Bakuman begins with Moritaka Mashiro, a junior high student, leaving his notebook containing a drawing of his crush and classmate Miho Azuki in class. When he notices and returns to the classroom after school, his classmate Akito Takagi is waiting for him with the notebook and tells him that he believes Azuki likes Mashiro too. Mashiro ends up thinking that Takagi also likes Azuki. Takagi then tries to persuade him to become a manga artist and draw the art for the stories he writes. However, Mashiro is reluctant due to his disillusion with modern society and the fate of his uncle, a former serialized manga artist who died from overwork while trying to regain that status.
Later Takagi calls Mashiro telling him that he is going to confess to Azuki, Mashiro runs down to Azuki's house to find Takagi waiting for him. Takagi then calls for Azuki and confesses to her that he and Mashiro are aiming to be manga artists. Mashiro then learns that she wants to be a voice actress and, thinking of the romantic misadventures of his uncle, proposes to Azuki who accepts under the condition that they will only marry after both achieve their dreams. With a goal before him Mashiro sets out to make this dream a reality. His goal is to have Azuki voice the heroine of the anime adaptation of his manga. To have the highest probability for success, he and Takagi vow to become serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump and attempt to create one of the most popular manga in the magazine.
After submitting many one shots to Shueisha, Mashiro and Takagi begin with their first published series, Detective Trap, which was eventually canceled due to its declining popularity. Shortly after they begin work on their next series, Run, Daihatsu Tanto!, a gag manga. Deciding that the series will never be popular, they end the series and begin their third series, Perfect Crime Party.
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