Ichi Rittoru no Namida
Cast
Ikeuchi Aya - Sawajiri Erika
Ikeuchi Shioka - Yakushimaru Hiroko
Ikeuchi Mizuo - Jinnai Takanori
Asou Haruto - Nishikido Ryo
Asou Yoshifumi - Katsuno Hiroshi
Kawamoto Yuji - Matsuyama Kenichi
Mizuno Hiroshi - Fujiki Naohito
Synopsis
Ikeuchi Aya (brilliantly played by newcomer Sawajiri Erika) is a normal fifteen year old girl. She is energetic and intelligent, a student representative and a basketball player. Her family owns a tofu shop and she lives with her parents, and her three younger siblings. Aya leads a happy life at home and at school. That is, until weird things begin to happen to her. She beings to fall, trip, and drop things from her hands often. She seems to be losing control of her own body's reflexes. Concerned, her mother (Yakushimaru Hiroko) brings her to the doctor (played by Fujiki Naohito) who diagnoses Aya with SCA (Spinocerebellar Degeneration/Ataxia).
Aya is an exceedingly optimistic girl who is the sunshine of many people's lives. She puts a smile on everyone's face as she walks by. Aya shows compassion and bravery when living with her disease. Although, many people are supportive and tend to help, there comes a limit to how much assistance they were willing to offer. Aya was touched by the love and patience she received from her family as well as Haruto, her love interest, who all stood beside her until the very end. The most amazing thing about Aya is that she managed to face her cruel fate with a positive outlook, and tried her best to do everything by herself.
Aya 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 the diary was to remind herself not to give up. Aya touched the hearts of the many people around her and inspired them, for even though she had to give up her passion for basketball or her ability to speak, she kept on smiling - and most importantly, she kept living. Until her very last breath, she never stopped fighting. After her death, her family published her series of diaries and they became a huge inspiration to teenagers and adults all over Japan.
Comments
It should have been forewarned that viewers would need a box or two of tissues - or maybe a bucket - with them while watching this drama. I hadn't expected it to be so emotional. This drama is based on the true story of Kitou Aya (1962 - 1988), a young girl who had a rare neurological disease known as Spinocerebellar Degeneration. This disease causes the loss of reflexes due to the degeneration of brain cells that coordinate movement.
This tear-jerker of a drama follows the life and struggles of Aya and the people around her. It tells of how she coped with the news of her incurable illness, of how love and friendships were put to the test, and of how she decided to live life to the fullest. Once she got past the initial shock, Aya concentrated on living. As the disease slowly ate away her abilities to walk or speak, she wrote. She wrote her life story down into her diaries until the day she could no longer hold a pen. Her story paved the way for this heart-rending tale, also known as "The Diary of Tears".
I really enjoyed this drama. When I first heard of it, I just brushed it off. One day, I was bored and I decided it would be a good way to pass time. But as I watched the first episode, I was hooked. I became obsessed with Aya's story and I was desperate to pass it on. Although Asou Haruto's character was completely fictional, his development throughout the drama was touching. He appears to want nothing to do with Aya, but as he learns of her illness, he tells her that he wants her to live, only to have her respond with a touching, "Live on." My favorite scene with these two has to be when Haruto is reading her diary. As he is reading, flashbacks are shown; "Will I be able to marry someday?" Asou reads as a playback of Aya sitting in her wheelchair and staring at him.
I felt the most touching parts of this story would be the reactions of the people who were directly involved in Aya's life. The many tears that her family and Aya herself have shed throughout the drama really corresponds with the title Ichi Rittoru no Namida. I can't remember which episode, but there was one where her doctor had an emotional breakdown in his office. Also, Aya's younger sister, Ako, also matured.
After watching this drama, I got this heavy feeling in my chest. I realized that not only do we take our abilities for granted, but we take life for granted as well. Aya has been a true inspiration to me, and she will continue to affect me in my everyday life.
Just being able to live, is a beautiful thing.
Extras
Trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ss-81waxvRA
