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Ichi Rittoru no Namida: A frickin’ pool of tears
Posted by tsubaki | Filed under Drama
As I’ve mentioned in my previous entry about my recent jdrama watching spree (no thanks to a friend who passed me 70gb worth of jdramas), here’s one of the bestest best best best dorama I’ve ever seen.
1 Litre of Tears. Or if I had my way, I’d rename it to 1 Litre of Pain. Watching it is soooooooooooooooo painful.
Now Ichi Rittoru no Namida, or also known as 1 Litre of Tears is a very powerful drama. To sum up how moved I was, every episode made me cry buckets. Seriously, I’m not kidding. I started out with having very wet sleeves, and ended up having my entire blanket soaked in tears.
And after finishing all 11 episode of this drama, I was left with zero tears and a sore voice.
What exactly is Ichi Rittoru no Namida about that can even make a guy cry?
Well it’s a drama based on a real life story about a 15 year old girl who caught spinocerebellar degeneration – a terrible disease where the cerebellum of the brain gradually deteriorates to the point where the victim cannot walk, speak, write, or eat. From the start you already more or less know what will happen to her.
I already knew she would definitely die, and yet every episode just brings you down to your kneels.
Ugly stares from commuters after showing her disability card
This drama still blows me away completely. Every episode you watch helplessly about how a young girl like her fight a losing battle with a disease that has no cure. They also explored angles like how ugly the society is at times like these. This drama changed my perception of disabled people, and I’ve grown to become more aware of their plight.
It isn’t just a battle with their disease. It’s also an emotional battle against society.
Every step she takes, the amount of pain and suffering that comes along with it, together with the harsh reality of society and life is excruciating to watch. And it’s even more painful to watch as she constantly fights with herself to be as positive as she can. My heart breaks whenever I see her wear a fake smile so that she won’t trouble or worry people around her.
This drama also has everything in it. A perfect cast, superb acting, heart wrenching script, incredible pacing, mind blowing soundtrack, everything. I can’t even find a single problem to bitch about.
The lead actress, Aya Ikeuchi (played by the hot Sawajiri Erika) is fucking godlike. She’s the anchor of the whole entire drama. Her performance is nothing short of perfect. And she’s so damn cute and she really pushes your buttons when you see her slowly getting consumed by the disease.
She is able to convey every single detail of suffering and frustration Aya had so convincingly, you’ll be crying your eyes out.
Her acting is really really good. It’s beyond what I can describe and her ability to cry is incredible. Sawarjiri Erika also has a tragic family background- her father died of cancer and her 2nd brother died in an accident. I believe she took all of the pain she had and unleashed it into this drama.
And as a result, the tears and pain Aya felt, was so real and human.
Aya’s mother facing angry parents regarding her daughter’s disablity
Aya’s family is excellent as well. They each have really awesome character and are well played by their respective actors/actresses. Watching how her father and mother come to terms with her illness and then becoming her pillar of strength emotionally, really really pulls my heartstrings.
It’s moments like these that really tells you how much a parent will endure and go through just to protect the smile of their children.
Even her younger sister Ako, who started out as a spoilt bratty girl matured into one of the best sisters I’ve ever seen. The way she chided their brother for being ashamed of acknowledging Aya and how she, despite being not as bright as her sister, strived to enter the elite school Aya was in and to continue her dreams for her by graduating out of it… is just sooo emotional.
God I cried like shit man. Such is the sibling love that’s missing these days.
Oh and for the lolicons, Rika is uber adorable. She’s like super moe moe.
But it’s a pity that the girl playing the grown up Rika isn’t that cute. ZOMFG GIMME BACK MY RIKKAAAAA.
And not forgetting the females, here’s your eye candy catch:
Ryo Nishikido plays Haruto, a damn cool guy. From being a cold person who has no respect for human lives, Haruto became the only friend who was with Aya all the way till the end and how he accepted her wholeheartedly blows me away.
