Sakamoto Yuji has been my favourite screenwriter for a long time. He's never disappointed me, not even once, and with Anone he made fall in love with his writing all over again. I must admit I wasn't that interested in this drama when I first read the plot synopsis, which is the reason I didn't watch it sooner, and I deeply regret it. This easily Sakamoto's best drama since Woman. I've liked a lot the dramas he's written since then, but this is just better, more similar to dramas like Mother, Soredemo Ikite Yuko or Woman than to Mondai no Aru Restaurant or Quartet, although it's not as dark as the first two.

The story is so beautiful. I've always loved stories about broken people who form a family-like bond (and Sakamoto is an expert at them) and this one is VERY good. The drama is filled with beautiful thoughts and ideas in the dialogues, some of which me very emotional I must say. The last two episodes alone are heart-breaking, but the whole drama is poignant in a way only Sakamoto can achieve. He's certainly the best screenwriter in Japan, maybe in the entire dramaland. His characters are so humane and feel so real, especially his female characters. I will always appreciate that he gives a voice to people (especially women) in a way that Japan rarely does. But overall, 99% of the characters in this drama are absolutely lovely.

Now, about the acting. Anone is full of beautiful performances, the entire cast is just perfect (as usual in Sakamoto's dramas, it's obvious actors love his scripts and characters). This is by far my favourite Hirose Suzu performance that I've seen, and I hope she keeps giving performances like that in the future. Sadao Abe and Kobayashi Satomi are also really charming and really good. But it is Tanaka Yuko who stands out the most. I've always thought she's one of the best actresses in the whole world (her performances in Mother and Woman are two of my favourite ever), but after Anone I can't help thinking she's also one of the most underrated actresses too. She's just so...expressive. You know exactly what's going through her characters' head even if she doesn't speak. Lastly there's Eita, who I love, but I have to say this wasn't his best performance, specially compared to the rest of the cast. Oh, and as always, the child actors in Sakamoto's dramas are always brilliant. The kids who play Haruto (young and slightly older) and young Harika are naturals and so talented. The people who cast his dramas are seriously good at finding young talents.

Overall, Anone has been a fantastic, beautiful experience that (IMO) only Sakamoto Yuji can provide in dramaland. It will be really hard to forget this characters and their bond, and I really can't wait for Sakamoto's next drama.