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Anime 101
Glass no Kamen
Synopsis (to 23rd Bunkoban volume)
This grand fantasy begins at the scene that KITAJIMA Maya returns home from middle school(her home is Chinese restaurant in Chinatown of Yokohama, and her mother is shopwoman of the restaurant). Apparantly, Maya has no specialty. Her mother, KITAJIMA Haru, always says "She is my daughter, but useful for nothing". But, 'kid Maya'(after grown up, her height is only 156cm) is always enchanted with movie and TV dramas, feeling herself become the role in them.
By chance, TSUKIKAGE Chigusa selected Maya as her successor as soon as she saw Maya. She is the owner of the legendary stage-play 'The Crimson Goddess' given by her teacher and lover, OZAKI Ichiren. As Tsukikage had been finding proper actress to the title role of the Crimson Goddess, she understood Maya's vast potential at once.
To the contrary, HIMEKAWA Ayumi (her mother is great actress and father great movie director) - of an age with Maya - comes to target The Crimson Goddess, so Ayumi and Maya grow as actress in competing as rival. Maya always becomes 'the role itself' in spite of her technical mediocrity, so her impression overwhelms total theater, spectators, and colleagues. Ayumi is technically perfect by training from her childhood, but inferior to Maya in the emotional impression on spectators. Maya is totally unconscious of the talent of her own and envies Ayumi's beauty and techniques, but Ayumi considers Maya as a genius and has the feeling of inferiority. She has to 'make and contemplate' her playing roles, but Maya plays them very naturally by only some motivation.
Tsukikage wants to re-produce The Crimson Goddess by herself, but HAYAMI Masumi, young and cold-minded president of Taito Entertainment Company, hinders her from it thoroughly. He is older than Maya by 11 years, and want to own The Crimson Goddess without fail because his stepfather's excessive possession for The Crimson Goddess (and Tsukikage) killed his mother. Masumi realized Maya's talent before her debut, and was deeply impressed by her passion for stage at the debut performance(Beth of The little woman) where she played in spite of her extremely high fever, so he begins to send her purple rose bouquet anonymously. Though he ruined Tsukikage Company due to his aim, he sends purple rose at Maya's every performance, and comes to love Maya of himself. Masumi was in charge of Chigusa's hospital fee, of Maya's high school tuition, and even of repairing the theater where Maya would perform, but never informs her who is the purple rose fan because he indirectly resulted in death of Maya's mother. Tall Masumi always calls Maya as 'Chibi-chan(Kido)', which Maya dislike very much. So, the couple(?) always quarrel whenever they meet(In fact, Masumi always makes fun of her ^^. Oneside game..). Masumi did not avoid 'bad role', and supports Maya continuously.
Ayumi and Maya finally are to be lessoned The Crimson Goddess by Chigusa. Maya, by accident, knew Masumi is her purple rose fan. So hateful man was so important and indispensible to her! Maya was deeply hurt, but finally came to love Masumi, which he could not realize. Even if they love each other, the couple's thoughts are completely parallel because they can't say the love to each other to fear that it should hurt each other. Besides, Masumi has prearranged meeting for marriage with a woman from a rich family and dates with her, so Maya has deep anguish by feeling inferiority "If compared to her, I am totally of no use. Less beautiful and poorer than her, and younger than him by 11 years".
Chigusa finished lesson of The Crimson Goddess to the two candidates at last, and acts the last Crimson Goddess in Ume no Tani(The valley of cherry trees, original place of The Crimson Goddess legend) in spite of her serious illness without almost other roles. The spectators are all deeply impressed by her passion, Chigusa's skill to the role, and fantastic and natural stage. The next day all leave for Tokyo except Chigusa and Maya's team. Maya asks Chigusa if couple who has a same sole with each other really exist. Chigusa encourages her, saying "If you think you meet the man, never give up. He must be feeling the same thing to you. Different age, background, and social positions cannot prevent you and him from loving each other". Maya confesses her wish for Masumi only to meteor(Korean and Japanese tradition). The next day Maya arrives at Tokyo, and goes to Masumi so as to confess her love to him. But where she sees Masumi, what she also watches is...
Special Thanks to: Youngrok Lee from Glass Mask(Garasu no Kamen) for the information.
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