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Glass no Kamen (2005)
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Animation - 8.0 |
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Sound - 8.5 |
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Story - 9.0 |
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Character - 8.5 |
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Value - 8.3 |
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Enjoyment - 9.5 |
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Average - 8.6 |
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| Average |
8.7 |
| Animation |
8 |
| Sound |
9 |
| Story |
9 |
| Character |
7 |
| Value |
9 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
| 51 episodes in 3 days. Whatever it's flaws, it nailed what was important to maintain my interest for that long. And months later, it still stands out and is becoming a classic in my mind.
Glass Mask shares similarities with Skip Beat (also highly recommended), in that you have an incredibly likable and driven (albeit for different reasons) young actress who is utterly brilliant in her trade and manages to rise above almost all obstacles gaining admiration from all around her.
The only issues I had with the story were: it doesn't have a conclusive end, and the buildup towards the "Scarlet Angel" felt considerably disappointing. Other than that the story stays strong until the end. You see Maya go through quite a bit, and it never feels like it stalls at any stage in her life/career. It keeps moving forward, sometimes to places that you might not want to go, but this is a drama so be prepared for the tough times and tears (though sometimes very frustrating, they never felt forced).
Also, this has stories within the main story in the form of stage productions. Not only do you get to empathize with the main cast, but you also do so for all the characters they play on stage. I really enjoyed getting a chance to see key moments of Wuthering Heights, Little Women, The Miracle Worker, A Mid Summer Nights Dream and all the performances. Though be prepared for spoilers if you're not familiar with those works.
I'm also a sucker for a character like Hayami (I won't get into specifics). The dynamic between him and Maya (though sometimes difficult to believe and drawn out) was well done and held my interest.
Maya may not be the most complex of characters, but she's sure as hell endearing (and gives that to every character she plays). I loved watching her grow up, and may eventually invest another week in watching it again. (it also helps that I think her voice actress is awesome: Rahzel of Hatenko Yugi, Lucy of Elfen Lied)
Basically, if you think you might like it, you'll probably love it (except the end). I highly recommend.
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nauXolo |
(2007-02-02 17:28:35) 2007-01-17 17:39:14 |
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| Average |
8.0 |
| Animation |
8 |
| Sound |
8 |
| Story |
8 |
| Character |
8 |
| Value |
7 |
| Enjoyment |
9 |
| Update, finished 51 episodes (15-51 were raw):
The fact that I was pushed and motivated to watch this in raw format despite my basic understanding of Japanese says something about Glass Mask. 1) It is something that can be enjoyed through expressions and animation alone. 2) The story is quite gripping and keeps me watching. Up until they actually tackled the Crimson Goddess play, I thought Glass Mask was superb. Maya remained her magnificent actress self, and all the play performances were amazing. However, the ending was quite a disappointment for me. Furthermore, the supposed ultimate Crimson Goddess play was not as moving for me as all of the other performances.
In my mind, Maya still remains an amazing character who performed a variety of amazing plays and managed to overcome many hurdles along her path from nothing to the top. However, the crappy support cast was a shame. As a result, most of Glass Mask is a one-character show. First of all, Maya's love relationships really sucked. Nothing was really developed well, and despite the fact that I believed Maya's emotions while she was on stage, off-stage she was really a dull. True, this is part of her character, but I thought that by the end of this series they should have at least improved her character diversity a bit. Second, the ending was a disappointment. The final battle between Ayumi and Maya was very non-rewarding. I had watched the growth of Maya for soooo long, watched her grow up, fall in love, learn, feel, live... but at the end, I just didn't feel her character was very complete.
My final verdit: Glass Mask has really emotional and moving moments which brought tears to my eyes - the wonderful plays and performances were quite a treat and I always looked forward to the next episode. The biggest downfall lies in the incompletion of the ending. They left it too open. Nevertheless, I was able to grasp quite a lot from this anime through movements and expressions alone. For that I am grateful and would still recommend this to those who enjoy dramas - if not for the off-stage life, but for the on-stage performances.
