Generally a great ride, though it took me until episode 15-16 to really get hooked to this drama. This drama had a lot of flaws, but at the same time it did some things so well, better than other taigas I've seen, so I can't give it less than this rating (or more). The major flaw is having 20 something year old actors playing kids 7 to 10 year old. That... let's try to forget about it. Also Gou was definitely overstated in the events in the first, say 13-15 episodes of the drama, which is weird since, once adult, she didn't appear to me as not submissive to everything that happened to her. That is not to say that is a weakness of the drama. This drama is about the hardships women of that era go through, their pain and suffering, and their inability to do much. They try the best they can but once war breaks, all they can do is pray for their loved ones. I think this drama succeeded in portraying that to me. The weird thing about it though, which made feel a bit uneven, is how the beginning has quite some whitewashing of certain historical figures and events, and how in the 2nd half of the drama, they were pretty much frank about the harshness of their realities. In general, this drama started succeeding in my eyes the moment it stopped taking liberties in history and started presenting us things are they are, as much as possible. Ueno Juri was amazing in that role, and so was Osamu Mukai. One highlight is Miyazawa Rie as Chacha, the transformation of her character was marvelous. I was afraid Mizukawa Asami would ruin the drama for me but she didn't. I think as a character I liked her most, but the actress was a bit lacking in some emotional scenes. Still overall I think I can come to term with that actress. I think my favourite though was Kitaoji Kinya as Tokugawa Ieyasu. He was perfect in portraying such a cunning man, though at times hateful but overall a great leader. He managed to make me understand such a historical figure and why he did the things he did. I also loved Suzuki Honami as their mother, and her voice as the Narrator. I gotta say, I love the choice of music used here in the drama. It's nothing too noticeable, just perfect in the background, either emphasizing on the feelings of the characters, or bringing us from one point to another. As flawed as the drama is, it is still a splendid and enriching ride. Do give it a try if you are curious of the state of women in the warring are. The Azai sisters and their mother are the perfect example to represent the generation, but we see the hardship and strength to live of many of the women around them as well.