I guess many people already know about the bad reputation of “Dragon Ball Evolution” or the second season of “The Promised Neverland”. Welp, unfortunately, it just happened to be the same case for this Anime. I didn’t have much expectation upon seeing the trailer, but man, this is just too much to deal with. Calling this abomination a train wreck is even an understatement.
The disaster inherently stems from the concept in the first place. Let’s imagine this, if allowing Anime to be aired on Netflix through batch release is considered a crime, then allowing the masterpiece “Hi no Tori” to be directed by an incompetent
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May 22, 2023 Recommended Well-written 
Yorokobe Touhou fans, after the long-awaited 12 years, MyAnimeList finally decided to add this entry to their database. Fantasy Kaleidoscope ~The Memories of Phantasm~ (MoP for short) is a fan-made series produced by a doujin circle named Manpuku Jinja. Currently known as the most popular Touhou Anime, not only does it attract Touhou fans in particular but many Anime fans in general.
Anime adaptations from whatever source have always been a hot potato for studios. People may wonder why franchises like FGO, Azur Lane, and Kantai Collection have managed to get an official adaptation, but Touhou still has not. First, we need to answer this ... question. How do we turn Touhou into an Anime adaptation? The best you could think of is making it with the structure of half plot and half fight, right? But here’s the deal: the original plot is lacking, and the fight is also unconventional. + About the plot, it often just follows the same pattern for most games: A supernatural incident happens caused by some random powerful entities. The main protagonist, the miko of Hakurei Shrine, Hakurei Reimu, will embark on a journey to resolve it and bring back Gensokyo to its balance. Every time she encounters an opponent, there’s usually a conversation, then two parties start fighting each other. As you can see, there are very few interesting things here without considering the lore. It’s almost impossible to craft a faithful adaptation of the game story while at the same time also having to maintain enjoyment for fans. + In Touhou, the fights go by the Spell Card System. Unlike a normal duel, a Touhou fight is a mental contest in which the most beautiful one wins, and it isn’t meant to slaughter each other (very similar to the covenant in “No Game No Life”). It somewhat lessens the intensity since there’s no death threat no matter who wins or loses. Even ignoring that issue, the essence of the Touhou fight – danmaku, is very flashy, garish, and ostentatious, which does not appeal to general audiences. People may argue that those Minus-T videos on Youtube are pretty eye-catching. It’s not wrong, but just remember one simple thing: they are two different mediums. I don’t think there's any person who would like to watch an episode whose straight 10 minutes just splattering colorful fireworks, let alone it takes several years with a great amount of effort to animate it. I’m quite rambling with tons of info dumps, but it’s only to show the issues that Manpuku Jinja had to consider when making this Anime. For a series that is gameplay and lore-heavy like this one, it’s hard for any non-hardcore person to dig deeper and rather just prefer gazing at flowers while on horseback. Thus, it’s reasonable that they didn’t pick a risky choice that could potentially alienate the fanbase but instead chose to turn it into a fanon in which fanservice prevails over the actual plot with the sole intention of entertaining the audience as much as possible. Despite such reasons, MoP still follows the original story, just not in chronological order. The first episode introduces the incident in Touhou 7. The next three episodes take place after the event in Touhou 11, but retell the flashback of Touhou 6. The fifth and sixth episodes show the story that happened after Touhou 9. The seventh episode is based on Cirno’s route in Touhou 12.3. Episodes 8 to 13 tell the story of Touhou 8. Episodes 14 to 17 tell the story of Touhou 10. And finally, episode 18 is a tribute episode that is entirely original and features all characters. Talking about the direction, Manpuku Jinja simplified the two main factors I mentioned in the second paragraph, the plot and the fight, while adding on many fanservice and original scenes. I’d like to name some notable ones: the Onsen scene in the opening, the Yakumo’s bathing scene, the Sakuya’s Dio time-stopping scene (oh wait, this is canon), the Remilia and Flandre’s fighting scene, the Yuuka and Cirno’s confronting scene, the Shiki Eiki’s lecturing scene, the Tewi and Reisen’s poisoning scene, the Kaguya and