Bakuman。

Moritaka Mashiro, a high school student with a passion for drawing, leaves his notebook at school, where it is discovered by his classmate Akito Takagi. Takagi admires Mashiro's artwork and proposes a collaboration to create a successful manga, but Mashiro initially refuses due to his negative experiences with his uncle, a manga artist who died from overwork and debt. After Takagi introduces Mashiro to his crush, Miho Azuki, and she expresses interest in his dream, Mashiro is inspired to pursue manga creation with renewed determination.

Mashiro discusses his future with Takagi, who praises his and Azuki's social intelligence. Mashiro reveals his belief that his uncle committed suicide and worries his parents will disapprove of his manga career. After initial resistance, Mashiro's mother relents when his father and grandfather support him, and his grandfather gives him his uncle's studio apartment, which Mashiro shows to Takagi.

Mashiro and Takagi visit his late uncle's apartment, where they discover manuscripts, storyboards, and personal letters revealing his uncle's dedication to his work and a hidden childhood romance with Azuki's mother. They learn that both were in love but never confessed, and Mashiro asks Azuki's mother to keep the secret. Inspired by his uncle's passion, Mashiro resolves to create his own manga.

Mashiro reviews Takagi's manga drawings, correcting his errors and explaining proper techniques and tools, including G-Pens, Kabura pens, and Taro Kawaguchi's principles for success. The two discuss manga creation, their schools, and editors after encountering a Jack issue featuring a young semi-finalist, Eiji Nizuma. They resolve to complete a manga manuscript by summer to submit to Jack's editor, and Mashiro later runs into Azuki, exchanging a brief but meaningful glance.

Mashiro reflects on a moment when he and Azuki simultaneously looked at each other, suggesting a long-standing, unspoken connection between them. Azuki's best friend, Kaya Miyoshi, confronts Takagi about revealing her dream to Azuki and subtly expresses her own feelings toward him, which Mashiro and Miyoshi observe. Over the summer, Mashiro and Takagi stay at Mashiro's uncle's office and collaborate on a manga titled *The Two Earths*, which they later submit to the Shonen Jack editorial department.

Mashiro and Takagi meet with editor Akira Hattori from Shonen Jack, who critiques their work for being too text-heavy and lacking manga-style visuals, but acknowledges their potential. He advises them to focus on creating what could be a hit rather than what they personally want to draw, suggesting that this approach may lead to more consistent success. Meanwhile, at school, a new seating arrangement places Mashiro next to Azuki.

Mashiro and Takagi continue working on new manga submissions while Mashiro exchanges emotional messages with Azuki, who gives him her email after a heartfelt conversation. After learning their work did not make the Tezuka Award shortlist, they resolve to improve and try again, with Hattori encouraging their persistence. Meanwhile, Nizuma discusses a potential move to Tokyo with his editors, contingent on his success as a top manga artist.

Takagi develops a new story concept called *One Hundred Millionth*, in which people are ranked by ability, and Hattori praises the idea, making Mashiro question her own artistic abilities. Although the story is selected as a finalist, it does not win an award or receive an honorable mention. Later, a classmate, Ishizawa, criticizes Mashiro's art, claiming it is dragging down Takagi's work, which leads to Takagi confronting and punching him.

Takagi is suspended for a week after physically lashing out at Ishizawa, prompting Mashiro to visit him and discover he had many more story ideas than he submitted. Mashiro learns that both Miyoshi and Aiko Iwase are interested in Takagi, but Takagi explains he cannot pursue a relationship due to his commitment to his manga career. Iwase confronts him and urges him to quit manga, while Miyoshi vows to support him, though she becomes upset when Takagi reveals he only spoke to her for information about Azuki, leading Mashiro to leave with renewed resolve.

Mashiro and Takagi meet with Hattori, who informs them that while manga artists have praised their work, editors remain unconvinced of its potential for publication. Encouraged to submit a piece for serialization, Mashiro expresses interest, though Hattori is skeptical. After being told they need a strong main character and more skill to succeed, they consider creating a cult hit with niche appeal, leading Takagi to propose a story concept where people trade the contents of their minds.

Mashiro and Takagi focus on improving their Money and Intelligence article while applying to the less competitive North High School. Miyoshi wonders about the lack of interaction between Mashiro and Azuki, leading Takagi to believe Azuki is prioritizing her artistic ambitions. Upon being accepted into North High, the group learns their work will be featured in the seasonal magazine NEXT, where Hattori reveals the editors' plan to use their success to highlight Nizuma's strengths, turning it into an opportunity for them to prove themselves.

