1 Litre Of Tears

Speaking of kids, what if you had a child who was diagnosed with a terrible disease? Most of us never think of such a scenario. The 2005 Japanese TV drama 1 litre of tears was based on the 1986 book by Aya Kito. Starring Eriko Sawajiri as Aya.

It is sad, not depressing, yet full of joie de vivre, and thanks to Youtube, we can at least get a hint of what may happen to a family when this sort of thing strikes...

This beautifully moving drama is based on the real-life struggles of a 15-year-old girl named Aya who suffered from an incurable disease, but lived life to the fullest until her death at 25. The script is based on the diary Aya kept writing until she could no longer hold a pen. The book that later followed entitled “One Litre of Tears" has sold over 1.1 million copies in Japan alone. Fifteen year old Ikeuchi Aya was just a normal girl, soon to be high school student and daughter of a family who works at a shop that makes tofu.

Or you can rent it, or buy it, I suppose. With English subtitles.

Means a lot to me. I should tell this story right though. Just as I was entering high school, my father was diagnosed with a life-treathening disease, and we thought he wouldn't make it. Some 30 years later, he is still around, still writing his columns about classical music for the local newspaper. But we didn't know that back then. I can't speak for others, but when a parent or a child is in this kind of situation, everyone suffers, and grows, having to learn from the day-to-day exposure with kurashi. I really wish I had known that as I went to college, far away.

Part 1:



Part 2: http://youtu.be/B2CS7yKO8T8

Part 3 (When the mother first notices the signs of Aya's disease): http://youtu.be/Msqgn4HDXoM

Part 4 (When things get serious...): http://youtu.be/en5JIp2P9D8