Mokou’s quarreling scene, etc. I myself enjoy every minute of them and really appreciate the circle. They have to love Touhou and understand the fandom greatly so that they could ingeniously incorporate many references. But of course, at the end of the day, it still is an unofficial series, and most of the characterizations are very far from their actual depictions in the source. For example, in the Anime, Flandre is locked up in the basement against her own will and is mistreated by other members of the mansion. This is nearly opposed to the canon version of her, in which she chooses to stay in the mansion of her own volition because she cannot fully control her strength. In the print work “Bohemian Archive in Japanese Red”, she is seen talking to Aya with her sister Remilia. She’s quite strange and eccentric, but not to the point of being unhinged or lunatic like what was exaggerated in the Anime. I guess it’s enough for an analysis of story and character. Let’s move to another aspect, art and animation. FYI, most of Manpuku Jinja staff who participated in this project like Lunamoon or Tasuke, are all veterans of the animation industry and have a lot of experience within them. That’s why every moment of MoP is so gorgeous and memorable, from the elegant demeanor of physically matured characters (Yukari, Yuyuko, Kanako) and adorable expressions of young-looking ones (Cirno, Tewi, Chen, Flandre) to mesmerizing animation during action scenes. Along with the stellar art are the bewitching soundtracks, each one of them is a remix of an original song from the game. I’m very picky when it comes to music but Yuuhei Satellite never disappoints, all 4 openings and 18 endings made by them are excellent to me. Especially the first one, “色は匂へど 散りぬるを(Iro wa Nioedo, Chirinuru wo)” became an earworm for me when I first listened to it, and till now, it still stands firm as one of my all-time favourite songs. Though this adaptation is quite decent, there’re still some minus points that can’t go unmentioned. First off, this Anime doesn’t feature any voice acting, and the versions widely known to most of us are but a fandub. Next thing, the circle did show a part of the fight between Okuu and Reimu in the opening and provided a little hint about Hijiri at the end of episode 4 but sadly, we never have a chance to see these two arcs getting animated. Another thing is the issue with episode composition, the stretching is really awkward and frustrating. Only 10 to 15 minutes for one episode, but about 5 minutes of the running time is covered by opening, ending and unnecessary summaries. Had all episodes been more condensed, it surely would have been more engaging to watch. Of course, I acknowledge the financial problem Manpuku Jinja had to face when making this project but still, a bit of dissatisfaction is unavoidable. Well, this is the end of my review. By and large, I think this Anime does a great job being a goofy fanon adaptation that’s enjoyable to watch yet still respectful to the source. It doesn’t truly reflect what Touhou is but definitely serves as a good entrance for many newcomers. No matter whether you are a Touhou fan or not, I highly recommend this series.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Nov 25, 2022
Mitarai-ke, Enjou suru
(Manga)
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Recommended Funny Well-written
1. PROLOGUE:
“The one living my life, is me. I’m the one who stands up when I fall, and the one who decides the path I’ll take. I am the only one who can change my life.” – Mitarai Anzu. “Mitarai-ke, Enjou suru” or “The Mitarai’s House is on Fire” is a hidden gem, one of the most underrated Manga I’ve ever read. The premise is similar to some Korean old-school domestic drama, but beyond that theme, it’s a touching and humane story about people struggling to overcome their life’s problems. 2. INTRODUCTION: Like the title just suggests, the story starts with an impressive scene that appears in ... the recollection of Anzu, the main heroine; her house was engulfed in flames and her mother prostrated in the inferno in front of her dad. It then progresses to the scene of Makiko, the stepmom of Anzu, who’s currently in charge of the Mitarai’s house. By her conversation with other people, it seems like she’s a good housewife, very polite and well-educated, but only till the next moment, when she returns home, she immediately throws their gift into the trash can and casts a disdainful glance at it and says, “It’s so ghetto”. Truth be told, she only puts on that friendly facade in order to cover her unkind and nasty personality. When Anzu enters the house and meets Makiko, Makiko doesn’t realize who Anzu is, but Anzu’s already known her. In the next scene of the fire recalled from