Act-age

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Act-age was one of the most promising series in Weekly Shonen Jump throughout 2019 and 2020, and one of my personal favorites alongside One Piece and Chainsaw Man.

It really was a head-turner in many ways: a colorful, female-heavy cast, unconventional topic, plenty of quality character drama, unusual art, no forced romance or any sort of physical fights as a means to move the plot forward—and at the same time it dutifully adhered to the basic shonen sensibilities, such as rivalry and continuous progress on the path towards fulfilling a grand ambition. It was, to use a term coined in Bakuman, an excellent example of a ... non-battle battle manga; a rare case of a purely character-driven shonen work that was neither a romcom nor a slice-of-life.

Alas, with the author arrested for the dubious hobby of groping middle-schoolers while passing them on a bike, the manga was promptly axed. The illustrator who worked with him allegedly decided against continuing it on her own, unlike what would normally be expected when one drops out of a writer/illustrator collaboration. A rational, respectable decision on her part, though sad nonetheless, since the story was essentially terminated midways, with no advance notice or even a semblance of a closure. It deserved so much more.

Oh well. If the prospect of reading a promising story that will never be completed does not turn you off, do read it. What we've had up to this day was wonderful. But perhaps we can get Oshi no Ko to fill some of that void?

Lets get this straight from the beginning. This story is NOT a masterpiece, nor will I EVER call it a masterpiece.

Act-Age is something much more than a masterpiece.

Act-Age is... unique. Something I never would have guessed I'd call a manga.

This is not a manga to be read casually. In fact, if you enjoy reading manga casually, then do NOT read this manga. That's my warning. This is something that WILL change you, no matter how much you try to prevent it from doing so.

The characters shine brightly, in ways I've never seen before. This is such a complex build up and breakdown of a character, ... of multiple characters. The MC is refreshing and not quite like any MC I've seen before, because she truly puts EVERYTHING that makes up her life into her acting. There isn't a single ounce of her left, and it can be truly exhausting to see from the mere fact that the emotional turmoil is completely real for her, rather than just an act. The art is something that only reflects that. Initially, while I did like the art, I thought it was just something that's slightly above average.

I've never so felt mistaken.

The art style is, especially in one of the last arcs, sharp, detailed, and hurtful. If Berserk has an art style that can be compared to a volcano erupting, burning down everything in sight, when drawing Gut's rage, then this can only be compared to the ice age. So brittle, so fragile, so likely to drown you and freeze you. I can truly understand feeling absolute FEAR when it comes to viewing the MC's rage, even as you feel calmness and want to weep when it comes to the touching story of Galactic Railroad.

Easily one of the best manga I've ever read.

I've never felt so much regret when it comes to a discontinued manga.

Fuck the author for his actions.

Before its cancellation, Act-age was my favorite running manga series and I was excited to see how it would developed. Now we will never see the end to this wonderful story. I can only judge what has been completed, and imagine what could have been.

Story (7/10):
In my opinion, this is the weakest part of the manga but it is by no means bad. The story's purpose is to create interesting scenarios for the characters to do the heavy lifting. Kei's goal to become a top actor is a compelling enough premise that gets her to interact with colorful characters and reflect on herself. It's pretty ... basic on the surface, but the manga makes up for it in other areas.

Art (10/10):
Usazaki quite possibly has one of the most appealing and beautiful art styles I have ever seen. Her designs are stylish and sharp. It has a very "raw" quality to it because of her sketchy and angular style. Her style of eyes in particular reflect an expressiveness that I have never seen in any other series. I appreciate the lack of fanservice as well. The art is beautiful, but not "sexy". It makes Act-age visually distinct from the many other manga and anime with cutesier art, and helps sell the darker moments.