Hattori, Takagi, and Mashiro discuss the future of their manga *Money and Intelligence* after dining out, with Hattori suggesting they wait until after high school to pursue serialization. Meanwhile, Miyoshi informs Takagi that Azuki is moving, and Mashiro encounters her on the way home from the graduation ceremony, where she assures him she will wait for him forever.

Mashiro, following Miyoshi's advice, initiates a letter-writing exchange with Azuki. On the first day of high school, Mashiro and Takagi submit their new manga under the pseudonym "Muto Ashirogi," impressing Hattori. Although their work, *Money and Intelligence*, initially leads in the NEXT poll, it ultimately falls to third place, prompting the duo to commit to creating a more mainstream and successful series.

Mashiro studies mainstream battle manga by drawing characters from other works to improve his skills, while Nizuma faces pressure from his editor over submitting "Crow" instead of his nearly serialized "Yellow Hit." Meanwhile, Hattori discourages Mashiro and Takagi from pursuing mainstream manga, claiming they lack the talent of successful authors, but they remain determined. Nizuma meets Mashiro and Takagi, expressing admiration for their work, and Hattori gives them six months to produce a strong mainstream manga before stepping down as their editor.

Hattori critiques Mashiro and Takagi's storyboard, emphasizing the need for strong characters, engaging battles, charming heroines, and a balance of humor and tragedy. Nizuma reveals he improvised the title of his work and impresses Mashiro and Takagi with his ability to visualize his ideas, leading them to see him as a genius. Meanwhile, Azuki auditions for a minor role in a midnight anime, and Mashiro, inspired by her progress, urges her to keep waiting for him, to which she agrees.

Mashiro and Takagi develop a story concept about an angel battling other angels who kill humans for power, but face rejection despite positive feedback on their potential. As Takagi struggles to generate new ideas and spends more time with Miyoshi, Mashiro grows concerned about his commitment. Meanwhile, Hattori learns Nizuma is hiring an assistant, and Mashiro considers the opportunity, ultimately deciding after witnessing Takagi kiss Miyoshi.

Mashiro begins working as an assistant for Nizuma, joining two other assistants: Shinta Fukuda, who ranked lower than him in the NEXT contest, and Takurō Nakai, a past award winner who has since struggled to produce notable work. Despite skepticism from Fukuda and Nizuma about his choice to work as an assistant rather than pursue publication, Mashiro remains focused on learning to support Takagi. Fukuda warns that Nizuma's series "Crow" risks cancellation unless it becomes more compelling, prompting Nizuma to revise the story and schedule a meeting with his editor.

While reworking Chapter 5, Fukuda expresses frustration with Jack's structure, especially its reliance on popularity, but Yujiro insists he focus on serialization first. Nizuma shares his childhood passion for drawing with Mashiro, prompting Mashiro to reflect on his own past and ultimately resign as Nizuma's assistant to pursue his own manga project. Meanwhile, Takagi collaborates with Miyoshi on cell phone novels, making Mashiro question whether Takagi is making progress under his own name and whether his relationship with Azuki is growing distant.

As summer ends, Mashiro does not hear from Takagi, who returns a key and apologizes for not coming up with a story idea in time, vowing to become a manga writer. Mashiro discusses his concept for a detective story with Hattori, who is intrigued but skeptical without Takagi's help, while Hattori also learns Takagi is working on a mystery. After Mashiro struggles to develop his idea alone, Takagi returns with five story concepts, including a detective story, leading the two to decide to collaborate again and work on their story for six months.

Mashiro and Takagi work to refine their story concept, now called *Detective Trap*, and Takagi reviews detective stories provided by Hattori. After meeting with Hattori and deciding to continue the project while still in high school, they learn that *Detective Trap* must perform well in the Golden Cup contest to be serialized. Hattori requires them to submit a 19-page story every two weeks to prove they can manage weekly submissions with assistants, a challenge they eventually overcome and are officially entered into the competition.

Mashiro and Takagi keep submitting their story biweekly for the competition, with Mashiro working long hours to meet deadlines. Meanwhile, Nakai is seen with Ko Aoki, who is also entering the contest, and he mentions that Fukuda's submission is a strong contender. Hattori informs them that Muto Ashirogi's story has qualified for the Golden Future Cup, where both ranking and reader popularity play a role in its success. The group faces competition from Koji "Koogy" Makaino, a well-known musician aiming to become a manga artist, whose fanbase could unfairly boost his results. In response, Fukuda, Nakai, Mashiro, and Takagi visit the editorial offices to voice their concerns.

