Glass Mask Season 2 (1998)

I'm a big fan of Glass Mask, and I love how this drama kept Maya's character close to the manga. The plays are faithfully portrayed , and the journey of the actors looking for the best performance is well done. But the second season is far from flawless :

- They probably didn't want to add supporting role, so they reduced the cast. For exemple, Ayumi got a part for a play she wasn't supposed to act in, which makes the drama look unrealistic because it gives the fake impression that the whole acting world revolves around Maya and Ayumi.
- They added a sub-story and made it the center of the second season, although it didn't even existed in the manga. Maybe it's because they needed a strong second male lead, I don't know, but to me it made this second season look more like a fanfiction then a real adaptation.
- The male lead still had serious acting issues from my point of view...

I also didn't like the fact that they made up an ending rather than keeping an open one.

Read More

I like the anime version more, but still this is the best drama I've ever seen, but I must say that most likely it's interesting only to people who like acting, dramas, theaters etc. very much, because this drama is mostly about acting. I like Maya's character very much. She's a simple girl, not very smart or beautiful, but there's something special about her, and the crazy interest in dramas and theaters is very cute. And the thing I enjoyed the most was how she cherished each role she had and was serious even about small parts. Kitajima Maya was the real actress, the one who could become a different person on stage.

Read More