Character (9/10):
This is where Act-age's writing really shines. Act-age is very much a character driven series. Kei Yonagi is an incredibly refreshing protagonist. Against a sea of brash male shounen protagonists, Kei is a unique take on a determined, talented, and broken female character. Her struggle to hone her craft while also keeping control of her identity is an intricate balancing act, and watching Kei inch closer and closer to the brink is frightening and thrilling. The side characters are handled well too. Chiyoko is the most developed side character, and she makes for an incredible foil to Kei, creating one of the most unique shounen rivalries of recent memory. Kuroyama, Araya, Akira, Oogami, Hanako, and the recently introduced Ren all round out the cast wonderfully, each with their own unique talents and struggles in the industry. My only criticism is that some arcs introduce a few too many characters that get lost in all of the overarching stories.

Enjoyment (10/10):
I was heavily invested in Act-age from the start. The subject and approach was so novel. Each arc seemed to be bigger and better than the last. I eagerly waited for the next chapter to come out. I loved almost everything about this manga and it was truly something special. I doubt anything will fill the hole that this manga's author has left in my heart.

Overall (9/10):
Despite my gushing, and despite loving this manga wholeheartedly up until now, I cannot easily recommend reading it. For one, this manga's premature end will leave a sour taste in the readers' mouths. It is incredibly depressing to see such potential be completely squandered. I am also of the belief that art cannot be easily separated from the artist. While I love the work, the author has committed an egregious crime, and it is difficult for many to reconcile the fact that we have been supporting such an individual. Nevertheless, Act-age was an amazing manga while it lasted, and unfortunately will go down as a story that never reached its potential.

Bro, who discontinued this???
this was one of the most promising series I had ever read, and one of few that exhibited as much sheer emotion as this. The main character is a little weak on her own, but her relationships with her coworkers and classmates made her worthwhile. The milky way train arc was one of the best manga arcs I have read in general. It was just getting to a pivotal point in the mc's career. One of the worst places to drop it. I cannot express how much anger I feel on seeing this discontinued. Truly, a loss.

Chapter 123 Edit*

Axed... NANI?... F*** me dead...

As a huge fan of this manga series (top 10 of my personal fav), I am utterly disappointed. This manga was supposed to be so promising... QQ

This manga demonstrates so many values and life lessons. But... BUT... BUT..., this author still can't control his own god damn hands...

Wordless.
Hopes the author rethinks his action after the incident.
...
On the other hand, I will look forward to the next manga series done by the illustrator and her team.

*pepehands*
___________________________________
PROCESS OF BECOMING THE BEST ACTRESS


The only review before my own review was rated with a 5... For me, that person's rating is unforgiving because I truly enjoy each chapter of this manga. It has a huge potential to be a masterpiece.


Minor Spoiler:

Story: 9
The story concept itself is completely brand new and pretty interesting. The main protagonist, 夜凪 , was set to have a talent of making people feel that her acting is too real to be fake. While the director, 墨山, is set to have wide connections and somehow knows the way to develop and control the protagonist. While I am surprised regarding to how 夜凪 can be involved in some of the shows of movie screenings (the story progress rather fast in my opinion), the story transitions rather smoothly among chapters.

*Edit: What I love about the story of this manga is its "truthfulness" regarding the "realities" toward life, such as how we should:
1. face and feel about the "inevitable" death.
2. cope with the fierceness of competitions.
3. live out the purpose of life while it is ongoing.
4. embrace/accept the imperfect past to make it your personal strength/advantage.
5. realize that not all of us are the "stars", but rather, keep on grinding until you make it.
6. understand that we, and only ourselves, are our own enemy.
7. control the balance of expressing inner self and wearing social masks
The dialogues among characters aren't fillers. Usually, those dialogues have double meanings, and they often propel me to reflect and think about these themes.


Art: 9
If we judge on the depictions of the characters, they can be relatively simple. Yet, when we look at how the Mangaka was able to draw those emotions (since it is an acting manga), this art of the manga definitely deserves more than a 9 or 10. I really don't know why; but as a reader, I am drawn to the art of this manga.
Unfortunately, the background can be lackluster sometimes (using only lines or empty white background). So, that is why I give it a -1.

