Amachan

When I first started watching this I couldn't help but compare it to the other two morning dramas I had watched, Ohisama and Umechan Sensei. I really wasn't feeling the modern Touhoku setting at all, and it was putting me in an ill mood. I really wish that I had started with a better attitude, because it made it take a lot longer than necessary to realize that this was not only their equal, it totally surpasses them. It is not only my favorite morning drama, it is probably my second favorite drama ever.

I think the point that stands out the most for me is simply that I was never bored a single moment watching this. I can't watch ten episode series without thinking the middle is boring, or the ending is weak, or it's all too slow or something, and that goes even more so for morning and Taiga dramas. But watching Amachan I was always entertained. Every single episode was perfect. I know some people didn't like the Tokyo arc, but I loved it, and felt that it added so much variety to the series. And that brings up another point, I could never guess where this show would head next. In the beginning I was certain this would be all about being an Ama, but it's about so much more.

Another important point is how much I loved every single character. Again it didn't start out that way, but as they grew on me I came to deeply care about them all, from every random old lady, to every random idol, to all the Ben-sans in the way. But of course no one defines this trend better than Aki herself. My first impression of her was, why would they have such an un-cute actress as the star? But she grew to become a "normal type of cute", to finally becoming the heroine she is. She really brought to life what her character was all about, by just being her self and persevering she changes everyone around her, including the audience.

Ultimately, I don't really know why I love this so much, but I can say this, when I was done watching, I didn't know what to do with my life anymore. I have dozens of dramas that need to be watched, but I'm just not interested. So I spent all my time on the internet reading articles and watching interviews. In doing so I discovered there is a meme going around Japan right now, "Amaloss", short for Amachan loss syndrome, in which people describe symptoms such as not having the motivation to wake up in the morning without Amachan airing. So looking for a cure to my own Amaloss, the only thing I could do was start watching it over again from the beginning. That's something I never do, but shows just how magical Amachan is.