This post is also filed under “Underrated Manga You Need To Read”.
What is it about?
Dr. Katou is an ambitious woman who seeks to revolutionize the corrupt and inefficient Japanese medical system from within by becoming a professor in a teaching hospital. She enlists a maverick surgeon, Dr. Asada Ryuutarou, to help her with research that would catapult her to a professorship should they succeed and publish.
However, Asada’s refusal to conform to the system soon threatens to destroy not only her plans but her entire career. Katou is prepared to do anything, including going along with the system, in order to achieve her end goal, but she begins to question whether she has gone too far as Asada’s actions bring many of the system’s shortcomings to light.
What is the genre of the story?
Drama, Mature, Seinen
What is there to love about?
One of the greatest asset of this manga is its character growth. We get to see people change from being selfish to being selfless, from being a coward to being brave. We get to see the characters break chains that bind them. We get to see breakthroughs. We get to see new goals.
And as a result of these developments, the manga turned into something so relatable you can’t help but love it.
It isn’t just about doctors and patients and politics. This manga is the reflection of humanity at its finest and at its darkest. Because in reality, nothing can show human nature at its apex more than life or death situations.
How is the medical plot in there?
It’s great. I am no medical practitioner so most medical dialogues tend to just pass over my head. But, I can tell you the author had passion in researching about a lot of things involving the medical world. A lot of scenes were very informative and the mangaka explained things well in the text boxes and notes.
The over-all atmosphere of the manga is well done, especially during surgeries and other medical operations. There were a lot of scenes where I feel like I’m in the shoes of a patient’s relative – desperately praying for the operation’s success. Most of the major surgeries got me on the edge of my seat, and whenever its done, I feel quite relieved as well.
What is the status of the story?
It’s completed but not completely scanlated. There are 25 volumes all in all, but the translated version is still on Volume 20.
Spoilers, please?
Spoilers will be incorporated in the next question.
Any rants?
Now, this I warn you. I have a lot to say regarding the manga and I will most likely elaborate on things that I’ve said regarding character development and the story’s “relatability”.
When I first read the few chapters of the story, I was actually hesitant at first. The world shown to me was a hospital with rotten values, pitiful patients (or lab rats), and doctors who only want profit. I wasn’t hesitant because it seemed so exaggerated. I was hesitant because I know there is some truth in it and I don’t want to lost my faith to hospitals.
But, hospitals are still businesses. As an accountant in real life, I’ve learned through the years that no business would willingly do anything that could result to a loss. So when that scene where a patient, who was almost beyond saving, was denied because he doesn’t have insurance, it felt a little bit true.
However, what made me continue to read the series was probably because of a certain character. Oddly enough, it wasn’t Dr. Asada, the genius main character. It was Ijuuin, a loner and very selfish intern. For me, he was the first character that I totally related to.
When I was on my first job, I wanted to please my superiors (don’t we all?). I wanted to be someone good. I wanted a place to belong. I don’t want to be criticized so I just followed orders and just go with the system’s flow. Ijuuin was exactly like that. He can see how rotten the workplace is, but he chose to just go along the flow because it is safer that way. Nothing good will ever come by becoming different.
Fortunately for Ijuuin, he met Dr. Asada. Ever since the genius doctor started teaching him, he started to change. And now, Ijuuin is one of the most courageous character in the series. He turned from someone selfish into a doctor who would do his best for a patient.
Other than Ijuuin, the other character I related to was Dr. Kihara, best known for being a jerk who likes to think of himself as more superior compared to others. He is the type of person who wishes for others to fail. I totally believe that we have also wished that at some point in our life. It maybe as simple as wishing that your friend would fail the exam because you failed it was well, or maybe wishing a co-worker would make the same mistake you did so you would get scolded together. Dr. Kihara might seem annoying and quite hateful. But then we are all a Dr. Kihara, although in varying degrees.
Another captivating thing about this series is the presence of grey areas in people. The series tells us that no one is truly good, no one is truly evil, no one is perfect, and any one can have mistakes.
Midway through the series, after witnessing a stream of successful surgeries by Dr. Asada, I started to think that there will come a patient he won’t be able to save. But, what I fear then was the possibility of said patient dying due to political uproars occurring at the time.
But then, when that moment finally came, what happened was better than I expected. Enemy doctors joined hands to save a life. Cowardly doctors finally took action. Despite the patient still dying in the end, the event itself became a turning point for our characters towards new goals and new principles. It was beautiful.
Now, I have already said much. I do hope you read the series. It is worth it.
Qiara’s Note: This manga is waaayyyy toooo strongly recommended. Please take time to read it.
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