*Edit: The range change from 8-9 to 9 because the artist is improving chapter through chapter with his illustration of background and characters


Character: 9
Each character has his/her own goal and purpose. Their motivation or reason behind their actions are consistent. Thus, the creation of these characters deserve a high score. -1 because there can be times when I feel that some characters are unnecessary in the story (personal opinion, can be argued)


Enjoyment: 10
Whenever I see an update, I click to read. Easy 10. '

*Edit: still do after 40 chapters


Overall: 9.5
I have never read any manga that focuses on "Acting". I have read "Singing or Dancing" mangas, and this manga is pretty different from those. The plot is pretty fast-paced and doesn't have side stories. As a result, I feel a magnetic attraction toward this manga. I sincerely hope for the success of 夜凪 as she continues to evolve and develop. Another -0.5 for being compared to other legendary manga :)

If this manga continues to capture audiences such as me for more upcoming chapters. Becoming an Anime won't be a dream! :) I really have high hope for this manga.


* original chap 25-> chap 64-> edit chapter 123

After multiple recommendations I expected so much more. Now, a level of immaturity is ok and it can even be endearing in shounen, but in characters, not in the plot. And that’s what is reversed here – the main character is shown as unrealistically proficient, and the narrative is annoyingly juvenile in tone.

The idea is great – by god, I want more more shounen not about hitting people in the face and shounen with female leads. The world of a budding actress seems to be an exciting setting for a manga. Talent agencies, auditions, TV, cinema, theater, musicals, their energy, color, variety, beauty, and the ... many different people working, living, visiting there - such a wealth of situations to explore! There’s also the underlying idea that diving too much in other personalities may be damaging for the unprepared, but others may be eager to exploit the burning unsafe talent, which is an enticing conflict.

Too bad that this particular manga is set in a different universe, where method acting is a rare arcane knowledge and acting standards are low, so our heroine who’s stumbled on the mystery of “you can call forth your emotional memory to act better” is a messiah. Despite having no training or any, even amateur acting experience. No respect for the ol’Stanislavski. The way acting mastery is treated here seriously reeks of super-powers. Later it improves with the appearance of mentors, but she is a gem from the start, which they just reverently slightly polish.

Too bad that this manga is hell bent on ridiculous aggrandizing of the heroine. At one point about 10 pages are dedicated to people on the streets discussing how gorgeous, balanced and fast she is when she runs past them. People praising her in their heads comprises roughly 25% of the text in this manga. Her only fault is being too focused on acting and maybe leaning on her past experience too much, so they teach her to be more expressive and fake. The rest of the cast is rather one-note, and while it seems to change a bit later, Act-age is still by far not a battle of personalities. Plus most of stronger personalities come in the form of quirky teenage misunderstood world-class geniuses, which our heroine cracks open.

Too bad that the situations depicted are unrealistic. The protagonist rears two small siblings on her own, with not much on-screen work dedicated to it aside from “the adorable family she fights for”. All kinds of barriers are broken by others for her sake – she gets a metric gigaton of special attention. At one point in the beginning she gets “kidnapped” for the comedic effect, brought to a filming studio and when asked to act she agrees. (As I’ve mentioned the best way to somehow connect to this manga is treating it as happening in a separate universe, where human trafficking for porn doesn’t happen.)

There’s just way too many false notes in Act-age for enjoyment. It’s not like it’s THAT unique – there is Kasane, Skip Beat!, idol drama manhwa.

Two things I am willing to give to this manga’s writing though are the fact that our heroine is not made to act stereotypically girly, her gender, refreshingly, doesn’t come up much at all, and that the quirkiness in her and other characters is shown to be ok – they are not judged for being passionately weird. Actually, there isn’t many bad people in the cast, they are simply different, which is also fresh.

The art is decent – the linework is clean, readable and pretty. The art is very character focused, most frames contain faces with screentones, later on backgrounds start to be more elaborate, but they never develop personalities. I’d call it very nice, pleasant and well-made, but not unique or outstanding.

