Glass no Kamen: Sen no Kamen wo Motsu Shoujo

I thought this was a very good adaptation for watchers who wanted to give Glass Mask a try but didn't want to commit to a full series like the 1984 or 2005 adaptations.

I vastly preferred the character designs in this OVA compared to the 80s anime, all except for Rei who I wish they kept her 1970s blonde bishonen charm. But everyone else was beautiful. One of my big gripes with the 1984 adaptation was making most, if not all, important characters blue-eyed and/or blonde in the case of Hayami. It didn't really look that good, but this comes down to more personal preference. ... This difference between the anime and OVA works in the OVA's favor since it makes it stand out as not just a carbon copy despite adapting the same source material.

The choice of new VAs or putting previous VAs into new roles also does this. While Ogata Megumi's Maya was a bit too child-sounding for me and I couldn't unhear Shinji, I liked how it made use of Ogata's range and was a fresh take on the character. Matsui Naoko as Ayumi Himekawa was a perfect change since it fit her vibe as a seasoned starlet.

The directing was also beautiful and I loved how cinematic it was, with use of lighting and environment to show the emotions of the characters and use of close-ups and far away shots. I also liked how it added some moments of normalcy, showing Maya's daily life with the girls around her and building on her backstory with her mother. It really makes the world feel more real and grounded. Despite this grounding, the anime still keeps the dramatic flair of the manga and its previous adaptation, which is a huge plus if you're a 70s-90s shoujo enjoyer like me.

Plot-wise, it does stop in the middle of an early arc in the manga, but that's what makes it perfect for people who are unsure if Glass Mask will be for them since it gives them a taste of what the story is like without being a huge investment timewise.

Overall, while it isn't necessary to watch since the adaptation before and after it adapt the same part of the story, I feel it is very much worth the time to see a fresh and unique spin on a beloved story such as Glass Mask.

Anyone who is remotely familiar with this series is most likely aware of its two adapatations which are both TV shows that aired in 1984 and 2005 respectively. However, this little OVA here is easily missable despite it actually being TMS' first adaptation of the series before they made the aforementioned one in 2005. Personally, it genuinely surprised me because I was expecting a very forgettable experience initially but was proved wrong just a few minutes in the first episode. So, let me make this clear right in the beginning; Whether you watched any of the TV shows or are looking for a way to ... try out this series - This will make a perfect watch in any case.

As the synopsis already states the OVA covers the earlier events of the series but I'll assure you it completely excels at it in most aspects. The very first minutes of the first episode greet you with the heartbreaking past of Tsukikage-sensei only to cheer you up again and pull you right into the story with one of the loveliest openings in any anime I've seen. The song itself starts with a shoegaze-esque intro and complements the gorgeous sceneries and shots of Maya Kitajima as she rides her bike or shots of individual objects like some pair of Chucks lying in an empty practice hall. Each shot is beautifully composed that I couldn't help but take screencaps at every opportunity. Storywise there isn't anything to write home about as it only covers the very start of the manga but visually it's very clear Tsuneo Kobayashi, a name which I also only discovered after watching this, went overboard with his creativity.

Now, Glass Mask is a Shoujo series that is relatively rich in drama, which as a sidenote happens to be a common thing among Shoujo series in the 70s. Evoking and creating tension as well as maintaining it throughout in certain scenes is not only crucial but not the easiest thing to do either. Tsuneo Kobayashi however, makes full use of his Cinematography knowledge and achieves crafting said scenes exceptionally well. For instance, when Maya first encounters Tsukikage she first reacts sceptically and finally runs away crying after seeing her scarred face. As suggested before Kobayashi makes heavy use of efficient Cinematography so you'll see particularly well-utilized dutch angles and close-up shots very very often, which are of course present in this scene and thankfully in other scenes like this one. The animation quality typical for an OVA only adds to the visual eye candy. This way the tension never fades away and keeps you engaged with the anime throughout its entire runtime. It also results in this adaptation being perhaps the most dramatic one among the series. And it's rather unfortunate to see this not even going beyond the first few stage plays of Maya. However, the amount of adapted material or the character development "lacking" compared to the TV shows shouldn't be a dealbreaker since all of the characters are unique and fleshed out from the get-go. Ayumi is the polar opposite of Maya yet complements her in a way - both ambitioussly strive to become the flawless actress, Masumi takes a liking to Maya quite early on but has to restrict himself to not act stupidly or out of character, Sakurakouji sides with Maya whenever she is being treated unfairly, etc etc and all of that is very well conveyed in this OVA despite its short length.

The VAs also quite deliver and voice their characters pretty well. However, the most exciting part is probably hearing Megumi Ogata as the little and fragile but fierce Chibi-chan I mean Maya Kitajima. Her woMANLY voice doesn't shine through one bit. On the contrary, it fits Maya surprisingly well - be it scenes of Maya raising her voice out of anger, sobbing like a child or simply leisurely conversing with her classmate.

TL;DR unexpectedly well storyboarding and directing nails almost every scene and reinforces the characters' unique traits and personalities which makes this OVA the most worthwile experience for (the beginning of) the series. VAs fit their roles and don't disappoint either.

I'll be comparing this to the OG Glass no Kamen from 1984.

Visuals:
1) A lot darker, creepier and sometimes outright scary!
2) the animation is noticeably recycled and thus breaks immersion easily
3) Bad syncing of voice acting and animation
4) The characters have gone through a massive redesign. The original version from 1984 is visually very faithful to the manga but these OVA characters look nothing like what they should look like


Sound:
... 1) I didn't find the soundtrack memorable
2) perfect english on 3rd episode
3) I'm not a fan of recasting unless in scenarios of death, illness or retirement. Having said that, Maya's seiyuu sounds more childish than the OG but it also gave the character a lot more vocal range, which I thought would be a smart choice considering that Maya could use that for the roles she lands throughout the story. Unfortunately these OVAs cover so little of the story that this vocal range never came into play. Ayumi's voice actress also changed but the tone of voice and vibe have remained the same, despite being a noticeable change. Rei's OG voice actress has returned but she voices Tsukikage, which makes her sound so much more warm and lovable than the OG character. Hayami's voice doesn't fit him at all in my opinion, which was a waste of a legendary seiyuu.
4) The majority of seiyuus would become actual legends in the voice acting industry and by the time this project cast them, the majority of them had already worked together in previous projects and that chemistry was noticeable.


Story and characters:
1) As someone who watched the OG series immediately before this, my memory was very fresh on the plot and characters. I think I would enjoy this a lot more if I had given time to myself to sort of forget the OG series. This is the main reason why I can't just recommend this to every single person. If you enjoyed the OG, then give this a watch but after some time.
2) I prefer this Tsukikage to the OG Tsukikage, as she's not as ruthless and abusive
3) The pedo/grooming vibe from Hayami has also been tone down
4) expect to see more of Maya and her mother's relationship and a bit more of Maya's background before meeting Tsukikage.