Reviews

This drama is one of the best dramas I have ever seen! It is based on a true story of a girl called "Aya Kito" who wrote a diary while she struggled with an incurable disease called spinocerebellar ataxia. She battled with the disease for 10 years, before sadly passing away on May 23, 1988. In 1 Litre Of Tears, the story is outstanding. Watching the drama, left a huge impact on me and my heart and I wasted packs of tissues by just watching this- trust me I cried LOADS watching it! The acting was magnificent, Erika Sawajiri ( Aya in the drama) was so amazing. Her crying and scenes were so natural and you could actually see she wasn't forcing her tears. The cast chosen for this drama was perfect as they all fit their characters perfectly well! The music was great as well; the chosen music fitted the scene amazingly and I recommend to you 100% to watch it; this drama is so outstanding. There wasn't a single episode in which I didn't cry! If you are going to be watching it, don't forget your tissues!

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There is a saying at the beginning which reflects just what this drama is about; Silent Poor, represents the homeless, the sick, and others that cannot afford to take care of themselves and that is the drama in a nut shell. It is not about love, romance, conflict or anything you generally see in a drama but about a woman who is working through her grief of watching her younger brother die during a horrible earthquake when she was young. In the hopes of "giving back", she becomes a social worker. What I liked about this drama is that they showed me the distinct differences between Asian cultures and their attitudes towards the poor, sick, mentally ill, adoption, foreigners, everything! Every episode is a different story and it was those stories that I liked the most. If you have no interest in these things, I'd skip this drama. So why the lower rating? At times, it could have been better, the lead actress's acting was kind of stilted at times but thankfully she was surrounded by better ones. Overall, if you are interested in the role of a social worker in Japan, you will definitely find this interesting.

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Story (9) - It is a very simple story about an ordinary couple making the best of work and life. Though I have trouble with the whole housewife image, dramas push on women, but this drama depicted that in a very positive light. While a husband tries his best at work, a housewife tries her best to keep him going. It is the little things like a lunchbox that really show how much a woman cares for you. And it is as difficult being a housewife than being at work. This show perfectly showed how two people complement each other, motivate each other and what it truly means to be a partner for life.
Life hack- Everything can be solved, if you just talk it out.

Acting/Cast (10) - Nishikido Ryo is my favourite Japanese actor. He is also the only actor that can make me cry - just by his expressions. And he did not disappoint me. Mayu was a treat as well, and despite the age gap, their chemistry was heartwarming. Also, all the side characters were lovable - despite their quirks. From an acting standpoint, you could feel the emotions properly conveyed.

Music (9) - This show has small musical dream segments in between. Most of them starting with the line - “He had the eyes of a deadfish”. At first, I did not know how to take it in, since it felt a little over the top but later I was looking forward to them. The music was catchy and they were hilarious. I have been replaying them now.

Rewatch Value (8) - Maybe some fine day, when I am not feeling good, I’ll rewatch this to warm me up.

Overall (9) - It is a perfect, feel good, slice of life drama. If you’re looking for a story with plot twists and melodrama or villains, this has none of it. It is just an everyday journal of two ordinary people trying to make each other happy.

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Overall - Pretty bad. Watch it only if you really love the casts.
Story - Horrible pacing and storyline. It started off promising, but the story had no resolution at all until the very last episode. It went round and round wasting screen time with useless and repeating scenes, mainly about the two male leads fighting over the female lead. FL was very indecisive, masquerading her supposed 'innocence' to manipulate both MLs. MLs were both stupid and hot headed. I never once believed they truly loved Danika(and vice versa), and felt more like they were only stroking their toxic masculinity. The moms/parent figures were selfish, manipulative, and just plain horrible parents. The story could've so much more, but unfortunately falls flat because the scriptwriter decided to focus on the wrong things.
Casts - The main ML and FL were both okay for their roles, but they had no chemistry at all. Sky was quite believable as the tough son of a mafia boss. Unfortunately, Kiri was severely miscast. He was okay in the first half as the actor has a very gentle look(and suited with the good son character), but he was not believable at all as a rough-gangster type.
Cinematography/Music - Very good. It had one of the best look for a Thai lakorn(I've seen a few). Scenes in the Himalayas were very nice. Music/OST was quite good as well.
Rewatch Value - None.

