda, it feels like they’re getting help in taking Nizuma down and not doing it on their own. Saiko disagrees: the manga that gets first place is best. No doubt.

Hattori agrees and also spills the tea that the editors are “fidgety”. All of them are discussing who can beat Crow or not, or if it’s even possible. He surmises that it’s mostly because they hope to keep Crow alive for as long as they can milk it dry.

Shujin immediately wants to know who the favorite to win?

Hattori tells them that it’s going to be…

Mikata’s Justice.

Thunk.

Mikata’s Justice and Road Race Giri

At Takahama’s, Miura expresses disappointment at only getting sixth place again. Takahama is confident that his efforts will win out in the end. He’s going to have color pages in the issue when the turnabout verdict happens. Miura, again, playing the dumbass, didn’t realize his mangaka put thought and calculation into his decisions to that extent.

Sigh.

Meanwhile, at Hiramaru’s, Hiramaru has dropped two places to 7th places and fears that he will never be called Kazutan. Yoshida chalks it up to the readers being jarred by the artistic change. It’s proof that he’s succeeding. The rank will go up again as the readers adjust.

Yoshida demands that Nakai start their training regimen. Hiramaru loses his mind as Nakai wacks him on the back.

Sigh.

Shujin wonders why the money is on Mikata given it got 6th place. Hattori has read ahead for the series and knows the storyboards are superb and that the verdict will be even better, not to mention the color pages he has received.

Shujin understands how that could be a 1st place potential combo: Color Pages + Story Peak. Shujin recognizes, however, that this will be Mikata’s likeliest chance at success as it will start a new arc and won’t have color pages for a while afterwards.

They wonder if maybe…just maybe, PCP is the second favorite uwu?

Nope. Road Racer Giri is the other favorite to overcome; it’s getting color pages after Mikata’s Justice and it’s in third right now. Thunk. Saiko sees the connection between color pages and hitting Nizuma where it hurts.

At Fukuda’s studio, Yujiro delivers the news that Fukuda’s place hasn’t changed nor has Crow been dethroned. The assistants are worried that their efforts have been for nothing. Yujiro thinks Fukuda is surprisingly calm, however. Yujiro gives him the vote differential change, which is pretty significant. Having heard that, Fukuda is confident he’ll get first in a month.

Yujiro takes a beat to remember the color pages incoming. Fukuda explains he’s been spending a whole lot of time on the two-color page spread of Giri riding his new bike since the day he came up with it. Yujiro’s surprised he’s started working on it so early.

Color pages are given significantly advanced notice to creators so it doesn’t have to impact their work schedule too much when they do it. Fukuda has decided to spend the whole month drawing it. Yujiro thinks that might be overdoing it a bit, but Fukuda is confident that the full month of effort will guarantee first place. Yujiro is less confident.

Back at the studio, Saiko is jealous about the color pages and how they’ve lost their ability to get them since they just passed their second anniversary (bro what). Hattori got the boys’ backs and asked for color pages from the editor-in-chief. Sasaki couldn’t justify giving them front color but promised to let them get center color by Issue 34.

They’re both pleased as pie to have either opportunity. Saiko thinks it’ll come down to his artwork to beat Nizuma.

Hattori reminds them that it’s best to get it first and not rely on color pages for victory since that will only be for one chapter. They need to focus on all the other chapters as well. Shujin agrees that the color pages mean nothing if the story sucks. They decid to focus on the characters. Especially Sigma, since he’s popular.

Saiko is worried: Sigma wasn’t enough, so their color pages are likely their last chance to truly compete with Nizuma.

Happiness and Frustration

The next friday, PCP ranks third, but Crow is still at the top. Giri is in second and Mikata in fourth. Shujin thinks that Mikata and Giri – with their upcoming climaxes and color pages are positioned to take Crow out.

Saiko reminds us that Nizuma has gotten first 10 weeks in a row now, which means that, per the original deal, the series will now be entering its endgame. Shujin’s frustrated that they’ve let it go this far. Shujin wonders if Nizuma just sees them as impediments to his ultimately goal. Hattori thinks that’s a little too pessimistic.

According to Yujiro, Nizuma is thrilled to learn that everyone is catching up with him and getting more votes. It wouldn’t be fun otherwise. Beating his opponents and finishing his series will simply double the awesomeness. Yujiro remains, as ever, impressed by his confidence.

