Act-Age centers on a young woman named Kei and a genius director Sumiji who meet at an audition for rookie actresses. Kei Yonagi comes from a poor family. Her father ran out on her and her two younger siblings, leaving her to fend for the family herself after their mother's death. When the opportunity comes to chase her dream of becoming an actress, Yonagi jumps at the chance. Catching the eye of Director Sumiji Kuroyama, Yonagi's opportunity to shine has come. However, Yonagi's talent for acting comes from her extreme and innate ability for Method Acting, one that various individuals note as potentially self-destructive. ... more>>

when the writer . <<less

Miyamae Haruka, 22, is a soon-to-be graduate and at first glance a very unremarkable looking young woman. No one will even stop to help her up when she falls and each time she applies for a job, she's blithely passed over. Things are getting desperate and if Haruka cannot get a job soon, she may become known as a jobless university graduate -- a very unenviable title for any young graduate to bear.... more>>

So Haruka decides to lower her expectations. She goes to apply for a job she found on an ad and is shocked by how flippant the interview is. Little does she know, the job she really wanted is already taken and she is now interviewing for a spot as the newest idol... who is supposed to be 17 years old!

And so begins the birth of a new idol, Haruka 17, and follows the adventures and ordeals Haruka must go through as her star rises. She discovers that the world of an idol can be sleazy, terrifying, and a cruel competition. With the positive and negative relationships she develops with the other people around her, she begins to discover herself as well. <<less

Akira is a cute jr. high school boy who has a great singing voice that his sister is always raving about. She thinks his voice sounds like an angel's and in a truly sister-like fashion, she plots to get her younger brother into a dress and wig so she can see him look like an angel while he sings too. So at home one day after school, she gets Akira to sing karaoke, and then dresses him up in a frilly dress and a wig of long hair!... more>>

Nearby, a talent scout hears a beautiful clear voice. He follows the sound and can hear Akira's singing coming out of Akira's house. He is thrilled to see the voice belongs to the girl in the cute dress. But Akira tears the wig off and insists that he is a boy. After a moment of thought, the talent scout begs to recruit Akira to be the next new FEMALE idol singing sensation! Akira refuses at first, but finally relents when he realizes he may get the chance to meet Ruri, a currently popular female idol singer. And thus "Mizuki" is born, the angelic new GIRL idol singer! Watch the fun as Akira attempts to be a female idol, and is surrounded by girls who like him or hate him in his various identities!

Each volume is a separate story about a different boy becoming a female idol. <<less

Yating was working in a recording company until she was fired by her boss (a famous movie actress with a spoiled temperament). Discouraged and jobless,... more>> Yating decided to work in a pub where a famous group called "Gangster" regularly played. Along the way, she gets to meet this guy who has the most divine voice. Yating's luck then began to change when her uncle decides to retire and set up his own record company. He asks her to join in his ambition to create the most famous rock group in Taiwan. This is the story of how Yating, being the new manager, tried to create the ultimate rock band! <<less

Okano Hajime is an ordinary - or maybe below ordinary - girl who was forced to take care everything in the family since she was... more>> young, because her family was very poor. Hajime had five younger brothers, who were quintuplets, and they were scouted by a music company. Thus, the realistic yet dreamy older sister had to try harder to watch over her restless brothers and to pursue her own idol, who was in the very same company. <<less

Yuu is a plain, boring, college girl from the countryside who is often made fun of for her outdated looks. One day Yuu happens to... more>> be invited to see a play. She discovers a passion for the stage she didn't know she had, and is determined to become a part of it. This is her drama. <<less

Mitsuki loves singing, but a malignant tumor in her throat has prevented her from pursuing her passion. However, Mitsuki's life turns around when two shinigami appear to grant her a temporary reprieve from her illness--and give her singing career a magical jump-start.... more>>

*Includes a short story called Ginyu Meika in volume 2.