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A romantic comedy that executes itself with maturity and few cliches. Park Min Young and Kim Jae Wook had overflowing chemistry. The looks in their eyes could deceive you for off-screen romance with their multitude of kisses being passionate. This drama had the most mature couple I've seen in a drama that really understood each other and helped each other achieve their own happiness. Park Min Young is truly a great actress, proven by her years in the industry. No noble idiocy, no misunderstandings - this IS the perfect couple everyone wishes to have in real life. The side characters like Cindy and her mom had a nice character development, and even our 2nd lead didn't get too caught up in his love triangle and redeemed himself. The story wasn't anything special, but the writers pulled it off so well. The OST is also fantastic and fit every scene.

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The story is, in itself, pretty simple. The plot is sort of divided up into parts, with different people being the 'main character'. Because of this lay-out, the story does get slightly repetitive and with that also more predictable.
However, having said that, I loved this movie. It fits perfectly to the "slice of life" genre, a glimpse of real life, and in this case real life is just a little bit funny to boot. I love the main character, and how she is portrayed by the main actress. I love the easy-going mood throughout the movie, the breezy and fresh theme of renting cats to lonely people.
The music and the cinematography elements of this movie are both important reasons to why I enjoyed it so much. It's beautifully done, shot, and persecuted. It also gives the feel of japanese traditions, the japanese life style that we all know and love (at least I do).
Lastly, because this is such a lay-back sort of movie with no particular goal or end line, I feel it's the kind of movie I could watch and re-watch many times.

Basically, I would recommend this to anyone that adores the slice of life genre and of course, if you adore cats, or mori style (because in my opinion this movie has a very mori-ish feel to it).

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Brutal, Heartbreaking, Bleak, but somehow still Beautiful.

Watched 26/10/2025 at opening weekend.

Before going in to watch, I happened to see the director had said that she wanted to showcase the harsh realities of rising poverty amongst youth, an issue not often enough highlighted in modern Japan. The main symptom seen of this in media is the rise of so-called ‘yami baito’ in the news - in English, effectively ‘crime part time’ as desperate youths whose backgrounds aren’t so fortunate desperately try to stay afloat to afford rent, university, and the like.

This film showcases four such people, whose circumstances leave them nothing else to turn to. I did not expect to be so emotionally moved by this film, at all. The storytelling was also cleverly done, as nothing is revealed too quickly, yet upon seeing the whole picture, there is still beauty in the humanity you can find amidst the brutality. The story is largely told in three arcs, one for each protagonist, and the pacing was exactly as it needed to be. The use of perspective was also particularly clever in the sense that you start the film through the lens of the youngest and most inexperienced of the three protagonists, which also serves as an appropriate introduction to the world of yami baito for those unfamiliar with it. Acting was spectacular and gut-wrenching in exactly the ways it needed to be.

This film brought a range of emotions out in me, from the visceral nausea of reality to the sweetness that cannot be separated from the bitterness. This is not a film full of cheer, hope, and optimism, but it is still a film with a painfully heartwarming glimmer even at the most desperate times.

The closing song is beautiful and fitting, and other than that, the soundtrack was unobtrusive. In fact, I was so deeply invested in the story and characters I didn’t notice any music until the credits rolled, however there was most certainly music there and a composer credited.

I absolutely recommend this to anyone who can see it in cinemas, or anyone who enjoys crime-thrillers in general. It is a superbly well acted film. This is easily the best Japanese film I have seen since 18x2 Beyond Youthful Days (which I also reviewed at the time).

TRIGGER WARNINGS: Violence, Blood, Gore.

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Be true to yourself and the people around you !!

wow, amazing I got no word for the last scene just because that is a 10/10 for me. I like to make my point of view about everything and in the end no matter the final result deep down it was my choice and I can't blame anyone. this series was well made it is not just a series but an educational one that showed about (understanding, accepting your real you, learning how to be reasonable, flexible, honest with your partner, respect everyone, and only care about the people you love and not focusing on the outside opinion while some are still hiding their true self ) good job for every person that made this production possible. both seasons 1 & 2 are amazing people feel free to take a look. on that note bye bye PAPA & DADDY Series I love you. I am a big supporter of LGBTQ+. big Love ❤️

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Snow during spring

"A masterpiece may be in someone's possession for a while, but once its purpose is done, it goes to the next person."

Sometimes when you are looking at a work of art, many different emotions overcome you and iribito is exactly like a work of art. It can't be really explained with words. It is like a painting with vivid and dark colors that makes you feel the complexity of human nature and the beauty of human creations. Its atmosphere is unsettling and suffocating, but at the same time liberating and cruelly beautiful. Takamura Naho is mesmerizing, assertive and infatuated with art, while Shirane Tatsuru is ethereal, passionate and unbelievably creative. They complement each other in a way that resembles human creations. Those creations are made by human beings and can only be appreciated by other human beings.

