Garasu no Kamen Synopses

Tankoubon 16

Maya's shock. Masumi's sense of guilt.

Mizuki has the terrible task: she tells Maya that her mother is dead.
The poor woman was found dead in a cinema in Yamanashi, where "The White Jungle" was shown. Even if she was blind and she suffered from tubercolosis, she ran away from the hospital in Nagano to go to Tokyo... She entered the cinema to hear her voice...

Maya can't believe it's true. She is shocked. Mizuki embraces her.

Hakusen Hospital, Yamanashi. Maya is in front of the dead body of her mother. Besides Mizuki, the doctor and nurses, there is the truck driver who gave Haru a lift. He tells Maya how happy the woman was to hear that he is a fan of Maya! Haru wanted to meet her daughter in Tokyo, but the truck driver didn't know that Maya Kitajima was her daughter! The doctor explained that her health conditions got worse because of walking in the rain for a long time, but the reason of her death was hitting her head, probably in an accident in the street.
The funeral preparations are complete, but Maya doesn't want to be separated from her mother's dead body. She talks to her mother, telling her all the roles she played...
Are you proud of me now, mum?
Mizuki opens the script book of "The brightness of the sky" and starts reading some lines. Maya starts playing Satoko. She performs Satoko for her mum.
At the funeral, Shigeru and Mizuki are with Maya. The girl is given Haru's treasure, that is, the magazine page with an article about Maya: she always kept it with her!
Masumi is following at a distance; his informer told him anything. Masumi is disappointed: things didn't go as he planned. Maya and her mother were supposed to meet at the premiere of "Shangrila"! Anyway, if he hadn't kept Haru prisoner in that hospital, the woman wouldn't have ran away... Suddendly he realizes that... He killed her!

Daito Theatre, rehearsals of "Shangrila". Maya keeps sitting in silence, holding her mother's ashes. She doesn't even want to talk to Shigeru who calls her!
Mizuki goes to Masumi's office. She found out what Masumi did to Maya's mother. She made the man secretly employed by Masumi confess.
Mr. Hayami. Even if people have always considered you a heartless man, I've always respected you. But this time I have to scold you! Mother and daughter could have met a long time ago! The media were waiting for this! But this way, you separated them forever!... It's your fault that that woman is dead!... Even though you put on the mask of a cold workaholic to hide your sad childhood, I thought that you hadn't realized who you really are yet! You kept sending secretly purple roses to that girl, I thought some feelings were awakened... But definitely what people say is right! How cruel you manage to be in order to attain your goals? I brought Maya here. I want you to see her. See what you have done!
Masumi is shocked. He can see Maya sitting with her mother's ashes in her arms.
Don't worry, I don't expect that your heart is touched. Look at her, she doesn't want to separate from her mother's cinerary box. She's not holding a script book, but her mother's ashes box. She doesn't eat, she goes to sleep only when I order her to, and I do not know if she can sleep, she refused to have interviews or to take part in TV shows, etc. The shooting of "The birghtness of the sky" has been suspended and so have the rehearsals of "Shangrila": Maya knows the script by heart but she can't play... What are you going to do? "Shangrila" will start in a week!
For the first time in his life, Masumi Hayami feels a terrible sense of guilt. His heart, which has never been touched before, is now deeply upset.
Haru's death will change Maya's fate drastically.

Maya falls in Norie's trap.

Daito Plaza. Dress Rehearsals of "Shangrila". The actors are worried because Maya played like a robot in the previous rehearsals. Mizuki had a good idea; she bought a ticket for the first show: Haru's cinerary box will be on that seat. Her mum will watch her play!
Moreover, some purple roses are delivered to Maya:
I can't wait to see your performance at the first show tomorrow. Please do your best. Your fan.
Maya is encouraged, and finally she makes a good performance at the last rehearsals.

Norie is informed about Daito's responsibility in Maya's mother death. Maya is so vulnerable... This is a perfect chance to delete Maya from the stardom and take her place!

After the dressing rehearsals, a fake businessman is keeping Mizuki busy at Miho Café by offering an appearance of Maya in some ads.
In the meantime, Norie tells Maya what Masumi Hayami did to her mother. The two girls go to the Penny Lane Café to meet a fake nurse who confirms everything.
Maya is shocked. She can't believe that man could even kill her mother for his goals! Norie even suggests her to ruin the show. Maya hates Masumi more than ever. She doesn't care about anything now... Some bikers, engaged by Norie's company, give Maya some alcohol to drink and bring her away for a quick ride to the beach. The girl let them do...
Finally Mizuki gets rid of that annoying man, but she can't find Maya anywhere! Even if it's 2.30 a.m., Mizuki calls Hayami at his home. Maya is missing! They can't call the police, or the reporters will immediately know!
The group of bikers is dancing on the beach, but Maya is just mourning on her mother's death: she can't help thinking of what Daito did! The bikers give her some Coke to drink, with a lot of sleeping pills in it... She will sleep for the whole day! They hide Maya in a boat, and then get away...