That’s what the whole manga is actually – Act-age isn’t a breakthrough, like it was advertised to me, sadly. The relatively fresh main topic falls flat because of the superficial writing, especially glaring in the context of many great dramatic works set in the world of cinema/theater/showbusiness. When you think about a raising actress you expect rivals, high stakes, painful growth, sacrifices, dealing with public image, complicated relationships. Almost none of this is shown here properly – the heroine just breaks through everything, everyone gets amazed and eager to help her. It’s irritating to read through, and Act-age offers nothing for counterbalance – no special characters, no special art, no special narrative tricks. As such, I commend Act-age for what it has tried to do and concur that some readers may enjoy it, but I am disappointed in it and won’t advise it to people.

I don't believe a masterpiece requires a epic story or a deep narrative or any distinct defining premise to justify itself. Act-age's story is structured like almost any other shounen, a main character with a special talent and goes through various arcs growing and improving their craft to become the best at what they do.

What truly struck a chord with me was the art. The art on its own is impressive, but its certainly not as streamline and polished as Murata's work in One Punchman or as detailed as Miura's Berserk. It's very hard to explain it without having seen it for yourself, but ... the beauty of Act-age's art is that it enhances the narrative and characters beyond just illustrating them. After all, why draw manga when you can tell great stories through books or show cool action scenes in anime or movies. Manga is a medium that captures a single moment and must portray a characters emotions and energy effectively within the stillness of the panel. I feel Act-age does this better than other manga I've read, as every emotion an actor or actress expresses, joy, anger, sadness, love, and pain, can be seen and understood so clearly, I get chills. Every emotion for every character is expressed uniquely. The sadness expressed by one character is not the same sadness expressed by another character. You can see Yonagi grow as an actress not just by the roles she plays and the techniques she learns, but by the way her expressions change. Its this sort of level of conveyance and mastery of the medium that breathes so much life into every character.

This isn't even something you need to realize to enjoy the manga. I didn't even notice it on my first read, but I think what makes things like this a masterpiece is whether you conscious or it or not, it evokes an emotion you've never felt before. I think epiphanies like these are what define a masterpiece, but regardless of whether you felt the same emotional connection with the series that I had, I think this is a great read for any shounen lover.

This is my first time writing a review but I'm loving this manga so much I had stayed up till 8am this morning to finish the last currently translated chapter, 51.

In 'The Galactic Railway' arc the writer does an amazing job dealing and explaining issues of life, death, grief and overcoming these things.
For a good hour I was crying so much I ended up having to plug my nose with tissue to stop my snot leaking out haha.
They're very good at establishing a connection between the characters and the reader. I truly felt that I had become one of the cast and was ... experiencing 100% of what the others were.

The art is amazing and truly captures the emotions the characters are trying to express perfectly. Her art was able to make me cry even without any dialog. It's even more outstanding when you find out the artist was born in 1997! She for sure has to be a prodigy or something.

Another thing is after reading this (as well as another acting themed manga called Kasune (which is amazing by the way and for sure a must read)) I've weirdly gotten this urge to try acting? The writers really draw you in, make you feel like you're on set and give you a sort of inside view that doesn't glamourise the occupation. It instead shows you about the connections people make and them becoming more honest versions of themselves through deep expression.
As conveyed through the manga - Acting is the art of being able to dive deep into an ocean of your own emotions and the bring it up past the surface to present a mirror of humanity to an audience.

Would for sure recommend ♡

“Whenever something sad or painful happens, we try to become different version of ourselves almost to the point of forgetting our true selves, right? That’s why people like us become actors, right?”

ACT-AGE is a manga series that published on Weekly SHONEN JUMP magazine. but unlike another JUMP manga that are either battle action, sports or romance comedy series, this manga tell us about profession and its competitive career world, in this case about ACTING. Also what thing that made this series different from another JUMP manga is Act-age have genuine female MC, while almost every shonen manga have male MC. Even with female MC, this ... series is really fit to be shonen manga because its focus about acting skils, rivalry, explained "power" system and also good characterization. This series already have 2 arcs that tell us about film and stage play/theatre production.

