Waterfall & Wings Version 1

I never cried this much watching a drama before.

Not for Korean dramas def. "Autumn's Tale" was sad but I don't think I expended that much tears. I didn't cry for "Beautiful Life" nor "Summer Snow". Seriously, they weren't THAT sad. 「魔女の条件」 and 「神様、もう少しだけ」 were very depressing dramas to me but somehow, they weighed more on the heart, not so much the tear ducts. Actually, I am not even a person who cries easily when watching TV.

But 「１リットルの涙」...
(translated as "1 litre of tears")

OH MY GOODNESS. I really think I cried 3 litres. (and on a Valentine's day... x_x)
I used sooo much tissue, my dustbin was half-filled just watching the last 2 epis!!

My office is circulating a few dramas and one of them is "1 litre of tears". And I am not even joking but whoever watched the last few epis all cried buckets and end up with PUFFY EYES at work the next day. It's like a chain effect! My senpai who passed the last 3 epis to me, her eyes were swollen like a goldfish! (which goes to show that we should NOT watch sad dramas if we are working the next day.) My eyes were so sore after I finished the drama and I got a headache at work the next day from crying too much! And not to mention that the beautiful theme song keeps playing in my head... Uwaahh~~ T-T

IT IS SUCH A TOUCHING STORY!!!! And of cos, VERY SAADD!!!!! (And thought-provoking.) And more so because it is based on a true story!! Stories based on true stories or at least real events always tend to hit me more rather than pure fiction. Which explains why Majo and Kamisama bothers me so much. Nishikido Ryo is in this drama, though he wasn't exactly lead. But he was convincing. He's really good in it actually!! *thumbs up* I think I cried everytime he cried... x_x

Basically, the drama is based on the true story of a girl called Kito Aya who developed a horrible disease when she was only 15 and at the prime of her life. The disease is called 脊髄小脳変性症 (sekizui shounou no hensei shou) or spinocerebellum degeneration. The cerebellum in the brain (which controls the activity of the muscles) of those people with this disease contracts over time for an unknown reason. As a result, the person will lose control of his body gradually. And I feel what is so terrible about this disease is that it does not affect the mind. So the patient is entirely aware of the changes in his body, but totally helpless. There is no known cure. Just imagine how scary it is to wake up every morning and realising your body is slowly degenerating!! Being unable to do the simplest things that we take for granted everyday like eating, speaking, writing, walking, pressing the numbers on a phone, bladder control, etc. The story follows Aya (renamed as Ikeuchi Aya in the drama) as she battles the disease emotionally and physically. She keeps a diary as a proof of her existence and to direct her fears and forced herself to keep writing until she could no longer hold a pen. In the end, her diary was published and it helped to give courage to many people, those sick like her and inspired many others. The real Aya passed away at the age of 25 in 1988.

In the drama, the girl acting as Aya is Sawajiri Erika. She looks really sweet and has super long eyelashes!! I L*O*V*E her eyelashes! I am always staring at them when I am not crying. In the first few epis, I thought she looked a lot like Fukada Kyoko but not so much at the end. Her eyes are really pretty and she really did a fabulous job potraying Aya. YOU CANNOT NOT FEEL FOR HER. Ryo acts as her classmate Aso Haruto, who falls for her despite her disease. Ryo does not exist in reality but apparently the real Aya's mother wanted her daughter to have the chance to fall in love with someone (cos she wasn't able to in real life) and requested for Ryo's character to be added in. However, the story is not really about romantic love, but the meaning of living. And family love I guess. I was almost afraid to watch each following episode cos I too was scared like Aya. What will tomorrow bring for her??? She fears going to sleep as she don't want to wake up the next morning to find that her body has degenerated even more. The passing of time to her is scary. I always believe in this and this drama portrays this 100%. Nothing is more important than health.

I took some screencaps, mostly from the final episode. It may spoil some people.

I thought Ryo looks very good in this scene! And he seems to have mastered something that Takki is also great at! Exuding sadness. In fact, this shot reminds me of Takki! Ryo used to look a lot like Takki when he was young, esp the eyes. Anyway, it is soooo tsurai for Haruto (Ryo's character) to see how Aya have to suffer through each passing day and being unable to help. Kurushiiiiii~~~ x_x

OMG, this final scene with Aya and Haruto got me totally BAWLING!!! My tears were flowing out without control!! I was using tissue after tissue!! I NEVER CRIED SO MUCH!!! By the last epi here, Aya uses a character board (cos she can no longer talk) to communicate with people. She tells Haruto to "live". And Haruto was crying so hard!! *Floodgates wide open*

Aya asks Haruto to read her diary and when Haruto came to the last page, he totally broke down. (And I cried again. Heck, I didn't think I stopped crying at all...) There, in Aya's desperate scribble as she struggled holding a pen (at that time when she could still write), she wrote "Arigatou". Initially when she got the disease, she kept apologising to everyone for causing them trouble, but after that she learnt to thank them instead. It was really REALLLLY touching.

Oh my god, this is uber UBER sad too!!! Haruto looks up from the diary and sees Aya falling asleep. And even in her sleep, she was crying!! (see right pic) Thou they were kinda like tears of joy. Because by then she has totally accepted her condition. She was actually smiling as she cried because she dreamt of herself playing basketball. Waaaahhhhhh~~~~ Ayaaaa~~~~~~

Aya's father flipping through the photo album after she passed away and you can see Aya when she was still healthy.

This is the ultimate last scene and it was SOOOOOO touching!!!!! Aya has passed away by then. It's a dreamy scene. She plays basketball in the gym and sees Haruto then smiles. Finally in tengoku, she can do this. *criesssss*

Seriously, this is one hella painful drama to watch, but you cannot stop once you start. Even for people who dislike sad dramas, I strongly recommend this. Because I believe everyone who watches this drama will start to appreciate everything they have and can do. After this drama, I begin to see things differently and be thankful for everything. Thankful that I can walk, thankful that I can sit and type, thankful that I can hear my voice, thankful that I can be with my friends, thankful that I can squeal about Takki, etc.

The soundtrack for this drama is really great! There is the insert song "Konayuki" (meaning powder snow) by Remioromen. Click here for a performance of it on Music Station. They also sing another one called "San gatsu touka" (meaning 9th of March). And then the ending theme, this super melodic song by K (who has an incredible voice) called "Only Human". Uwaaahhhh, just listening to these songs make me wanna cry... ... T-T My favourite of the 3 is Konayuki!!! Makes me think of all the scenes from the drama when I hear it... And the lead singer sure displayed his exceptional lung power in this song.

で、皆さま、悲しいけど、是非、このドラマを見てください。
必ずに何かを学ぶから。

The real Kito Aya, she taught people never to take things for granted.
For her courage, I salute her!

Someone actually uploaded the entire drama with eng subs on youtube.
But before you click on it, prepare your tissue. Loads of it.