Shows Like Bakuman
For those captivated by Bakuman, should consider this hand-picked list which questions the purpose and weight of our choices while grounding the story in targets the intellect with complex, multi-layered ideas. Carefully balances character depth with narrative flow makes this a solid addition to your watchlist.
Standard feature-length experiences.
Best for fans of who appreciate concise storytelling.
★ Top Picks
Ai Yori Aoshi
Kaoru is a college boy with everything going for him. He lives in a mansion with his beautiful fiancé, Aoi, all his roommates are babes, and they all have the hots for him. There’s just one hitch: due to family complications, Kaoru and his beloved have to keep their engagement a secret. As he gets tangled in countless steamy situations, can Kaoru overcome temptation and stay true to the lovely Aoi?
Horimiya: The Missing Pieces
A new anime project that adapts popular side stories that were left out of the main anime series As the graduation ceremony at Katagiri High School comes to an end, Kyouko Hori, her boyfriend Izumi Miyamura, and their friends begin to look back on their time as students. The moments they shared together may be fleeting, but each one is a colorful piece of their precious memories.
His and Her Circumstances
In His and Her Circumstances, like a drug, Yukino Miyazawa was addicted to admiration and praise from those around her. She worked hard to become the perfect student, the perfect girl. But that was before… him. Souichirou Arima. The instant she met him, she hated him. Without even trying, he snatched the very glory from her hands by easily acing the high school entrance exam that should have made her the class representative. To take back what is rightfully hers, Yukino is putting all her efforts into plotting her revenge – but was love part of the plan?
Makeine: Too Many Losing Heroines!
Meet the girls on the losing side of romance! First is Anna Yanami, the girl-next-door type who can’t say no to delicious food. Then there’s Lemon Yakishio, a beautiful and spirited athlete. Last but not least is Chika Komari, the cute yet shy heroine with gentle charm. Together, they navigate awkward setbacks hoping to finally find love!
Teasing Master Takagi-san
"If you blush, you lose." Living by this principle, the middle schooler Nishikata gets constantly made fun of by his seat neighbor Takagi-san. With his pride shattered to pieces, he vows to turn the tables and get back at her some day. And so, he attempts to tease her day after day, only to find himself victim to Takagi-san's ridicule again sooner than later. Will he be able to make Takagi-san blush from embarrassment even once in the end?
Comic Girls
Kaoruko Moeta is a 15-year-old high school student and 4-panel manga artist. After moving to a dorm especially for female manga artists, she meets shoujo manga artist Koyume, teen romance manga artist Ruki, and shounen manga artist Tsubasa. Every day, they'll work all through the night trying to ink and finish their work!
The Dangers in My Heart
Kyotaro Ichikawa, a boy barely clinging to the bottom rung of his school's social ladder, secretly believes he’s the tortured lead in some psychological thriller. He spends his days dreaming up ways to disrupt his classmates' peaceful lives and pining after Anna Yamada, the class idol. But Kyotaro's not nearly the troubled teen he pretends to be…and it turns out Anna's a bit odd herself!
Maison Ikkoku
Godai is a ronin (someone who has failed university entrance exams) living in a run down apartment house called Maison Ikkoku. Among the other residents are the nosy Ichinose, the sexy Akemi Roppongi, and the mysterious Yotsuya. The others are given to having wild parties which makes it difficult for Godai to study. Into this mayhem comes the recently widowed Kyoko as the new live-in manager. Godai falls for her, but doesn't have the nerve to tell her. As time passes, their relationship slowly develops amid life at Maison Ikkoku, despite all sorts of romantic hurdles.
More Shows Like Bakuman
Yuri Is My Job!
Worried about her reputation, Hime covers shifts for a cafe manager she accidentally injures to maintain her picture-perfect princess image. But this cafe has a peculiar theme—private school. To put on her best barista schoolgirl act, she’ll be trained by the most graceful girl there, Mitsuki. Under her guidance, Hime’s feelings start to brew, but there’s just one problem—Mitsuki can’t stand her!
Rent-a-Girlfriend
Kinoshita Kazuya is a 20-year-old failure of a college student. He managed to kiss his girlfriend once, but was dumped after a month. Completely spiteful, Kazuya uses a certain method to date a girl. He goes to their meeting place and a beautiful girl brushing her long, black hair behind her ear was there, smiling at him. Her name was Mizuhara Chizuru. Something real is born after just a single rental! A reckless rom-com filled with love and excitement is about to begin!
