１リットルの涙 / Ichi Rittoru no Namida /
One Litre of Tears / A Diary with Tears
The story contains both love and sadness, while teaching the power of perseverence. Kito Aya (木藤亜也) kept writing in her diary to remember her experiences until she could no longer hold a pen. She simply wished to live until the end of her life, and the purpose of writing in the diary was to remind herself to not give up. She shed tears many times, at the same time encompassed by the rich love and support from her family, friend. Aya felt sorry and at the same time, thankful to the people around helping her in her everyday life. She kept saying “Gomei” (sorry) and “Arigato” (thank you) in this show.
After she was diagnosed with Spinocerebellar Degeneration, she gave up many things which she hold dearly: basketball, her senior who she loved, and many other things. But she wanted to continue studying in her high school and did not wanted to transfer to a special school, even though she felt that she was troubling many people. She said that studying there is the only thing that will keep her alive- she wanted to be with her friends. Studying was the only thing that made her feel she is still “normal”.
So far, the diary of Aya has sold over 18 million copies. The series accurately depicts the pain and hardship she had to endure. I shed many tears watching this drama, and it has made me appreciate and love life. Aya's diary, "1 Liter of Tears" was published after her death, because of its inspiring and courageous message. "Just being alive is such a lovely and wonderful thing." How will her story affect you?
My tears flowed after almost every episode as I questioned myself, “What would I do if I were Aya?” In 1 litre of tears, you see a 15 year old young girl who was able to face her disease bravely, and tried her best to treasure the limited time she has with her friends, family and boyfriend everyday.
“1 Litre of Tears” stood out for a reason: it is not because Aya was upset because of her disease, she was touched by the love and patience she received from the people around her. I was amazed by the braveness with which she chose to live her life, as a strong girl at 15 years old, yet managed to face her cruel fate with a positive outlook, and tried her best to do whatever she could by herself.
To me, this was one of the best doramas of 2005, mainly because the reality of this story has enlightened me. I realized that my life is not that tough compared to those who are suffering from an incurable disease. The power of the love from her family and friends can be felt throughout the story (however cliche this sounds...), and encouraged me to be positive in my life even though there may be many difficulties and problems.
The series is rather short compared to other dramas. It is definitely worth watching and I would recommend it to anyone. The theme song, Only Human, by the Keita Tachibana (K), fits well with the drama and the emotions that the characters go through. This story contains both sadness and love, and I hope you guys will love this drama as much as I did. Overall, it's an incredibly emotional drama series that will definitely touch your heart.
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Episode Titles:
Ep 01: ある青春の始まり / The Beginning of my Youth
Ep 02: 15才、忍びよる病魔 / 15 years old, sickness that steals up
Ep 03: 病気はどうして私を選んだの / Why did the illness chose me?
Ep 04: 二人の孤独 / Solitude of two people
Ep 05: 障害者手帳 / A handicapped person notebook
Ep 06: 心ない視線 / Heartless glances
Ep 07: 私のいる場所 / The place where I am
Ep 08: 1リットルの涙 / 1 Litre of Tears
Ep 09: 今を生きる / I live now
Ep 10: ラブレター / Love Letter
Ep 11: 遠くへ、涙の尽きた場所に / Faraway, to the place where tears are exhausted
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Signing Off:
bEiNgeNcOuRaGed.jUsME.nObOdy.
.0009.5/1/2007.