Anzu’s memory, a large group of people gathered around to discuss the incident. Among that crowd, Anzu was wide-eyed in amazement as she noticed a familiar figure of Makiko standing there with an insidious smile. It’s that smile that obsessed her for 13 years as she kept searching for the clue to unveil this mystery, which later led to her plan of entering the house again as a housekeeper. Only one chapter is sufficient to provide readers with enough information to grasp the theme of this Manga, a story in which the main heroine tries to uncover the truth of the mystery and take revenge on the woman who’s supposed to harm her family. Looking at Anzu doing her housework and seeing the way she embraces her mother’s hair brooch, which was left beneath the sofa, readers could feel the sense of both strangeness and familiarity of someone who has long yet returned home. And by following her re-discovery by checking other rooms, readers also have the chance to understand more about Mitarai’s house, a place where many major events in the story happen. 3. ARTWORK: When reading Manga, the most notable thing to be noticed first definitely is the art. Since this is the first work of the author, it isn’t hard to notice how flawed the artwork is in early chapters; most of the drawings are unrefined, and some characters’ facial shapes are even lopsided. This gets better later, and the improvement here is really commendable. However, what’s worth mentioning is how the author deftly manages to utilize Manga illustration methods (shading, coloring, framing) and facial expressions in the key moments to create a thrilling atmosphere that impresses readers. Again, still in the first chapter, right after Anzu picked the hair brooch and was immersed in the thought about the past, the next panel shows the legs of someone standing there menacingly looking at her. The drawing of her whole body is painted with a mere white color except for the outlines, subtly indicating that she’s petrified. On the next page, one horizontally narrow panel depicts her panicked face, one large panel zooms out the whole scene from an opposite point of view, one vertically narrow panel depicts her anxious look, and finally, one large panel zooms out the whole scene again but from the side view. No sound, no inner thought, no dialogue, a quiet and heavy atmosphere that sends shivers down readers’ spines. 4. PLOT AND STORYTELLING: As the Manga revolves around the mystery of the fire 13 years ago, a big question that readers keep wondering is who caused the fire and how did that happen. However, as the story progresses, many details slowly unfold. The elder son of Makiko, who used to be kind and amiable, a person Anzu adored, now retreats from society and becomes a hiki-neet. What is the reason behind that 180-degree turn? Anzu’s father, after watching the video recorded by the surveillance camera, decided to never talk about it again. Not so long later, he and Anzu’s mother got divorced. What is the secret these people try to conceal? Questions and doubts gradually stack up, once we get the answer to a question, another one just pops up. For each chapter, there will always be some new and unforeseen events. When the story seems to be settled down, something unexpected would likely happen out of the blue, and every prediction made before would become meaningless. Everyone harbors their secrets, who’s good, who’s bad, who’s guilty, who’s innocent, we will never know until finishing the last chapter. This kind of writing is very enticing as it always puts readers on the edge of their seats. There’s hardly any safe room or actual silent moment in this Manga. Our heroine Anzu constantly has to handle difficult situations. She puts in a lot of effort to infiltrate the house but later gets laid off only due to some small mistakes she accidentally commits. Despite that, she tries other ways to gain the trust of Makiko. Everything seems to be smooth sailing for her. But “Man proposes, God disposes”, the compliant son whom she thought to be in the palm of her hand is just as crafty as his mother. He takes advantage of the camera footage to force Anzu to become his slave. Worried, anxious, apprehensive, that’s how readers feel when reading and following the main character. In Manga, Anime, or other fiction, tropes are frequently used as they are tools to express creators’ ideas to the audience. This one is no exception, and the remarkable trope being used is “Red Herring”, a writing technique to distract and mislead readers that there’s a surprising twist they didn’t see coming. The author deployed it in a brilliant way here to put a surprise on readers’ faces. And not only that, each detail, each event, and each plot point is so well-planned that the general narrative reaches a certain extent of complexity yet doesn’t feel convoluted or contrived. When the climax approaches and the truth is exposed, there’s a sense of satisfaction as every element matches up fantastically like pieces in a jigsaw puzzle. I really love the storytelling and plot structure of this Manga. Not too short to be called deficient, not too long to be called rambling, it’s just succinct and compelling. A story that gets straight to the point, not only holding readers’ interest and attention but also maintaining consistency. 