If you are reading this review right now trying to convince yourself to read this manga, I should tell you that you must read this. Many had recommended this to me in the past and I've encountered it a lot of times but never did I try to read it. I gave it a try yesterday and now I finished all the current released 15 volumes.

review:
The story could really hook you. There are times when there are too much dialogue and I might sometimes find that annoying but it's still good. I've read other acting type of na has but this one left a deep impression to me. Mainly because of the main character. I like how she was obsessed with acting and it's as if acting is her oxygen. Though instead of obsession I would say it's more of a passion. The only thing I didn't like about her was her random indecisiveness but it didn't really affect his character that much.
Another interesting character is her sensei. I think theres another thing she should keep in check beside her physical health.

Anyways read this and you won't regret it. Btw, I don't like classic art too but trust me this is a gem

... Last updated on January 6th, 2017, 4:41am

Welp, my first classic shoujo. The characters did appear to conform to cliche tropes initially: the clumsy, happy-go-lucky, rags-to-riches heroine, the talented, indifferent rival etc. However, Maya (the main protagonist) has particularly good character development throughout the course of the story, maturing into quite a likeable character unlike some of the more shallow shoujo heroines.

Another aspect I particularly enjoyed was the acting/drama stuff. Unlike a few other manga which use showbiz as a pretext to romance, I found it the opposite in Glass Mask, which is very centred around the character development and storyline. The romance is there too, but it's quite subtle and progresses extremely slowly in comparison. The classic art style did take me a while to get used to though, although it's not an overly big distraction, and you do tend to get used to it after a couple of volumes.

Actually, to be honest I'm still surprised at how good this series is even compared to more modern shoujo manga. Despite the cliches present, it has surprising depth.

... Last updated on October 19th, 2013, 11:33pm

Glass Mask is truly an enjoyable read. I would have never imagine myself to read such manga with girly art, but upon having to start with the first chapter, I was truly absorbed by both art and the characters. For those of you who have ever read 'Daddy-Long-Legs' (literature novel by Jean Webster), you would find a slight resemblance to 'Mr. Fan'. I love this tiny detail since I am a fan of 'Daddy-Long-Legs' but the affection displayed by 'Mr. Fan' in Glass Mask was refreshing. Instead of having the female protagonist to be the one who writes to the unknown male protagonist and display innocent honesty to highlight her feelings, 'Mr. Fan' shows HIS affection by consistently giving her roses and short messages as a form of motivation. In return, Maya brings about great effort in honing her skills as an actress. Oh my god *fans self* But putting all of that aside, I do find it horrifying how the Mangaka loves to exaggerate the facial expressions of 'stunned' characters. They looked terrified instead of being 'amazed'. However that didn't stop me reading this series. The story is well balanced and it is getting even more interesting as Maya progresses and advances her skills in drama.

Glass Mask deserves a round of applause.

This manga affected my life. Not exaggerating. I first read it in primary school... I didn't even read in sequence (figured the sch library didn't have complete set).

Enough rambling. What I love most is Maya's love for acting, and the way she diligently pursues her dreams and always immerses herself in becoming her roles, not just acting them. The manga inspired me to try out acting (in school context of course...I continued my interest for 7 years even). In essence, the Manga taught me how to put myself in the shoes of fictional characters, and that was my starting point to studying and writing literature.

I guess the plot of a dumb genius pursuing a passion tirelessly is somewhat overused nowadays (e.g. Yakitate Japan, Shaman King, etc), but Glass Mask must be one of the first of its kind. I like that Maya always struggles before she succeeds...and I like that the focus isn't so much on the romance between Masumi and Maya (in the light of influx of less conventional relationships nowadays, Masumi's insistence seems stupid...but remember the setting of the Manga, guys), but on the acting. I love the characters...they're consistent and well done but sometimes not too thoroughly explored (there are many characters) I guess it's different from Mangas where the focus is on one group of people fighting together. Here it's Maya through and through. Sometimes characters get their flashbacks, but that's it. The perspective is more similar to life. Sometimes, you're not close to your friends/mentors, relationships fall apart and you forge new ones...things like that.

Overall, this Manga is irreplaceable in my heart. Even though I stopped reading when I was 12, the story stays in my head. I nearly gave up refinding it, but the internet is something real amazing these days.

