Review of Tomorrow

This is the first summer 2008 drama which I've finished so here I am, writing the review just one day after completing it.

I have mixed feelings regarding this drama. In recent years, we have been hit with an influx of adaptations, be it from manga, anime, novels or even non-Japanese dramas. Since it is relatively safe (well, not really so in some cases) to do an adaptation which usually has a fan base, many TV stations have stuck to this genre so as to reduce a risk of low ratings. As such, it is indeed rare to see original stories which may go haywire easily in the absence of a proven-and-tested structure.

The theme of this drama revolves around problems in the medical circle such as lack of medical services in far-flung areas, shortage of medical staff and low salaries, rising medical costs and medical lawsuits. At the centre of the story is a local hospital funded by the city government which is on the verge of bankruptcy. External help comes in the form of Takenouchi Yutaka's role, Moriyama Kohei and Ogawa Tamaki's role, Endo Saya. Moriyama was a doctor who quit 8 years ago due to a medical mishap, became a city government staff and then reverted to become a doctor as he wanted to do something to save the debt-ridden hospital. Endo is a surgeon who was enlisted to handle the restructuring of the hospital and tends to adopt radical measures. Naturally, these two aren't exactly on the best terms. Kanno Miho's role as Tanaka Aiko is a rather hot-headed and passionate nurse who isn't willing to see the hospital go into history and becomes Moriyama's partner in this save-the-hospital mission. As for the rest of the story, watch the drama to find out for yourself.

From this point onwards, there will be spoilers so if you don't want to know the story, stop reading this post now.

The good points:

1) A structurally-sound storyline
Given that there's another medical drama in the summer lineup, it is inevitable to compare the two. Based on what I've seen in Code Blue, Tomorrow's tempo is slower but not to the point of boring me. Every episode develops the story systematically and provides little surprises along the way. If you are looking for a story which mirrors that of Iryuu or even Shiroi Kyoto which set a very high standard for medical dramas, you might be a bit disappointed. There won't be adrenaline-filled surgery scenes or a plot full of deceit and people trying to outsmart one another. All you get is a warm package of how people help one another in the midst of a crisis.

I like the idea that the scriptwriter did not try too hard to pair Moriyama and Tanaka together. In the end, you can see that something is going on but it's not like the producers shoved the outcome to your face and said, "they are together now". The subtle approach feels better, in my opinion.

2) Great theme song
Well, I've not really heard Hoshimura Mai's songs prior to this. The theme song, "Hikari" is easy to remember and the melody suitable for the mood of the story. Look out for Hoshimura's guest appearance in the last episode but she won't be performing the theme song though.

3) Good acting
It's been a while since Takenouchi Yutaka appeared in a full-length drama. I didn't get to finish his last drama, "Kazoku" so "Rondo" should be the last drama I've seen him in. I didn't really like Rondo though. That beard really got on my nerves. In this drama, he goes back to being the clean-shaven ikemen and exudes a mature charm which makes the womenfolk swoon especially me. ^__^ His acting skills have improved quite a bit in the sense that he can turn from being cool to scolding people the next minute. A smile here and there makes his character warmer than perceived.

There have been criticism on Kanno Miho for being very loud but her character is supposed to be hot-headed in the first place. I don't really like Tanaka Aiko but I'm OK with Kanno's performance generally.

Ogawa Tamaki and Edo Harumi should be the surprise packages here. Ogawa's role Endo doesn't enjoy that much airtime but her commanding presence on screen should give you a strong impression. Edo plays the serious and caring matron which is completely different from her usual comedian image. It is hard to reconcile the two extremes and this should give you a pleasant surprise.

Jinnai Takanori can be a bit overboard at times but he has delivered his usual level of performance. Kurokawa Tomoka isn't that annoying this time while Kishibe Ittoku's chemistry with Takenouchi as shougi partners was good.

The bad points:

1) Overly-unrealistic ending
The ending tried to give a happily-ever-after scenario which seemed too far from reality. They had been dealing with the issues throughout the whole season and yet in a matter of one year, the situation has improved. There should be a multi-approach way of handling the problem so everything seems to be overly simplified in an attempt to round up the story

2) Slow tempo
In some parts of the story, the tempo should have been tuned up. I was a bit bored but not to the extent of dropping the drama. More should have been done to manage the tempo better rather than having a lopsided story at times.

In conclusion, this is a must-see if you are:
a) a fan of Takenouchi Yutaka (he looks real good in this drama)
b) a fan of Kanno Miho (only if you can stand her not acting her age and being hotheaded most of the time. I preferred her last drama as Tsumiki in "Watashitachi no Kyoukasho")
c) a fan of medical dramas focusing more on relationships rather than surgery scenes

My ratings as follows...
Story: 7.5 out of 10
Acting: 8.5 out of 10
Theme song: 8.5 out of 10
Visual effects / Scenery: 6 out of 10 (most of the scenes are within the hospital. first few episodes had more outdoor scenes)
Teamwork / Chemistry: 7 out of 10

Total: 37.5 out of 50

Viewership ratings data as follows:
1) 16.8%
2) 13.9%
3) 13.5%
4) 10.8%
5) 10.3%
6) 10.5%
7) 12.9%
8) 13.0%
9) 10.4%
10)14.1%