Special Parfait of the Week: One Liter of Tears

The story begins as Aya prepares for the new semester. Despite being happy, she suffers from slight physical problems, which only her mother seems to notice. However, one day, she falls unconsciously on the floor. After she is sent to the hospital, she is shortly diagnosed with the disease. Despite the fact that she is diagnosed with the terminal illness, she does not lose the will to survive.

She still makes friends with others, including her first love, Yuji. She later develops an interest in Haruto. Although somewhat cold, Haruto was still kind to her. Meanwhile, her health continues to deteriorate. Knowing that she will not survive for long, she returns the gift Haruto has given, who discovers the fact when he reads the love letter that Aya gave him.

Aya Kitō proved her courage and positive attitude towards an uncertain future when suffering such an illness, spinocerebellar ataxia. The drama spans a decade, during which she graduates from school while her conditions worsen.

This drama examines the complex range of feelings that patient, family, friends, and the general community, undergo during the painful process when someone so young is diagnosed with a terminal disease. In doing so, the script considers particularly the domestic situation of caring for an ill relative who requires specialized attention, but it also critiques general attitudes towards the disabled in Japanese society. Every new day for Aya means accepting new obstacles and new losses. Therefore, most importantly, this series commemorates the indomitable spirit who wrote a "record of a girl who was chosen by this strange disease."

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1_Litre_no_Namida_(TV_series)

If you are looking for an inspirational drama, then One Liter of Tears is perfect for you. It's based on an actual story of Aya Kitou, even though some characters were just added to make the story more meaningful. These additional elements helped in portraying the stuggles, challenges and the inner feelings of Aya. The screenplay is balanced, following the actual diary and managing the additional elements.

The reason why I watched this series is because I admire the courage of Aya in living her life. Even though faced with a degenerative disease (Spinocerebellar ataxia), that didn't stopped her from enjoying her life. She's motivated to continue on living and is willing to use any means just to live life as normal as she can.

So try watching this one! You will get to shed some tears as the story progresses because you will really be moved by Aya's story.