5. CHARACTERIZATION: The success of this Manga doesn’t only come from the excellent writing but also from the great characterization. They aren’t the type of stereotypical one-dimensional character or generic two-dimensional character but rather very realistic, dynamic, and lifelike. Anzu is depicted as a strong, agile, versatile, and prudent girl. Appearing to be perfect like that, but in the end, she’s still a normal human. To avoid troubling her family, she decides to do her revenge alone. But reality is harsh, after many failures, she has to resort to having her sister help her. Anzu may look adorable and delicate most of the time, but when needed, she can become such an entirely different person. She literally kabe-don Kiichi and shouts at his face, “Shut up, I said, you freaking NEET.” In another scene where she confronts her father, she doesn’t hesitate to lodge a kick on his phone. In contrast to Anzu, Makiko is the main antagonist of this Manga and also the person Anzu tries to take revenge on. She’s menacing, astute, cunning, cautious, and manipulative. She always considers herself to be better than everyone and likes to control people. Her behaviors resemble those of a person with Histrionic Personality Disorder. The most notable thing that could be seen from her disorder is how she usually goes the extra mile to put airs on herself. She wants to become the embodiment of a perfect housewife in the public eye. Moreover, ever since her first meeting with Anzu’s mother Satsuki, she started mimicking her in every aspect, hairstyle, interests, even her mannerism, to the point she almost became a clone of Satsuki. Another important character in the story is Kiichi, a person with a close connection to the two female characters above. Despite being a 28-year-old grown man, he doesn’t have an academic background, work history, or even sociability, a complete shut-in NEET. However, he isn’t useless or inept. Just like his mother Makiko, he’s very smart and sharp-witted as he’s the first person to discover the real identity of Anzu. He’s also good at computer programming and even builds a website himself to make money out of advertisements. What leads to his downfall is the trauma he has long endured caused by various reasons in the past. Kiichi isn’t a good person but definitely isn’t unlikable. Besides the elder brother and elder sister are the younger ones, Yuzu and Shinji. Like her sister, Yuzu is vivacious, sociable, and loves her family at heart. Yuzu is the one to take care of her mother on Anzu’s behalf when Anzu is busy with her revenge. She also invariably goes out of her way to secretly help Anzu. She tries to make friends with Makiko’s second son to collect private information, like she alone confronts her father to directly ask about the fire. Talking about Shinji, he is an average student with not much distinction in terms of personality. He’s kind of slow and isn’t too smart, it takes him four times to pass the entrance exam. While he appears to be frivolous, he actually is very thoughtful and deeply cares about his family. There’re other side characters like Anzu’s mother and father, the head nurse, and Shinji’s university girlfriend. They aren’t prominent like the main characters but aren’t poorly-written, the author gives them background and personality that make them part of the big picture instead of just being a mere plot device. The relationship between characters is another aspect nicely done. Reading this Manga, readers don’t only focus on the main story but also engage in seeing the interactions between Kiichi and Anzu, Shinji and Yuzu. They are very realistic and endearing but also sappy like other romance shows. Sometimes it’s a typical conversation, sometimes it’s a quarrel, and sometimes it’s a confession. Their relationships serve as a romantic subplot here. It doesn’t overshadow the main story but rather blends well with it. 6. THEME: The legend Hayao Miyazaki used to refer to the Anime-Manga industry as being full of Otaku and produced by people who couldn’t stand looking at other people. This Manga is one rare exception. I’m not only impressed by how great the story and characterization are but also by how realistic