Garasu no Kamen Synopses
Tankoubon 1
Meet Maya Kitajima
Maya Kitajima is neither beautiful nor brilliant.
Her father died and her mother Haru mantains both of them by working at a Chinese restaurant.
At first sight, she is just a common girl. But inside her, a big passion burns...
Nobody could have ever imagined that!
Yokohama, Chinese quarter. Mrs. Okami's Manpuku Chinese Restaurant.
After school Maya helps her mother delivering ramen.
But, she is not good at her job. Infact, everytime she sees a movie in the TV, or at the
cinema, or a play at the theatre, she forgets everything and stops to watch it.
So she is often late in the delivers, and she is always reprimanded by her mother.
Why does she behave like this?
I don't know. When I watch the screen I forget everything, as if I were the main
character. I'm not the clumsy Maya any longer...
In a park, Maya is telling some children the last movies she has watched. A weird
middle-aged woman with a long black dress and long black hair covering half her face,
happens by chance to see her. The woman looks very excited. She approaches and asks Maya
her name, but the wind moves her hair, so that her half scar-tissued face can be seen.
The girl screams and runs away.
The woman in black looks really happy:
If my eyes don't deceive me, I found her! The girl of thousands masks!
120 Deliveries in a night
The play "The Lady of the Camelias", starring Utako Himekawa, will be held in Tokyo, at
Daito Theatre, on January 2nd. Maya would love to watch it!
Sugiko, the daughter of the owner of the Chinese Restaurant, will go see that play with
her boyfriend Matsumoto. Maya longs for watching it so much that she even begs her to give her the
ticket!
December 31st is the busiest working day for the restaurant. There are many delivers to
make, as many people order Toshikoshi Soba. Sugiko tells
Maya that if she can make all the 120 deliveries herself, she will have the ticket for
"The Lady of the Camelias". Nobody believes it, but Maya manages to do that! The last
toshikoshi soba is delivered a few seconds before midnight!
Sugiko doesn't want to give Maya her ticket. She goes to Yamashita Park to meet her
boyfriend Matsumoto. Maya, Haru and Sugiko's mother follow her. The nasty girl
lets the ticket fly away into the sea...
Even if it's snowing and the water is icy, Maya dives into the sea to get her ticket!
Haru cries. She is worried for the future such a daughter will have.
In the background, the woman in black is observing...
The Lady of the Camelias
January 2nd, Daito Theatre, Tokyo.
Maya is going to see "The Lady of the Camelias" performed by the great actress Utako
Himekawa.
While looking for her seat, she collides with a handsome and kind man, who helps her find
her seat. And then a beautiful girl enters, together with a man.
Maya hears that the girl is the 13 year-old Ayumi Himekawa (the same age as Maya!), daughter
of Utako, and already a talented actress herself. The man with her is her father, a famous
director.
What about the handsome young man? It's Masumi Hayami, the owner of the theatre and only
child and heir of Eisuke Hayami, the president of Daito Art Production.
He's good looking, but very cold...
Cold? It looked so kind to me...
At the end of the play, Maya remains the only one in the theatre. The woman in black is
watching her again...
Since that day, Maya is even more absent-minded at work and at school! What happened to her?
The weird order
Manpuku Chinese Restaurant. Someone ordered some ramen to be delivered at more than 20
minutes away from there. It's a weird request, but 10000 yen has been paid!
Maya is going to make the delivery. She arrives at Tsukikage home. Oh! but... Chigusa
Tsukikage is... the woman in black she met at the park! And... There is a copy of "The Lady
of the Camelias" play script on the table! Tsukikage asks Maya to tell her the story, like
she did with the children in the park. While Maya is telling the play, Tsukikage is upset.
