Movie Review

Like I've promised yesterday, on my last post, I finally finished the whole movie at exactly 10:00 in the evening[May 10, 2009]. Just before mom and my younger siblings arrived from their summer getaway for one week at Barili, Cebu. The movie/series entitled 'One liter of tears' really has the right to be called that way. Upon seeing it directly in my own judgment, I can clearly see what Aya's[girl protagonist] main reason of not giving up.

Let me start by narrating the summary of the story itself, this is a true story written by 15 year old girl herself. The movie series which was first aired at around 2005 in Japan got the attention of everybody which is basing on a bestselling book widely sold in Japan. The story started unexpectedly as Aya started to feel something weird about herself, although trying to ignore it at the first time, people surrounding her especially her loved ones gradually observed strange uncontrolable movements made by Aya. She started falling down often and walks in a strange way. Her mother Shioka, takes Aya to see the doctor, and he informs Shioka that Aya has spinocerebellar degeneration - a terrible disease where the cerebellum of the brain gradually deteriorates to the point where the victim cannot walk, speak, write, or eat. The script is based on the diary Aya kept writing until she could no longer hold a pen.

After finishing the whole series which is composed of 11 episodes, I was deeply touched by how Aya struggled and by her optimism despite of her situation. Although, at the start the symptoms were not that observable by normal people, students at her age as described on her diary began throwing bad looks unto Aya. As for me Aya is such a strong person, If had that disease I can't take the same old looks and discrimination by the society. As I was watching the movie, I was putting my self into Aya's situation. However, scenes will be really different in the society that I was running now. Although it will be a lot harder and uncomfortable, peoplewise it will be easier for me to be accepted by the society.

I'm a kind of person who don't really want to be treated as special and I know that Aya herself don't want to be treated as special among her siblings and especially on the society that she was in to. If I'm at Aya's situation I think I would rather die earlier than to be pitied by people who were normal. Yet, Aya did not loose the confidence and optimism to continue living.

After watching the whole series and reading some comments and feedbacks of the movie, my views somewhat changed a bit. Before I was watching the movie, I have a very big thumbs UP with how the Japanese people go in their society. Although most of them are busy, they find time to do what they love and want and most of all they find time to go back unto where their tradition really started. I assume Japan as a perfect society and sometimes termed it as Utopia of Asia, with all those improvements in technology, infrastructure, economy, reforms, and many more, no wonder it has boasted as one of the countries with the highest life expectancy and contentment.

'I want to live and experience working in Japan when I get older' this is what I always thought a few years ago and until yesterday. But now, I think I should question my self. What if I get sick and disabled in a society like that? will I be accepted in a society that runs so fast? This is the question and the main deep message shown by the movie. Well, at least 99% percent of it is absorbed and now I can conclude that in this world nothing is perfect. We humans can only observe wrongs in this society and change it by starting within ourselves.

Aya's mother with connection to Mother's Day which is now and is normally celebrated at this day is one of the best mothers in the world. Well, at least second to my mom, ^^ as I was watching the movie I can clearly see the image of my mom in her. She works hard for the family and sometimes spent more time and effort on other people and matter than her own family. When I see her cry, who won't cry in an incurable disease right?, I can see the image of my mother crying and I don't know why but it made me cry too.

This movie has a very big impact on viewers like me. Although, I can't relate to those diseases experienced by Aya, I have a mixture of feelings upon what will I think and cry for. The movie has somewhat like a magic or what contained to it that can make viewers cry. The loneliest part of the movie started on episode 8: One Liter of Tears, maybe because struggles of Aya started on this episode and more tears fell than ever. Although the rest of the episodes were also sad, I'm controlling myself not to cry and yes, I'm successful in the first 7 episodes. However, at episode 8, tears began to shed from my eyes and me myself don't know the reason why. This is the first movie I watched that actually made me cry, I was so upset on what is happening to the main char-Aya and at sometime I can even feel her pain directly in me.

I normally don't cry, and yeah, I'LL NEVER CRY! but this promise to myself has been recently broken just because of this movie. I always promise myself not to cry in any movie I'm watching. I regard them as bare stories fictional or not with artists portraying their own roles and parts on the movie. But this perception changed after watching 'One liter of tears' and envy Aya's family for having such a strong spirit and aura of happiness in their homes. How I wish one day I'll came home from school with that instant aura in my family.

opps, I've writed soo long. Well, to summarize it all in all.... This movie is really the best! A Thousand Thumbs UP!!!
So then, I need to sleep now, my back is aching! I need rest for now.. kk.. till my next post.
and wish me luck! I need more power^^