Story : 9/10
This is story about Kei Yonagi, 16 years old female MC who just live with her 2 siblings without her parents She have a great talent about acting but also very risky to her mental state "method acting". While another MC is 35 years old Director Sumiji Kuroyama who have dream to made 1 ideal film. He finally found the actress with his qualification, that is Yonagi. Early chapter have okay setup to story like "what is acting", "first job" etc. But once this series went to first arc, it was beginning to be interesting. Great and likeable rival/partner character each arcs, interesting and unique information about acting and also what make me like this series is despite being a profession series, Act-age still can give you suspense and tension like battle manga because the struggle that our character have while made a film or stage play.


Art : 9/10
Act-age is one of great artstyle manga in Weekly SHONEN JUMP atm, and it comes from 21 years old female artist, Shiro Usazaki, her weapon while draw Act-age manga is beautiful eyes of each character. Also she draw each character expression with good detail, even from the visual alone, we can differr when characters did acting and when characters display their true selves, once again just from visual alone. Another great things about Act-age artstyle is when the manga get color page and her color drawing is really great.

Character : 9/10
Kei Yonagi is genuine female MC on shonen manga, yes she is a female but she is not melodrama character. her pure nature because she is just high school student and amateur actress made her really likeable character also as MC she really learn about her skills and also her partner in acting. Rival/partner character is also great and unique. We get power ceiling character in Chiyoko Momoshiro, top actress in her generation, and there is reason why she was top actress, also her acting method that 180 degree different from Yonagi method. Our second arc deutragonist Araya who have same method as Yonagi but more polished and have more experience, also have unique habit and also interesting backgroung. While we also have character Akira who is the son of former top actress, have parents issue and also always compared to her mother and media always treat him as "nepotism" product.

Enjoyment : 9/10
What make me enjoy the series is the tension and suspense when each character play their role. Also the struggle in film production or stage play production make the story isn't easy for MC and anothe character. Conclusion of each arcs is very beatiful and you won't expect that from acting manga. Thats why this series can survive on biggest manga magazine in the world Weekly SHONEN JUMP.

Overal : 9/10
ACT-AGE already be one of my favorite manga of all time and i hope a lot of reader will read this great series

I remember reading this series randomly throughout the Pandemic.
I saw a title and cover photo that looked lively so I decided to give it a try.
In a matter of chapters, I ended up getting pulled into the magic of Act-age.

Without speaking too much, this series is impressively deep and is able to express emotions on whole other levels unlike the majority of series. The moments, exchanges, events, practically every occassion meant something and only seeked to remain impressive as time passed.

If there was one series that had Anime potential, it was this one.
Sadly as everyone else knows, the author was arrested for....... pedofilic activity.
He was ... trying to strike some chords and they just happened to be A minors.

Quick review: If i had to describe it with one sentence: "Waste of a a good idea" The artwork is ok enough, especially the colouring, character are kinda bland, the story process is little boring but the climax is a cutely really good but a little too short.

Two new manga artists joined the Jump family with a really unique manga for shonen jump. Personally i am all about movie and a manga based on that makes me hyped. But this may not be the one i was waiting

Story: Its about typical as it can get, a decent start for a first manga. ... It start with a narration like any other manga you ever saw in your life and the its goes as normal as you can get. For manga based on acting i was expecting more and you can tell towards the climax of the story how much more you can have but for a reason it doesn't want to take you there in the first minute. You have some funny moments but they feel force most of the time. This would be a better chapter if they did the climax in the start too. Show me more challenging acting and draw my attention! don't save it at the end. And the is still going on and on with exposition and dialogues and less acting parts.Reader are too judgmental in the first 5 pages so don't just save the good stuff in the end, do more of that.


Character: They seem so one note colour for the moment. Every manga I've redd im like "why do you have that other characters don't have" and beside the main chapter can cry willingly there is nothing much else. You have some many colourful directors in Hollywood, take something from that. Don't shoe all this series unenthusiastic guys. Characters are the soul of the manga. If you character are bland you manga will feel bland.

Art: There is not really much to say about it, its pretty simple and feels like "this is my first manga in a magazine". The weakest think is the backgrounds. There are so few you can't really tell where you are. I think the artist hate drawing them but for start its okay, you will get some assistants to do your work will be fine as long you actually put someone to do backgrounds. Also the line are kind too thick and not so pleasant some times.

