I would say this is a typical Japanese family drama. Raising awareness on social issues: check! Cute kids: check! Implied love story: check! ...etc. I didn't read the manga, so I cannot say much about if the story is the same. I think it's a quite interesting insight into Japanese society and I loved the story for watching Momoko's interaction with the kids and their parents. I had the feeling that most of the characters were a bit bland and stiff, they seemed to be most passionate when talking about work/ helping the families, not so much about their personal lives. In my opinion the acting of the child actors outshined all of the adults! There are some amazing talents! I was not very satisfied with the ending, as I feel there would have been more time needed to resolve Momoko's issues with her family. Also don't watch this for romance, that is not the main point here! I think this drama is about family and what good parenting is about. Overall a nice entertaining drama with not too much drama and a lot of cute kids^_^