The main actress and actor had such amazing chemistry that even after months, just hearing the song "Konayuki" by Remioromen breaks my heart. Thus being said the soundtrack is beautiful.
The reason I didn't give the rewatch value a 10 is because, despite this being a flawless drama, it's too heartbreaking for me to watch again. I would really love to, since it's my favorite, but I have never cried so much in my life. You will want to watch it again but if you are like me, you're not sure your heart can take it.
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First, let's talk about the story. The plot of "Ichi Rittoru No Namida" is taken from a real story of a young girl called also Aya. Even if there was some modification to make it much more dramatic, lot of sentences in the drama are taken from the book. It gives even more impact to the story. I'm always touched by people who have illness so even more when it's this kind of uncurable illness... After watching the drama, I got interested in knowing more about the illness and did lot of research ! I promise you that you'll not be disappointed in watching this drama.
Why ? Not only because the story is well written but also because the actors act really well. First, I'm a big fan of Nishikido Ryo (so of course he do act well) and Sawajiri Erika is someone I already saw playing an ill girl in Taiyou No Uta. First thought: she plays only ill people? Well, that didn't last long because she is really good in playing that role. It's rather frightening. The family of Aya is also played by really good actors and the little girl is SOOOO CUUUUUTE U.U
As for the music, we can say the OST of this drama is... ONE OF THE BEST KNOWN OST EVER IN ASIA. Everyone who will watch this drama will fall in love with Konayuki and Sangatsu Kokonoka. Those two songs are really emblems of the drama. BUT the OST do not contain only those two songs and I'm pretty sure all the songs you will hear in the drama will make you feel moved and cry. Not kidding, just try and tell me.
So much good points lead to a rewatch value really high. I gave 9 instead of 10 because you will anticipate the story afterward and try to skip some parts to not let you cry. Haha. But don't worry. This rewatch value still remains that high even if you watch it 1000 times.
Don't ever hesitate watching this drama. Even if you will feel kind of... depressed afterwards. You will really think: "Wow, that was really a drama."
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This review may contain spoilers
I cried so much watching the later half of the series. This series lived up to its name. I would've cried even more if I didn't care about how terribly puffy my eyes would get the next day.Excellent story. I thought that there would be some bits of romance compared to the movie but there's more friendship than romance. I love it. Great casts. My favourites would be the ones who played Aya's parents. I cried watching every heartbroken moments from them. I love the music. The melody and lyrics fit the story well.
I don't know if I would watch it again without any tears. The story really gets to me that I can't explain how much I enjoy it. It shows us the value of family, friendship and life. It taught me a lesson of the value of my life too. It's sad that the real Aya and other people with the same disease, or other incurable diseases, had to go through all this in their lives. I don't know how to end this review lol but hoping there's not spoiler in it. Fully recommend anyone to watch this.
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And I think it does a great job at portraying how illness can affect a life, much better than many hollywood movies. This just felt so real, and it's even more inspiring knowing that it's based on a true story. I think I'm going to read Aya's book next.
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I love this story despite its disconsolate premise and tragic ending. Why? Because first, it makes you grateful in life, of the fact that your family is still with you despite the countless bills you have to pay, of the fact that you're alive and healthy despite the heartbreak you may have suffered or the job you lost just a week ago. It never fails to remind you to be thankful of the people you have in your life and those little things you may take for granted every day (like being able to walk, use your hands, or just simply being able to see the world), to be compassionate, and to be selfless to certain family members who need your time and love. Second, Aya's life story teaches you how to be strong and keep your faith in God. I cannot even imagine what I would do if I had been in Aya's shoes. Imagine, suffering from a ruthless disease without any hope of recovery? Agonizing. Yet, she managed to deal with this very hard blow at such a young age with the maturity of a person maybe twice her age. At 15, she had the whole world at her feet. And yet, she needed to handle this heavy burden. You may ask yourself, "how could this happen to her? why would God allow her to experience such suffering?" For me, it was because she was especially chosen for this mission: to uplift people who had lost hope or are about to lose hope. Losing hope is the most dangerous thing that can happen to anybody. Hopelessness prevents people from thinking that there is still an opportunity to change things and that problems are transient. It's a path to suicide. And it hurts not only yourself but also the people who care about you and those unfortunate enough to come across your way because it makes you numb to another person's pain.