Honey and Clover
Takemoto Yuuta, Mayama Takumi, and Morita Shinobu are college students who share the small apartment. Even though they live in poverty, the three of them are able to obtain pleasure through small things in life. The story follows these characters' life stories as poor college students, as well as their love lives when a short but talented 18 year old girl called Hanamoto Hagumi appears.
A Galaxy Next Door
After his father’s death, Ichiro is left to care for his siblings alone. They’re barely scraping by with only a small inheritance and his job as a manga artist, which isn’t going so great. That is until a talented and beautiful assistant is hired! Her name is Shiori, and she’s a gift from above—literally. While working late one night, her true identity is revealed and they’re instantly engaged!?
The Comic Artist and His Assistants
The life of an artist can be hard: Long, arduous hours working with only your thoughts and assistants to keep you company. In the case of overworked mangaka Aito, his attempts to merge the two are so far unsuccessful. His priorities are askew and subjecting his assistants to his fantasies has taken precedent over work. Despite his abuse of power, his assistants are willing to play along. Thankfully, editor Mihari is there to keep him in line, from threatening to fire him to physical punishment.
Tsuredure Children
A series depicting various scenarios of young love. These stories range from a boy, crippled by his absolute lack of confidence in himself, cannot even accept the fact that the girl of his dreams actually asked him out on a date, to the near-psychotic girl that pours her own blood into her homemade chocolate in order to win his heart.
DON'T TOY WITH ME, MISS NAGATORO
"A girl in a lower grade just made me cry!" One day, Senpai visits the library after school and becomes the target of a super sadistic junior! The name of the girl who teases, torments, and tantalizes Senpai is "Nagatoro!" She's annoying yet adorable. It's painful, but you still want to be by her side. This is a story about an extremely sadistic and temperamental girl and you'll feel something awaken inside of you.
Real Girl
Tsutsui Hikari (a.k.a "Tsuttsun") is a high school student who is content with his virtual life of anime and video games. One day, he gets stuck cleaning the pool with Iroha, a real live girl who is stylish, sassy and known to be easy with boys ... and she aggressively approaches him! Tsuttsun, who has few friends and lives in his own world, finds himself smitten by the confident and wild Iroha ... and his whole world is turned upside down!! It's the awkward and pure love story of a boy who experiences relationship for the first time.
Jimihen!! Jimiko o Kae Chau Jun Isei Kouyuu
The story follows Rena Yukuhasahi, a reserved office lady and Ryouhei Hachiya, a businessman and fellow colleague. Yukuhasahi appears to be the most reserved girl in the company, but becomes a super beautiful woman when she dresses up. Flustered in the presence of her transformed self, Hachiya insists on taking her out, only to find themselves in front of a love hotel.
Koikimo
One rainy day, salaryman Amakusa Ryo is saved by a high school girl he doesn't know at the station. He later finds out that the girl is Arima Ichika. Ryo is somewhat of a womanizer and to repay her for saving him, he suggests giving her a kiss or going out on a date with her, in which Ichika tells him he's creepy. This, however, opens a new door for Ryo and he falls madly in love with her. Ever since then, Ryo tries to overly express his feelings to Ichika. Ichika just keeps insulting him and says he's being creepy, but he just seems to take it as her way of showing affection towards him...
Kakushigoto
Single father Kakushi Goto has a secret. He’s a top-selling artist of popular erotic manga, but his impressionable young daughter, Hime, can never find out! Now he’s having to bend over backwards just to keep her inquisitive little mind from discovering what he does for a living.
Love Flops
Asahi Kashiwagi lives the typical life of an average high school student — until the day a TV fortune teller’s predictions come true one after another, culminating in a series of risqué encounters! Destiny seemingly draws five beautiful girls into Asahi’s path, and soon he finds himself fielding not one, not two, but five love confessions. Asahi will need to follow his heart to find the perfect love for him, or else his love fortunes may end in one epic flail and flop.
Why These Shows Are Similar
These recommendations share core qualities with Bakuman (2010): Animation and Comedy themes, similar pacing, and comparable production quality. NoBadPicks uses TMDB collaborative filtering, genre matching, and AI analysis to surface series most likely to resonate with fans of Bakuman.
See full details for Bakuman (2010)
