method acting
- noun
a style of acting in which an actor tries to understand and feel the emotions of the character he or she represents.
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Act-Age is the story of Kei Yonagi, an aspiring actress who, at the age of 16, is already a master in method acting, to the point that she sometimes loses her ability to see the difference between fiction and reality. Once she can understand her characters, she
becomes them - even if a part of her true self chips away each time. After her first acting audition she's scouted by an art house director who wants to make her into the best possible actress she can be for his greatest project yet, and so begins her adventure into film, television, commercials, and theatre.
It's arguably one the best and most realistically written manga Weekly Shonen Jump has published. There are no super powers, only talent. The characters are treated with care and never fall victim to cliches and tried tropes. This is about acting, but just as with matches in the best sports manga, each acting performance here is a battle of its own where Yonagi learns new skills, meets new rival actors, and always strives to improve. One bad performance could decide the rest of an actor's career, while a good one might land you another chance in the spotlight - but if you're Yonagi, a
great one could very well turn you from a nobody to a household name.
Made by a newcomer writer, and artist who was only 20 years old when she started serialisation, it's a story about talent, made by people
with talent.
It ranked 3rd on the "Nationwide Bookstore Employees' Recommended Comics of 2018". In April 2019, it was nominated for Best Shonen Manga at the 43nd annual Kodansha Manga Awards. In December 2019, Brutus magazine listed
Act-Age on their "Most Dangerous Manga" list, which included works with the most "stimulating" and thought-provoking themes.
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I'll tell you why Act-Age is so great, but you also need to see to believe it.
Are you a fan of films and television? Act-Age is for you.
Act-Age shows the behind-the-scenes process from casting auditions, to gruelling days on set, to the eventual date it reaches the audience. Its writing is rooted in realism, showing the dark side of the entertainment industry and the many ways that agents or studios control the careers of their actors. As a rookie, Yonagi will take on anything, even if she may fall victim to herself and the cruelty of the industry at any point. It's a dangerous tightrope she walks, but she fights for her family: feed them, to raise them, to become an actress because they know it's her calling.
Interested in theatre or stage plays? Act-Age also has you covered.
Yonagi must learn how to act for the camera as well as a live audience. She's learning just as we the audience are understanding what actors and directors put in to make their ideas come to life. Watch her embody her every character, including one so vengeful and murderous that the audience is too scared to even look her way.
Act-Age shows the dangerous realism and beauty of method acting.
Over and over again, you'll be transported to a different place or time along with Yonagi. Whether she's sitting on an uncomfortable fold out chair, imagining herself in the comfort of a train gliding through the countryside, or channeling her anger at the woman who had an affair with her father, watching her at her best is nothing short of breathtaking.
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Don't just vote for Act-Age, read it!