and relatable people and society it tries to show here. First is about money, a thing that causes jealousy among people. Makiko is jealous of Satsuki because Satsuki is the daughter of a rich family and also the wife of a chief doctor. The young Kiichi is jealous of Anzu because she can easily get the book she wants while he could only afford the old one even with all his savings. Money also rules everything else. Makiko pays Anzu more than normal to have her not spill the beans about any unnecessary stuff; she hands Kiichi’s friends a great deal to have them never make interaction with Kiichi again; she paid the university so Kiichi can pass the exam. The second thing is media, especially social networks, and how it influences our lives. Kiichi creates a website full of gossip and baseless rumors about celebrity topics, pandering to every type of person, especially housewives and office ladies. It’s also social networks that spread the information of Kiichi’s backdoor admission, later causing him to become a NEET. Makiko is obsessed with the number of likes and followers on Instagram and always spends time embellishing her account, she even hires journalists to promote her and her family’s reputation. As I’ve mentioned in the prologue, “The Mitarai’s House is on Fire” is a story about people struggling to overcome their life’s problems. No matter which person you are or which advantage you have, there will always be challenges and adversities you have to deal with. Yuzu has to find out the truth of the mystery and take revenge on her stepmom. Makiko used to be a single mom and worked like a horse to take care of her two sons, and after becoming the wife of Anzu’s father, she has to endure the pressure of being compared to Satsuki. Kiichi always struggles to cope with society. Shinji has to work hard to pass the exam and be worthy as a son. Satsuki in the past was a weak and shy person, she has to learn a lot to become a strong woman. Even the feeble father of Anzu also has to keep the image and reputation of his family. This powerful message is subtly conveyed to readers by a similar phrase recited by different characters throughout the story: “I am the only one who can change my life”, “This is my life”, “I’ll decide for myself”, “The one who made my life a mess, is me”. We all have our own problems, and we have to overcome them ourselves. One more thing I really love is how the author deftly uses the imagery of fire, it appears frequently in this Manga by any means. In the literal sense, it’s the catastrophe that destroys the main character’s house in the beginning, directly leading to the series of dramatic events that happen after. It also reappears again later in both the middle and the end of the story. In the figurative sense, the fire represents the madness of humans. It will always keep smoldering and cannot be fully extinguished, only waits for a proper catalyst to start burning. About the Internet again, whenever someone or something goes on trending, people will jump on the bandwagon, like Kiichi said: “They’re basically ‘on fire’". As Yuzu wants to help her sister, she also wants to know about the man called father who left her when she’s just a child. After a certain incident, her mind is filled with doubt, worry, and disappointment. The fire resides deep in her heart, a flame of indignation starts igniting uncontrollably. In the end, it’s the physical fire that engulfs and destroys the Mitarai’s house and the metaphorical fire, which is the conflict among humans, that brings down the Mitarai’s family. 7. CONCLUSION: From my perspective, a masterpiece doesn’t need to be impeccable or flawless but rather harmonious and beautiful in all the way it presents and leaves a strong impression. That’s the reason why “Mitarai-ke, Enjou suru” is undoubtedly a masterpiece to me. Within the length of only 39 chapters, this Manga did a great job of encompassing everything from drama, psychological to mystery, suspense, and even romance. If you’re a fan of such genres, this is the one that you need to read. It may not be your perfect fiction, but it definitely will be worth your time.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Aug 31, 2022
Glass no Kamen
(Manga)
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Recommended Funny Preliminary
(274/? chp)
Glass Mask is a legend Shoujo Manga that features a deep and emotional storyline. It's a world in which people who're enthusiastic about performing arts are incessantly striving to fulfill their own dreams. Behind those masks that the actors wear on stage are heart-touching stories regarding love and camaraderie, as well as the everlasting passion for acting of characters whose destiny is intertwined by the work "Crimson Goddess".