This is a fantastic, gorgeous, well structured, simply stunning manga. Melodramatic/warped at times, but I love it.
I was referred here after SWAN was dropped by CMX.. I had heard lots of people comparing it to this "Glass Mask" thing, and I kind of just shelved it somewhere in my brain, until I *being unproductive and terribly depressed at school at that point* decided to read it. It was as amazing as it promised, and truly comparable to SWAN by Kyoko Ariyoshi ! (psst, go check that out if you haven't already. Scans are slow but its on the rise. It was my first shoujo love~!) in its scope and beauty. I enjoy the plays-within-mangas, the hilarious chibis, and the realistic romance. The painful romance between two main characters is one of the best you will ever encounter, and the parallels to Tsukikage's own past are wonderfully portrayed. The art is a bit old and odd at first, certainly, but give it a try. It's certainly inspiring and ridiculously motivating <3 I love it so much I can't bear the wait till 211... =) there I go sounding sappy! I've probably used the word "beautiful" way more times than usual, but it's true. Glass Mask is beautiful~

... Last updated on March 21st, 2013, 10:34am

... but not one of the best. It feels rather like how Slam Dunk!, but in the drama + shoujo + romance genre with a focus on acting, rather than a comedy + shonen. The fact that I like Slam Dunk! better probably has to do with 1) the art style, and 2) the genre.
It reads like a classic, and it certainly looks like the older type of shoujo. And the art does get better, though not so much as you'd notice the shift without direct comparison. However, it does get incredibly repetitive and predictable. Eg,

Also, people's attitudes don't change realistically.

There's also a LOT of dialogue/narrative/conversation.... whatever you call it. In other words, it's text-heavy. I don't know about everyone else, but I expect more pictures than text in my manga. If I wanted text, I'd go for a book instead.
For those who would compare this to Skip Beat!... there's a lot more focus on the actual plays she does - you get the entire play, with most of the dialogue, when they perform. Which could be nice, for those who're interested in the content of the play, but personally I think it breaks up the flow of the story too much. It's not like the actual story is going to affect Maya's growth as an actress that much. Kyouko's growth as an actress is also more obvious - in Glass Mask, you get told again and again that Maya's acting isn't polished enough, but is strangely attractive... and that never changes. She learns how to portray each character, but there's no sign that she applies whatever she has learnt to new characters.
By the way, the romance in this one... is the frustrating type. You'd just wish they'd get together ALREADY and save everyone (including the readers) a lot of pain. (In contrast... Kyouko's reactions makes the Skip Beat! situation a lot more fun.)

I’m waiting to see how the author wraps up this story before judging it on its entirety. She confirmed that she would complete this story 4 years ago and we’re all still waiting for the conclusion. I wonder if it will ever be completed =/

Holy shmucks this manga is an enjoyable mess. Glass Mask, how I regret not reading you earlier!
Glass Mask is about an extremely talented young girl who starts discovering her abilities on the stage. It's funny, dramatic, and at times heart breakingly romantic. It's a lot of fun watching Maya realize her talent and learning her character in every role she plays. She's a naive character but her pure love and enthusiasm for acting makes her a great character to read about.
Sometimes I felt like there was quite a bit of rinse and repeat and some of the training she went through me go through made my eye twitch because it was just so ridiculous, but reading on the story plays out quite nicely without too many bumps in the road. Some people are put-off by the old drawing style, but there's nothing wrong with the art itself so I don't mind at all, heck, I've seen some really bad art drawn in the present time. The romance is slow and daddy long leg style, which I can live with because it adds so much suspense to this series that makes you want to find out what happens next.
Someone who commented below complained about Maya saying she's not a prodigy, saying "every one goes either "Scary!!" or "she's different, not maya anymore". Gimme a break.". That's something we call 'getting into character'. Some actors are better at it than others, Maya is gifted for understanding and creating a character so realistic that you almost forget that Maya is acting. Maya can bring the audience from a stage into a whole new world with her acting and if that's not talent, then I don't know what is.
When you first start the series, you might think wow, the character is a bit... much and things might feel exaggerated but keep on reading dang nabit, soon the story will pull you in and hold you in a choke hold so strong you'll not be able to escape- in a good way. Happy reading~

>Darkgenerallord (Known status: ?)
"If you liked Act Age, I'd recommend Glass Mask. It's definitely a lot older, but it's very much so the spiritual predecessor."

One of the best shojos out there, one of the reasons to appreciate old shojos.
Maya is a cry baby and useless, but is a passionate girl. I dont like the fact that theyre always telling her how useless she is: its so sad.
The rivarly between Maya and Ayumi is so good, with both of them respecting each other (similar to Ace o Narae, but Ayumi is nicer).
The art is old, but express well the fellings and the scene. I dont like the character design from the lasts volumes, but its so worth reading it.
Either way, theres no way to hate this manga. It makes you want to act like her or Watch plays.
As Im re-reading it, I see that is always the same: Maya trys to get the character, Masumi appears, she does the play and Masumi appears again. I have no problem with that, thought. MayaxMasumi is a great couple.

Its a lot like Swan or Ace no Narae: Girl has a special talent, someone discover that and she grows up. They're all really good but kind of repetitive when you have read plenty of those.

... Last updated on December 30th, 2015, 8:55am