日剧跑！！！

 Episode 4 - the one where Asou-kun sprints for love (Jk)

This is one of my favorite episodes just because of the scene in the zoo, when the music Konayuki kicks in ahhhhhh all the feels!

Anyway here we go:

- Aya starting to lose her basketball skills... sad :'(

- Dr. Mizuno keeps talking about meds- what meds exactly? I'm not really aware of any meds that are used to treat SCA... 

- rehab makes sense

- Aya and senpai, for a second there, are kinda cute together! 

- the girl who likes Asou-kun is actually really pretty, she's like a model! It's so cute that she came to the hospital to see Aya.

- to this day I always wince when I watch the fireworks scene where she falls. That looks SUPER painful.

- so sad what happened to Asou's brother. Tragic accident. Watching his parents cry and Asou looking on made me tear up. I can't imagine what that's like as the sibling left behind. Craving your parents' love and attention, and at the same time guilty for being the one still alive. I want to give Asou a hug!

- I love love love the scene where Aya jokes to Asou about her disease, the callback to their earlier interaction! It's sad because we all know what she has but it's also a little funny and cuteeeee. Also, the way Asou smiles at her, boy you got it bad!

- I wanna punch the senpai's friend 

- it's sobering, the way the older basketball team members talk about Aya, like they're gossiping and maybe even making fun of her. Everyone else in the drama is so loving and kind, you sometimes forget there are assholes in life. But there totally are. 

- OK KONAYUKI SONG when that guitar starts strumming you just know it's going to be amazing

- I love watching Asou run!!!

- He is totally in love with Aya at this point, but doesn't know it yet! Look at him running like there's no tomorrow because he cares that she'll be sad or disappointed or lonely because he wants to be there for her gahhhhhhhh

- Asou, who doesn't give a damn about people since his brother died! (or so he thinks)

- the umbrella scene is SO GOOD! Look how he doesn't even mind he's drenched in the rain! He ONLY CARES ABOUT HER!

- the penguin story!!! trying to cheer her up/distract her!!!! but the penguin story is so symbolic! ASOU YOU'RE THE DADDY PENGUIN!!! 

- And Aya!!! she tells him about her disease for real! THIS IS THE FIRST PERSON SHE TELLS, other than her parents who already know!!! SHE TRUSTS ASOU!!!

Favorite scene: no question about it. The zoo, the rain, the penguins, the umbrella, everything.

Close runner-up: none, I really can't think of one, the zoo scene just stands out too much!

1 Litre of Tears (Ep3)

Now the waterworks begin.

I can't stand watching Aya's parents cry. Especially her dad. He's such a goofball but his eyes are so full of genuine emotion, I can't.

...

Last episode was Asou's brother's first appearance, but we see more of him in this one. I really love this character too even if he only shows up in a few flashbacks. He's got some nice quotes. "I love animals, but I love humans more." He's a doctor for the right reasons. I'm more like that random guy at the anniversary service who gets called out by Asou... >.>

...

Dr. Mizuno is so freaking handsome. He's too young and good-looking. They shouldn't have picked this actor because I get confused when I watch the scene with him and Aya. I almost start thinking this is a typical love triangle drama.

...

Another episode where I feel SO bad for Ako. Come on! If I were her, I'd run away from home. She's so misunderstood! I just want to give her a big hug.

I sure hope the mom apologized to Ako!!!

...

Aya and Asou - their "fight" scene is so good. It's such an important one! Before this, Asou starts to thinks of Aya as a nice girl who also likes stray dogs, maybe a friend. But it's AFTER this scene - when she cries and gets angry at him for saying that stuff about life and death - when she asks him, "Will you really not care if your friend or loved one die?" (so sad knowing what's to come) - THIS is when he really sees her under a different light. She's not just a classmate. She's someone dealing with some powerful and dark emotions. She's in pain. Asou's in pain all this time too, mourning the loss of his brother. That's why he gravitates towards her.

I must praise Sawajiri Erika's acting in this scene!!! 

And I love how a few scenes later he's like "YOU'RE the weird one." It's so adorably childish. They're really just teenagers!

Favorite scene: the singing competition at the end - so memorable, so iconic

Close runner-up: when Asou's dad asks him, "are you dating her?" I know he's asking cuz he's worried his son is involved with a sick girl, but the awkwardness of this scene just made me laugh

1 Litre of Tears (Ep 2)

Episode 2

Her mom goes through all the denial... 😢

Like last episode, I thought the diagnosis seemed a little too rushed, but maybe there were parts they didn't show on-screen (like bloodwork, LP, genetic testing - if that was a thing back then). 