In the meantime, Masumi Hayami and the director Hajime Onodera visit her. Maya recognizes Masumi
Hayami as the man who helped her at the theatre, and Chigusa Tsukikage is a little surprised
that a man like him is kind with young girls! Anyway, Tsukikage asks Maya to go on with the play
while the two man wait in the next room. They observe Maya and wonder why Tsukikage is so
interested in such an amateur actress. Later, when Maya gets away, the woman makes them
notice that the young girl saw the play just once, and she remembers all the dialogues and
even the posings!
The school play
March 1st is the Spring Anniversary of Maya's School.
A play will be held: The best bride in the country.
This is the story of a prince who is looking for the girl to marry. He puts the candidates
on several trials. At the end, the one who wins is Marianne, who accepted to marry a
convict in order to save his life. The convict is actually the prince, who has no doubt
about Marianne's pure heart and who finally marries her.
The roles haven't been decided yet. Maya offers to take part in the play! Haru seems proud
of her daugher this time...
But... Maya is assigned the worst role! It's Bibi, the fool. She's ugly, stupid, and poor.
Maybe they give Maya this role because the costume is cheap to make! The girl is a little sad...
While she wanders in the park with the play-script, she meets Tsukikage. The woman makes her
notice that Bibi's role is the most difficult one: Bibi can be either the most interesting
or the most useless character! There are not bad roles! Maya has to put on Bibi's mask,
understand Bibi's heart, behave like Bibi!
When Maya tells Haru about her role, the woman laughs at her and goes to sleep. But when she
wakes up in the morning, she sees that her daughter has spent the whole night awake,
studying the play script! Maya is determined to do her best, thanks to Tsukikage's lesson
and knowing that her mother will see her!
But, on the day of the play Haru doesn't go see her daughter. She asks Sugiko to bring Maya the
packed lunch, but Sugiko dates her boyfriend. Maya is sad because she realizes that her mum
will not come see her. Suddendly she understands Bibi's feelings! She feels alone and
rejected. Bibi's role was supposed to be funny, but it turns into a tragic one.
The audience appreciates: Maya's Bibi gets many applauses! Even though the teacher tells her
off, everyone else loved Maya's performance.
Some people who watched the play tell Haru that she would have better come see Maya: she did
great! She was outstanding!
Tsukikage almost has an heart attack. She has not much time left. She has to pass on what
she has to teach. Everything is ready. Only that girl is needed!
Ondine Company
After the school play, Maya feels that she wants to go on acting. So when she reads in an ad
on the newspaper that the theatre company Ondine in Shibuya, Tokyo, is looking for would-be
actors, she goes there by train. Wow! Even Ayumi Himekawa attends that school!
Maya asks for info and she is very disappointed, since she cannot afford the expensive fee. She
wants to go back home, but an acting lesson is being held in the school! It's at the low
ground, though Maya has to cling to the windowsill to see what's happening inside. The
students notice her, but they think she will get tired soon. Well, after 2 hours Maya is
still there! Some students release two guard dogs, and they attack Maya.
In the meantime, Masumi Hayami arrives to the school. He sees what's happening and runs to
save Maya. A student also jumps down the window to help her. Maya is brought to the
infirmary on Masumi's arms! Masumi asks for Maya to be allowed to attend a lesson.
He has been impressed by Maya's incredible interest for the acting school.
Masumi gets away with Onodera, who is surprised by Masumi Hayami's kindness.
Masumi notices a stain of Maya's blood on his shirt. He smiles...
Acting lesson. The students don't welcome Maya: she has no money, no previous experience in acting,
but Masumi Hayami in person wanted her to attend that lesson... Why?
They decide to make her try pantomime: she has to play the role of a girl whose bird escaped
from the cage. The young man who helped her before, Yuu Sakurakoji, is the only nice person
to Maya in the class. He tries to protect her, but Maya accepts to do the pantomime.
Even if the students laugh at her, Ayumi Himekawa realizes that she is rather talented: with
her eyes, she shows all the movements of the bird!