Hattori wants to beat Nizuma, too, so offers to jump into the editorial process to do so.

Crow remains at the top for 11 weeks, and on Friday, June 24th, the results for week 12 come out. Miura is in a rush to see how Mikata’s color pages fared against Nizuma.

Second place. Ah man. Yujiro prods him a bit that Fukuda will win with Giri’s color apges.

Takahama receives the news with wonderful contentment. He’s happy to have received second place. He’s never done that before. Miura adds that he did it as a long running series after 2 years with no anime. Very impressive. Takahama, despite losing his apex advantage is still determined to beat Nizuma in the five weeks remaining before Crow’s completion.

But, once that’s passed and his drama kicks up he plans to continue getting first place. He has to. He plans to have the top non-battle series in the magazine, and overtake his rivals, Ashirogi.

Awwww.

Yujiro fills Fukuda in on Takahama’s fate and Fukuda is almost glad to get the news because he’s going to beat Nizuma now!

On Friday, July 1st, the results of issue 30 with Giri’s color pages, Fukuda’s got the champagne ready andddd….

Second place.

Fukuda loses his shit hilariously and Yujiro observes he must have staked everything on those color pages. Fukuda yells at his assistants for being fools

(LOL).

Yujiro laments that even though Fukuda was pissed, there was a 70 vote gap which is emotionally easier to deal with than a 10 vote gap. Yoshida thinks Fukuda blew his load prematurely with the new character and should have deployed him this chapter; he’s a good character, but is losing impact.

Yujiro bites back: Can’t Fool Me is stuck in 6th place. Yoshida agrees: Hiramaru’s efforts have been meaningless. Miura has lost hope completely in beating Crow because of course he has. Yoshida reminds them they still have four weeks.

Pessimistic, Miura points out that Giri and Mikata’s Justice both faltered even with front color pages. A center color page won’t stand a chance. Aida worries he might be right. Besides, you can only get so many votes for color pages anyway. Yamahisa resigns himself to Crow ending. Yoshida thinks they shouldn’t give up.

PCP’s Color Pages

At the studio, Hattori gives the boys the news on Giri. PCP has made no progress and even Giri couldn’t cut the mustard. Saiko is even more disheartened by the fact that Fukuda’s double page spread was so good and still failed to beat Nizuma. Color pages alone aren’t enough. Hattori reminds them their own color pages are coming up in Issue 34. Ashirogi’s pumped.

Shujin abruptly realizes that that is the last issue before Nizuma makes his final chapter. Hattori confirms it: he forced the editors to give PCP the page so that they would be positioned to bet Nizuma. They can’t wait until the normal time frame.

Shujin lays it all on the line: this is truly their last chance to beat Crow. Saiko is worried: Giri’s illustrations were top-tier. They could tell Fukuda spent a month drawing it.

That being the case, Giri has still failed to overtake Crow even with the color pages. PCP has only managed to get to third place. Center color is unlikely to be enough.

Shujin glazes Saiko a bit; even if Fukuda spent more time, he prefers Saiko’s illustrations more (aww). Saiko has a different idea: they need a gimmick with the color page. Something only PCP can do.

I like where this is going.

Hattori wonders what that could be. Shujin offers something like a 3-D illustration that requires glasses. Saiko thinks that’s too far since it would require readers to purchase glasses. Besides, he can’t do that. Womp womp.

Saiko wants the story and the illustration of the title page to connect somehow. Hattori likes the idea but thinks it’ll be difficult. It could be impressive if pulled off…

Shujin promises to think of something.

Hattori’s fine with it, but wants them to keep focused on their storyboards first and foremost. Saiko gives us the countdown: four weeks til center color. What does he have to do to beat Crow?

From that day forward the boys try to come up with a gimmick for the color page. Kaya suggests using a silly gambit involving a rainbow and two o’clock and Shujin asks her to be quiet.

They can’t think of anything.

PCP

Four days later, on July 5th, the boys are out of time and the color illustration is due. It no longer has to be special, it just has to be functional. Shujin has an offering that he’s pretty sure Hattori won’t like, but maybe it’ll help them come up with something.

Hattori notices the sky is yellow, which is weird, and Shujin explains that it’s a clue to solving a puzzle sent by sigma to the effect of “add what is missing and you will find the key to the mystery) and the PCP members will notice that a character, Aoi, is not in the photo. Aoi means blue, so you place blue plastic over the photo, and there will be a place where this occurs in the chapter as well. Then the photo and sky will turn green and the real key to solving the case will be Midori, which means green.

