Diamond Daydreams, Vol. 1 - Atsuko + Karin
Theshojo(girl's) broadcast seriesDiamond Daydreams(also called "Diamond Dust Drops") centers on the lives of six young women on the northern island of Hokkaido. Twenty-year-old Atsuko is a bit of a klutz, as she demonstrates while helping her widowed mother in the family fish market. She's not sure she wants to marry Minoru the wealthy fiancé her family's chosen, and she confides her feelings to Mr. Kurata, an older jazz musician whom her mother and Minoru disapprove of. Karin has spent two years in the hospital with a respiratory ailment; as her father died during surgery, she's afraid to have the operation she needs. She spends her time writing stories on her Website--until brash young Dr. Amakasu accuses her of being spoiled. The seemingly unrelated stories are tied together by "diamond dust," tiny ice crystals that sparkle in the cold northern air. Seeing them is supposed to guarantee love, happiness, and wishes that come true. (Rated TV PG, suitable for ages 13 and older: minor violence, alcohol and tobacco use)--Charles Solomon