Glass Mask
or
"Glass no Kamen"


Synopsis

Two Girls. One Dream. And the entire world for a stage.

At 13 years old, Maya Kitajima seems destined to spend the rest of her life toiling in a crowded restaurant alongside her bitter and unstable mother. But when her incredible acting talent is discovered by the legendary diva Chigusa Tsukikage, Maya finds a new future filled with both golden opportunities and terrifying risks.

For Ayumi Himekawa, success has always been assured, yet she longs to be recognized for her own talents and skills, not her famous parents' connections.

For both, the ultimate prize is the role of The Crimson Goddess in the play of the same name, a part created by Chigusa. To achieve this goal, both Maya and Ayumi must seek out and conquer every acting challenge, pushing the limits of their talent and endurance to the utmost, until they are worthy of the part…

But for one to win, the other must fail!

Intro
This was an anime that I have previously seen for the first time almost 24 years ago and loved it, and when I was unaware a remake was made in 2005 I was not only shocked, but horrified at myself for not being able to rewatch an old love. This anime was something I jumped into and finished in two sittings!

Story
The story revolved around a few characters Kitajima Maya, Tsukikage, and Ayumi. Maya is an earnest young girl who seems to have no talent for anything, until the fateful day Tsukikage discovers her while Maya was acting out a play she saw in the park. Through a bit of rough patches Maya agrees to become Tsukikages student and learn the art of acting, while Ayumi on the other hand is a natural talent that has not only been acting since the age of 5, but still has the burning passion to grow as an actor. These two young girls, one a genius and one a talent, which will reign superiority on the other? Watch and find out.

Characters
The characters in this anime are rather well done, but they set a simple over used tone nowadays. Such as the main character is a female who easily fell in love, a talented oujosama who can't help but be rich and talented, and a cool teacher who realizes the seemingly talent less persons talents. I would say the character are overused, but considering the time of release of 1980's and this being a remake I will conclude the characters are original in a sense.

Art
The artwork for this anime was rather splendid, it seems like an all time classic artwork that won't grow dull after a few years pass. The animation during regular scenes is marvelous, but the animation while acting is even better. While there are quite a bit of still scenes, these never clash with the actual anime.

Enjoyment
The enjoyment level of this anime is a guaranteed. I have personally watched this anime over 9 times and the older version nearly 17 times. This anime is one that you should never get sick of.

Overall
Overall I give this anime a 10/10 for presentation, artwork, execution, voice actors, and everything else. I highly recommend this series to anybody interested in making a new love.

Information
Type: TV
Episodes: 51
Status: Finished Airing
Aired: Apr 6, 2005 to Mar 29, 2006
Producers: MediaNet, Sentai FilmworksL
Genres: Drama, Shoujo
Duration: 25 min. per episode
Rating: G - All Ages

A fun suggestion
If you enjoy the 2005 edition I highly recommend watching the original .
Thanks for reading.