Team Fukuda arrives at the editorial offices to challenge Koogy's methods, but the editors dismiss their concerns, leading Mashiro to resolve to outdo him by creating a superior manga. During a collaborative session where authors review each other's work, they are impressed by one another's skill until Aoki withdraws, confident in her own abilities. Nizuma later comments that two manga are clearly stronger than the third without naming them, prompting Mashiro to consider revising his work, especially after receiving encouraging news from Miho.

Mashiro and Takagi decide to revise their manga, along with Fukuda, Aoki, and Nakai. As their revised works are reviewed, each receives positive feedback, leading to approval for serialization planning. Nakai briefly worries he was overlooked, but eventually all three pairs move forward with hopes of success.

Koogy's manga underperforms in the Golden Future Cup, allowing Mashiro and Takagi, along with Fukuda, Nakai, and Aoki, to become the top competitors. A rare two-way tie occurs between Fukuda and Ashirogi Muto for first place. After the competition, Azuki thanks Takagi for supporting Mashiro and encourages him to continue pursuing manga, though she avoids directly congratulating Mashiro. With their victory, Mashiro and Takagi begin preparing their story for potential serialization.

During a serialization meeting, thirteen story proposals are reviewed by the team captains, editor-in-chief, and deputy editor, with *Detective Trap* and *Otter 11*—a debut manga by Kazuya Hiramaru—selected for serialization. Mashiro receives praise from his rivals, who vow to secure their own serializations, prompting him to reflect on his journey before receiving a congratulatory call from Azuki. A new editor, Miura, is introduced by Hattori.

The episode begins immediately after the Season 1 finale, introducing Miura as the new editor for Moritaka and Takagi, while also bringing in Hiramaru, a brilliant but lazy former salaryman, who is revealed at a New Year's Party.

Mashiro and Takagi meet their new assistants while Azuki faces a difficult choice about participating in a swimsuit photo shoot that could increase her popularity. After receiving a surprising email from Azuki, Mashiro becomes worried and neglects his work to visit her and discuss her decision. Takagi learns about the situation and helps resolve it by convincing Mashiro to take photos of Azuki himself at the beach instead.

Nakai goes to great lengths to rebuild his partnership with Aoki, displaying intense determination that concerns Mashiro, Fukuda, and others.

With TRAP's popularity declining, Mashiro and Takagi contemplate significant changes to the series, but Miura advises them to stay true to the core of a real detective manga rather than making drastic shifts. Though hesitant, Takagi ultimately agrees after Mashiro persuades him that this approach could also help improve their rankings.

TRAP starts climbing the rankings, validating their earlier choices, but the team faces increasing competition. Mashiro struggles with the pressure of overwork, particularly after being assigned to create a colored page for the manga's first volume promotion.

Mashiro is hospitalized after fainting but remains determined to keep drawing despite his health issues. As TRAP goes on hiatus, Azuki visits Mashiro and shares memories from their past, revealing her long-time feelings for him. While Takagi is uncertain about continuing due to Mashiro's condition, Azuki encourages him to pursue his passion, which surprises the others.

The chief editor places the magazine "TRAP" on hiatus until the graduation of Mashiro and Takagi, citing concerns over repeating the overwork-related death of Mashiro's uncle. While most editors are unhappy with the decision, they accept it, but Fukuda, angered by the reason, initiates a boycott, convincing several other editors to also halt their work until "TRAP" resumes.

Despite the ongoing boycott, the chief editor remains unmoved. Mashiro and Azuki share increasingly comfortable yet still awkward moments at the hospital, while Miura tries one last time to convince the chief to resume TRAP, without success. Ultimately, Mashiro and Takagi win him over by showing the work they have completed.

TRAP resumes publication but faces challenges with low rankings, leading to its eventual cancellation along with Hideout Door. As Azuki gains popularity through a semi-regular anime role, Mashiro and Takagi express frustration over not achieving their goals before turning 18. Encouraged by Azuki's supportive but realistic words, they resolve to work harder on their next manga.