Another element of this drama that is very very good, is the music. The soundtrack, insert songs are mind blowing. There’s so much richness in these songs and it clicks so well with the mood that even when you listen to it on your ipod, you can still feel the emotion and pain that the drama has inflicted onto you.
The ending song, Only Human by a Korean singer, K is very very powerful. His voice haunts you with scenes from the dramas and the piano piece that accompanies it just pushes your buttons to cry.
1 Litre of Tears also led me to the discovery of one of the most awesome band ever. Remioromen’s Konayuki (粉雪) was used as an insert song, and it brings out the essence of the drama so well that whenever I listen to it on the train I have to hold back my tears. This is the first time I’ve experienced a song that touches me on such an incredible emotional level. It’s totally different from all the emorock/punk music that I usually listen to.
Another one of Remioromen’s song used was Sangatsu Kokonoka (3月9日), it was used in the choir competition scene and the choir version of it rocks.
The final family photo… with Aya in a wheelchair and Rika looking so different
The impact that this emotionally draining drama has, together with its haunting music will embed in you forever. There’s so much value in it that has been beautifully told, and there was never a moment where I felt it was clichéd.
I highly recommend everyone to watch this drama.
If you have not watched it yet, go get it now. If you have watched it before, go marathon it again. It’s too damn good. Dramas should be made more like this. Not the bullshit that my local TV produces.
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April 1, 2007 -
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Yes its a tear driven drama i cried almost every ep. i used up alot of tissues also.
The ending song sure is haunting… especially the starting part. *shivers*
hmm…will take your word for it
just to add, know any other source where i can download it as well. Torrent sources seems bleak
Oh? I’ll check it out when I have the time then.
I realise all the superficiality in all these emo jdramas. Change the main actress to some fugly girl and I can gurantee you’d cry 90% less. If not, not at all.
Jdramas are overrated.
@nigel Lol, I had to change my blanket.
@kristalyamaki Totally. Try looping it, and you’ll lose your emotional stability.
@SIlverCrimz Lol, I don’t give torrent links here. Sorry.
@JS GET IT NOW. Trust me, it’s worth every minute and second of your time.
@LianYL Well it goes the same for animes. Draw the Kanon girls to some fugly girl and I’ll see whether you cry. Heck, I bet you’ll stop eating Taiyaki as well.
yes, this is the only show that made me cry. but heck, is a good show nonetheless
You should have approached me for this drama like last year.
Of course, please don’t look at the drama as tragic. After re-watching it a second, then a third time, it actually motivated me to take a hard look at myself. I daresay that while I might still be a bastard at times, I’ve definitely learnt to smell the roses, and cherish every day.
I wrote an article on this drama too… and have the actual published book of her diary entries. It’s in Chinese though, but I’m quite sure there is an English version too. It should be available in Kino… when it first came out in Singapore I heard it got sold out after 1 week.
Talking about erika sawajiri, she acted in another drama called A Song to the Sun (Taiyou no Uta). Well, if the title sounds familiar, its because there IS a movie with the same title, and the same basic plot starring Yui.
Oh I forgot to add, remember the oriental girl wallpaper for my desktop? That’s erika for you. :)
I’m an erika fanboy.
@Tsubaki Wrong. A moe moe anime girl is normal. A pretty sick girl in real life is abnormal. That’s why 2D wins.
yeah… i’ve seen this one last year on youtube… it was really freakn sad story. I remember a true to life story about a man that had this type of disease and was dramatized on tv here in philippines…he’s already a middle aged though but as I recall, it was also a spinocerebellar degeneration. and this is where I knew the band Remioromen and loved the song Konayuki..
A pity i never got the motivation to continue watching past episode 1, but since i heard so many good reviews of it, maybe i’ll dl and watch the series.
Yea. Just finished this show a few weeks back. Touching It Is. The first 2 episodes didn’t really bring out the tearbuckets after continuing, Konayuki just grows on you. Amazing. Been looping for like 2hours straight and it still doesn’t get old.
Hm… Maybe I should start downloading it, or watch it on youtube. Yeah I just hope no one thinks I’m watching !@*)_$!
