History Manga / ActAge

For an older (albeit still running) series about the world of acting, compare ''Manga/SkipBeat''; and for a ''much'' older series (also still running), ''Manga/GlassMask''. Also compare ''Manga/SmileDownTheRunway'', another unconventional work published in ''Magazine/ShonenMagazine'' centered on the world of fashion and modeling.

It follows Kei Yonagi, a high school girl [[PromotedToParent who's all alone to raise her twin siblings, Rui and Rei]], ever since their mother died and their father left home. To top it, she's also just been fired from her part-time job. But that doesn't stop her from trying to get by by using her greatest talent: acting. Problem is, her very immersive approach to acting, based on her own intimate memories, leads her to often get LostInCharacter and blur the line between fiction and reality, which scares the producer during her first audition.

* SpiritualSuccessor: The series is viewed as one to ''Manga/GlassMask'', since both series focus on TheProtagonist who aims to be an actress and rely heavily on tropes typical of shonen despite their premise.

* SomethingCompletelyDifferent: After the first 2 arcs dealing with nationally acclaimed productions, the next arc utterly drops down the scale by bringing Kei back to high school. This is justified in-universe by the need to have her live a normal high school life and make non-actor friends so her job doesn't completely eat her up.

* WhamShot: After Hanako [[spoiler:reveals that she was seeing Yonaga's father]], we are treated to Yonagi [[spoiler: slapping Hanako and giving her a look that's halfway between a DeathGlare and a NightmareFace.]]

* DarkestHour: So far, the only act that doesn't have one is the BreatherEpisode mentioned above.

* SpiritualSuccessor: The series is viewed as one to ''Manga/GlassMask'', since both series focus on TheProtagonist who aims to be an actress and rely heavily on tropes typical of shonen despite their premise. The series even got [[FanNickName nicknamed]] "The Modern Glass Mask".

In early August 2020, [[RoleEndingMisdemeanor Matsuki was arrested]] for groping two middle school-aged girls. Usazaki and Shueisha then decided to end the serialization with the manga's 123rd chapter (and the official English translation leaves out the last), and later [[KeepCirculatingTheTapes new printings and digital sales were suspended worldwide]]. A stageplay adaptation that was in the works was also subsequently cancelled.

* NoEnding: Cancellation does tend to lead to this trope, and ''Act-Age'' was no exception − and unlike unsuccessful series that at least get a few chapters to wrap things up, this one happened literally overnight, in the middle of an arc.

* NoEnding: Cancellation does tend to lead to this trope, and ''Act-Age'' was no exception.

* AbortedArc: The manga was right in the middle of its "Yonagi at Stars" arc when it was cancelled.

''act-age''[[note]]pronounced in French like "garage"[[/note]] is a manga written by Tatsuya Matsuki and drawn by Shiro Usazaki, published in ''Weekly Magazine/ShonenJump'' from 2018 to 2020-- [[CoversAlwaysLie despite what the cover and premise might make you think]].