I adore this show,btw I have the soundtrack,wanna trade?I
looking for hero or yamatonadeshiko soundtrack.Yenn is being too
drastic about the mother.I believe the whole cast got a story of
their own to tell,the mother,rika sister and the often hated rika's
classmate.There is alot of ironic in the show that prove rika's
mother isn't really that bad,the part where she was so distress
when rika committed suicide and the part where she agreed to let
her go to high school is very good prove.As for the rika's
classmate,she came from a broken family and her parent blamed for
partly causing the death her brother.So,there isn't really any
negative character in the show.Tragic yet touching,it a very good
watch,heck I watched it three times so I know. 
[This message has been edited by Godzilla (edited 17 May
2001).]