@Mitsuki Hayase Ah hah. But the Erika pictures that are floating on the net’s totally unlike the innocent Aya I know to be. =/
@LianYL You’re just jaded. Who told you to hang around with the wrong kind of girls.
@Samejima Ah, I’ve heard some fans complaining that that philippines show was a complete ripoff from 1 litre of tears.
@abao Once you hit episode 3, you’ll never be able to put this show down. Trust me.
@Lowell YEAH KONAYUKI ROCKS.
@LoserEXE I have no idea what you just said. Your last line needs to be fixed.
This show is that good? Damn. I don’t have the time to watch.
Same here – fantastic drama. My tear ducts were broke after watching this.
this is to date still my fav. drama ever! for a second i forgot who’s blog i was reading and thought u were a girl when u said u had wet sleeves followed by a blanket LOL. i hate to admit it but i did cry watching this…i was able to hold back tears but in episode 8, when Aya’s classmates ran out to sing….tears came a-fallin’…and ofcourse in ep 10 and 11. This is also the only jdrama i’ve made my mom watch ahaha
to the topic of Sawajiri Erika…i knew of her since her gravure days and 1L solidified her place on “actresses to follow” list…only to then be kicked off by Taiyou no Uta…DO NOT WATCH this drama….it’s a giant smelly crock of horse manure.
@elva It’s worth dropping whatever you are busy with to watch this. Really.
@Danny Choo Did you get to watch it ever week on TV or you downloaded it?
@weew I’m planning to watch Taiyou no Uta because YUI’s in it. I think.
Mitsuki_Hayase : Taiyou no Uta is really bland after watching Ichi Rittoru.
Especially since you know that you’re going to see the same girl DIE of yet another disease.. I feel it was a weak attempt to rip off Ichi Rittoru’s astounding success. The only thing good about the drama is that it told the story of Kaoru Amane better than the movie did. The movie seemed more like a mass audition/showcase of YUI’s singing rather than a movie. Storytelling and acting were both quite weak, only good thing about it is the song.
@Aheda Yeah it sort of looked that way. But well, most dramas pale in comparison to 1 Liter… until Nodame came along. I wasn’t too impressed by YUI’s song too… the songs in the drama is so much better… just that the singing was sort of a letdown. Yeah.
@tsubaki Well, in case you didn’t know, erika was previously… a gravure model. I have hundreds of pictures stored somewhere i think. Its legal though.
ERIKA NEEDS MORE GOOD ROLES. STOP MAKING HER DIE THANKS.
I wonder bout your ability to make your legion of sg readers listen to your recommendations each time you list an anime or drama.
1 Litres of Tears was practically sold out everywhere in SG. I don’t know whether it was sold out after or before your recommendation, but it’s a point worth debating. Lol.
But yeah, it’s a godlike drama with perfect acting from Erika.
anyone.. please send me one liter of tears OST to my email at v1ncent_lee@yahoo.com
anyone.. please send me one liter of tears OST mp3..
to my email at v1ncent_lee@yahoo.com..
thanks alot…
I believe 1 litre of tears, is what you cry in every episode, i’m at episode 5 and i can’t cry anymore, this is an amazing drama. And yes, you’re right, if I listen to Remioromen – Konayuki I start crying again
j-dorama owns
i’ve watched this drama last year and 3 times over. 1st on com, 2nd on psp and 3rd on dvd. after reading your post i felt like watching it again. btw do u know that theres a movie for this show?
lol i got the full choir version of sangatsu kokonoka
There’s an SP of Ichi Rittoru no Namida recently. It is basically a flashback of the drama but still touching nonetheless.
Sawajiri Erika. This name was so unknown to me till I watch this drama. Her acting was superb and I doubt the series would be nice if she wasn’t the lead. This is the kinda of drama that does not require too much romance to make you cry. The love and care from Aya’s family and friends is enough to jerk your tears. The supporting roles in the drama all did very well.