The team debates the genre for their new manga, with Miura pushing for a gag manga while Mashiro and Takagi prefer a more serious tone. They ultimately create two one-shots—Hitman 10, a comedy, and Future Watch, a serious piece—and show them to Miura, who recommends serializing Hitman 10. Mashiro is disappointed, believing Future Watch is superior, but later it is revealed that Ashirogi Muto had secretly submitted Future Watch to a manga contest to gain attention from editors and artists like Niizuma.

Two one-shot manga, Future Watch and Hitman 10, are well received by the editorial staff, leading the chief to publish them separately to gauge public reaction before considering serialization. Mashiro and Takagi are skeptical of their new editor, Miura, especially after Takahama advises them to follow their own style after his manga's ranking dropped when he took Miura's advice. Hitman 10 finishes in 10th place, and Future Watch ranks 9th.

Miura argues the team should pursue a gag manga due to its consistent popularity, but Mashiro and Takagi remain hesitant, particularly Mashiro, who feels it doesn't align with Takagi's writing or art style. Tensions rise during a heated meeting, leading to Takagi confronting Miura and both leaving in frustration. Later, after receiving materials from Miura and reflecting on his passion, Mashiro and Takagi reconsider and agree to give the gag manga concept a chance.

Takagi meets Aoki at the zoo to discuss differences in how men and women perceive things, as they both work on their manga projects. Meanwhile, Miyoshi becomes suspicious when she constantly gets a busy signal when trying to call Takagi. After receiving a book written by Iwase, Takagi's reaction leads to tension between him and Iwase, and Miyoshi later discovers a letter hidden in the book, leaving her upset.

Mashiro and Takagi complete their manuscript and send it to the NEXT magazine. Meanwhile, Miyoshi reflects on recent events and contacts Azuki, who then reaches out to Takagi. Confusion ensues as Takagi struggles to clarify the situation, leading to a tense conversation between Azuki and Mashiro that ends with Azuki hanging up, leaving Mashiro to believe he has been rejected.

Takagi and Miyoshi feel responsible for the growing tension between Mashiro and Azuki due to their earlier argument. At the zoo, Takagi attempts to explain the situation to Miyoshi, but the encounter becomes complicated when Aoki unexpectedly appears upset. After Takagi proposes to Miyoshi and she accepts, Aoki reveals important details, leading Miyoshi to agree to let Takagi and Aoki maintain contact on the condition that she and Aoki become friends. Azuki is invited for tea and later mails Mashiro a message of forgiveness, which leaves him puzzled.

Aoki asks Nakai to illustrate her new manga, but he refuses unless she agrees to go out with him, which upsets her. Struggling to find an artist who can draw convincing panty shots to give her manga a more shōnen-style appeal, she eventually accepts Fukuda's offer for help, as his successful manga features well-received panty shots. Despite initial hesitation, Aoki has little choice but to work with him.

Takagi and Mashiro's manga *Tanto* is not selected for serialization, with Miura advising them to improve it for the next meeting. Nakai loses his job when his series "Business Boy Kenichi" is canceled and, after being rejected twice, decides to return home despite Mashiro's attempts to stop him. Meanwhile, Takamara is denied creative freedom by Miura and is told that strong work will force editorial approval, a realization that also dawns on Takagi and Mashiro. Niizuma agrees to illustrate Aiko Iwase's manuscript under the condition that it is serialized, while continuing *CROW*, and Hattori, his new editor, suggests he use a pen name and slightly alter his art style to avoid concerns from the editorial committee.

Miura becomes concerned upon hearing praise for a new manga artist who worked on the storyboard for *MONEY's*. Takagi and Mashiro discover that Aiko Iwase is the story writer, which stirs up their rivalry. Meanwhile, the committee acknowledges the quality of Niizuma's work on *MONEY's*, and both *Hirameki Tanto-kun* and Niizuma's new manga *+Natural* get serialized, leading to mixed reactions from Team Fukuda.

Takagi visits Miyoshi's home to formally announce their engagement to her parents, who warmly receive the news and reveal an unexpected connection between the families. At a subsequent party, Niizuma's second series inspires a renewed sense of rivalry between the characters. Meanwhile, Takagi faces increasing pressure as his manga *Otters* is adapted into an anime, and the release of *Tanto* fails to outperform the second chapter of Iwase and Niizuma's new manga, *+Natural*.

Takagi and Miyoshi prepare for their wedding while Mashiro and Hattori argue over the direction of their manga, Tanto. After Niizuma publicly declares Ashirogi Muto as his rival, Mashiro becomes overwhelmed and considers quitting. With Takagi's support, he decides to leave Tanto and challenge Niizuma directly, leading to a company ultimatum: submit a competitive work within three meetings or lose their contract.

