Terminal Illnesses.


I've just done watching two doramas, both with storylines revolving around rare terminal illnesses. The thing about these doramas is that they are preset with sad endings. They make you cry and cry and cry. So, prepare your tissue boxes.



1 Litre of Tears.

This dorama is based on the true story of a girl (Kito Aya) who was diagnosed with Spinocerebellar Degeneration when she was 15 and passed on at the tender age of 25. Instructed by her doctor, she started writing a diary to keep a record of the progress of her illness. And she kept on writing her diary until she could no longer hold a pen. Her diary "1 Litre of Tears" was published after her death. So far, over 18,000,000 copies have been sold.



The diary, 1 Litre of Tears.



The female lead, Sawajiri Erika.



Male lead Nishikido Ryo as Haruto with Erika as Aya.


I had a hard time holding my tears back, cuz most of the time I wasn't alone when I watched the drama. But I cried during some episodes nonetheless. If it's such a sad drama to watch, why watch then? Life itself isn't meant to be all sweet and chocolatey. To ignore the sadness present in life means to deceive ourselves, and also to deprive ourselves of the full experience of life.

Watching this dorama taught me to treasure everything that we so often take for granted. To be able to walk, to run, to write, to eat, to sing, to talk. To treasure time, because for some others, time is just not enough.

So, to all who are complaining about assignments and tests, go watch this dorama.
And for all others who can talk and walk, go watch this dorama too.



Taiyou no Uta

The next dorama I'm recommending is Taiyou no Uta, which means "a song to the sun". Erika is also the female lead in this dorama. It has only been one year since 1 Litre of Tears, but it seems like Erika has really grown up.

This dorama is adapted from a movie of the same title. Kaoru Amane (Erika) is an 18 year-old who was diagnosed with Xeroderma Pigmentosum aka XP, meaning she has no defenses against UV rays, thus she can only go out at night. At night, she performs as a street musician, and hopes to become a singer.

Most people diagnosed with type A XP dies before the age of 20. So in this dorama, Kaoru fights to love, and to fulfill her dream to become a singer, with the limited time she has left.



Erika Sawajiri, as Kaoru Amane.



Male lead, Takayuki Yamada, as Kouji.


Along with this dorama, Erika released a single under the name of Kaoru Amane. This single became the #1 female single of 2006. Sony even created a website especially for Kaoru Amane. It's amazing, considering that she has no background in singing.





I enjoyed this dorama alot, possibly because of the music elements. Also, this drama is funny at the same time, so it's not all sad and cry-ey. I must say that Erika is really pretty and talented.



(She went on to release a single Free under her name mid '07. Woot.)