The "Kyuumei Byoutou 24 Ji" series has enjoyed a strong following over the years with its strong ratings and critically-acclaimed stories. In addition, many notable actors in the Japanese entertainment circle have taken part in this series. I never realized that so many relatively well-known actors were in this series because at that time when it was shown, it could be partly due to the fact that they had not made it big or their appearance airtime was limited so I didn't really notice the lineup was considered star-studded. Coupled with the fact that there were so many characters involved, it was a bit difficult to remember who appeared in which series. Just to name some of the more notable ones in the past 3 instalments: Sudo Risa, Sawamura Ikki, Sugimoto Tetta, Kaneda Akio, Shimizu Shogo, Yashima Tomohito from Part 1, Matsuyuki Yasuko, Ito Hideaki, Tabata Tomoko, Kohinata Fumio, Miyasago Hiroyuki, Tanihara Shosuke, Watanabe Ikkei from Part 2 and from Part 3 we have Kagawa Teruyuki, Kyono Kotomi, Oguri Shun, Ooizumi Yo, MEGUMI, Koichi Mantarou, Washio Machiko, Nakamura Tooru and Inoue Mao who appeared as a patient who kept committing suicide.Frankly speaking, I was a bit disappointed by the supporting lineup for Part 4 when I first read the cast list. Especially when you compare the lineup with what we had in Part 2 and 3, the supporting cast is relatively unknown or not that prominent except for Yusuke Santa Maria and Kimura Tae. Although Yusuke Santa Maria is usually humourous and cheeky on variety shows, I was convinced that he can pull off his role as Sawai ever since I saw his performance in Nemurenu Mori years ago. This guy can act in a serious role so I wasn't too worried. As for Kimura Tae, she is an alumni member of this series by default so it's not that much of a challenge for her to play Yamashiro. And I've seen enough of her shows to know that she can act well. Now the problem begins with the youngsters, the nurses and the doctors roped in from other departments. Kitano Kii never left a strong impression on me other than the time when she appeared in "LIFE". As for Ishida Takuya, I remember seeing him in a couple of movies but he didn't leave a deep impression on me as well. Thus, question marks formed in my mind as I wondered if the lineup was a bit lacking in terms of viewer appeal.
In a strange twist of fate, Eguchi got involved in a traffic incident thus leading to the delay of the series' OA. Since Shindo is such an important character in the series, there is no way the scriptwrters are going to leave him out of the action at the 11th hour. However, this turned out to be a blessing in disguise because of the pent-up demand and desire to watch the series. Although I already regarded this as a clear winner before the season started (in terms of ratings and critical reviews), I think the ratings could have gone higher on the virtue of a stronger storyline and more preparation time for the crew. Here are some of the issues which made the story low on my satisfaction index:
1) Eguchi Yosuke's inaction / limited airtime
I don't know how many of you have noticed this but Shindo has very little lines in this installment! In fact, you will find that he doesn't speak to convey his emotions. You literally have to guess your way through by looking at his facial expressions. Well, all along we know Shindo is a man of few words but then this is going too far. The scriptwriter may not need to let him speak or preach but at least make his presence felt. For most of the story, it felt as if he was a mere passer-by where all the action centered on the people around him as they were trying to come to terms with Shindo's character and way of doing things. I think Shindo was potrayed as a man with flesh and blood way better in Part 3. Here, he felt as an one-dimensional character. Then again, I'm guessing that this might have to do with his injury. It might be a move to ensure that Eguchi doesn't over-exert himself during the filming since he just recovered.
