Anime News Network reports that the author of Glass Mask, Miuchi Suzue, is planning to finally finish the 30+ year shoujo classic. The story of a young girl with an uncanny natural talent for acting and performance, Glass Mask is currently at 44 volumes.

Glass Mask is a very unique series, in no small part due to the fact that it has weathered the storm of changing trends in artistic and storytelling styles in shoujo over the decades, retaining its highly melodramatic 70s shoujo aesthetic. Eyes are extra sparkly, emotions run so high they bleed off the page, and absolutely everything is presented with the utmost importance because that’s the way the era ofRose of Versailles (Ikeda Riyoko) and Heart of Thomas (Hagio Moto) rolled.

Long-time fans of Glass Mask will likely be conflicted by this news, not only because it essentially means the end of an era, but also because girls who read it in elementary school may very well now be finishing the series as mothers, bringing with them years of experience and nostalgia.

Glass Mask has had numerous anime adaptations, but the most recent one is actually available in its entirety on Crunchyroll. While the new series has taken steps to modernize the character designs, the melodrama is still omnipresent and powerful.