Akiyoshi Kiryuu attempts to practice for an upcoming piano competition; however, his practice continually gets interrupted by a girl named Kanon, who claims to be the spirit of a tree. <<less

A chance meeting between a famous idol and an ordinary girl on a snowy surreal day sets the stage for this manga. Depressed and hopeless, Kurashiki Yuya meets Mayu, whose carefree and live-for-the-moment attitude brings him new hope. In the spur of the moment, Yuya forgets to ask Mayu's name, and watches as she disappears from his life. Much later, Yuya comes across Natsume Tougo and their band, Dessert, along with their new performer who is none other than Mayu. Mayu and Yuya meet again, but Touga is determined to not let her go at any cost!... more>>

Extra story in v.9: Only One

Mio, the daughter of a famous international singer, Mayu, has return to Japan. She has the talent, the looks and the soul and she has been scouted by agents to become a singer, but that is not what she wants. What does she want? <<less

Yi Summer and Loshii are orphans, both having met each other at their adoptive parents’ home. Because of the shadows remaining from their childhood, they are both shrouded in the midst of wariness. However, when Yi Summer and her brother meet an embarrassing situation during a singing competition, Loshii helps them out, and the iciness that separates both of them gradually melts. Seeing what has happened, as well as in an attempt to break both of them up, Ozen, who deeply loves Yi Summer and is the heir to the company that founded their school, sends Loshii off to England to study… ... more>>

Five years later, Loshii has become a superstar, with countless number of fans to his name. Yi Summer, having become an orphan once again as her adoptive parents died the year Loshii left, is a new artiste of a records company, and meets Loshii. Ozen, on the other hand, having lost his memory of Yi Summer five years ago due to a car accident, also sees Yi Summer once again as well. With all three main characters back on the scene and their disputes of love and hate, what will happen between them then? Who will Yi Summer pick in the end? <<less

Hagiwara Mio is a 14-year-old teen actor. She's currently in love with her neighbor, teen actor Morimoto Teruomi. She is given a role in a short drama, but is dissatisfied that her roles always involve being the bossy antagonist. She was cast as the rival of her friend, Sawagi Aya, in the drama.... more>>

Excited at the fact that Teru is also in the drama, Mio accepts the job. On the first day of the shoot, Mio meets Kumagai Ichiya who calls Mio a bad actress. With their first meeting getting off to such a bad start, a chain of problems for Mio began to pile up.

Volume 8 includes 2 Omakes (oneshots) entitled:

Angel & Adventure

Radical Romance <<less

The story centers around Keito Aoyama, a former famous child actor. Due to a childhood incident, she retired from her career early and withdrew from... more>> normal society. Now 16, she passes her days in boredom and without purpose. But one day she runs into a stranger who takes her to El Liston--a free school for high school students like herself, who don't have a place where they belong. Though hesitant at first, Keito decides to enter El Liston and subsequently, she begins a new stage in her life. With the help of her only remaining childhood friend, Taiyou, and her new classmates Rei, Momiji, and Kouichi, Keito slowly finds the courage to open up to others and to accept their support. Will Keito return to acting? Will she find true friends? Love? <<less

Meet the most hot headed people!... more>>

Je Hyeong is a young movie director, who has had several big successes in the short time he joined SJ Entertainment. His next project is going to be a drama, but the writer of the story refuses to sign a contract.

Han Miso is a successful author. After copyright troubles at work, she left and has decided to focus mainly on writing in solitary. Her latest novel is chosen by Je Hyeong.

This is where their quarrels begin. <<less

High school student Yukari Fujimaru knows a potential star when she sees one…because she sees the special "aura" they give off, in the form of... more>> angelic wings. Yukari's fellow student, the beautiful Ryoko Katsuragi, has a small pair of wings herself, and is one of these aspiring talents. She's so talented, in fact, that no one even knows that "she" is actually a boy in disguise. Now, to make her own down-to-earth dream come true, Yukari must help her new friend become a star. <<less

Shiho is a "private actress" who works for a production company. She also does personal assignments that needs her to pretend to be a different... more>> person. She takes on assignments for people and takes on the personality of the person who they are pretending to be. <<less

Matsuri Takanose a first year high school student. Her mother is the board chairman of the school, and Matsuri is under a lot of pressure... more>> to be the perfect student. One day after a grueling meeting in her mother's office at school, Matsuri encounters two boys who treat her differently. One is Takemasa Andou-kun, a smart, quiet guy who is known for keeping to himself and not talking much. The other is Watanuki-kun. Kaguya Watanuki is a very cute, outgoing, athletic guy. He and Andou-kun are classmates, but they don't appear to be friends. Later Matsuri happens to find out about her favorite idol pop singer and those two's relationship... This sets up an interesting love triangle... <<less

Hwee Kang is in a band with all his friends and is recruited by a well known company called JBL, because they all have the looks of a star there are high expectations. During the audition, what surprise did they give everyone and what will Hwee Kang do?... more>>