Wat.

Hattori is freaked out by how bad an idea that is. They’ve never had a character named Aoi in the story, and the sky being yellow is just weird. Most of ALL–

THE MAIN CHARACTERS NEED TO BE ON THE PAGE. DUH.

Shujin apologizes. Hattori reminds them that even though color pages will help with votes, the content of the story matters more. It’s going to be meaningless if they just obsess over a silly gimmick if it kills the story’s quality. The color illustration is just to please the fans.

Unusually stressed, Hattori demands that Saiko submit a color illustration in three days. He orders Shujin to make a story featuring Sigma that will make him even cooler. He’s counting on them.

After Hattori leaves, Saiko’s determined to make the color page idea work. He’s not going to give up until the last possible minute. He believes that the gimmick is the key. Shujin likes his moxie and agrees to come up with something until the last possible minute.

On July 8th, the boys submit their color illustration to Hattori. It’s a beautiful color page of Makoto sitting in his room alone; it’s a little different from Saiko’s usual style. He congratulates Saiko on job well done. Hattori is more concerned about the story, though. Have they thought of one? Shujin explains they have a story that will get the boys closer to the identity of Sigma with the sole purpose of making Sigma look cool. It’ll be done in a few days.

Hattori asks to be called as soon as the storyboards are done.

The boys grin to themselves as he leaves. He didn’t notice a thing, the fool.

the boys are glad they didn’t give up on the gimmicky color pages. And it’s a good gimmick too. All that is left is to create a story using that gimmick.

Shujin anounces this is their last chance to beat Nizuma. They’ve got to give it all they’ve got.

On that note, the chapter concludes.

Front Color and Center Color

Damn, I Was Wrong

So this might be the hardest I’ve ever been wrong before. Or at least, it certainly seems that way. Given that we just burned through the majority of the conflict, I was anticipating it in a single chapter.

Aside from the ending, which definitely needs its own section, I thought the battle was going to be more protracted and include those meta elements but it looks like it’s going to be over in 2 or 3 chapters. Womp womp.

But on some level, I guess that’s to be expected.

One of the things that’s challenging about writing about manga is that you can’t use meta-fiction to battle all the time. It’s too challenging to consistently dip into another fictional world to make your point rather than stay in the arch world. And besides, in this case, we’re playing the rule of threes.

But I was hoping for a battle similar to Iwase vs. Nizuma.

Because what I loved about that was as much as the ways in which manga was used to beat the other. And we have some of that here. But it’s a bit less inspired? I guess. And we’re also at the point in the manga where the narrative half-life is starting to dwindle pretty significantly. And it’s not hard to tell.

Honestly, they may find a way to extend this past the next few chapters, but I don’t see how.

Although we know that PCP is going to win, right? It’s not actually a question or anything. They narratively have to in order for this to be satisfying. Because, let’s be real, Nizuma can’t just go out on top. The rival battle never concludes with the rival winning. Also, it’s pretty clear from the setup that we’re playing by the rule of threes.

So PCP is going to win, almost certainly, and if it doesn’t, then the battle might be extended. But I really don’t see it at this juncture.

And they’re also going to win in a neat bit of Meta-fiction

Saiko and Shujin are committing a perfect crime

One of the hallmarks of great storytelling is that the ending must feel inevitable, even if it’s unexpected. And it feels quite poetic that the way Saiko and Shujin are going to beat Nizuma is through the use of a perfect crime committeed against their editor.

Because I could tell, even looking at this cover page right now, that there are hints scattered throughout all of it. In some ways, it reminds me of those find the things that are different puzzles that you sometimes play. Everything is arranged just so on it, from the weird books on the shelf, to the markers for time at the bottom (I read Japanese, so I know those are time indicators). It’s designed to be a gimmick.

And they pulled a fast one on Hattori. One that is totally harmless and fun and unique, which is also all the adjectives used to describe PCP. They pulled off a little heist with their work so that they could win against their Sigma, after a fashion.

The levels of metafiction here are dangerously high.

And that’s how we know – protagonist status notwithstanding – that they are going to succeed in beating Nizuma, or at least ruining his plans to some extent. Because the idea of using a color page as a gimmick is actually kinda genius.

