1 Litre no Namida (TV series)

1 Litre no Namida
Genre	Tragedy, drama, school, romance
Starring	Erika Sawajiri Hiroko Yakushimaru Ryō Nishikido Takanori Jinnai
Ending theme	Only Human
Country of origin	Japan
Original language	Japanese
No. of episodes	11 (list of episodes)
Production
Producer	Satoko Kashikawa
Original release
Network	Fuji Television
Release	October 11, 2005 – December 20, 2005

1 Litre no Namida (1リットルの涙, Ichi Rittoru no Namida, lit. "1 Litre of Tears"; also called A Diary with Tears or A Diary of Tears) is a Japanese television drama for Fuji Television about a girl who was diagnosed with an incurable degenerative disease at 15, but was able to continue her life until her death at the age of 25.

The drama is an adaptation of the diary of a Japanese girl named Aya Kitō, who suffered from spinocerebellar ataxia. She began keeping a diary at the suggestion of her doctor, and continued to write until she could no longer hold a pen. The diary, titled 1 Litre no Namida, was published shortly after her death.

Synopsis

This 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. 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.

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 a gift to Haruto, who discovers the fact when he reads the love letter that Aya gave him.

In the last episode, she dies peacefully, and her parents mourn her.

Fan reactions

There have been various reactions from fans of the drama. Some fans have found it so touching and jokingly said that they cried "1 litre of tears" while watching the drama.

The drama has also been criticized by some fans that, although it was considered a "romance" drama, Aya and Haruto never kiss, and never even hugged, held hands, or displayed other forms of affection. Some speculate that it was because the producers wanted the drama to be more realistic to Haruto's somewhat cold personality, and that the real Aya never got to experience romantic love, but others countered that true love transcends physical affection and is the most important.

There have also been comparisons between Aya and Anne Frank and their will to survive.

Episodes

Main article: List of 1 Litre of Tears episodes

Special episode

On April 5, 2007, Fuji Television aired a three hour special of the series set half a year after Aya's death and focuses on Haruto Asō, who has now become a doctor at the same hospital Aya was treated in and Ako Ikeuchi, Aya's younger sister who is a training nurse. Haruto meets a 14-year-old female patient, who was bullied in school and injured herself to end up in hospital just to avoid school, as well as losing her will of living. It reminds Haruto of how Aya fought her illness and lived her life with her condition and he supports the patient. Aya reappears in the episode using a number of flashbacks from the series and in new scenes.

Cast

• Erika Sawajiri - Aya Ikeuchi
• Hiroko Yakushimaru - Shioka Ikeuchi (Aya's mother)
• Ryō Nishikido - Haruto Asō (Aya's later love interest and her lover)
• Takanori Jinnai - Mizuo Ikeuchi (Aya's father)
• Riko Narumi - Ako Ikeuchi (Aya's little sister)
• Naohito Fujiki - Hiroshi Mizuno (Doctor)
• Saori Koide - Mari Sugiura (One of Aya's best friends)
• Yuma Sanada - Hiroki Ikeuchi (Aya's little brother)
• Ani Miyoshi - Rika Ikeuchi (Aya's youngest sister)
• Kenichi Matsuyama - Yuji Kawamoto (Aya's first love interest)
• Kana Matsumoto - Saki Matsumura
• Momosuke Mizutani - Kohei Onda
• Ryo Hashidume - Keita Nakahara
• Hiroshi Katsuno - Yoshifumi Asō (Haruto's father)
• Asae Onishi (大西麻恵) - Asumi Oikawa (Aya's roommate when she was in disability school. She has the same disease as Aya)
• Yuuki Sato - Keisuke Asō (Haruto's brother)
• Maya Hamaoka - Kikue Oikawa
• Kazuko Katō (かとうかずこ) - Madoka Fujimura
• Toshihide Tonesaku - Kiichi Takano (One of the volunteers at the disability who later gets married to the head teacher of the disability school)
• Shigeyuki Satō - Nishino (Home room teacher of Aya when she was still in the normal high school)

Alternate versions of this drama

Continental Airlines aired a feature film-length version of the original TV series on flights from Houston and Newark in the United States to Narita Airport in Narita, Japan in May 2007.

Indonesian Production House SinemArt's drama, titled Buku Harian Nayla (Nayla's Diary), has been accused of plagiarizing 1 Litre of Tears. The series bears some striking resemblances, like the name "Aya" being replaced with "Nayla" (Chelsea Olivia) and Moses (Ralph Glenn Alinskie) in place of Asou. The series aired in RCTI as a special Christmas series. The comparison between the two series have been discussed by the show's audience. The scenario was written by Serena Luna (or sometimes called Chevyra Edenia).

Indonesian fans of 1 Litre no Namida have reported this admitted plagiarism problem to Fuji TV and the Indonesian mass media, but there has yet to be a response. What most upsets them is that RCTI failed to credit or acknowledge Fuji TV and 1 Litre of Tears, from which the story is presumed to have been adapted, and noted that "This story is fictitious: the similarities of names, characters, places, and times are purely coincidental."

Amrita TV is to dub 1 Litre no Namida.

Broadcasts

Japan

Original run: October 11, 2005—December 20, 2005
Theme song(s): Only Human by K
Konayuki (粉雪) and Sangatsu Kokonoka (3月9日) by Remioromen

Hong Kong

Original run: October 15—December 30, 2006
Theme song(s): Stubborn (固執) by Jason Chan (TV)
Xiang Ai Bu Xiang Ai (想愛不相愛) by Ivana Wong (Movie)

Indonesia

Original run: May 4, 2007—May 18, 2007
Theme song(s): Only Human by K
Konayuki (粉雪) and Sangatsu Kokonoka (3月9日) by Remioromen

Taiwan

Original run: July 2, 2007—July 18, 2007
Theme song(s): Only Human by K
Konayuki (粉雪) and Sangatsu Kokonoka (3月9日) by Remioromen

Malaysia

Original run: August 4, 2007 —October 20, 2007
Channel and time slot: 8TV, Saturdays, 6 pm - 7 pm
Theme song(s): Only Human by K
Konayuki (粉雪, Konayuki?) and Sangatsu Kokonoka (3月9日, Sangatsu Kokonoka?) by Remioromen

External links

• 1 Litre of Tears Review at HK Neo Reviews
• 1 Litre of Tears official page Template:Ja icon
• 1 Litre of Tears at Wiki.d-addicts
• National Ataxia Foundation