Watching movies, drama series, and anime, I came to realize how difficult it is to portray the everyday things in touching ways. Not many people attempt to do so because it is so difficult, and even fewer actually succeed.
In theatres and TV, the love stories are dramatic ones that are usually not what one would term "ordinary". A student and teacher falling in love with each other (like Chugaku Seinikki, Majo no Jouken, even Return of the Condor Heroes). Siblings who are siblings by law (marriage between parents) but not by blood falling in love with each other (think Domestic Girlfriend, and also Omoi Omoware Furi Furare). A girl with a terminal illness in love with a quiet and shy boy (Your Lie in April and I Want to Eat Your Pancreas). A school dropout falling in love with a NEET (Sing "Yesterday" for Me). It is so much easier to use such unique settings to manipulate emotions.
But a boy falling in love with his classmate (like in Tsuki ga Kirei), a boy in love with his childhood friend and neighbour (like in Tamako Love Story), or even four girls forming a band (K-On!) do not have any unique twists to their relationships. And it is a testament to the skills of their directors and production staff to be able to portray these everyday things and stories in ways that touch us.
The ordinary stories are the simple ones, but they are also the easiest for us to relate to. And at the same time, because there is nothing special about them, they are also the most difficult to portray as a movie or TV series. Yet if done right, they can also be the most memorable.
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