Aya’s Dad appear as the typical father who is silly, careless and unafraid to show his emotions. He provides a comical relief for the show.
Aya’s mum is a caring mum who will do anything for her beloved daughter. She is the one aya confide the most in.
Aya’s sis Ako is portrayed as a rebellious girl who is jealous of Aya in the beginning but as the show progresses you will realise that her love and care for her elder sister is no lesser that her parents.
Asou Haruto is actually fictionalized to add romance into the show. He is someone who lives on without a dream until he met Aya who changed him. He doesn’t seems to care much about others but after meeting Aya, you can see how he is willing to change for her.
Basically, the touching part of this show is that Aya kept saying she can’t do anything to help others but she already did. She changed many lives. She needs other to live on, others need her as well.
A must-watch for all even if you don’t like drama. This show will definitely make you view the society in a different way. Truly life-altering.
Enjoyed your thoughts on this drama… I too cried my own Litre of Tears after watching it… but at the same time it uplifted me to see someone still have hope till the end… makes you want to re-evaluate your life…
In any case, for those interested, here is a link for the RAW especial that aired in Japan:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5n4CWHa-d18
This user seems to have all the episodes… I think there were only 7…
this is a full tears movie. idont know how it can make me cry and scream in my room like crazy people. but anyway, i have an OST of this movie. and i wanna collect them all of this movie version ever had. and i dont have March 9th Song in Choir version or class version. i ever listen the class version in imeem.com but i cant download from this site. so, can u tell me how can i get them??? especially for ZHIRONG who have what i want (i read ur comment below). u can contact me: cachantik@yahoo.com
Please send me the OST of Ichi Ritoru no Namida and also the Remioromen?
I really love those songs…
I just finished watching it. Was SOO hooked on it! Though i usually don’t cry, i cried quite a bit in this one. One thing i really wanted to know is WHAT HAPPNES TO ASOU?!?!?! and maybe a bit more information on the doctor…
you guys are horrible..how can you critisize the drama for having “beautiful people”? honestly, i agree that is a dark side to society, but if there was an ugly person playing the role would you yourself have stopped to look? no i don’t think so, so do something about yourself before you criticize the drama and society. whether it has ugly people or beautiful people is not what you should be thinking about after watching it, it should leave a much more different impact on you. and if you’re criticizing jramas stop being an idiot cuz you’re the dumbass that was watching it, or even coming to this page to read about jdramas and wasting your “precious time” commenting on it.
as for me, i have no life, so im off to watch the drama again.
btw, watch 1 litre of tears sp..it shows asou.
@Shini: If you watch the 1litre of tears the movie, you’ll find out. The movie was short, but still sweet nonetheless.
This movie did make me cry. It taught me to do something to people around me. Why, Aya- who could barely do anything was able (and still is able to) motivate people but not us? This movie also make me understand that ‘to live’ is already an ability. To walk, to talk, to see, to breathe and even to be able to recognize that our heart still is beating; is an ability.
This is so life altering. The acting was beautiful too. I cried a lot LOL! Very recommended.
waaa.. 2 semester breaks, 2 times i watched this drama and i cried more than 1 litre already!! It was well put and I can feel as if it is happening to me..
wow this drama was superb. it really made me look into life differently and treat people with respect!!
Please.!! Anybdy who have the mp3 soundtrack or jpn drama of one liter of tear..please downloding at me..t.q..
I agree with you completely. Not only did this dorama make me cry like there was no tomorrow, I also would like to think it helped me to become a little bit better a person. Before, I never truly, really, honestly appreciated life for simply its sake – I now do.
Only downside to watching ‘1 rittoru no namida’ is that Remioromen will make me want to cry for the rest of my days.
i just finished the drama and i loved every sec and i cried a lot along with my 11 yr old niece Chou the love was so intense i only wish Asou – kun would have kissed Aya even once lol.
just watched it again just awesome
forgot to add same here i wish asou – kun would kiss aya just once
One Liter Of Tears(Ichi Rittoru no Namida)
makes me cry