It's the day of the first show of "Shangrila". At Daito offices, Masumi and Mizuki are worried for Maya. Mizuki suggests that she could have been kidnapped or had an accident. Masumi shouts at her: he lost control!
Finally they get a phone call by the owner of the Penny Lane Café: they go talk to him, and they get to know that someone told Maya about Daito's responsibility in Haru's death. Masumi is very upset. He orders his employes to find info about all the bikers groups around.
It's 2 p.m. and the show will be on stage at 6 p.m. Masumi is in his office, anxious and worried. Maya knows...
Mizuki talks to him: it's the second time she has seen him like that. The first time was when Maya had to play "Muenzakura" without knowing the script...
Only that girl can make the cold heartless workaholic president of Daito have human feelings... Only that girl, who is 11 years younger than you... You've been captured by that girl... For a long time... Strongly...

Daito Plaza. "Shangrila" premiere. It's Norie's moment. The girl calls the reporters telling them that Maya is missing. In a short time the theatre is overcrowded by reporters. It's time to start... Norie offers to substitute Maya. They have to accept and... Surprise! The girl is incredibly beautiful and her performance is as great as Maya's!

In the meantime, Masumi thanks to his investigators arrives to Miura beach where Maya spent the night. He finds her asleep in a covered boat. He takes her away in his arms, glaring at the reporters.
Maya... I'm afraid that what I have done will waste your career... Keep sleeping... When you wake up, it will be hell!

Maya wakes up at the hospital. She starts realizing what happened; she reads on the newspaper that Norie took her place. Masumi Hayami enters. She shouts at him that she hates him; the reporters arrive; Masumi says to Maya:
Sorry for I am going to do!
And he slaps her on the face. The reporters are astonished. Masumi tells Maya to apologize with the reporters. Maya cries and apologizes. Then Mizuki sends the reporters away.
Finally Masumi and Maya are alone. Now Maya can tell Masumi what she feels: he is the one she hates most in the world, she will never forgive him! Masumi is just standing still:
I'm used to being hated. I just wanted you to be a star, and this was a good way to promote you. That's my job!
Maya wants to hit him, but she just cannot do that: Masumi is just standing still, not trying to protect himself!
Hit me, kick me, as you like. I don't know how to apologize...
Maya can't believe that man is the one everybody is afraid of... Who always makes fun of her... He is just standing still, defenceless. Is this his way to apologize? Maya can't move.
Mizuki knocks on the door. Masumi has to go to his office for an emergency meeting.

At Daito headquarters, Masumi is obliged to accept that Maya will not perform "Shangrila". Mizuki informs the girl about that. And soon, Nikko Electronics decide that she will not be allowed to perform Satoko any longer. Maya's fans don't like her behaviour and complain about her. Norie will replace Maya both as Leera in "Shangrila" and as Satoko in "The brightness of the sky". Maya can hardly believe that beautiful girl is Norie, and that she deceived her that way...

Shigeru Satomi is in Kyushu, for a scene shooting. The movie producer tells him that Maya was removed from all her roles. Shigeru has to break up with Maya: otherwise his relationship would damage his career! Shigeru's manager asks Maya to understand this, and the poor girl accepts not to see Shigeru any longer without making any objections.

Tsukikage's bet.

Maya visits Tsukikage at Actor's Studio, but Tsukikage doesn't want to meet her. The girl knows the sensei is mad at her for her behaviour.
Rei, Sayaka and the others are with Tsukikage. They ask her why she didn't want to see her. Tsukikage knows that Maya came just to cry, and to ask why she left her in Masumi Hayami's hands.
Tsukikage talks to Rei and the others:
Girls, do you believe what the newspapers say?... I believe in Maya. She would never leave the stage for any reason. And she's so shy that she wouldn't go out with a gang of bikers! I think they make her eat some sleeping pills. The entertainment world is really dangerous. And Maya has never stopped fighting, all by herself. I admire her for this!
You said she tore your letter into pieces, didn't you? Well, did you see her doing that with your eyes? And did she say in person that she didn't know you? Did you hear her voice?
Maya's friend feel bad. They misunderstood Maya, and they hurt her! But... Why the sensei gave Maya to Daito?
First, to separate her from Tsukikage Company. Second, to introduce her to a new world.
So, the sensei wanted Maya to be a star... But now, Maya's career is ruined... Maybe it was not a good idea...
No way! There's the third reason, the real one: I've gambled on Maya, on her passion for acting. I want to see how she will build her path with her own hands from now on! Without a guide! I want to be there when she understands what her destiny is! She will understand it!