As weird it may sound i did enjoyed it a little, at least the first chapter, mainly cause of the climax of the first chapter. I only wish they give me more of the and more colourful characters to cheer. For now it feels like its going to have 2 volumes or something

For a binge reader like me, this was super easy to get through - there wasn't that much drama, and it wasn't emotionally taxing to read. Everything that happened to the main character, I somehow felt that I had to cheer her on, even knowing that she's completely fictional.

Initially, I actually purchased the first volume of the manga, purely because the girl illustrated on the cover looked pretty. But I am glad that they went through with that decision, because I know that I probably would have not picked it up if it weren't for the cover. And just like how it was "advertised", ... the art style throughout the manga is fairly consistent, with extra effort noticeably put into scenes that are important.

In comparison to the isekai genre that's been popping off lately, it felt just right due to how the MC is terrifyingly talented in acting which balances out how they are supposedly living a normal, no-fantasy world like us. Usually, I tend to avoid reading mangas that are based around a high school student, but thankfully, it didn't focus on the fact that she's still in school that much, along with all the cliches that we are so used to seeing. In fact, I nearly forgot that she WAS a 16/17 year old kid - that's how much the MC got into acting.

On one hand, I wish that the author wasn't involved in a disgusting case like this just so that I could read more, but if they were indeed this disgusting from the very beginning, I am glad that the truth came out and not later. Hopefully, at least the artist is not like that, and goes on to make his own works that we can look forward to.

This is my first review i’ve written in this site, Act Age was such a promising series, honestly one of the best manga i have ever read, despite reading so little manga. It is very upsetting we probably will not get another panel of this potential masterpiece.

Story 8/10: The story was great, the characters really shined because of the scenarios, it’s amazing to see Kei and the other characters grow from each other and keep pushing themselves.

Art 10/10: One of the best art styles in manga I have seen, it really captured the beauty of the setting and characters, it was just so expressive ... and beautiful.

Characters 10/10: The cast is great, the main character really interested me, and I wanted to always read more of her story. The cast in general is very engaging and they felt so real, Kei Yonagi one of my favorite protagonist ever, and the cast is just as amazing.

Enjoyment 10/10: I binged read the entire manga in a day, Act Age really just hooked me, reeled me on and I kept wanting to read more and more, and follow Kei’s story, I was always a little upset getting closer and closer towards the end, due to the manga being cancelled, but that did not takeaway my enjoyment of the manga.

Overall 9.5/10: I loved this series, but it breaks my heart and leaves me empty knowing we’ll probably never get a new chapter, and see the cast again. Zero closure, all because the author wanted to fumble the bag HARD. Everything about this manga was amazing, I pray the artist gets something new to work on because her art was also just amazing. Would recommend you reading this, only if you’re okay with having a void feeling afterwards. The manga didn’t deserve this, but fuck the author mans a weirdo.


Update:2 years later, re read Act Age after reading many more manga, I had to come back and say damn bro this really was a potential masterpiece man, this shit is so good bro.

Emotional. What else can you say about this piece of work? It's wonderful. Who knew watching a girl become a actress could be so real.

At first I thought this was going to a snore fest but boy was I wrong. You're going to be in for a treat. From the get go, the first chapter we are drawn into the world of this girl.

Let's begin our tragic tale of Kei Yonagi, our protagonist. From a nobody to becoming one of the greatest actresses this world could know. Failing auditions over and over it was the norm until one day she meets a person that will ... change her life forever, Director Sumiji Kuroyama. The chance meeting that will turn this girl's world upside down. He saw the potential in her where nobody did. From this day onward, the chase of stardom begins.

I would be lying to you if I told you the art was terrible. It's incredible. You could tell how much effort the artist put into it. Panel after panel your eyes are feasting at such beautiful artwork. It only makes you want to flip page after page. Every character is drawn in great detail. You could feel the emotion pouring out to you. You may even shed a few manly tears.

