it is time i think to introduce total and complete sadness into this blog.

Just as life is never full of just ups, i would like to focus all my energy on bringing you guys/gals a little piece of life. something that would change your life for the better if you let it.

what i would like to share with you is the unbelievable true story of Kitou Aya. Thus far i think i have shed more tears watching this work of art than anything else.But i am getting ahead of myself.

For anyone who remembers what being 15 is like may i ask you what you see? first love maybe, sports? that feeling of being with your friends? perhaps even heartache at breaking up with someone. but has any one of you felt total despair? the pain that comes with not being able to do anything? for being in a word, disabled?

That is exactly what happened to this young lady. Kitou Aya. she had contracted a very rare disease called Spinocerebellar Degeneration.This is a disease that will inhibit movement in the body and yet leave your mind completely free. It is akin to asking for a prison of flesh. your own. unable to move it as you wish, unable to speak,unable to do anything. And before any of you think about even doubting the existence of this disease, it is a true story. There was a girl called Kitou Aya.Also i believe it remains incurable to this day.

I think i've wet your appetite enough.For those who do not know the Drama of which i speak of. I urge you. Go to this website and download it as soon as possible.
http://mullemeck.serveftp.org/jps_beta/index.php?page=browse&search=kioku+litre

It is called Ichi Littoru no Namida or 1 Litre of Tears. It is based on a book written by the real Kitou Aya and chronicles her fight against depression and this disease.

Besides the enormous emotional sadness that you feel just from seeing her state, the drama increases the sadness via it's effect on her friends and family. i think this quote from the actual book from the actual book shows just how determined Aya herself is. "If you look up at the sky after falling down, the blue sky is also today stretching endlessly and smiles at me. I'm alive... I'm alive.". One more post that i found on a forum that demonstrates my feeling on this subject in words better than i could ever say...
http://mullemeck.serveftp.org/jps_beta/forum/viewtopic.php?p=357175&sid=08aa540009151318900227d316670c20
look what Sorede posted.

Now I'm downloading episode #5
the previous ones where .. I can't explain. Adorable? No it's not the word that I want. Crushing.. this is it. every single time when I watch episode I couldn't stop crying. To think that girl like Aya can think and do like her. So awesome. She is just to good to be real. I hate her fate. I started giving a questions.. Like.. "Did she deserve this?", "Why her?" and so on and so on.
It's hard for me to write in English, because I'm not ordinary Englishman and I can't say everything that I want. I will ask you to excuse me for my bad spelling.. ;_;
But there is one thing I want to say properly:
I don't know real Aya's feelings. But I understand her.. not so well, but still understand her.
I don't know the end.. but in me there is a hope that everything will be fine~ a cure will appear, and she will be fine. And the other me says: ''you know what it is next, right? You can't escape.. just bear it.. just watch without doing anything''
It's not like "it's just a dorama/movie" it's real.
Can't stand it but still like the domara

... this feeling of inevitable doom. how many of you would be able to get up and keep smiling and say things like "i'm alive?". I for one would like to admit that i would probably not be able to say the same thing.

back to the topic of family and friends. They stretched the implications limitlessly. this isn't a shallow drama where the pitfalls only envelop one character. No.The entire family is shown taking hits for this girl. Of course it's not only hits. they also show the depth of her families love for her. Trying my best not to spoil anything(by the way. trust me spoiling what they do won't help you get away from your tears.), her sister(even the super young one!) and brother has nothing but the utmost respect for her by the end of the drama, and her parents... love her more than anything....

On the aspect of friends, you are shown exactly how much trouble Aya causes just by being slower and have less mobility than others. The love interest(... to those that say i'm spoiling it, if you don't think he's the love interest in ep1 you're daft.) is soo sweet and caring that it hurts. it's like a dagger digging into your heart that you don't WANT to take out because it feels right. At the same time, the despair you feel from him..... crushing is indeed the correct word. Because he does everything he can and yet... nothing can change...

Even her best friends are forced to stand by. Words fail me. i think i will end this section on friends with another quote. "there are still 4 days left until school ends.the looks they had when they were folding so diligently.Even when we're separated,i will never forget them.i'd rather hear them say "Aya,don't go!"."

i don't think i can write anymore. even know i can feel my eyes getting moist just at thinking of the ordeal that she went through. The courage that she gives not just me and you but others in her position. The ultimate selflessness of thinking of trying to help others even at her own expense. truly one is not worthy. i think i'll end this with one of the most powerful quotes i can think of.

"i want to make a time machine and go back in time.If it wasn't for this disease not only could i enjoy falling in love but also i wouldn't have to rely on anyone and live by myself."

oh. there's two websites who have started to translate the original book written by Aya. if you like to see it, they are http://www.xanga.com/onelitre and http://diaryofaya.blogspot.com/. One would suggest that you read it and enjoy it's power in it's entirety. As far as i know though, the drama is consistent except for 1 part. Aya never had a love interest in her real life. i don't know why but this makes me feel so much more pain for her... ah! i forgot @@ her name is also changed into Ikeuchi Aya. Meaning the family is now Ikeuchi not Kitou.

... lets be whacky today @_@

bring out the hula hoops!!!!! errr no... i mean bring out KIMI WA PETTO! transliterated as you are a pet XD.

Basic premise is cute enough XD normal office lady comes home and sees a boy sleeping outside her home and feeds him and lets him stay for the night. The next day he tries to stay there no matter what. all she can say is... "sure you can stay. but only as my pet" XDDDDDDDDD hilarity ensues as he agrees!

ahahahahaa honestly there's nothing much else to say really. it's a nice heartwarming story about how one person's life can affect another. but i'm jumping ahead of myself. lets take a quick look at some of the key players.