Mashiro and Takagi struggle to come up with a suitable title for their new manga series. Encouraged by Miura to create a more serious and complex work, they develop *Money, Intelligence and Appearance* (KTM), a darker and more intricate version of their previous work, but it fails to secure serialization. At the next meeting, they are pushed to try a mainstream fantasy manga with a simple setting, contrary to their original vision. Though they are unsure about the conventional battle genre, Miyoshi finds the project enjoyable, but the manga is ultimately rejected, leaving them with one final opportunity.

The team's manga "Stopper of Magma" is rejected for serialization without review, prompting them to seek new ideas. Miura consults Hattori, who suggests a serious comedy approach, leading Muto Ashirogi to follow Hattori's guidance in developing their final chance manga.

Miura reviews the storyboard for the new manga *Perfect Crime Club* and gives his approval, boosting the confidence of Mashiro and Takagi, especially after Takamata admits his own work is inferior. Despite their Christmas celebration with Miyoshi and determination to continue if rejected, the serialization meeting ends with a discouraging 4–3 vote against publishing the manga.

Editor Oonishi and the vice chief editor both change their votes, allowing Ashirogi Muto to continue serialization, with the decision ultimately left to the readers. The team celebrates with a cake from Azuki, which includes a recorded Christmas carol and a surprise USB. As Hattori takes over as editor, the group brainstorms improvements, with Mashiro and Takagi deciding to let Takagi handle the script while Mashiro focuses on drawing, increasing creative freedom. Meanwhile, Fukuda announces he is working on a one-shot, motivated to compete with Niizuma and Ashirogi Muto.

Mashiro alters the character design while Takagi wrestles with naming three characters and choosing a title. Orihara returns as assistant, bringing two new recruits, Moriya and Shiratori, who debate the merits of prioritizing sales versus artistic integrity in manga. Meanwhile, Takagi settles on the title "Perfect Crime Party" (PCP), which outperforms other new series in the voting, surprising the editorial team. As Fukuda's *Road Racer Buchigiri* also gets serialized, Iwase and Niizuma become motivated upon seeing *+Natural* drop to eighth place. In the final scene, Mashiro, Takagi, and Hattori visit Mashiro's uncle's grave, where he reflects on achieving first place.

Azuki is offered a role in the +Natural anime but is torn between it and her promise to cast as the female lead in Mashiro's manga adaptation. She ultimately declines the role and informs Aiko and Eiji before being taken away by Mashiro, who had decided to intervene at the last minute. As they walk away holding hands, Azuki tells Mashiro that they will kiss the next time they meet, once their dreams have come true.

The rivalry between the Perfect Crime Party and +Natural intensifies, prompting Mashiro and Niizuma to alter their artistic approaches. Akina grows increasingly drawn to Niizuma after he recognizes her abilities, while Takahama and Fukada launch new manga series.

Mashiro and Takagi assess that Perfect Crime Party cannot keep up with Crow and +Natural's success and decide a long-term story arc is needed to boost their ratings. Takagi develops a five-week plot but feels it is incomplete until he meets Iwase and realizes the group needs a rival character to add depth and drive.

PCP gains popularity, leading to the creation of a drama CD where Mashiro and Takagi recommend Azuki for the lead female role. As interest in the series grows, a light novel is published, but concerns arise over its influence, prompting complaints from parents and leading Hattori to doubt an anime adaptation. Meanwhile, Shiratori, with Takagi's help, creates a storyboard that Hattori considers for publication, while Mashiro plans a new manga project with Ashirogi Muto.

Rabota & Peace, a manga by Takagi and Shiratori, is selected for serialization and appears in the November issue of Shonen Jack, ranking fifth in the voting. As Mashiro works to improve his art skills with the goal of matching Niizuma's productivity, Shiratori faces opposition from his mother, who disapproves of his manga career due to their family's social status. This leads to conflict when she visits the studio and belittles the artists, while Hiramaru and Aoki deal with the cancellation of their series and prepare for the Super Leaders Fest competition.

Mashiro convinces Takagi to let him work on their shared manga entry for the Super Leaders Fest, allowing Takagi to focus on Rabuta & Peace. As writer's block fades, Mashiro chooses to write a love story, a decision later revealed to be shared by many at Yueisha's New Year's party. Conflict arises between Mashiro and Takagi over their diverging creative paths, leading to Takagi's temporary absence from the studio and a shift in Shiratori's role, before Takagi returns to explain his absence and commitment to Rabuta & Peace.