It's understandable that her mom would want to seek out a second opinion. That first doctor she went to find a second opinion was awful, though. He basically was like "yeah spinocerebellar degeneration? Straightforward diagnosis." WTF. 

Also, wow, is this just how Japanese healthcare works - her mom was able to make an appointment with the O.G. neurologist in the field like late in the evening, presumably outside his regular office hours? Seriously impressive.

I have conflicted thoughts about the fact that her parents kept her from her diagnosis for so long.

On one hand, I get it, her parents are so worried what it's going to do to her psychologically. How DO you explain this to your teenaged child? They're old enough to understand the implications of what an incurable disease means. They also don't have a fully developed frontal lobe yet so like, how will they process this? 

The western perspective has always been one where we, as providers, feel the patient deserves to know the truth, all about patient autonomy, etc. So maybe it has biased me. But imagining myself in Aya's shoes, I think it's also really, really hard to decide if I would want to know or not.

If you don't know what's coming, you can live in blissful ignorance.

But it'll be stressful still, not knowing what's going on when you do sense things are off. Not having closure, not having that certainty.

I think ultimately, I would want to know, even if it's really painful. Because you'd have some kind of preparation, emotionally, for what's to come. And like that doctor says, you need time to process and accept something like this, and that's one thing you won't have on your side. Time.

But I'm sure once I know, I'll have thoughts like, "I wish I didn't know."

Sigh.

This episode was really hard to watch.

"Why Aya?"

I don't know, why bad things happen to some people. They just do.

...

The only little tidbits of fluff and warmth that can buffer the pain in this episode - adorable doggo, Asou-kun and Aya grow closer, protective Aya's dad with his hilarious expressions.

On a side note, poor Ako (the sister). She obviously feels that her parents are playing favoritism. She's jealous and hurt. Little does she know what's lying ahead for Aya and the whole family. Ako's one of my favorite characters in this show and I already remember that the turning point of her arc will hit me so hard in a few more episodes.

Also - is this the first time we hear Sangatsu Kokonoka?? ♥♥♥

Favorite scene: Aya's dad's reaction when she brings Asou home

                                                    

                                                        literally his face

Close runner-up: Aya's reaction when she's talking to the doggo about her crush and Asou sneaks up on her and she's like... I'm outta here 😂😂 so relatable

1 Litre of Tears rewatch (ep 1)

 

1 Litre no Namida (2005)

Rewatching possibly one of the best TV dramas in my opinion. This left such a strong impression on me growing up. Not gonna lie, it may have had some influence on me ultimately choosing my career path, but obviously you'll never catch me admitting this in an interview 😝

Episode 1 - ""The Beginning of my Youth"

I'm just enraptured by the warmth of this drama. Her family is so loving and colorful. Love how they quickly and smoothly introduced us to Aya, the eldest daughter, responsible, smart, kind, pretty, the "perfect child" "perfect student" like her younger sister so grudgingly calls her. She had it all going for her. Which makes the story so heartbreaking.

Her mother is a physical therapist (?) - I didn't notice this on my first watch. That makes sense that she would have been the first to notice the symptoms, then, because she's not only a mother, she's also in the medical field. 

I'm impressed how much attention to detail the makers of the drama paid to her disease - during the examination with the neurologist, they even got the nystagmus and saccadic intrusions right! The finger to nose dysmetria! So good!

My only critique is the diagnosis happened a little too fast- one MRI? No labs? No spinal tap? The doctor just took a look at her and the shrinkage of her cerebellum and decided it was the neurodegenerative form? 

(Also wow, not only did they get to see the neurologist without a wait time, the MRI brain happened the SAME VISIT! Is it really how things be in Japan???)

And, lastly, I have to gush about Nikishido Ryo's character - our totally emo/punkish/rebel male lead. I'm all about character developments and he has one of the most beautiful character arcs. As well as his relationship with Aya.

"Enemies to friends" trope here - sort of. He's a jerk to her at the beginning, but he's a good kid at heart. Or he'd never have offered to take her to the school on his bike! Awwww.

She's put off by his reaction when she tries to thank him. She has a terrible opinion of him, hahaha. Yeah, he does seem like a weirdo.

(He had GUNS on his bedroom wall, like WTF?! lmao... thank god for Aya, I'm scared to think how he would've turned out otherwise)

Aya's little speech at the end - I get a little cringe watching this, can you imagine if she tried to say this in an American high school, she'd get crushed. But it's a sweet and inspiring little speech and because it's a warm and gentle drama with warm and gentle people (for the most part), she wins over her classmates. Awwww.

Favorite scene: any scene with her family in it, especially her dad

Close runner-up: the scene with her and Asou-kun at the hospital. It's the first time they really talk outside of class!