Based off of 14-episodes:
Originally, I started watching this on a whim. I had never heard of this title before and decided to randomly try watching it. Boy, was I sucked in. Glass Mask is one of the most gripping and engaging animes I've ever seen. Furthermore, it doesn't have rely on any elements of supernaturalness or fantasy -instead it focuses on the heart-warming tale of a young girl's strength and desires in becoming an actress. She basically starts from nothing, with absolutely no self-confidence, and through her passion and the help of a former actress, she builds her way up - improving herself, her acting, her strength and her resolve.
At first, I thought Glass Mask was the weirdest thing in the world. Maya was a character that seemed some spaced out and almost as if she didn't have her own personality. In the first few episodes, she was always messing up everything, yet she didn't care. Her head was in the clouds, and all she could think about were plays and movies. However, the moment Maya was 'discovered' by the former actress, the story skyrocketed and never let go.
Glass Mask starts with the tale of the hardships a girl goes through in order to achieve the dream of being an actress. She has to gain the confidence of her peers, the acceptance of her mother, the trust from her teacher, the recognition and acclaim from the judges, etc. Yet on the flip side she also has to somehow maintain a normal middle-school life. Here, Glass Mask differs from most other shoujo anime in that romance is a very minimal portion of the plot, Maya is a completely unique and different main character from all the rest, and the storyline execution is just fascinating. Even though the actual events that take place are basic and straightforward, the acting on screen with the character expressions, audience response, play performances and such were absolutely mesmerizing. I have never see anything just so moving. Truly a wonderful anime with dramatic tension, gorgeous performances, and a heart-wrenching story. Truly anyone who has compassion for an underdog would feel extremely motivated and moved by Maya's resolve, Chigusa's guidance and various side character's contributions.
Of course, nothing can be perfect. Like I mentioned, Glass Mask's strength lies in its ability to hook you in with its story execution. The pacing is magnificent (except the last episode of this season), and leaves no second wasted - I felt that so many things had happened in merely 13 episodes (I truly felt like I had watched over 20 episodes, with all the stuff that happened). However, there's one potential downfall due to the density of this anime - fullying enjoying Glass Mask requires that one devote one's full undivided attention to the anime. Even passively watching this would result in a dissatisfied experience with the storyline. Another potential pitfall is that Maya's character seems so focused on acting, that it may be hard to relate personally with her troubles. Nevertheless, there were countless moments when I felt tears welling in my eyes either out of pride, joy, or sadness - and I know nothing about acting.
Glass Mask is one of the better animes I've ever seen. While it tends to rely more on drama that goes on in the entertainment theatre business as well as the hardships in becoming a better actress, I felt that the play performances themselves were magnificent to watch by themselves. However, if you aren't 'convinced' of Maya's performance and resolve, it would impossible to fully enjoy this anime. Nevertheless, watching Glass Mask is one of the best things I've ever decided to do on a whim.
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1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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| Average |
9.0 |
| Animation |
8 |
| Sound |
9 |
| Story |
10 |
| Character |
10 |
| Value |
8 |
| Enjoyment |
9 |
| I've watched the 6 episodes that are out, and I really hope someone finishes subbing the series because it's so interesting. Maya is like the underdog, the poor but spirited main character who has every right to happiness but has few people that believe in her. Can't wait to see if she makes it and how she will impress everyone around her.
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0 of 0 people found this review helpful.
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| Average |
8.8 |
| Animation |
8 |
| Sound |
8 |
| Story |
9 |
| Character |
9 |
| Value |
9 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
| *after watching 5 episodes*
i have to say this is a very promising anime.
Having read the manga before, this story is bascically about how Maya found her real self on stage and how she started out as an actress.It first began during Maya's teenage years..
Maya is an ordinary girl who has a liitle inferior complex since her mother has always called her an "useless girl". Maya has always hold a passion for acting. She will often stand transfixed by the tv and would do anything for a play ticket. She finally discover her talent and passion for acting when she met the famous ex-actress, Tsukikage Chigusa. Tsukikage began training Maya.
During Maya's climb to being an actress, she will meet many obstacles and adversity, one of them is the talented actress Ayumi(same age as Maya).
From the way i see, the anime is faithfully following the manga which is one of my favourite.
Glass no Kamen is a classic shoujo revolving around the acting career.
i strongly recommend this anime. ^^
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