Ask John: What’s the Best Medical Drama Anime?

Question:
What would you consider the best medical drama anime?

Answer:
I would say that the Black Jack anime franchise wins the title of best medical drama anime by default because there really aren’t many medical drama anime. The only other serious contenders for the title are the 2004 Monster television anime and the current Kuchu Buranko television series. Black Jack literally revolves around a surgeon performing difficult operations: challenging operations, operations in unconventional settings, and medical procedures opposed by influential people or organizations. Monster is certainly an excellent drama, but the story rather quickly shifts away from its focus on medical practice to suspense thriller territory. The current Kuchu Buranko television series revolves around psychoanalysis rather than surgery. It’s certainly a distinctive and unique show with a strong element of medical discourse, but the show, so far, hasn’t really exhibited a strong emphasis on its doctor actually healing patients. The show has depicted patients who have, sometimes inadvertently, cured themselves with guidance from the doctor (which, granted, may be the function of psychological treatment). In execution, Kuchu Buranko seems much more amorphous than it sounds in summary.

I’m familiar with a number of anime that revolve around doctors or have a medical theme, but for various reasons none of them qualify for consideration as anime’s best medical drama. The Hanbun no Tsuki ga Noburo Sora television series is set in a hospital, but it’s a romantic drama rather than a medical drama. Despite its title, Nanako Kaitai Shinsho (Amazing Nurse Nanako) has practically nothing to do with medicine. Roujin Z, Paprika, Hotori ~Tada Saiwai wo Koinegau~, and Ray the Animation are better described as sci-fi stories than medical dramas. (And Ray the Animation, despite being a spin-off from Black Jack, really isn’t very good.) Kafka Inaka Isha revolves around a doctor, but isn’t about performing healing. The Dokkiri Doctor television comedy stars a school doctor but has very little to do with illustrating the practice of medicine. The 2000 Hidamari no Ki television anime is more accurately described as a samurai drama than a medical drama. I’ll admit that I haven’t watched the Nagasaki 1945: The Angelus Bells movie, but my impression of it is that it’s as much, if not more, a historical drama as medical drama. Ogenki Clinic and Doctor Chichibuyama depict their doctors at work, but both series are goofy, ecchi comedies, certainly not serious medical dramas. There are numerous erotic anime series set in hopsitals, including Yakin Byoutou, Tokubetsu Byouto, Rensa Byouto, Chijoku Shinsatsushitsu, Shitai wo Arau, Seijun Kango Gakuin Shinjin Nurse, Injoku, Dorei Kaigo. I don’t want to suggest that all of these productions are bad, but they’re not in consideration for the title of best medical drama anime.