Glass Mask: Episode 23

Ayumi and Maya try to define the meaning of water for Helen Keller. Watching the two of them find answers is both amusing and irksome. Amusing, as in I laughed a wee bit harder than I should have when Ayumi was almost electrocuted and when a water balloon hits Maya’s face. My evilness sometimes emerges. And irksome just for the fact that they are wasting too much water. Yes, this is animated but still… Hmmm. A sadist with environmental concerns, perhaps?

As for their interpretation for Helen… Well, I really can’t so let’s skip the intro and get right down to the climactic performance. Truthfully, the plays for both parties lack the enigmatic charm seen in the manga. To make it worse, the supposed ‘big’ realization in the final act is treated with over-the-top effects. The result is staggeringly laughable: Ayumi with her electrocuted look and Maya with her weird sphere.

Strangely enough, the best scene in the episode is between Maya and Masumi. And no, this is not because I am an uber-shipper. Part of it, maybe. But their little scene emphasizes the connection between the two. It is quiet and a simple moment. Maya may be usually antagonistic towards the Daido president, but she has not yet realize that she is becoming increasingly comfortable with him. She bared a little bit of her soul without realizing it. I cannot remember if this is part of the manga (I’ll have to look it up later) but I must acknowledge its effectiveness. That, or it is some sort of Pavlov reaction to seeing the two of them together.