Both dramas deal with the same time period,."Yae no Sakura" is somewhat a precursor to "Tsuda Umeko...", the drama's plot starts earlier in history and catches up to the period in the movie and goes beyond. Both female leads are working for the cause of women's education and are influenced by western culture. One of the companions that studied abroad with Tsuda Umeko is a side character in the drama: Yamakawa Sakiko / Oyama Sutematsu has a pretty interesting story arc, the viewer feels compassionate with her alienation towards her homeland and the reaction of her Japanese countrymen, her engagement/the relationship with Oyama Iwao gets shown in more detail and thus seems reasonable and pleasing.