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Highest quality of any BL

For sure this is the best yet of the Thai BL's. Bravo! I can't remember even on episode that I thought the story was off track or they were stalling or going on a tangent. The story developed out from start to finish logically. There were some twist and turns but not too much and not too fantastical to be believable. Earth for sure was the best actor award. He was believable playing a stern and difficult part. All of the actors including the kids were believable and likeable. That again is a great accomplishment without being too cheesy. I will really miss this one. Maybe I'll feel better about the rewatch value after a while but because it is a story with a they live happily every after and no want of a season 2. The Dr (Nam) is also an honorable mention. He needs his own series.

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Obsessed with this drama now

Hii....! Thank you director for beautiful story, im so obsessed with this drama, especially ji chu & Qing...
Love every episode especially episode 20 , ML the he look at qing after telling her that lets make this marriage real.. Omg, killer eyes killer look,, 🤗❤☺
Ji chu ❤ love story between two is so natural n realistic... Aah..! Love all the characters... Ji chu body guard have another vibe ❤
Blush... Blush...blush whenever qing n ji chu scene use to come... There talks, serious, funny, ❤☺🤗
Lots of love ❤ to JI CHU & QING

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A true masterpiece

Okay folks, get ready 'cause I'm gonna fangirl really hard about this show for like...the rest of my life. If you're wondering wether to give this a chance or not, my solid advice would be: YES, DO IT! DO IT NOW! JUST DO IT!!!

To me, this drama feels like one of those shows that fill you with joy and makes you feel all warm inside. It is definitely something that reminds you of the beauty of life. I'm sure many times we find ourselves going through a rough patch, we get tired of the way things are going in life, or we just have too much on our plate. I mean, just as an example, in addition to our personal ups and downs, we're all going through a pandemic right now!! And it might make us feel like this is too hard, this "thing" called "living" is just not what we were waiting for or we would've liked it if it came with a series of instructions on how to navigate it. However, we all know this is not possible and that we have to go through life figuring out how things work and making the best out of what we have.

For me this show provided that pause I needed in my routine. It was like finding a friend who comes to me and says: 'Hey, it's okay. Stop for a second thinking of all the negative things that are going on in your life or how you don't know what's gonna happen in the future. Stop for just a minute and look at the things that are going well, at all that you've accomplished and at how you have the opportunity to start over each day and try your best to achieve what you want. I understand how you're feeling and it's okay. Things will get better and you're gonna ace it.' What I loved so much about MPUB is that it reminded me that we're all struggling in this uncertain journey called "life." We all have our problems and no one has a guide that says how to do it, we're all figuring it out at our own pace and that is fine. There'll always be good and bad times and that's just how life is. It doesn't end there, there's so much to enjoy and appreciate in life even though we're sometimes stuck in seeing just the negative part.

This show taught me something that I tend to forget many times. What's important is to value the small moments in life, the people we are with and the time we get to spend with our loved ones. Sometimes we just need to look up to realize that everybody else is also struggling and trying their best, that's the moment when we realize that it's not just us, other people are going through the same, other people need our help as much as we need theirs. If I had to decribe MPUB in one word, I'd say it's "healing." I get so many positive vibes from this show, it's like a friend who tells you that no matter what you're going through you'll work it out.

Every episode of this show has a life lesson or take-away (that must be one of the things I find most refreshing and love about this drama) and the one that stuck with me the most is that we all need someone to listen to us, someone with whom to share our struggles, our worries, but also our joys and hopes. We don't expect that person to solve our problems, but we all need someone to be there for us. And of course it's not only receiving, we also have to give. There are many people around us who need us to ask them how they're doing and listen, truly listen to them.

This is what makes MPUB a true jewel in kdramaland, it's not everyday that we come across a show like this. The character development and the relationships between them are so masterfully and beautifully written that they seem real people you can relate to even though this is a fantasy story. (Shout out to that person in the comments who asked if there's a word for shipping a family, 'cause that's exactly what I'm doing. I SHIP THIS FAMILY LIKE FEDEX). The actors did such a wonderful job in portraying the characters that I truly came to care for them (especially our mystic trio, they're now my precious babies that must be protected at all costs). Hats off to each one of them. I only have one teeny-tiny complain about this show. Even though I LOVED the ending, it didn't quite have the same feeling as the other episodes, if you know what I mean. It was a tad rushed in my opinion. I kinda felt I wanted more, more of my mystic trio being together as a family, but nevertheless, it was wonderful. Congratulations to all the people involved in this masterpiece, they really did an outstanding job. They deserve a standing ovation.