Sawajiri Erika was wonderful, just wonderful. I'm sure her performance in this drama would've made the real Aya in heaven proud and happy. It was earnest as I had felt her struggles, her fears and her gratitude as if she was a close friend. I thought Ryo Nishikido was wooden at first. He didn't seem to express any feeling apart from anger and standoffishness. But later on, when he fell in love with Aya I could see him gradually open up after his brother's tragic death. It was difficult to 'get through' him because he had shut himself out. Not even his parents could understand him. But Aya broke down those walls. I'm grateful that Aya's real mother made the suggestion to the producers that Aya be given a fictional love interest like Haruto. It softened somewhat the impact of her suffering and death because she was given another person to support her and love her. The real Aya must have been really lonely.
Aya's family were wonderful as well. I especially loved the mother and younger sister. Honestly, I initially didn't like her sister because she was petty and mean but she proved me wrong. I loved that she was very protective of Aya whenever people made fun of the latter because she had begun to walk in a funny way as the disease progressed. Oh and the OST? Listening to 'Konayuki' all over again makes my eyes tear up.
There are instances when a drama loses its luster and charm after a lapse of time but you know what, the fact that I watched it more than a couple of years back is immaterial because I realized that the emotional impact and the lessons which this drama gave me remain. So what if it's a "sad" drama? Don't be put off by the nature of the story, it being a tearjerker and such, and that the ending (or every episode, depending on how sensitive you are as a viewer) will most likely make you weep and sniffle. But watch it because it's a story about strength, about hope, about keeping it together no matter what happens in life. Life, after all, is a battlefield. We need to pick ourselves up after every fall, every heartbreak and every failure. Aya was able to do it. So should we.
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1 Litre of Tears deserves nothing less than a 10. This is my third time around watching it, and the only reason why I rated the rewatch value a 6 is because this is not an everyday drama, something you watch just to pass the time. It can be emotionally draining, and you need to be in the right sort of mood to watch it.
I wouldn't watch this drama all the time, but I would definitely recommend it to everyone out there. Whether you're a jdrama fan or not, I think everyone should watch 1 Litre of Tears at least once in their lifetime. Especially if you are a jdrama fan. How can you call yourself one if you've yet to see this? It's such a powerful drama. All about Aya, a 15 year old girl who's diagnosed with such a cruel disease. Her disease gradually takes away her motor functions, and little everyday things you and I take for granted.
This drama will open up your heart and really make you appreciate the abilities you have now. Ako (Aya's sister) says what I think is a pivotal message in this drama. "To actually have the ability, but to do nothing, I really don't like that." After watching this drama, you'll reevaluate everything. You'll definitely have a new outlook on life. I know I did. If this 15 year old girl, with such a hopelessly cruel disease is able to find a purpose to keep living, to keep pushing through to the next day, why can't any of us do the same?
1 Litre of Tears is near and dear to my heart. I love it so much. Of all the jdramas I've seen, I'd say this is the one everyone needs to watch. If you absolutely hate crying, and it's a deal breaker for you, then I can honestly say it's your loss. It's such a profound story, with an equally amazing cast, and the soundtrack is breathtaking. You're not human if your eyes don't at least water. Excellent drama.
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The acting was great. Sawajiri Erika, the 'mother', the 'father', the siblings, Nishikido Ryo were great.I actually started to like Nishikido Ryo as an actor because of the way he gave life to Asou Haruto, although, from what I know Haruto was actually an imaginary friend of Aya (the real Aya).
The music is PERFECT! It fist perfectly with the story. Even now, if I listen just the first seconds of 'Only Human' by K, I would start to tear up.
All in all, if a friend of mind who didn't watched even one drama in her/his life I would definitely say "Watch 1 Litre of tears!'.
"1 Litre of Tears' is drama worth of your time! You won't regret watching it.
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The acting is superb, especially the main characters. They did a terrific job, and it makes me wonder if they had to use eye drops or if their tears were for real.
The music went along with the story, and the main song "Only Human" by K I liked a lot after watching a few episodes. It really fits.
My rewatch value is low, because, like some other reveiwers have stated, this show is very emotional and heartbreaking.
Overall, I think this show is a must watch. Why? It's inspired by a true story, and it's very moving and inspirational, making you wonder about your own place in life. You might not cry 1 Litre of Tears while watching this drama, I didn't, but I still cried a lot, especially in the later episodes. I would say you'd have to be a stone-cold person to not even feel a thing after watching this show.