Have you ever wondered why stage and acting are so enchanting to artists? They're even willing to throw away their precious lives only for a brief moment to reverently live up to their characters in front of thousands ... of audiences. Since ancient times, people have always cast prejudices towards artists. Even in Western countries, people still consider them as some sort of entertainment tool at parties or items that can be transacted by money. In the Asian region, especially a country with a rich history spanning thousands of years like Japan, the artists also do not have a firm position in society. Despite that, through many ups and downs, even facing a harsh rule of elimination, they still devote themselves to their careers with all their passion. Regarding creative thinking and the true value of acting, it’s impossible to discuss it all. However, through 49 volumes of Glass Mask, Suzue Miuchi has managed to skillfully portray a vividly lifelike picture of the world of artists, about their struggles and efforts, what happens behind the stage, and even the cost only to shine in the limelight. The moment the artists step on the stage, they are no longer their normal selves but rather assimilate themselves into the characters they're about to perform, having to wear an invisibly transparent “glass mask” to cover their identities. Still that same adorable face, but the person on stage isn’t that bashful and timid Maya girl but instead is a beautiful and noble character like Princess Aldis, or the Wild Wolf Jane, or even a quintessence of the millennial plum tree – “Crimson Goddess”. The masks that they wore aren’t something fictitious like ordinary people use to assign the artists. Those are but the result of hard work that's truly valuable and worthy of respect, knowing the artists have put their heart and soul into their sublime performances in order to satisfy the audience. But alas, life is always full of insidious people who harbor hatred, envy and are willing to harm others for their own benefit. The life of an artist is no exception, sometimes the stage is actually the most ferocious battlefield. With extraordinary energy and effort, Maya has overcome everything to achieve her ultimate goal that she dreamed of, which is to live as a theater actress and play many different roles on stage. To Maya, comprehending a character isn’t limited to her only subjective emotions but an arduous process of striving to interpret and live rightfully to the character she will perform. When referring to young actors, people normally think of them as being impulsive, arrogant, aggressive, egotistical, and likewise. Yet Maya isn't one of them. She may be a different person on stage, can wear countless masks of all shapes and sizes when acting, but at the end of the day, she still is herself. She behaves nicely towards her friends and fairly competes with her biggest rival, Ayumi. If you hate worn-out cliches and tropes in some Manga where the main characters are too perfect that makes them unrealistic and unrelatable, then your worry is unnecessary here. The two heroines of Glass Mask – Maya and Ayumi, are not stereotypical. Their feelings, their emotions, their thoughts, everything is very human. Regarding Maya, apart from her acting talent, she's completely inept in everything else. She can not even remember a simple mathematical formula. When she is angry or bears hatred on someone, she will react vehemently without giving in, and one of her victims is the Daito Art’s cold and heartless machine, Masumi. Maya hates him because he indirectly caused the death of her beloved mother and also tried to suppress her teacher Tsukikage as well as her small group. Talking about Ayumi, who is called a genius, born to play the main role, her image is akin to a beautiful, gleeful, light-hearted, talented princess. She is confident in herself but never shows any sign of arrogance. She is well aware that she must grow mature and stand up on her own two feet as she cannot live under the influence of her family forever. When facing Maya, a redoubtable rival who is even more talented than her in terms of acting, it’s natural that she may develop jealousy and find ways to hurt Maya, but on the contrary, she has always been respecting Maya and regards Maya as her biggest opponent. There’s even one time when Ayumi retaliated upon the person who harmed Maya, causing Maya to leave the stage and be ostracized. She always sees Maya as a goal to fight for the right to perform as the main actress of the superb work “Crimson Goddess”, because only when competing with Maya is she able to truly feel “I can do it”. In Ayumi’s eyes, when ignoring the rivalry and other external circumstances, Maya's like her confidante as they both share the same passion for acting and stage. Even Masumi, a workaholic who never pays any heed to anything besides his business, however, when standing in front of the innocent smile of a little girl 11 years younger than him, realized his heart has started beating unrhythmically from that moment. Masumi in reality, isn’t as cold-blooded as everyone has ever thought of him. It’s just his past is so painful and tragic that he wants everything to be rested, always aspires to become the most successful one, completely ignores everything, and doesn’t need the love from anyone. In spite of that, since the human heart inherently has pulsation, it can’t help vibrating, and little Maya is the flame that melted the thick layer of ice covering his heart. As an adopted child himself, he had to endure the unforgettable obsession about his poor mother. She's estranged because in his adoptive father's mind only had the image of “Crimson