Goda Takeshi. played by Matsumoto Jun. normally i try not to concentrate on actor too often but this time i've gotta say i really love his energy! you can really see that in the role he goes all out XD. Also known as Momo, which is the name of Sumire's old dog.

Iwaya Sumire. Well besides being rather pretty. i'll admit it :P(i find Japanese people pretty in general. even the guys! first person to say i'm gay DIES XD)at any rate her role is pretty much circular to the plot. she's a journalist and she spends most of her time at work and has notoriety as being an ice lady.(note:common theme for japanese women it seems.) well when Momo bounds into her life she slowly thaws and grows to like her pet.Especially at the end where sh*BANG* no spoilers!(also of note, she played a role in the last samurai as the sister Lord Takamoto and love interest of Nathen Algren(Tom Cruise) and the wife of the Samurai Hirotaro whom Nathen had slain near the beginning of the movie.

In terms of plot well it's in all honesty 2/3rd fun and 1/3rd romance ^^ the energy in the drama is really evident when you see Momo and Sumire alone together. It really makes you miss your family if you haven't seen them in a while... oh and of course the sexual tension gets fun as well :P pet or not Momo is a guy >> << though admittedly he does nothing till pretty late in the drama.On a whole though i'd have to say if you have time just watch it for the sheer fun factor.i personally do not think there is much more to the plot than that :P

w00t? i'm on a roll? post #4 in 1 day?

well don't expect this number of posts daily. i may be crazy but i'm not THAT crazy.... i think.... i dunno i need a second opinion *raises mike to friends* "DO YOU EVEN NEED TO ASK!!!!!" @@ "bah some friends you are."

well.. this time i think i'll do a review seeing as how i watch too many stuff anyway.. or i used to... some of this is by memory so excuse me if i'm off. anyways... the target for this round..... *drumroll* 14 Sai No Haha.

It's a japanese drama that is truthfully very heartwarming for me. The story is deceptively simple enough, 14 year old. Has sex. gets pregnant. gets abort... WAIT!?!?!?!?!? SHE DOESN'T GET AN ABORTION?!?!?! O_O only the Japanese would do things like this i'd say :P

Anyways quick intro of the characters then i'll move onto why i like each and every one of them *heart* firstly... the Ichinose family.

The new parent,Ichinose Miki(the 14th year old or those who don't get it) is an optimistic and very very caring young lady. and she's pretty stubborn and independent as well ^^ classic example of a main character :P.

The Mother, Ichinose Kanako.Oh my god... honestly this is the first drama i've seen that doesn't try to pass of the mother as a whore of some kind geez she looks so normal that she makes the entire drama seem plausible... which if you think about it.. it kinda is really... oh traits? seriously she's a VERY plausible mother!

The Father, Ichinose Tadahiko. Classic example of a working parent. honestly i think the casting dept did amazing for these people. he's a very plausible father as well.

The son, Ichinose Kenta(and no not the 14 year old's son dumbass Miki's brother). :P standard brother. nothing much to say except he has his moments where he shines ^^

and together they form CAPTAIN ICHI*gets shotgunned to death* X_X fine fine no more jokes dangit.... the Ichinose Family which seems to me to be so normal it's almost painful to watch them go through this knowing that this story may actually happen in real life.

anyway.. onto the next family...the Kirino family. think of them as the evil family :P but not quite that evil hmm... you'll see in why i love my characters later

Kirino Satoshi. The kid who got her pregnant *mad expression* :P j/k he's actually a pretty nice kid in the show. truth be told i think HE was the most fake one i guess... but not that fake as to be unrealistic. Just rare i think. Unless the quality of guys have improved since i was 15 :P OR Japanese people just naturally being more responsible *shrugs* not sure

Kirino Shizuka. The single parent of Satoshi. again a very plausible figure. she acts exactly how i would imagine a single mother in charge of her own business would *smiles*

now there's a few more characters but i just want to point out one very important figure i call... THE CATALYST. *gets lame'd* ... oih >.<

Hatano Taku. if there's supposed to be a badass eye candy figure in the show well here he is. what? no girls in the audience? sigh.... D: never get any girls :P ANYWAY... i call him the Catalyst because that's what he is ^^ the Catalyst of the show XD if it wasn't for this guy the show would be FAR FAR FAR more boring and less impactful. as a character though he's an insightful character who doesn't and couldn't care less for authority. all he knows is that if by publishing one more of his articles, he can save Japan then he'll do it.On the other hand, it also brings one more problem to play. Ethics... BUT that's something for the show to explain XD *beams widely*

with the main characters out of the way i think this is where i should put a spoiler space for minor spoilers. though anyone who's read the title can probably already guess how the story will end.

In all honestly the story itself is perhaps a little plain. BUT what makes it stand out is simple. the cast. and i don't mean he acting which is top notch but rather the physical appearance of the cast itself. This isn't one of those pretty boy/girl show where everyone looks like a freaking model and probably has D+++++ cup sizes. No... this show is scary simply because it portrays a normal family so well that you fear it could happen to anyone at all... make no mistake. some of the situations may be highly unlikely but it does not detract from the fact that the drama was created and does it's job of showing people how possible something like this is.

In addition, it shows just how mature a 14 and 15 year old may act. and in all honesty, i agree with it. 14 and 15 year olds are young but make no mistake. many people are oft times more mature than their age.Hatano i think also plays a double role. He's not merely stating his opinion but rather the opinion of the authors. And after watching the show you really feel an enhanced feeling of love for your surrounding. for what others may take lightly, these two young people, Miki and Satoshi are forced to forego.

for a little more information on this drama which is rather enlightening, http://wiki.d-addicts.com/14_Sai_no_Haha