aesthetic reasons

Despite the fact that I had no English subs, I got attached to the characters, especially Ishida Issei's character. He really had a heart of gold, yet his life was so full of tragedies but that never stopped him from being a good friend and person. Masanobu Ando's role as the quietly intense musical genius is also noteworthy - his anger at the world really came through.
Superb acting across the board. This was a stellar cast!
Before viewing, set tissues next to you, 'cos you'll need them! But your funny bone will get exercise, too :)

OK, this was my very first jdorama and it wasn't dubbed in English (I do not speak/understand Japanese) and I STILL enjoyed it! Although, there were many sad moments (what is drama without them though?), there were lots of heartfelt moments and twists that kept me interested in the story and the characters.
I was disappointed that one of the characters changed drastically in personality - it was like night and day! I thought she was a pretty good person until the change happened then I really didn't like her at all after that - lol!
Masanobu Ando's performance was wonderful, he is able to convey so much with just his expressions (especially his eyes) - but maybe I'm biased 'cos I think he's the bee's knees :b
"Ben" by Michael Jackson was used frequently throughout the series and although I'm not a fan of the song (kind of creeps me out, actually), it was appropriate if you know the lyrics to it. This drama really underlined the friendships between the characters and how deep they ran.
This is an 8 because the ending left me somewhat unsatisfied. For those who have seen it, you know what I'm talking about!