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The story is absolutely brilliant. The fact that this happened in reality and that there are still thousands of people suffering from this disease is truly saddening and heartbreaking. I can the portrayal of a person's disability in it was 100% accurate. It was so realistic that I felt like it was actually happening in front of me. The main cast gave outstanding performances- especially Sawajiri Erika. She was so convincing that I felt her pain.
Apt to its title, this drama could make you cry a lot- depending on you. I am going to confess that there were a few times I absolutely teared up. In fact, I think not tearing up while watching this would be inhumane. Anybody who is capable of feeling sorry for the physically disabled or people suffering from painful diseases will be able to feel it here too. Aya (both the fictional and real one) is a very inspiring person. The things she recorded in her diary is deep and moving.
The way they showed the transformation of an ordinary girl's life after she encounters Spinocerebellar Atrophy was the main focus of the drama. More than her struggle, it was also focused on how it affects those around her- be it friends, parents, siblings, teachers or regular people you meet on the street. It makes me think of all the physically disabled people I have seen in public. I think I can understand their feelings more clearly now.
This drama is almost like a documentary made on Aya's life. Neither is it happy to begin with nor does it end happily. But the sadness and tears aren't the only things in it. Most of all- it will remind you to treasure life and be thankful for what you have. There's a deeper underlying meaning to it too. It also showcases the kindness and cruelty of humans and their attitude towards such people. In a lot of countries, people are still not aware of hardships such people have to go through and treat them badly. Just like Aya said, "Why did it choose me?" The matter of falling ill was not by choice but only cruel fate.
This drama is one of the rare gems that you should definitely not miss out on. Watching it once was enough for me, so no rewatch value where I am concerned.
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it's seriously emotional, and the fact it's based on a real girl and what she went through facing the disease, it makes it so much more emotional.
All the characters are well acted and easy to believe, i cried in every episode and it left me heartbroken but inspired at the same time
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A MESSAGE TO THOSE WHO DROPPED OR HESITATING TO START THIS DRAMA BECAUSE OF ITS SAD STORY:
If you’ve dropped this drama or hesitating in starting because of sad story then I consider this as the biggest mistake in drama world. You’re missing a truly amazing show. You can’t expect happy ending every time. Sometimes happy endings can’t satisfy you but bittersweet or sad endings can satisfy. This is the one that satisfies everything, it’s sad but really beautiful glance at life. After all death is the reality of everyone’s life. SOME OF YOU MIGHT HAVE THOUGHT THAT THIS DRAMA IS DEPRESSING BECAUSE OF SAD BACKGROUND BUT THIS DRAMA ISN’T DEPRESSING AT ALL.
The story is original and it contains both happiness and sadness. Because this story is mainly focused on Aya Kito’s life there isn’t much romance but it’s balanced. The story is based on the real life story of Aya Kito (Ikeuchi in this drama) from her diary, a 15 year old girl with Spinocerebellar Ataxia. Spinocerebellar Ataxia causes to lose control over body. Aya wrote diary when she was fighting against this illness. She kept writing this diary till she was able to write. Most lovely thing about Aya is that she managed to face her cruel fate with very lively positive attitude.
Another great thing about this drama is it’s ending of each episode with photos of Aya Kito and quotes from her diary….that added extra touch in this drama.
After watching this show you’ll realize how precious and beautiful life is…This show will teach you different aspects of life, motivates you, makes you to rethink about your life and makes you to live every moment of your life.
Erika Sawajiri wonderfully performs as Aya in this show. She was brilliant, pure, genuine and graceful. Not only Erika but everyone was great Mother, Father, and little girl, her friends, Asou and her sister Ako. One thing I want to mention is that Asou is the totally fictional character. He was added because Aya’s mother wanted him in this series because Aya couldn’t have romance when she was alive.
The theme song, Kona-Yuki, by the Japanese band Remioromen and Only Human by K fits well with the drama and the emotions that the characters go through. Other soundtracks are as great as Kona-Yuki and Only Human.
I won’t say to have a box of tissues while watching this drama. Just feel the depths of emotions, let the tears shed-don’t wipe them and feel the great feeling of tears…. But I recommend having an entire litre jug of water by your side if possible; you’re going to be that dehydrated from crying.
And remember how great your life is….family….friends….love….hope….”Just being alive is such a lovely and wonderful thing.”
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