Medical J-Drama: Doctors

credits: http://animationlv.com/index.php?dispatch=products.view&product_id=30927

I recently reinstalled the TV on my apartment. I brought it out again to improve my listening skills. Also, I want to be more familiar with what the students are talking about. It's been more than a year since I watched Japanese TV shows. Aside from Doraemon, Anpanman and One Piece, I know nothing of the shows and celebrities they're talking about.

Anyway, one of the shows that got my attention is Doctors. It's a medical drama ala-Grey's anatomy. It's aired every Thursday, 9:00 pm- 9:55, Asahi TV. I used to watch Grey's Anatomy so that made me watch this program. 

I honestly don't understand the details of the show except for the surgeries and the rivalry between the surgeons Sagara and Moriyama. Sagara is a newer surgeon at Donoue Hospital than Moriyama but he seemed to be more respected by the other doctors there. He seemed to have more skills too. 

In the last season, the hospital was looking for a successor. The contrast between Sagara and Moriyama is very obvious. I don't understand the whole show but I knew who deserves to be the successor. Sagara is quiet and serious. He talks like an old man, full of wisdom. On the other hand, Moriyama is comical and impulsive. The other doctors don't like him very much. It's so apparent who should get the chair. 

I don't know what's the inspiration behind this show but I can see how Doctors is a "real Japanese drama." The characters are clear cut, much like how the Japanese think. It's either black or white, this or that, Japanese or not. Gray areas are uncomfortable territories. The show took pains in showing how different Sagara and Moriyama that choosing between the two is a child's play.

Aside from the hospital setting and lots of surgery, Doctors is not really comparable to Grey's Anatomy. The characters in Grey's are more complex and more human. They show a wide range of emotions. They have weaknesses and strengths. 

Another observation is the number of characters in the show. There's just a lot, I can't distinguish who is who. The women looked the same to me too because their expressions are the same. Everyone is kinda blending in the group. Very Japanese indeed. Not all characters have definitive stories or characters. 

I keep watching this drama because I love seeing the over-the-top facial expressions of Moriyama. The patients' stories also pull the heartstrings. It's not a bad drama. It's entertaining enough for a cold Thursday night.