All the Right Notes: Glass Mask

I am blessed with some fantastic friends.  Friends that recommend equally fantastic shows for me to check out.  I am not here to beat down bad shows, movies, etc. and point out all their faults.  I'm not even here to necessarily point out faults in things I like.  Because quite honestly, I dislike wasting my time on poor stories.  Anytime I bring up a praise or a criticism, I always try to make some sort of point with it.

Because what I really set out to do with these reviews is to learn.  The best way to learn is through observation.  Therefore, what better way to learn about storytelling than by observing the good and bad in the movies and TV shows that I watch and comics and stories that I read?

Sometimes, it can be difficult to come up with an angle to really focus on when I write a review.  This is why I don't write reviews on everything that I read and watch.

I did not have this problem, however, with the most recent anime I watched  consumed titled Glass Mask.  Actually, quite the opposite.  Because quite honestly, the show is just so damn good that the most difficult thing was determining the most interesting aspect to focus on.  Obviously, I eventually succeeded.

What aspect of storytelling can be learned from Glass Mask?  Check out the review after the break to find out!

The main cast from left to right: Masumi Hayami, Ayumi Himekawa, Maya Kitajima, Chigusa Tsukikage

When forming any story--even a short story--the author must give his or her audience a reason to continue reading or watching.  A story is not successful if its reader gives up the venture halfway through.

There are many ways to keep the audience engaged in a story.  And obviously, some methods are better than others.  The most amateurish method of hooking an audience into a story is the use of cliffhangers.  Indulge me for a few moments as I switch gears over to a series that, despite this fault, I personally love: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (movie and books both, but that's a topic for another day).  The Hunger Games is a blazing beacon of constant abuse of the cliffhanger.  Nearly every chapter--if not every chapter--ends on some sort of statement or realization that can only best be followed by a mental "dun dun DUUUUN!".

Cliffhangers are an easy way to keep an audience reading (or watching).  And I will not deny that they work in The Hunger Games.  I always find it difficult to set aside the books, wanting always to keep reading and discover the resolution to the current conflict.  Because, of course, Collins engineers the trilogy this way with her cliffhangers at the end of nearly every chapter.

Just because a method is effective, however, does not make it the best method to use.

Glass Mask, an anime from the manga by Suzue Miuchi, is a stunning representation of how to make a 51-episode show feel more like a 1122-minute movie (51 episodes times about 22 minutes per episode).  Although Glass Mask uses the cliffhanger method on rare occasions, the majority of the anime flows into each other seamlessly, keeping the story flowing from arc to arc so smoothly that one can easily watch ten episodes at a time without even blinking.  Characters are developed so smoothly that one can barely determine when the exact switch happened, but instinctively knows that the characters are maturing and learning.

Believe me when I say that it took a lot of blood, sweat, and tears--a LOT of tears--for Maya to get to this point.

I believe that Glass Mask is somehow able to reflect the flow and rhythm of true human life.  Although current circumstances seem pressing and monumental when they are here and now, eventually only the lessons learned from them remain, and we move on.  The past is never forgotten; rather, it is carried in our character and our actions.  We are reminders of our own pasts, and Glass Mask never forgets that.

I mentioned earlier how characters grow and develop quietly.  Their growth is as subtle as that in real life.  It is the moment when a mother looks at her 16-year-old and realizes with a jolt that her daughter is no longer a child.  Events in life culminate together throughout life, brewing quietly and without notice within our minds, until we realize with surprise just how much we have changed because of them.  Such is the rhythm and flow of the narrative in Glass Mask.

Glass Mask achieves a perfect balance of seamless narrative flow within episodic arcs.  Thus, it is able to pull its audience into its story without needing any obvious devices such as cliffhangers.  I stated in the beginning of this review that I "engulfed" Glass Mask, and I chose that word for a reason.  I would watch episode after episode without even keeping track of how long I had been watching.  And each episode was  enthralling and satisfying as the last.

In my review of Chihayafuru, I discussed how anime is often unafraid to trust its story and its characters without needing to rely on clear good/evil distinctions.  Glass Mask is another excellent example of strong storytelling that reflects life also without needing to create such obvious and tired lines.  Each main character is developed to such a point that occasionally one might forget for a moment that Maya is the main character, as Masumi and Ayumi in particular are also incredibly compelling.  When put together, these characters create an unforgettable experience.

Unfortunately, screenshots of this anime are hard to find.  This image is from the manga.  The relationship between Maya and Ayumi is, I think, the overarching glue that brings together the entire anime, and it is likely one of the most compelling relationships I have ever seen between two characters.

The anime realizes that its very heart and center is in its characters, and thus, uses every moment to its advantage.  Despite its 51-episode length, there is not one wasted moment or instance of padding.  Like a well-constructed play, every movement, every line, every moment has some meaning and significance.

There are many, many other aspects of Glass Mask I could go on about, such as the beautiful soundtrack, the animation, and the masterful portrayal of Maya's and Ayumi's various plays and roles they perform throughout the anime.  It was difficult to focus on just one, and I am certain that I will mention Glass Mask in future reviews.

Although Glass Mask's ending is fairly satisfying (it matches up perfectly with the manga), manga writer Suzue Miuchi has recently stated that she will be wrapping up the manga to a final end soon.  There are rumors that the anime will resume a second season to likewise finish with the manga.  I dearly hope that both of these prospects come to fruition, because I will always be willing to return to the story of Glass Mask and its characters.

All episodes of Glass Mask can be found on CrunchyRoll, and I would recommend it to anyone, especially people familiar with the theatre world.  While normally I like good dubs and vouch for them, I cannot ever see Glass Mask receiving a dub that does it any justice, as the voice work is incredible.  It is a slightly obscure anime, but in my opinion, it is nothing short of a masterpiece that will hopefully one day be considered a classic.