Although I tend to watch almost any drama thrown at me, I took particular interest in this drama because the subject matter was something that someone close to me has experienced. The show would obviously show things differently as Japan has different customs regarding marriage and such, but the emotions and reactions are similar... that is, human. Although after each episode I wanted to see the next one, I had a hard time empathizing with Chiyo. Her character was all over the place. The character appeared to grow, then regress. The rollercoaster continues and by the end, I really didn't care what happened, I just wanted it to be over. That is not to say Ryoko Hirosue didn't do a great job acting; quite the opposite, I think she did very well in portraying the wide range of emotions expected of a character going through the difficult decisions of pregnancy and marriage. The writing, however, could have been much better. Chiyo didn't need to be so whiny at times and some of the situations felt forced, especially the ending. Takenouchi Yutaka was more... lively... in this role than his usual stony-cool persona. I enjoyed his character, but not as much as in other dramas. The moments that made me tear up were entirely the dialogues between Ryunoske and the father. Perhaps it's because I have a similar quiet but strong connection with my own father. Still, Chiba Shinichi did a very good job playing the serious, stubborn father and even pulled of some of the funnier moments in the show while staying in character. I almost felt he made the show. Just as Ryunosuke and Chiyo couldn't marry without his consent, I felt the show itself couldn't progress without his consent. The show was fun, and it has great moments that allow you to capture the emotions the characters are feeling, but I believe this was only because of the good acting on the show... the writing really didn't seem up to par on this one and it lowered the enjoyment factor drastically. I recommend it if you can relate to the subject matter, if you're a fan of Ryoko or Yutaka, or are bored. (Originally posted July 20th, 2006.)