Currently watching: Soredemo, Ikite Yuku

This series caught my eye because the lead roles were taken by two of my favourites actors, Eita and Mitsushima Hikari. Without them, I would have probably passed this by, since the storyline isn’t my usual choice.

It concerns two families who, in their own way, lost a child fifteen years ago. But one was a murder victim, and the other was the murderer. Eita is the older brother of the six-year old victim who has had to live with the guilt and sorrow ever since, and Hikari is the younger daughter of the high-school boy who committed the murder, and so she's been part of a family shunned by society for years.

One day, these two meet and begin to fall in love which, considering what’s happened between the families in the past, isn’t easy. There’s been lots of crying, emotions and angst and we’re only up to episode two. This show is not afraid to overdo it, and sometimes it’s trying too hard to engage my sympathy.

On the plus side, and it’s a big plus, there’s the chemistry between Eita and Hikari. Once they stop talking about the past and talk about more ordinary things, they become more interesting. They’re still fragile, and you can sense the hurt beneath the surface, but there’s some room for humour. The scene when they first meet is surprisingly funny and touching.

The story is beginning to set up the return of the older brother, which will no doubt be emotional for everyone concerned. Then again, almost anything seems to be emotional just now.