1 Liter of Tears

I've been obsessed with this Japanese drama, 1 Liter of Tears lately. I spent sleepless nights watching this drama sobbing alone in my room. It is really rare for me to do so, I seldom love drama or chase the episodes like this. But this drama, 1 Liter of Tears really caught my attention.

- Best Drama I watched -

This drama is based on a true story written from the diaries of a fifteen-year-old girl, Aya Kitou. Aya is an ordinary girl, the daughter of a family who works at a tofu shop, and a local high school student. However, as Aya went through life that year, odd things began happening to her. She has been falling down, having a hard time performing simple tasks, and generally lacking in coordination. Her mother takes her to see a doctor for an examination. He informs Shioka that her daughter has a degenerative disease known as spinocerebellar atrophy, where the cerebellum of the brain gradually deteriorates. There will come a point where Aya will not even be able to move or speak becoming a full fledged vegetable! Aya's life to this point has treated her very fairly, being the star basketball player in her school and the class representative for her grade. So how will this cruel disease affect her life and how will she react when told about it? How will Aya live from now on?


Aya shows compassion and bravery when living with her disease. Although, many people are supportive and tend to help, there comes a limit to how much assistance they are willing to offer. Aya was touched by the love and patience she received from her family and Haruto, her lover, who all stood beside her till the very end. The most amazing thing about Aya is that she managed to face her cruel fate with a positive outlook, and tried her best to do whatever she could by herself.

The story contains both love and sadness, while teaching the power of perseverence. Aya kept writing in her diary to remember her experiences until she could no longer hold a pen. She simply wished to live until the end of her life, and the purpose of writing in the diary was to remind herself to not give up. So far, the diary of Aya has sold over 18 million copies. The series accurately depicts the pain and hardship she had to endure. I shed many tears watching this drama, and it has made me appreciate and love life. Aya's diary, "1 Liter of Tears" was published after her death, because of its inspiring and courageous message. "Just being alive is such a lovely and wonderful thing." How will her story affect you?

- Aya Kitou -

Some of the very meaningful quotes I caught from her diary are these:
(I'm sure it will touch your heart too..)

• If I were a flower, then now I'd be a bud. I shall treasure the beginning of my youth without any regret.
• Why did this disease choose me? I cannot carry it, if it's just for the word "fate".
• I want to build a time machine and revisit the past. If not because of this disease, I might even be in love, I want to cling on someone's arm so badly.
• Mom, can I get married?
  
• I recognize how I am now, and I will continue to live on. Therefore I definitely not runaway, that's what I'll do.
• If you look up in the sky after falling down, the blue sky is stretching limitless and smile at me, at least I'm alive. I'm alive.
  
• People shouldn't dwell on the past, it's enough to try your best in all that you're doing now.
• Reality is too cruel, too brutal. I don't even have the right to dream. As I think about the future, tears will drop again. Where should I head towards? Even if there isn't an answer, I'll feel better writing it down.

How ironic the world can be, some people striving hard to live a few days more, some people take away their own precious life. This drama thought me the meaning of being alive and healthy, we often overlook the most important yet simple thing in life.. we're all very fortunate simply because our heart is beating, simply because we can walk to places we want to, say words we want to, hold the things we want to. Simply because we're alive.

Health is a blissful thing, treasure it.