Ayumi Himekawa is requested to finish the pantomime. Maya is so amazed at her great
performance that she doesn't care about what the other students say about her!
In the locker room, Ayumi tells her course mates that they should be happy Maya is not in
the same class...
Tsukikage Company
Onodera and Masumi Hayami visit Tsukikage again.
Chigusa Tsukikage was a very popular talented actress. She
performed Kurenai Tennyo the play by Ichiren Ozaki, who never wanted any actress but her.
When Ozaki died, he left the royalty to her only. During one of her performances, Chigusa had her
face damaged by a spotlight which fell down. Her career was ruined, but she has kept the
royalty for 20 years. Masumi Hayami wants to put up "Kurenai Tennyo", but Tsukikage wants to
prepare herself an actress for that role! For this purpose, she is going to open a school, a
theatre laboratory. She has finally found the right actress! Masumi is shocked! Who's that
actress? He will find out soon...
Later, Masumi and Onodera are at Himekawa's and they talk about "Kurenai Tennyo". Utako
Himekawa would love to perform it. But also her daughter Ayumi is determined to get to that
role... In just 5 years she will be 18! Masumi suddendly thinks of Maya... Maya and Ayumi are the same
age... Maya was at Tsukikage's house... But no, it can't be her! Why does he think of that
girl? He can't help thinking of her...
Yokohama. Maya pays a visit to Tsukikage. She needs to talk to someone who can understand
her feelings... She wants to go on acting at any cost!
Tsukikage looks very satisfied. Together with his assistant Genzo, they go to Suginami,
Tokyo, to the brand new Tsukikage Company which will be open in 3 weeks.
Maya promises she will work part time, but Tsukikage would not accept this! Acting is not a
hobby!
Maya shouts loud: I want to become an actress!.
Tsukikage smiles: These are the words I wanted to hear!
In those days, Ayumi Himekawa is having some interviews at Hotel Grand Royal. She is going
to have a role in the play "The Lady of White Roses" where her mother also play.
She is asked if she wants to be an actress like her mother.
Like my mother? I want to surpass her!
Night time at Yokohama. Haru doesn't think that Maya is serious about acting. But while she
is sleeping, Maya leaves home. There are no trains, so she starts walking by the railway...
Destination: Tokyo!
Maya meets new friends at Tsukikage company: Mina Sawatari, 16, from Hokkaido. Taiko Kasuga,
16, from Fukuoka, Kyushu. Sayaka Minazuki, 13, from Nagano. Rei Aoki, 17, from Tokyo.
At supper time Tsukikage sensei takes them to a empty dining room: there is only a table and
chairs! They have to pretend they are eating different kinds of food. Well, everyone make some
mistakes... But Maya's pantomime is so realistic! She seems to eat ramen indeed!
Tsukikage sensei makes compliments to her. Evidently she worked in a Chinese restaurant.
Chinese restaurant? Maya's school mates wonders why Maya got a scholarship.
Opening day for Tsukikage School. Teachers are introduced to students and visitors. Masumi
and Onodera are planning to investigate about the sponsor of that school. They have to
destroy it to have the royalty of "Kurenai Tennyo"!
Maya's mum arrives at the school. She is determined to bring Maya back. Her daughter is good
at nothing! She will never have success! Maya hides behind Tsukikage sensei, who even slaps
Haru! A good mother would not discourage her daughter that way! Haru picks a hot kettle from
the kitchen and threaten Tsukikage that she will throw it on her, but the sensei doesn't
move: hot water is discharged on her face...
The face is everything for an actress. If
you burn it with boiling water you will ruin her forever...
Maya insists on remaining with Tsukikage sensei, so her mother leaves screaming at her that
she will never accept her back home.
Tsukikage sensei shows Maya some masks. Angry, sad, happy... An actor must be able to put on
several masks.
The first lesson at Tsukikage School is going to start!
Attention!
Original story by Suzue Miuchi. Synopses by Francesca.
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