The characters are relatively unique and could stand on their own. We don't get many coming of age, actresses blooming into a delicate flower. You won't find another Kei Yonagi anywhere else. Her passion for acting takes you into their world. Absolutely breathtaking. We could see the industry through her eyes. Of course, we have a great sub-cast of characters as well. Shiro Usazaki the over-annoying but caring friend. You know you're going to have a blast when you see him kidnap Yonagi in the beginning in his van. Once you meet Chiyoko Momoshiro and Araya Myoujin later on. You will see how well their acting will prone you to feel empty like a cracked egg shell, lifeless and soulless.

I read 88 chapters in the span of 3 days. I enjoyed this manga a lot. Not many manga will captivate me as much as this. I am positive that you the reader will absolutely fall in love with it as much as I have. One trip of the Galactic Train will send you into another country.

Overall: Give Act-age a shot, do not sleep on this. Every arc is entertaining and filled with excitement. I'm really happy I found this and I am sure you will too. The only problem / issue I have with it is that there needs to be an anime adaption of this and of course more chapters.

Verdict: 9.0.

This is simply outstanding in every single way a manga can be.

Kei Yonagi is a really compelling main character, she's fun, she has a real character deveolpment throughout the series.

The secondary characters are amazing as well, with some clever and really smart writing and breathtaking visuals by the 22 year old mangaka drawing it and the author.

Don't think this is just a mere story about "becoming an actress", Act-Age is a story about many things. Dealing with loss, death, sadness, overcoming your personal problems to do something greater.

The first 20 chapters or so are really slow, but after the first arc (Death Island) ends, ... the story goes on full wild. Galactic Railroad has some philosophical content that really made me feel something. It reminded me of seinen mangas like Oyasumi Punpun and Vagabond. Yeah, the writing in this manga is really THIS good.

In my opinion, this is the best Weekly Shounen Jump has to offer as of right now.

Go read it! Now! You'll have a good time! This isn't a silly story about a little girl trying to become an actress. Trust me. Kei Yonagi is maybe the greatest woman main character to ever come out of a shounen manga. She's even better than Jojo's Bizarre Adventures Stone Ocean's Jolyne Cujoh. She has a proper character grow. In fact, almost every character in this manga has a proper character arc.

Read it!

I like series about showbiz, so I had had pretty high hopes for Act-age.
Safe to say, Act-age is as much as a coming of age story as it is a series about acting. The problem is, our MC is essentially a Mary Sue in acting, in which she manages to overcome and even match the best actors in the short time frame of six months. In reality her method-acting being used as a "double edged" sword is really just a forced weakness the author puts in so that "at least something is holding her back."
This can be really seen in her break after her ... first big blockbuster film. Minor spoilers, but Yonagi is forced to take a break in order to "find herself" before she can start acting again. this was potentially a good arc that would allow Yonagi build her character, but instead, I get some crummy, convenient friends that she makes within the span of 5-10 chapters. And this is not just the only occurrence of something like this happen. Whether it be her attempt to showcase her emotions in preparation for a play, or her climbing a mountain in attempt to understand Princess Iron fan, it's almost as if the author just places these "obstacles" in order to go through the motions of overcoming something. Of course, Yonagi basically learns and comprehends everything with ease, and I can't feel a sense of accomplishment when Yonagi does something new.
It's just a fast paced road towards success with a dash of melodrama and coming of age sprinkled in. I have no qualms about the projects that Yonagi stars in. There's just enough about the plays and movies that I can get engaged in, but not too much info dumping that it bogs the story down. Despite that, I can't get into a main character like Yonagi.

I don't know how to start this review, honestly, words can't describe this manga. You should experience it. From the first chapter, the story comes off strong and well built. You get sucked in the world in a matter of a few chapters. Every little level up of the protagonist makes you starve and crave for her next development. And let me tell you something, the development of characters in this manga is no joke. Normally, when reading your typical manga, the only one to develop is the main character however what's surprising is the improvement of other characters as well. They also get engulfed ... by the MC's presence which leads them to prove themselves, and that's one of the things that stroke me in this manga, I didn't forget any supportive character even the girl who won the stars competition(she shows up after that but u got my point). The art is nothing out of ordinary but it delivers the message and it's improving gradually(milky way scene was dazzling). The expressions and the atmosphere are so well depicted that I've felt the voice of the princess iron fan resonating in my ears. That's how powerful and strong this manga is.
I also want to point out that I feel this manga shows the most beautiful and the ugliest emotions a human being can have. It's also a journey to help the main protagonist to get track of her life, her real life.

