To start this review off,I`d like to mention a quote from Aya Kitou`s diary(the person without whom this drama wouldn`t exist at all) which probably struck me the hardest:

- "School ends in 4 days. Everyone`s making 1000 wish paper cranes for me. The prayers they`re putting their hearts into are burned into my memory so that no matter how distant we grow,I`ll never forget. But...what I really wanted was to hear them say
[ Aya,please don`t go ]"

As always,I`d like to thank the writers,producers,actors and every staff member on the work they put in,because creating a drama is hard.

Candidly speaking,whenever I saw this one on any list regarding dramas,it always pulled me in. However,as a person who`s strangely sensitive to tragedy put on screen,coupled with the fact this is based on a real person and a real disease,I tried to put it away from my mind. Hidden in a faraway compartment in my brain,designed to keep such information. Then months passed by and I was in a slump. With nothing being satisfying enough to get me out of the rut,I turned to this drama,knowing full well what awaits me.

This title is scarily accurate. You will cry. This is a fact and it`s deserved(unlike Move to Heaven,where you crying didn`t feel organic but rather a consequence of set up manipulations). You might cry during different parts of the story than me,but you will cry. Ikeuchi Aya is probably one of the best tragic characters I`ve seen in a drama in some time. She`s a bright,zealous,optimistic 15 year old girl,excited to leave her trace in this world. Her family,made up of a tofu store owner dad,mother Shioka,sisters Rika and Ako and a younger brother Hiroki. And once you realize what a huge impact they have on her,it`s completely understandable how admirable of a person she became by their side. It is a healthy environment. Which makes it both worse and better,seeing as her journey unfolds. Accompanied by friends,young doctor,a small crush and an irritable sidekick Asou,Aya learns to grapple with her condition: spinocerebellar degeneration.

It`s probably a good moment to mention that I too,have a mild condition where one side of my body is,by all accounts,less respondent than the other. I was born with it and it is nowhere near as serious. But me bringing it to light is meant to highlight just one thing:I could understand Aya`s feelings of isolation and guilt. Not wanting to be a burden. Trying everything for herself in order to minimize having to rely on anyone. Because of that,there is this sense of kinship almost,as some of the things I went through in my teen years flooded back,mixing with tears running down my face. That is not to say I understand EVERYTHING she went through,as that`d probably take me...well,a whole `nother life,at least. What I will tell you is:Following Ikeuchi Aya,despite knowing where this`ll end,is still one of the best drama experiences. I am SO glad I decided to bite the bullet and give a chance to this show.

This drama completely deserves its place on every list,unlike most dramas found there. And it deserves to stay there...forever,pretty much. Because it`s a drama you`ll learn something from. Be it surface level or personal,one is for sure:You won`t complete this drama without having learnt something about you or Aya or...the world. When it comes to acting,even though everyone`s pretty good,I`ll say Riko Narumi as Ako and Erika Sawajiri as Aya stole the show for me.

What works for this drama,however,is definitely the writing,most of it taken directly from Aya`s diary and her excerpts. Even as young as she was,with as many talents,one of her greatest is what she used to cope with this tragedy:her writing. And this,in turn,made the drama so much deeper and has given it a sense of utmost importance. If it seems like I`m putting off the inevitable,that`s because I am. I don`t want to talk about Aya`s disease because she was so much more. Aya accomplished what many people won`t,even though amount of time allotted to them is three times what she was given. She saw the world for the good and positive it has to offer. And that`ll forever be more important than the level of her disability or how long she had left.

Which`d probably take me to one of my small nitpicks. While I love the "1 Litre no Namida" title,especially within the context of the story itself,what I`m not crazy about is the amount of posters showcasing Aya in pain or crying,as if she was a simple moppet,there to be sad and nothing more. Especially since so many pictures of real life Aya depict her as someone with spirit and fight. I understand the purpose,but I`m not crazy about it.

I`d say this isn`t so much a proper review,as it is an ode to a strong individual whose story both helped and educated many. It goes without saying,but this is an essential watch for all viewers who are looking for an experience whilst watching dramas. A true classic. One whose existence can`t be touched by a slump.

And for Aya: Dear Aya,no matter where you are,I hope you`re smiling. Creating little miracles everywhere you go. Hope you can see how much you`ve inspired your siblings,their offspring and people around the world. I`d be silly to say this,but if reincarnation exists,I hope you got reincarnated. You deserve it. And Aya? I hope tears I`ve shed and tissues I`ve used up help create a path for you,so you can advance confidently...as you always did.

Thank you.