Garasu no Kamen Synopses

Tankoubon 18

"Bianca, the female pirate".

Hitotsuboshi High School.
Maya returns to school: she can attend the lessons regularly from now on! Everyone back chats about her, as she expected.
Anyway, she would like to enter the Hitotsuboshi Drama Club, but new members can join only at the beginning of the school year, and moreover professionals like Maya cannot accepted.
In the school campus Maya accidentally collides with Hiroko Kusaki, a member of the school library, who was walking and reading a book titled: "Bianca, the female pirate". Maya asks her about the plot.

The story is set in the 1500s. It tells the life of Bianca Castani, a member of a noble family of Venice. Her father was the doge of Venice, her mother died when she was 8 and when her brother Giulio was only 3. She was a beautiful and elegant girl, but secretly she practised sword, and she was very good at it. At the age of 13 she had a marriage arranged by her family with the one-year older Lorenzo Orsini, son of the marquis of Genova: this was meant to be the beginning of an alliance between 2 rival cities. They would marry when the girl was 15 and the boy 16. First Bianca was against it, but when she met in Florence the blond and charming Lorenzo she fell in love with him. Unluckily too many people were against this alliance, so in the 2 years between the engagement and the wedding, many bad events happened to Bianca. Bianca's aunt Eleonora suggested her to keep as a bodyguard the 18-year old Alberto, a handsome black-haired young man, from a poor family but very good with the sword. The two were always together, and many rumours about them arised. 6 months before the day set for the marriage, the ambassador of Genova and Lorenzo's sister Lucia went to Venice. Officially, they wanted to set the wedding ceremony, but to say the truth they wanted to see with their own eyes if rumours were right. Bianca was drugged so that she couldn't move, and Alberto embraced her: Lucia and the embassador saw them. Later Lucia was killed and her servants too. Bianca's father, to avoid a war with Genova, set fire to the palace where they put up Lucia and the others: Bianca had to die in the fire. But Bianca managed to escape with Alberto, who confessed her that her aunt Eleonora was corrupted by Spain; anyway, that women was killed. Bianca cut her hair shorter, dressed up like a man, changed her name into Nicolò and left from Venice to Greece. Anyway, the pirates captured them and took them to their hideout, in an island. The pirate Silver noticed Bianca's and Alberto's skill with the sword and bought them. Bianca and Alberto joined the pirates group. Later when the Spanish found out that Bianca Castani was alive, the pirates had to fight against them. Bianca met again Lorenzo, already married, for the last time. Alberto died in a battle to save Bianca's life, and he confessed his love before passing away. Silver found out that Nicolò was actually a woman and fell in love with her; Bianca loved him too, but she hid her feelings not to confess her identity...
7 years later, in the Aegean Sea, a pirate ship and its terrible crew is finally caught by the fleet of Genova. One of the pirates is a woman dressed like a man. The pirates are tried on the ship: all of them confess their past and are judged. Some are hanged, some are lashed, some are condemned to penal servitude. Bianca confesses her adventures. What will be the court's decision? We'll never know. But the ambassador of Genova, who saw Bianca once, and who still believes in the peace between Venice and Genova, was there during the trial.
In the night, a lifeboat sails away... 2 people are on it... In the trial report the name of Bianca is not written, and the pirate Silver results as disappeared...

Maya is enchanted by this story. She doesn't know why, but someday she will perform Bianca, the female pirate!
In the meantime, Rei sees her practicing pantomime in the park: the children areond her have to guess what she is miming!
Tsukikage looks rather pleased:
Maya found good supervisors: it's not easy to be understood by children! If they understand, everybody will! I have a lot of expectations from that girl!

The Hitostuboshi School Festival will be held soon. Maya would like to take part of it, but how? She is alone, she has no company and no place where she can practice... While helping cleaning out a old shed containing old gym equipments, the girl starts performing Bianca: she has an idea! She will interpret a solo performance!
Hiroko Kusaki introduces Maya to Hiroshi Yoshizawa, a talented member of the Literature Club, who is persuaded by Hiroko to write the play script. He will have to turn a novel into a solo performance, working mainly on Bianca's confession.
Then, a stage is needed. The main hall and the school yard are already booked. Thanks to Hiroko's suggestion, Maya decides that her theatre will be the old shed! Maya manages to convince professor Tanpa, gym teacher, to give her permission to use the shed... Maya will act again!!!

At home, Rei always helps Maya. First, she warns her that she is completely on her own: she will have to be her own director. Then, she makes her practice pantomime and corrects her if she makes mistakes. What a friend, to help Maya she takes Tsukikage's place as often as she can!
The members of the Hitotsuboshi Drama Club laugh about Maya. The girl spends a lot of time just sitting on the floor, in the old shed. The president of the club doens't laugh that much: the audience will have to sit on the floor, and Maya is just studying the audience's point of view, so that everyone can see the performance well. The actors of the Drama Club have never gone that far!

Rei always inform Tsukikage sensei about Maya. The sensei is proud of her. The girl will be guided by the audience! Finally she understood that the audience is the best public!

The Hitotsuboshi School Festival opens! Hiroko and Yoshizawa helped Maya to prepare the setting in the shed. They used part of the old gym equipments. Maya hired only a few costumes, and she will use some old curtains and clothes for the other ones. Rei and Sayaka come to see her show, and so does Tsukikage sensei!
As Rei points, Maya has a difficult test to pass: in fact, if someone in the audience gets bored, s/he will just get away from that little unconfortable shed! Maya has to keep everyone's attention alive! Finally Rei understand's Tsukikage's word: the audience will guide Maya!
And Maya doesn't fail. Thanks to her genius and to her great pantomime, the audience imagine they are in the inside of a palace, on a Gondola, on a pirates' boat... They don't see the old gym equipments any longer! Some people in the audience makes noise, someone enters during the play: everytime Maya is able to get back the audience's attention! Tsukikage sensei smiles: Maya's actress instinct doesn't let the atmosphere to be ruined.

