Crying More Than a Liter of Tears

I've watched plenty of dramas in my life and about 70% of them I never want to watch again. However, the Japanese drama, One Liter of Tears, was one of the few I've truly enjoyed. It's one of the saddest dramas I've seen and I could watch it over repeatedly and still cry in every episode.



One Liter of Tears is based on the true story of Aya Ikeuchi and the diaries that she's kept ever since finding out she had Spinocerebellar Degeneration (SCD) aka Ataxia. This neurodegenerative disease caused Aya's brain to slowly deteriorated until she lost all muscle control and evenly died. The initial symptoms were dizziness, poor coordination, poor balance, clumsiness of hands, and abnormal eye movements. As the disease progressed, she became increasingly unable to eat, write, talk, and walk. Eventually, she became bedridden and had respiratory problems, which lead to her death 10 years after being diagnosed.



Note: this disease is not the same as Lou Gehrig's Disease. Lou Gehrig is a "neuromuscular disease that weakens and eventually destroys motor functions" (Neurology Channel). As for SCD, this disease "cause cells in the part of the brain called cerebellum to degenerate, or atrophy" (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke).

What made this drama so touching and real were the ending credits at the end of every episode. They showed real pictures of the person Aya's character is based upon. This reminded the audience that this wasn't just a fictional story, but a story of based upon someone else's life. It allowed the viewer to be more intimately connected to the characters.

I recommend watching this, but be prepare to cry "One Liter of Tears...."