Shinta Fukuda (Born July 27, 1990 in Hiroshima-ken, Japan), is a main supporting character in Bakuman. He is a fellow mangaka and the founder of Team Fukuda. He left home after high school. He worked as an assistant to Eiji Niizuma for Crow, then worked on KIYOSHI Knight, and works on the manga Road Racer Giri. His editor is Yujiro.
Appearance
Fukuda is tall man with long white hair and brown eyes. He is always seen wearing a beanie, watchcap or bonnet of some kind. He mostly wears white clothes. He is also shown wearing a white necklace and a watch sometimes. The only time he has not been seen with a hat was at Akito and Kaya's wedding, where he wore a black suit while Nizuma oddly wore a white suit in lieu of him. He is usually depicted eating ramen, most likely to save money; this idea is supported by the fact his place is very small. According to Ending 4 , when he was young his hair was much more shorter.
He also owned and can ride a motorcycle as seen in episode 24 in season one.
Personality
Fukuda is rash, and often seems fueled by his emotional swings. He's very competitive, and enjoys the competition between him, Ashirogi, Eiji, and Aoki. He is also rather conceited, but at the end of the day is a very good friend (and rival). He's willing to do something if he gets something in return; Hiramaru gave him his car in exchange for driving around for the day (to distract Mr. Yoshida, who had a tracking deice to find said vehicale).
Though not on the same level as Nizuma, Fukuda knows what manga should be; he found Colorfusical an "insult to manga". He also has great respect for Nizuma, always addressing him as "Master Nizuma". When trying to get Kiyoshi Knight serialized, Fukuda expressed his belief more "unhealthy" boys manga is needed; the editorial department had also repeatedly told him not to bring up old manga as examples as what could be published has changed over the years.
He cares about rumors that may threaten his rivals and has a soft spot for the pure love between Moritaka and Miho, even going as far as to go on open radio to yell at the ones spreading the rumors. It's rare, but when he believes he's really crossed the line, Fukada can show genuine remorse; he felt bad that he may have made things worse for Moritaka and Miho.
It's shown that he has very little luck with romance himself (despite claiming to be a famous heartbreaker), seen with he and his assistants are turned down by some girls; the lack of romantic experience also shows itself during Super Love Fiesta, where his manga is mostly about fighting.
Summary
Editing Crow Chapter 5
Fukuda, with Mashiro, help Niizuma with chapter five of Crow. He tells him about the meetings he should be having with Yujiro. He then tells him he has to do names, even if he doesn't like them. They want Niizuma to think of the readers. Niizuma then decides to do a cliché. He then does the name for it, and it turns out much better. Before Fukuda leaves, he tells him to stop doing backgrounds and effects, and leave it to them.
Golden Future Cup
Fukuda participated in the Golden Future Cup with his manga Kiyoshi Knight. It was in Jump first because it was thought to be number one with the readers. When Koogy announces his manga will be in the Golden Future Cup, Fukuda calls Mashiro, who brings Takagi, and Nakai to Shueisha to complain about it. Fukuda complains to Yujiro, but Mashiro says he will beat Koogy with his manga. Fukuda then holds a meeting with the group, Niizuma, and too many bacon meltes so he had to grab a new stairway wessest, claiming that two will tie for first and the other will get third, referring to Kiyoshi Knight and Detective Trap and Hideout Door respectively, which proves to be true in the actual results. However, Kiyoshi Knight didn't become serialized because it was better as a one-shot.
After New Years Party
After the New Years Party, Fukuda tries to tell Nakai to forget about Aoki. When Nakai is outside drawing outside Aoki's window, Fukuda tries to bring him back. He watches him to make sure he is okay, and Mashiro calls Fukuda to make sure Nakai is okay. When the snowstorm hits, Fukuda, along with Mashiro, Takagi, and Miyoshi Kaya, try to stop Nakai from freezing to death. They get there, only to find Aoki putting an umbrella over Nakai. She tells him it was her, and not his drawings. She then agrees to work with Nakai again.
Creator Strike
Led into completing more chapters after their editors promise to allow Ashirogi's hiatus to end after Mashiro returns from the hospital.
Kiyoshi Knight's Serialiation
Fukuda and Yasuoka, his assistant
Fukuda becomes serialized, quits his job as Niizuma's assistant, and gains a new assistant named Yasuoka. While Kiyoshi Knight outlived Detective Trap, he helped Aoki Drilling her day and night on how to improve the scenes in her manga. When Yujiro remarks on this new chemistry, Fukuda proclaims angrily that he does not like Aoki, and in fact, hates her. Yujiro states that he wouldn't be helping her if he hated her that much, but he says he's doing it because she joined the in the Creators Strike. He does give her rides home on his motorcycle on certain occasions. Despite the relative longevity of Kiyoshi Knight, Fukuda is unsatisfied with the series and continuing Road Racer GIRI to compete with his rivals.
Road Racer GIRI
Road Racer GIRI gets off to a good start as soon as it is released, though Fukuda frequently remarks that he needs to get people who wouldn't "draw such crappy bikes". Fukuda's Road Racer GIRI has been rated higher than PCP on several occasions, maintaining a second to last out of seven for hi
Fukuda dressed as the main character from Road Racer Giri
s love manga, GIRI receives an anime offer, stunning Fukuda and causing him to gratefully thank Yujiro with formalities.
Helping a Friend in Need
Like others, Fukada learned about Moritaka and Miho's relationship via the internet rumors, prompting him to worry how Moritaka was taking it; he was relieved to learn he wasn't affected by it. However, when things truly got out of control, Fukada asked Akito about the relationship fans were mad-mouthing none-stop, being reduced to tears by the story of the pure love between Moritaka and Miho.
Fukada raced down to the radio station that had a Road Raced Giri program and got on the air as a special guest. He asked for five minutes to talk about Muto Ashirogi, yelling at all the listeners who had believed that the relationship between Moritaka anad Miho was impure. Yujiro was asked to have Fukada apologise on the air, claiming he made as mistake; however, Fukada said he would only apologize for overreacting. The moment Yujiro left, Fukada called Moritaka and asked him to apologise to Miho from him; however, he learned that neither was mad at him for going on air to defend their relationship.
Notes & Trivia
- His favorite manga is To-Love-Ru by Saki Hasemi and Kentaro Yabuki
- Apparently, Fukuda is based off from a younger Axl Rose (Guns N' Roses' main vocalist).
- There is a loose similarity in personality between Shinta Fukuda and Death Note's Mello (Mihael Keehl). Both men are prone to throwing tantrums when plans go haywire, wear dark clothing, own a motorcycle, and hate losing. Fukuda is not quite as abrasive when he loses his temper beyond yelling and insulting his fellow peers while Mello will openly threaten the life of his opponent and isn't hesitant in using violence when necessary. Both men also have accomplices that they are on friendly terms with: Fukuda has his mangaka assistant while Mello has his childhood friend Matt.
- Fukuda could be the foil of Ryu Shizuka. An example is that their clothing colors are the exact opposite of each other (Ryu wears black, while Fukuda favors white.). Another is how their personalities are opposites as well; Fukuda isn't afraid to speak his mind, and doesn't back down unless he thinks its a good idea, while Shizuka is a shut-in and easily upset by the words of others. Thirdly, their personalites also change over time; Fukuda slowly becomes calmer and more mature, while Ryu becomes more condident and cheeful.