Note - Discontinued due to the death of the author. <<less

Yamada Momoka is your average 16 year old girl. Her family consists of herself, her dad who works at a TV station, and her mom.... more>> Apparently she also has a strict prune of a grandma, but who doesn’t? Except that the grandma, Yamada Tamaki, had an accident at the TV station where she got electrocuted and now looks like a 16 year old Yamato Nadeshiko. It isn’t easy for Momoka when her grandma arbitrarily decides to attend Momoka’s high school as a student as well. Tamaki isn’t just pretty, she’s also very cultured, well-mannered, and still maintains her old-fashioned streak from her 65 years of wisdom. It’s bad enough when Momoka starts being referred to as “Old Yamada” and her grandma (Tamaki) referred to as “New Yamada”, but it’s even worse when Momoka’s crush on a dashing young man starts to take an interest in Tamaki as well. Fight-o, Momoka! Protect your beloved grandma, Momoka! And don’t let her walk off with your boytoy, Momoka! <<less

Jinny is a famous model with gorgeous long hair - but little does everyone know that she is in fact actually Ahjin, a high schooler... more>> who has short hair, wears glasses and only does modeling for the sake of her uncle! Ahjin has a crush on Dohoon, one of the coolest guys in school. When Ahjin, dressed as Jinny, finds out that she'll be living in the same apartment building as her crush, she's thrilled! But how can she keep her secret from Dohoon, when he himself adores the model Jinny?! <<less

Kyouko is an entertainment manager and a negative character. She always thinks of the worst. She is appointed to scout a troupe of actors, and... more>> there she meets Riku... <<less

N/A

In the play of life, all Hikaru Takabayashi wanted was to be part of the scenery. Tormented by jealous schoolmates ever since she appeared in a famous commercial in grade-school, Hikaru transfers to a prestigious all-girls' academy where she hopes to settle down to a quiet life of anonymity. But when her new roommate turns out to be the super-popular TV idol Izumi Kido, Hikaru finds herself thrown smack in the spotlight's glare once more! ... more>>

And as if living with a celebrity wasn’t bad enough, Hikaru discovers that there’s more to Izumi than her “good girl” image—she’s a he! And this is only the first of Izumi's many dangerous secrets! Now Hikaru’s the unwilling star player in a madcap tale of deception, abduction, humiliation and blackmail…you know—the usual romantic stuff. <<less

Marumie is a nickname for Mie Maruyama who transferred from her local media announcer job to variety entertainment business. Her dream is to become an... more>> actress, but right now she's in the midst of comedy job. The real reason for her transfer was to meet her one-sided love for the super popular comedian Kanadagawa-san...!? <<less

Ryouma Muroto secretly has feelings for his childhood friend Mao Manaka, a 15-year-old girl who appears to be a refined beauty on the outside, but she's actually an impulsive girl who is very persistent once she has made up her mind to do something, which Ryouma likens to a bulldozer. This personality causes others her age to tend to stay away from her, and Ryouma enjoys the fact that he's basically the only person who can hang around her.... more>>

Ryouma's daily interactions with Mao change one day when she meets Hayato Honjou, a fledgling actor who has had trouble making a name for himself in the entertainment industry. Ryouma quickly notices a change in Mao's demeanor when she starts showing a lot of interest in Hayato's up-and-coming career. Mao soon tells Ryouma that she has feelings for Hayato, and she shows Ryouma her determination to get closer to Hayato by joining a talent agency and moving to Tokyo. When Ryouma is later scouted by a talent agent, he decides to chase after Mao in the hope that their paths will connect someday. <<less

Azuki, a young girl whose father is the president of an entertainment corporation, is always out of luck when it comes to dating. It seems like every boy she had dated before all tried to use her as a bridge to get into the world of media. So when Azuki met the guy of her dreams, who also happened to be a contestant in the audition her father set up, she wasn't so sure what to do anymore.... more>>

*Contains in the 4th volume, Juliet Club:

An idol in a famous group tries to escape from his fans by studying in the library. There, he meets a girl who he mistakes as one of his fans and tries to send her away. It turns out that the girl actually doesn't know that he is an idol. They continue to study together in the library, neither of them knowing the other's name, while love slowly blooms between them...

*Also another story titled We, the Demon,

and Christmas

Every year at the time of Christmas, the demon appears, and the Angel twins intend to catch him. <<less

Fuji Zeze is going to Hakone with her friend Ritsuko to participate in the final auditions of a Japanese idol competition, but in the middle... more>> of the mountains, the bus flips over. Too impatient to wait for the search and rescue team, she and Ritsuko, along with three others Mikami Renji, Tsuburaya Hajime, and Kaji Shinju, try to find their way out on their own. But, they soon learn that things are not all what they seem... <<less