Hiramaru agrees to serialize his manga *Never Reaching You*, which placed second in the Super Leaders Fest, but only if he can have a quiet tea date with Aoki. Yoshida, suspecting he is being outmaneuvered, chases them through the city while Takagi, Mashiro, and Fukada track Hiramaru to the location he depicted in his manga. With encouragement from his friends, Hiramaru confesses to Aoki, who accepts his feelings.

Mashiro and Takagi praise the unconventional manga *The Classroom of Truth*, but the serialization committee rejects it for Shonen Jack, leaving it as a finalist. Its author, Nanamine Tooru, a longtime fan of Ashirogi Muto, is invited to Yueisha to revise the work, though he later publishes it online against company policy. Despite this, he gains favor by submitting an approved one-shot, and later reveals to Mashiro and Takagi that he collaborates with other online mangaka, using their ideas as inspiration for his own work.

Nanamine dismisses Mashiro and Takagi as inexperienced and lacking confidence, prompting Mashiro to warn that his plans will eventually be uncovered. Meanwhile, Nanamine refines his one-shot with input from his online community, ignoring advice from his editor, Kosugi. A flashback reveals Nanamine's childhood isolation and how reading Ashirogi Muto's *Money & Intelligence* shaped his belief that money is the key to success. As his popularity grows, Mashiro and Takagi evaluate his progress and consider the future of PCP, while the editorial team remains cautiously impressed by his work.

The serialization committee greenlights two new light novels, leading to tension between Kosugi and Nanamine over editorial approaches. Hattori investigates Kosugi's unease and confronts the issue, while Nanamine's collaboration with online allies becomes unstable as some withdraw due to concerns over his rivalry with Ashirogi Muto.

As Nanamine's rivalry with Ashirogi Muto intensifies, he enlists Nakai to help refine his work, though Nakai accidentally uncovers his methods. While Aoki's *What God Gave Me* climbs to the top of the rankings before sharply declining, *Ashirogi Muto's PCP* maintains a steady position at fourth. Nanamine's *What You Need for a Meaningful School Life* drops from second to fifteenth place due to an overload of community-suggested ideas, leading to internal conflict and eventual exposure of his approach by deputy editor Aida.

Kosugi challenges Nanamine to a competition, with the condition that if Nanamine loses, he must properly collaborate with him as author and editor. Takagi and Nakai point out the impracticality of Nanamine's approach to managing a large group of contributors, leading to a loss of support and a drop in rankings. After considering giving up, Nanamine is convinced by Kosugi to continue, and later sets his sights on Ashirogi Muto as a rival. Meanwhile, Mashiro is celebrated as a celebrity at an elementary school reunion.

Mashiro and Azuki consider the impact of a recent robbery on PCP and Takagi, while the Chief and Hattori attempt to support Ashirogi Muto. Takagi's declining mental health affects his writing, leading to a drop in PCP's ranking. As PCP struggles, Yujirou reveals a secret deal involving Nizuma, increasing Hattori's concerns. A new bank robbery with a PCP card deepens Takagi's frustration, but he eventually finds a solution. PCP's next chapter involves a copycat crime, which is uncovered by their rival who recognizes the real PCP would never commit such an act.

Nizuma becomes intensely focused on CROW, leading it to rank first for five weeks in a row. Yujirou grows concerned that Nizuma's drive is tied to a deal with the Chief, possibly to end +Natural. As CROW's success continues, Nizuma reveals his intention to end the series once it reaches ten consecutive weeks at number one, challenging Yueisha's profit-driven policies.

With seven weeks left before CROW's deadline, Yujirou informs the editing department of Nizuma's ultimatum, prompting them to support their authors in surpassing the top-selling manga. As the competition intensifies, creators like Fukuda and Takahama introduce new elements to their series, while Ashirogi Muto unveils an unconventional anti-hero named Sigma in PCP. Despite these efforts, CROW remains number one, with Road Racer Giri and Seigi no Mikata taking second place consecutively, making the latter the editors' top hope to dethrone CROW.

