If like me, you were (or currently are) looking for a tear-jerker because life is just too damn happy at the moment, that you need some way to keep in touch with your emotional side: then let me confirm that you have found what you're looking for.

Everyone's made the comment, so I won't repeat it but just add my buckets-worth to the collective ocean we've all cried over this series and add another review to the pile (in case you needed one more positive review to persuade you that you really should start watching this).

Let's start off with what makes this series so special; what you get from 1 Litre of Tears is so much more than a mere tear-jerker. It's such a genuine and down-to-earth series that you often completely forget that this is just a drama. I cry all the time... even at series that are supposed "comedies" (much to my embarrassment at the cinema) so the fact I cried doesn't mean much... However the fact that one evening, after my I finished watching my episode-a-day, I got up to go to the toilet to blow my nose and was just struck by how thankful I was I could do that by myself... really says it all.

Some people had a fair amount to say about the quality and I concede- if you're going to line her up against the flashy K-Dramas and C-Dramas that we've been getting over the past few years- she's not the prettiest of the lot. She's a 2005 J-Drama after all. But you'll soon realise after starting that it really doesn't need the high production value or fancy effects. The story feels real, it looks real and that means it will hit you all the harder. I honestly wouldn't swap it for something "prettier", it would just detract from the drama at this rate.

So we've established this is not a drama about the looks but about the people and story- which brings us nicely onto our cast:

This is the kind of quality that gets a standing ovation from all audiences. The acting is incredible. Sawajiri Erika (Aya Ikeuchi, lead role) honestly couldn't have pulled the role off any better. She brought all the subtleties, emotions and frustrations to such a difficult role and treated the character with so much respect. I often had to remind myself that she was actually an ordinary person in reality, she nailed the role that well. What's more is this drama does not simply focus on Aya Ikeuchi and her roles dealing with her illness, but how everyone around her deals with it, and for this Sawajiri Erika is surrounded by an amazing supporting cast. I'm going to call out Jinnai Takanori (Aya's father) and Yakushimaru Hiroko (Aya's mother) as managed to wring just as many tears from me as the leads did. It's not over-the-top, sappy nonsense- it can be subtle, it can be big reactions- but most of all it is acting that you can relate to. They show you the anger, the frustration, the hopelessness of the situation but more importantly- they also show the perseverance, loyalty and kindness that they have.

And if after all this, you're sat there wondering whether you can even make it through the drama. Then let me just tell you- I made it. I bawled my eyes out and spent a small fortune on tissue boxes but it was worth it. You won't just feel bad for Aya Ikeuchi- which is the beauty of the series (and what makes you cry more when the sad scenes). You will support her through all her small successes, cheer her on as she fights for a normal life, you'll even curse the idiots who caused her troubles with her family- I guarantee you will be invested in everything and this drama does touch you. For which, even if you are soft-hearted, I still think it's an important drama to watch!

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