Like, I’m a big lover of good color pages – which we can’t see on Jump because the chapters are all scans of the tankobon volumes, not the original glossy color pages from the release – so we can’t actually see the color pages themselves, but a good color page is something else, man. It really is just fan service, but not the creepy kind, and it’s easy to love it.

Not for nothing, it has come up as a plot point previously. But now that the plot point is explicitly to curry favor with the audience for votes, I like how it points out the many and varied responsibilities of a mangaka which make this such a brutal industry.

To wit, they’re given a month’s notice so that they can begin work on time to get the color pages ready for the chapter in which they are released. Which also makes it practical that they wouldn’t just want to wait til the last minute to come up with a gimmick for the chapters.

Nevertheless, PCP is a manga within a manga about manga, and so it makes perfect sense that the way to beat Nizuma, finally and for good, is through a little bit of metafiction. Because that’s what the color page serves as in-universe.

Which is why I personally love the gimmick. But also, I’d be lying if I said this chapter wasn’t a bit of a comedown from the previous one because–

All the Good Manga Battling Happened Already

Now, I may be wrong, and there is more manga battles to come, but I was sincerely hoping for stuff like the crossover chapter, or the chapter without dialogue from the Iwase battle. So the fact that we’re already in the final run against Nizuma feels…anti-climactic.

I mean, the arcs not over yet, and I could see an instance in which there’s like, a tie, or something, although I doubt that given how much they seem to want to wrap this up.

But yeahhh. We burned through Mikata and Giri’s efforts to get at Nizuma. And that was disappointing.

I did like the distinct contrasting reactions between Takahma and Fukuda. I prefer Takahama’s response because it’s so wholesome and pure, but Fukuda’s was equally delightful for entirely different reasons. I’ve become a sucker for overconfidence. as I’ve gotten older and that was just hysterical having that particular pride going before a fall.

But the battles happened off screen – as they usually have to – and I thought this was going to be a more week by week affair.

But, now that I think about it, it kinda makes sense that this would be the case given where we are in the story and also the narrative design of Bakuman: it’s not the actual “battling” component that we’re here to see, it’s the strategizing and the planning around releasing. Which makes me feel kinda goofy.

But we’re here now at the very endgame, and it’s hard not to think that the duo will win because they narratively have to. Or at the very least, stop the cancellation.

Although I will note that we did have two other titbits from this run that are worth noting: the introduction of new characters and choosing arcs are a perfectly valid means of drumming up popularity. However, knowing when to employ them to maximize popularity must also be a consideration for many mangaka. Do I think it’s to this extent? No, this is a story, there are liberties. But I do think it’s interesting to see the additional calculus that has to go into ensuring you come out on top.

Speaking of votes.

The Big Boss

It was funny to see how the vote tallies have become like an HP counter against NIzuma and everyone has to pitch in to beat him properly. Siphoning off votes. It really makes the task feel herculean when that’s the case. The gap is huge.

But also, I’m thinking back to Yujiro’s note about the logistics of the final chapter and I’m starting to think that that is going to be a factor in this final battle.

Because this gimmick – which is using the medium of manga to tell a story about the manga – is going to work. So that, at the very least means that on the final chapter Nizuma is going to have to do some kind of pivot.

I’m wondering if this is going to take him out entirely – my best guess at this point – or simply activate his second form for sudden death. Because this chapter feels VERY anti-climactic.

I understand the Copycat arc being short, but not the final battle against Eiji Nizuma. This needs some drama and chaos, and we’re not quite getting that yet.

I haven’t even mentioned Hiramaru as competitor because he hasn’t been relevant and even Yoshida recognizes it. I’m starting to get used to his Nakai dynamic (Kill me) but even so, it’s just not much. I do find it funny that Yoshida hadn’t considered that Hiramaur’s appeal is as a gag artist. But oh well, c’est la vie.

But yeah, this chapter is not giving me a whole lot to work with. It has several nice moments – I don’t think I mentioned the original color page idea, but that was hilariously terrible – but ultimately, it’s just a setup chapter for the next part of this battle.

I will mention that Nizuma is fun, but he’s not doing much other than being himself. It’s nice to see someone doing something for the love of it. But he’s just spurring everyone on at this point.

I do wonder what the gimmick actually is. I suspect we’ll get a confirmation of that next chapter. And even if Hattori is oblivious now, he’ll be pleased as a peach once he figures out that he’s been duped too.

Because that’s the fun of a perfect crime.

Until next time,

Peace