Of The Now: Aishiteru ~Kaiyo:

“Typical mother Noguchi Satsuki spent her days trying to balance her life as a wife to her hard-working husband Kazuhiko and mother to their only son Tomoya, a seemingly withdrawn fifth-grader with whom Satsuki struggled to communicate. Seiko and Ozawa Hideaki, living in the same neighborhood as the Noguchi family, were raising a rebellious junior high school daughter Mihoko and their first son Kiyotaka a second-grader who was showered with much love and affection by his mother.

On that ill-fated day when Kiyotaka was reported missing and was later found dead, Tomoya was taken into custody by police as the prime murder suspect. Tomoya slowly begins to open up about his innermost feelings as the hidden truth reveals the true motive behind his cruel act of violence. Satsuki, as mother of the perpetrator, comes face-to-face with her son’s true self while Seiko, as mother of the victim, deals with her sorrow and anger.”
– copied from http://wiki.d-addicts.com/Aishiteru

This isn’t your typical love dilemma, silly family drama. The only love you’ll find is that within the families affected by such tragedy. I can’t write an actual review yet because, unfortunately, I haven’t had a chance to watch the last episode (it was recently subbed). However, I can assure you this drama is worth watching. Don’t overlook it because it lacks some young heartthrob actor, or some beautiful actress you’ve probably seen in countless other dramas. Take a break from all that. You’ll be in suspense each episode, and I guarantee you’ll get a good cry at least once. You’ll find yourself sympathizing with both sides, hating both sides, and hoping for peace of mind for everyone. It’s a heavy drama, but the acting is great, and you’ll get pulled in right away. Not to mention it’s ending song “Aishiteru” is sung by Monkey Majik (which is how I initially found out about this drama).

Old favorite: Proposal Daisakusen

“Iwase Ken and Yoshida Rei have been friends since elementary school. Ken, is obstinate and unskilled in love, but he fell long ago for the lively and cheerful, Rei. But Rei is about to get married to another man. While Ken and other friends from high-school attend the wedding ceremony, a fairy appears and sends Ken back in time, giving him a second chance to win the girl he loves.”
– copied from http://wiki.daddicts.com/Proposal_Daisakusen
Don’t let the fact that there’s a “fairy” involved throw you off to this drama. It’s somewhat old (April 2007), but it ages like a good wine. It’s just as funny as it is heartbreaking, and even has its suspenseful moments. Though it may seem predictable at times, you will likely find that things aren’t as simple as they seem. All the characters are loveable and play important roles no matter how small. The reason you can love all these characters is due to the fantastic acting and chemistry the actors share. The love story is innocent and sweet, and each episode provides a teary, sentimental moment. Actually, this whole series can be summed up in one word – sentimental. It also doesn’t focus solely on the relationship between Ken and Rei, but the deep friendship between their entire group of friends. It shows how time can move quicker than we thought, and looking back on things… we miss quite a bit. If you want just an all-around good, creative drama filled with sentimentality and everything that makes a drama worth watching, check out Proposal Daisakusen.