I say that there is this one manga that's criminally under-rated all through out and it is this. ACT-AGE.

Story (10/10):
The story of act-age is a simple one. It could be summarized as a high school girl who aspires to be an actress being discovered by a director who saw that talent in her. Simple and Easy. Many may say that a story should have bombastic plot to be amazing, but I say that the execution of that story is what matters and Act-Age delivers with it.

Each story arc consists of a new lesson that our aspiring actress protagonist should learn and a captivating conflict ... that would leave readers wanting to read more. Overall, the story of act-age is fairly simple but with its execution, it makes the readers want to see more.

Art (10/10):
Maybe I'm biased but I gotta say that the art of act-age is very amazing. It'll be hard to create a story about acting in a medium without sound and movement but with the art alone, it easily conveys the emotion that should've been hard to portray. Without the amazing art that the mangaka puts in, act-age wouldn't be the amazing story it would be today.

Character (10/10):
Every character in this story is amazing. From its supporting cast to its main characters, everyone has their own distinct personalities and are fairly memorable. Every rival main character in every arc has their own deep motivations that make the story very compelling and their interactions with our main protagonist very fun to read.

Enjoyment (10/10):
I gotta say, I binge-read 80 chapters of this manga and left me wanting more. Its an easy 10/10

Overall (10):
Maybe I'm biased, maybe I'm not. But I gotta say, if you haven't tried reading act-age, you should try reading it. I'm sure you're gonna enjoy this story.

This manga was and continues to be an absolute delight.

The manga roughly follows the story of Kei Yonagi who ha immense talent in acting. Her extreme realistic acting causes her to be engrossed into her role and world thereof.

The manga, while having an interesting premise, didn't seem to have the makings of a masterpiece. The story followed as expected and while there's interesting acting concepts introduced, it's good but mediocre. What really captivated me was this recent arc in which the story focus on the production of the "The Galactic Railroad". This arc completely blew me away. The exploration of the characters, production ... of film, viewing the distinct way each actor grows, their interaction, is absolutely stunning. This manga deserves every bit of praise it receives and is an absolute gem in the manga world.

Story (6): Interesting premise but develops too typically. The pacing seems awkward and fluctuates between too fast and too slow. Jumps around and doesn't flow well.

Art (7): The art is pleasant, well drawn and looks good. It's clearly able to show the depth of emotions when characters are acting and sometimes looks gorgeous. Not anything too special though. It does it's job but doesn't go beyond that.

Characters (7): Excluding the previous arc would have landed this at a flat 5, low 6. The new arc is excellent at showing three dimensional characters. Despite this, the main character is still too lackluster and poorly written. The characters are interesting enough and the chemistry is intriguing enough to ignore a majority of flaws though.

Enjoyment (9): While it had numerous flaws, its a wonderful manga. Truly a gem and I highly recommend reading, despit- actually, especially if, you have no interest in acting. It left me starry eyed for hours after reading it and I look forward to the direction it takes.

Overall (8)

Honestly, if you're looking for a manga to read, don't read this one.

Act-Age was one of the first series I followed in WSJ. I loved it, especially the art. The premise was also interesting enough, as I never had much experience with stories about movies and acting. It was also selling amazingly well, with even an anime and live-action play on the way. Everything was going good, until the author turned out to be a d*ck.

And it was cancelled. A series with so much potential. Good characters, art, and story. Plenty of opportunities to begin a new era of Weekly Shonen Jump, but it ... all ended.

That's why you shouldn't read it. Spare yourself the pain of an incomplete story. The pain of what could've happened. A story with potential, failed by it's very own author.

However, I do really hope the artist can make another manga, and I hope it takes off. She doesn't deserve what happened with this series, and she has a lot of potential.