Maya would like to go away from Daito. But there is a contract. So she will belong to Daito until the contract expires! Even if Maya wants to give up acting, Masumi Hayami obliges her to perform a role in the play "Golden fruits" at Athena Theatre, a tragicomic play set in a English village in the 18th century.
Two lands are owned by two different noble families, and in between those lands there is a small apple orchard owned by an other family. The play tells about the relationship between the orchard owner's family and one of the noble families, which consists in only men.
Maya will perform Marge, the niece of the orchard's owner. The other actors don't welcome the troublemaker, but Maya wants to do her best.

Mizuki refers to Masumi that Maya agreed to perform on stage again. Masumi is happy, but he just says:
She's a smart girl. I wouldn't break a golden egg...
Mizuki smiles. She tells him that Shigeru's manager asked Maya to stay away from Shigeru, and that Maya silently agreed. Masumi is upset. Maya is alone now. Even if Mizuki wanted to separate her from Satomi, now Satomi was the only one who could cheer her up... But it's too late!
Mizuki: I think Maya will rise again with that play... That's why you kept giving her roles, huh? Don't worry, she will not break the contract! But take good care of it, it's just a piece of paper! Until you have it, that girl is yours.
Masumi: You mean Daito's...
Mizuki: No, I mean yours.

Ayumi and Norie.

Norie Otobe is informed that Maya will be on stage again. What? She thought she ruined her completely! She must do something...

Athena Theatre, premiere of "Golden fruits".
In the first part, Maya's performance is really good. But too many people from the audience talk about her mother; someone says that Maya sacrificed her mother's life to be a star. Maya starts trembling, she cannot move... From that moment on, she cannot go on acting. Many people boo her and go away. Needless to say, the director fires Maya.

Tokyo, Ondine Company. Ayumi is informed from her class mates about Maya's failure. She is not as happy as the other expected. She knows that Maya would not abandon the stage for any reason... What happened?
Later, Ayumi has dinner with her mother. Utako tells her about all the bad tricks played to Maya during the shooting of "The brightness of the sky", and how Norie Otobe is perfectly substituting Maya: her performance is so similars to Maya's!
Ayumi gets it. She asks her mother if she can visit her next time there is a shooting at MBA TV...

When Ayumi watches the rehearsals, she has no doubt. Norie is not a genius, she is just imitating Maya! But Maya creates her own characters, and she is unique with her charm. When Norie will have to perform other roles, people will be bored! It was a mistake to replace Maya...
While going away, Ayumi overhears the bikers who collaborated in destroying Maya's career: they ask Norie's manager for some more money. Ayumi finds out all their dirty tricks... They even booed her at the play "Golden fruits" so loud that she failed! Ayumi gets mad. She has to do something! They ruined her only rival!
Well, the young Himekawa is lucky. Some people talk about the first role Norie will take for herself. It's the leading role of Maria in the play "Carmilla's portrait".

KK Studios. Ayumi makes a visit to her father, the famous movie director. The man is so happy to see her! Since Ayumi went away from home, while practicing for the role of Helen Keller, he hasn't seen her often! Ayumi wants to improve on her own, without her parent's help. But this time, she has a favour to ask her daddy. She knows her daddy has a lot of connections... If he helps her, Ayumi will accept a role in one of his movies, any role! It will be the first time (and probably the only one) she has accepted a role in one of her father's movies!
Some days later, at Plaza Theatre, the roles for "Carmilla's portrait" are assigned. Norie Otobe will be Maria, the main character. The vampire Carmilla will be performed by... Ayumi Himekawa! Norie is worried. Ayumi is very popular, and she is daughter of a star. She gets all the attentions, even if she has not a leading role... Moreover, Norie understands that that talented girl treats her as an enemy! But, there's no need to worry. Ayumi has just a support role. Actually, the director notices that Ayumi is doing good, but not her best, during the rehearsals: is she hiding something?

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Attention!

Original story by Suzue Miuchi. Synopses by Francesca.
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