Bonus: I'd just like to take some time to talk about Chief Gwi and how much I ADORE this man. I mean, he just went ahead and raised the bar so high up that at this point, everybody else should just give up. I mean, where can I get a man who catches evil spirits for 500 years just so that he can spend 1 year with you helping you without expecting anything in return, without revealing who he is, just wanting to be right by your side, doing his best to help you achieve your goal. I mean, he didn't even try to explain what happened in the past because he felt that what was important wasn't to get himself a second chance but to fulfill his promise of protecting you. A man who literally decided to go to hell for you without expecting you to recognize all his effort and devotion. A man who promised to always find you no matter what and he DID. He did and stayed with Weol-ju, knowing how much she actually resented him but being happy of just being able to be with her. AND DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON THE ADORING LOOK IN CHOI WON YOUNG'S EYES EVERY TIME HE LOOKS AT WEOL-JU. I NEED THIS KIND OF ROMANCE IN MY LIFE. We didn't even get a single kiss from them but it wasn't needed, I hadn't seen this level of romance in a kdrama in a long time. That hug in ep 12 was everything I never knew I needed.

Bonus 2: Sungjae is a precious baby boy. Too precious for words, too precious for this world. He did an amazing job once again and I'm so proud of him.

In summary, MPUB is now one of my all-time favorite kdramas. It was an amazing journey and I'll definitely be rewatching it more than once. The found family trope is so strong in this one that it's all I ever wished for in a kdrama. We really need more shows like this out there. Once more, congratulations to all the cast and crew for making such a beautiful show.

"Everyone's fate is decided by the heavens, but the heavens is more easily moved than you might think. Little things that you say and do may change your fate. If changing your fate is called a miracle, miracles may be happening every day. The miracle of you being alive, the miracle of having that person next to you, the miracle of being able to have a drink with that person."

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Festival of misunderstandings and a bit of clear thinking, highly enjoyable

Misunderstandings are one of those things that completely infuriates me when it comes to dramas. We know it very well, one of the characters mishears something and then we have to watch through five episodes how it spoils relations or leads to cringe situations. Complicating plot just because two grown ups cannot really articulate what’s wrong is just lazy writing for me. Saying that, I’m so happy, that those situations, in Her Private Life, even tough happen, ale so smoothly handled by well written and clear thinking characters. That was a great relief for me while watching this drama.
I’ve seen someone already writing that this series could end on 14th episode and I kinda agree. It seems like writers had the main plot finalised at this point but were bound by the contract to write two more episodes so they’ve just unnecessarily overcomplicated some minor themes making them a bit too long. This unfortunately spoils reception of the finale, but without much damage to the drama as a whole. I’d say it’s just slightly annoying. Luckily characters are cleverly written so all misunderstandings that come from this prolonged motives are quickly resolved.
The main praise I have for this drama must be characters. I’d say that this is one of those dramas that defends itself solely by the characters, making main plot secondary (what is not necessarily bad thing here). I had the same with some other series (like What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim), where action is used more for character development, rather that the action itself. With Her Private Life, feeling is similar. Characters are just so well written and interact with each other so smoothly, that watching it itself is sufficient.
But of course we have an action and we have classic drama tropes that are so repetitive sometimes in drama world, that we could make a drinking game out of them already. So one of the characters must have some sort of childhood trauma that took its toll on his adult life, we have long lost acquaintances that figure out that they’ve met long time ago very late in the drama. At least one of the parents has to be slightly unhinged (this time not even slightly, but I can fully forgive it, since the character is so entertaining in her quirkiness that it makes amazing comic relief). And of course second lead syndrome must be there, but in this case I’d say it’s here only because someone decided it has to, since it’s not very convincing and certainly we can see that it’s not gonna happen. Honestly, I’d see someone else on this position.
This all luckily is overshadowed by high quality of the drama.
Overall I highly enjoyed this drama. It’s one of those that you watch with constant grin on your face by how cute some scenes are. I don’t expect very much from romantic dramas, for me all they have to be is enjoyable and this one delivered it fully.

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