A touching love story about a girl Kano Masaki (Fukada) who contracted HIV after selling her body in order to earn money for the concert of a famous composer Ishikawa Keigo (Kaneshiro). After the concert, Keigo saw Masaki chasing after his van. She was drenched, and thus Keigo took her to his apartment, where they spent the night.
Kyoko Fukada was only 17 when she did this role, so physically, she fits into the character's role. Her performance is quite good, especially in the end, but she seems a bit whiny and overacts in the the beginning. Kaneshiro's acting is much better. I also felt that he was a perfect fit for the role of a reclusive superstar.
Like all Japanese romance dramas, this one will make you cry from beginning to end. Also, (maybe this is a spolier), the end is tragic, as expected of a drama like this. But really, any j-drama fan would never good into a drama like this expecting a happy ending. The very first line of the synopsis states that she contracts AIDS, so expecting her to live would be unrealistic.
The drama potrays the struggles faced by those with AIDS. They are rejected and feared by everyone and end up being alone. The romance was also well done, though initially the drama focused more on Masaki's problems after contracting AIDS. It creates trouble for her family and she starts feeling like she is a burden on everyone.
The gradual acceptance and help offered by those around her is the highlight of this drama. This drama will make you think about AIDS differently and be sympathetic towards those with diseases.
The songs used in this drama are really beautiful, especially the opening (I for You by LUNA SEA). The opening captures the essence of the drama in the best possible way. In The Sky by Shizuka Kudo is also very good.
Pros
Touching, a total tearjerker
Acting is realistic
Cons
Some situations are quite cliched
Too sad
NOTE- Pictures were taken from Google image search and do not belong to me.
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