In the meantime, the members of Drama club are performing "King Lear". They spent a lot of money for the scenography and the costumes (borrowed from Takarazuka!)...

At Himekawa House, there is a party. Ayumi's friends tell her about Maya's solo performance at the School festival. They laugh about her, but Ayumi doesn't laugh with them.
Maya... Even if we grew up in a different environment, maybe she is the closest to me ever! We share a common passion... Acting... "Kurenai Tennyo"... You're always behind me... I'll wait for you Maya!

Maya's play has had a lot of success! The audience makes a loud noise clapping their hands!

Will you wait for that girl?

Daito Art Production. Masumi has just obtained the distribution rights of a certain rock band, and everybody congratulates with him. His father must be proud of him!
Masumi laughs a lot: Eisuke would be happier to see him married! But it's not the moment. He has to put on stage "Kurenai Tennyo" first! This has always been his father's dream, and his dream as well...
I won't let anyone to take away from me... The play... And the actress who will perform it...
Mizuki asks him: Will you wait for that girl until that moment?
Masumi is serious: And what if I do?
Then he burst into laughters:
I wish she grew up soon and so we could put on stage that play! But I can't imagine that little girl as an adult!
Mizuki is confused: he evaded the question... Was he joking or not?
Then Mizuki informs him about Maya's play at the School Festival. Masumi already knew that. But he was too busy to go see it. Mizuki observes him and thinks:
He is worried for that girl... I can see an invisibile thread... Which connects "Kurenai Tennyo" to different persons: Chigusa Tsukikage, Ayumi Himekawa and Maya Kitajima, and even you, Masumi sama... It connects you and that girl...

"A passing rain".

Ten days after the first show, since many students requested it, "Bianca the female pirate" will be performed again! Even professor Tanpa congratulates with Maya: he will allow her to use the old shed again.

Actor's Studio. Maya visits Tsukikage sensei to let her know she will repeat the solo performance. Tsukikage asks her to wait for her in the waiting room. What a coincidence! The girl meets Masumi Hayami... After all, he owns that school! As usual, Masumi makes fun of Maya. The people passing by are surprised to see Masumi laughing that way... With a girl! Maya informs him that her solo performance will be repeated! Masumi is upset. Also, Maya is worried for purple rose fan... She would like him to know she is acting again... Masumi reassures her: the purple rose fan surely saw the School Festival Program!
Tsukikage arrives and Masumi goes away. The sensei can't believe her eyes: she has just seen Masumi laughing!
Tsukikage congratulates with Maya and tells her how to correct some mistakes she made during the play. Maya listens carefully, the sensei isn't going to repeat!
Before separating, Maya asks her again why she left her and the Tsukikage Company.
Haven't you figured it out yet? An actor on stage is always alone... S/he cannot count on anyone's help... You can't depend on my teaching, now you have to improve by yourself!... I always keep an eye on you... And on Ayumi!

The second show of "Bianca, the female pirate" is a bigger success than the first one. The people who saw both the shows noticed that Maya improved her performance. Later, Maya is informed by the teachers that the suggestions box of the school is overcrowded of requests: the students ask for a repeat play, or for an other play!
Maya is very happy! She decides to do an other play... The Drama Club is shocked! That girl is too popular!

In the library Yoshizawa and Kusaki are helping Maya to look for an other play. While they discuss, Maya picks up the novel "A passing rain": she read some dialogues, which are those of a normal student, and they attracted her attention... Yoshizawa and Kusaki don't understand why she is interested in such a boring book!

It's just the story of Hiromi Sato, second year of High School. Her father is a office-worker, her mother a housewife, a good cook, she's got a older brother and a little sister, she joined the Home Economics Club. She's very shy: she loves the captain of the School Soccer Club and she embroidered his initial letters on a towel, but she has never had the courage to give the towel to him... This girl is just a common happy girl. One day, she finds out that her father loves an other woman, much younger than him... Her ordinary life changes! Hiromi grows up suddendly: she will do anything to protect her family. The girl will end up talking directly to her father's lover... And she will find out that the 2 have already decided to separate... It was just a passing rain...

Maya's 2 school mates object that this is a boring story, but the girl thinks it's boring only if she doesn't interpret it well. This is a challenge... She wants Yoshizawa to make a play script for a solo performance out of that book!
In the meantime, Maya practices pantomime. She's paying attention to everyday's life actions, like brushing her teeth and drinking a cup of coffe. Rei keeps an eye on her and helps her.

Maya's performance has been set in 3 weeks, on Saturday, after school. Yoshizawa wrote the script!
The president of the Drama club wants the other members to follow Maya and find out what play she will perform. But Maya is not doing anything special... Why doesn't she have rehearsals? She asks her friend Kusaki to go out, they eat cakes and chat, they buy cute things, like ordinary girls...
Actually Maya has never done those things in her life...

"Juliet".

Ayumi calls Tsukikage sensei and informs her that her next show will be a solo performance: "Juliet", from Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet". It will be a challenge, won't it?
Mr. Naruki wrote the script, Mr. Onodera will be the director and the French teacher of pantomime Marcel Mauria and the dance teacher Chie Kurahashi will collaborate.
Tsukikage is very proud of her...
At the press conference, Ayumi explains that she will not challenge Romeo and Juliet, but only Juliet: thanks to pantomime, she wants to express Juliet's soul. The reporters say it is a challenge to Shakespeare.
Ayumi smiles. This will be a challenge to herself!

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Attention!

Original story by Suzue Miuchi. Synopses by Francesca.
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