Goddess”. From Masumi's perspective, “Crimson Goddess” felt so distant but also very close. Seeing that beautiful portrait being burned to ashes in the fire gave him haunting memories. At first, his action of obtaining the exclusive right for Daito Art to legally perform the play “Crimson Goddess” only had a single goal of burying his tumultuous past, but later, the objective was also to see the image of a goddess in the girl that he fell head over heels in love with. “Mr. Purple Roses”, “Daddy-Long-Legs”, those are aliases used by Maya to refer to the person who has always been supporting her since the early days. How ironic it is when that person is none other than Masumi, the one whom Maya hates the most. In a classic Shoujo, the borderline between love and hate is really vague and often hard to define. Still, it’s an endless topic that will never make readers get bored because it reflects the purest form of emotion dwelling deep inside each person’s heart. The dynamic between Masumi and Maya is as gorgeous as the stars in the sky when all resentments and hatreds seem to have vanished. On the opening day of the play “Forgotten Wilderness”, an unforeseen circumstance happened when a terrible typhoon directly hit the region, preventing people from coming to the theater. However, despite that adversity, Masumi still went out of his way to come in the middle of the typhoon only to keep his promise to Maya. On that night, there was only one person sitting in the auditorium. Stewart’s blue scarf that “Jane” used to dry off the water droplet remained on the face of the “Daito Art’s machine” appeared only once on the first night. And “Mr. Purple Roses” finally made his appearance, he’s always been there, been secretly supporting her for many years. It’s this event that set the stage of destiny for their love to bear fruit. Whatever will be, will be. Later, in the hometown of “Crimson Goddess”, after seeing Ms. Tsukikage’s sublime performance, Maya started pondering the love of the goddess. And just like that, as if guided by fate, Maya put on the robe that used to be worn by the goddess. At that moment, paranormal events occurred. Meeting Masumi on the other side of the river, she realized how fervent her love for him is. Their souls were likely to escape from their bodies and were about to join together and become one. Sadly, reality is harsh, that moment is but an illusion that only happened in their own minds, or perhaps their two also didn’t have belief in miracles in the first place. “Glass Mask” not only presents the romance between young people and their passion for art but also shows the hardships that they have to go through since their path isn’t strewn with roses. Just as Yin and Yang are the two aspects of Taiji, our world also has bright side and dark side. While there’re people who choose the path of trampling on others to move up, there’re also people who choose to advance of their own will. Solidarity is strength, true friendship always shines as long as we have mutual trust. Success will definitely come when we work earnestly with the love for stage. That’s what the Tsukikage group and the Ikkakuju group did. Even though they're two different groups, they became friends and teamed up for a performance of the play “A Midsummer Night's Dream”, which attracted more than 6000 audiences. That was also the stepping stone to bring Maya back to the stage after being ostracized. The friendship between Ayumi and Maya can be compared to Princess and Cinderella, yet they still become good friends with each other. The kinship-like relationship between Maya, Rei, and their co-stars in the Tsukikage group is also significant to the progress of the story. Especially the teacher-student relationship between the former “Crimson Goddess” - Ms. Tsukikage and Maya, Ayumi, contributes to putting this Manga to its climax. Some people may consider Ms. Tsukikage being strict and stern because she was hasty to have a heiress as she didn’t want that play to be wasted. Some even said she’s too selfish. But “Spare the rod and spoil the child”, were Ms. Tsukikage really that selfish, she would always live in the past when she was acting as “Crimson Goddess” and would never relinquish it nor give it to anyone. Yet she didn't do it, as she acknowledged that “Crimson Goddess” doesn’t belong to her alone. It is the quintessence of stage and acting, a classic work that is worthy of being handed down to posterity. She wanted to revive the divine spirit hidden inside the plum tree through a different image, thus devoted herself to it. It may sound a bit exaggerated, but “Crimson Goddess” had already become her life. There’re much more aspects in this Manga to discuss and analyze, but I’d like to stop my rant here. And also, I want to spend a few words to appreciate Miuchi-sensei for creating this work, knowing that she barely had any knowledge regarding stage and acting before writing this Manga. Between Maya and Ayumi, who will earn the right to perform “Crimson Goddess”? Will Maya and Masumi become lovers? The hiatus has been prolonging for 10 years, but I hope one day we can see the ending of this wonderful tale. With 50 million copies being sold, Glass Mask has become the second highest-selling Shoujo Manga ever made. Old but gold, despite how obsolescent it may appear to be and how unsung it is in modern-day industry/market, this Manga is undeniably one of the classic masterpiece with a magnificent character-driven narrative that hooked people who’re in love with stage and play in particular or merely a Shoujo Romance fan in general.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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