Yujirou supports Nizuma's plan to end the CROW manga series, as readers react to a special colored page in the latest PCP chapter that serves as an invitation to meet a mysterious figure named "Sigma." Meanwhile, CROW retains first place in the rankings, and Takagi and Mashiro reflect on how their rivalry with Nizuma helped push them forward. Yujirou is surprised to learn that Nizuma has already created several new manga series.

With *Natural* struggling in the rankings and Miura criticizing her story's deviation from the battle genre, Iwase loses confidence and considers quitting. After Mashiro encourages her and Team Fukuda shows their support, Iwase regains her determination. Meanwhile, Sasaki transfers to another magazine, visits Nizuma and Ashirogi Muto, and admits to favoring Mashiro and Takagi out of a promise to Mashiro's late uncle.

The editing team is excited about Ashirogi Muto's *Reversi* and Nizuma's *Zombie Gun*, leading both to be published as one-shots. *Zombie Gun* initially receives the most votes, but *Reversi* surpasses it the following week by just two votes. To manage Ashirogi Muto's workload, it is decided that *PCP* will be weekly and *Reversi* monthly, disappointing Hattori, who had hoped to edit *Reversi*.

Ashirogi Muto faces mounting pressure as they struggle to meet deadlines for Shonen Jack and Hisshou Jump, causing a backlog of work. With the help of Ogawa and two new assistants, the team completes the storyboards, allowing their manga, Reversi, to achieve three consecutive weeks at number one. However, as Nizuma adapts Zombie Gun by changing an antagonist, it regains popularity, exposing weaknesses in Reversi's dual protagonist structure, leading Takagi to adjust the story's pacing and ultimately causing their rankings to drop to fifth.

Mashiro and Takagi discuss how to handle the climax of their story, Reversi, while Hattori reacts with surprise. Meanwhile, Hiramaru's manga is adapted into an anime, and Aoki's work is cancelled, leading Hiramaru to take Aoki to an amusement park with the hope of proposing. After initially planning to stop him, Yoshida recalls their first meeting and supports Hiramaru, who eventually proposes in an unconventional way after losing the ring, and is accepted by Aoki.

Mashiro, Takagi, and Miyoshi visit a hot spring during the New Year holiday, reflecting on their growth since middle school. Meanwhile, Shonen Jack's editors struggle to choose between adapting Zombie Gun or Reversi into an anime, each with strong arguments in its favor. As Nizuma initially declines the offer but later changes his mind upon learning Reversi is the chosen series, Hattori faces a difficult decision, weighing the potential risks of approving Reversi against the possibility that the manga might end before production begins.

Hattori announces the October premiere of the Reversi anime, bringing Mashiro to tears as his dream comes true. Heishi explains to Nizuma why he rejected Zombie Gun, while Azuki congratulates Mashiro and references Reversi on the phone. As Mashiro's connection to Azuki becomes public through a viral blog, concerns arise about potential favoritism affecting Ashirogi Muto's reputation. At a meeting with the animation committee, Mashiro urges Azuki to deny their relationship on her radio show, but she instead reveals their promise, sparking a mixed public reaction.

Following a radio broadcast that calms her fanbase, Azuki gains positive attention as Reversi. The anime producers decide to hold a public audition for the female lead, allowing fans to vote, which concerns Azuki as it may not be a fair evaluation. Despite her worries, Mashiro agrees to participate, wanting to avoid the perception of favoritism. During the audition, Azuki performs well but accidentally says "Schwarz" instead of "Weiss," mirroring a mistake in the published script. Later, the program director clarifies that the error was in the magazine version, not the official manga volume.

After Azuki lands the lead female role, Hattori, Mashiro, and Takagi discuss ending the Reversi manga in July. Mashiro expresses support for Azuki and suggests meeting after the first episode airs, but Hattori faces pressure from Heishi to keep the series running. Meanwhile, Takagi reveals his plan to end Reversi in eight chapters to outperform Nizuma, prompting Hattori to decide to support the authors over company demands.

As production begins on the *Reversi* anime, Mashiro confides in Miyoshi about his plan to propose to Azuki after the premiere, crediting her for coining their pen name, "Ashirogi Muto." Meanwhile, Azuki shares their plans with her mother, and Mashiro reads through his late uncle's diary, reflecting on his influences. Following the anime's successful debut, Mashiro proposes to Azuki in a heartfelt and symbolic manner, mirroring their first meeting, and they express their commitment to each other. The episode concludes with Hiramaru and Aoki's wedding, and a bittersweet closing monologue from Mashiro on the importance of chasing and achieving one's own dreams.