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Glass Mask puts you in the shoes of Kitajima Maya, who isn't really good at anything except watching dramas, until she is cast in the school play and discovers her passion for acting. Her character develops greatly from a clumsy, good-for-nothing to eventually a strong-willed, hard-working actress. Along the way she goes through many trials, losing her naievity and realizing that "to be in the spotlight means to cast a shadow behind you."

She deals with learning about the complexity of love for the first time, to experience it, and to act it. One of the most interesting parts of this romance is the emotions ... of the men who love Maya, and their mixed feelings, and then in turn, Maya's mixed feelings about them. As the viewer you get to see from each character's perspective and come to understand their motives, and reservations.

The rivalry between Maya and the beautiful, famous actress Ayumi for the coveted role of "The Crimson Goddess" keeps the series interesting and gives it direction. Ayumi's character is equally as complex as Maya's, being the wealthy daughter of a famous actress and a famous director, combating Maya's instinctive acting ability with her own hard work and "perfection", attained through attempts to lose the stigma of inheriting fame from her parents.

For those who have read the manga, you will find yourself probably slightly disappointed with this adaptation. While in general it stays true to the original, there are a few discrepancies. Ayumi is portrayed as a spoiled, bratty enemy for most of the series. Some scenes have been changed slightly to give an entirely different meaning to the event (notably, Masumi and the wine glass, Masumi and the blue scarf, etc) The appearances of some characters (notably Rei) have been completely changed. To top it off, there's an annoying announcer who makes obvious and unnecessary comments about the direction of the plot at the beginning and end of each episode.

If not for the simplification of the vital character Ayumi into a typical "bad guy", I would have rated this 10/10. It's a classic, definite must read/watch for any fans of the shoujo/romance genre.