2) The "supposed" rivalry between Shindo and Sawai
Before the drama started, there was much talk about the battle between Shindo and Sawai. One holds the lofty ideal of saving everyone by putting in his best effort while the other holds a more pragmatic view that there is no way they can save everyone given the current situation. There must be some form of compromise so as to derive maximum benefit with limited resources. It should have been a very exciting exchange of views BUT it went downhill after 3 episodes. Hey, all we saw was Sawai trying to stop Shindo's ways so as not to tire the people working with him and having problems matching his standards. And then Sawai happily went M-I-A for most of the episodes on some seminars or meetings. Hello, I know he is the director of ER (he doesn't really get involved in the action most of the time) but then there is almost nil interaction between Shindo and Sawai. There is simply no avenue for them to iron out differences. Of course, it is unrealistic to think that there will be some sort of logical solution dished out by this drama because this is a headache for many countries and a very real problem. However, the drama could have been spiced up if there was some discussion between the two as they come to terms with each other's views rather some obstructions here and there by Sawai to prevent Shindo from getting his way. In the end, it only makes Sawai look really bad as a practical man but he does have a reason for his belief.
3) Cliches, preaching and unnecessary repetition
It is common to hear a lot of preaching in Japanese dramas and it does get on my nerves at times. I thought this installment was good in some episodes because there is minimal preaching. For example, when Kudo was irritated at Shindo and believed that he was good enough as a doctor, he found out the hard way instead of Shindo preaching to him and getting the idea across. Of course, Shindo did try to bring across his view to Kudo initially but he gave up soon. I guess he was resigned to the fact that newbies never listen to advice unless they get into trouble. I thought the handling of this development was good because we learn from our mistakes instead of lectures from our seniors.
However, there were also instances which also made me quite bored. For example, when Kojima was being bombarded with advice or events around her reminding her that being single may not be so good after all, the phone call she made to her mother reiterating her stand that she loves her work is simply too cliched. She can explain her stand but what's with all that explanation before she gets to the point. It only feels like preaching to the viewers. Actually, a lot of these messages which the drama is trying to convey can be done subtly. Things do not have to be spelt out all the time and interpretation should be left to the viewers.
Maybe it's for the benefit of viewers who have never seen past installments but sometimes, the repetition of some facts seem redundant to people who have been following the series all along. One particular instance was jarring to my ears. This was when Kojima's mother tried to convince her to get married and have kids instead of continuing to be affected by her late fiance's date. It feels very unnatural in Japanese speech for her mother to emphasize the word "fiance" when talking about someone who was engaged to her daughter. As such, I think that although there is a need to inform first-time viewers of some things in the past, you have to balance this need with the possibility of getting on the nerves of viewers who know what is going on.
4) Everyone has to be saved by Shindo at least once?!
This struck me again when I watched the last episode. I don't know why but it seems like a lot of the cast members must be saved at least once by Shindo. Kudo's accident coupled with the simply "unnatural" mishap happening to Sawai strengthened my belief. Especially for Sawai, being treated by Shindo seemed to have eliminated the animosity between the two. Was it a move to end everything on a positive note? I just find this development really predictable especially when I saw Sawai going to the accident scene where Shindo was at. Such a big explosion and Shindo ALWAYS ends up unscathed no matter what happens?
5) Illogical happening?
In the beginning of the series, you will see Shindo consuming medicine which leads you to guess what is wrong with him. By the third episode, you will know the answer so I won't spoil the fun for you now. However, the manner it was exposed left a bad taste in my mouth. I don't know how this will be handled in real life but I really think it is a bad thing to do especially if you are a doctor. One of the doctors transferred from another department, Tanbara was not happy with Shindo and happened to know that the latter went for a blood test. To think that he abused his authority and went to check the results without the patient's knowledge or permission. It is so unbecoming for a doctor to do this especially when Tanbara had the intention to bring Shindo down with his revelation. And nothing happened to Tanbara for flouting the rules and he suddenly becomes an admirer of Shindo because of his handling of this matter? Sawai was being too lenient with this guy! There were lots of question marks in my mind after watching that episode.
After talking about the less-than-satisfactory aspects of this drama, I would like to end this review on a more positive note by talking about the good points:1) The chemistry between Shindo and Kaede gets better
This combination is great! Not just in terms of appearance but it shows in their acting too. I like that opening intro especially when the two of them are shown in the treatment room and then walking along the corridor. They look so good together on screen. Thank goodness that Matsushima is tall so the balance on screen is better than if you have two characters who are very different in terms of height. And do you notice that their hairstyles are pretty similar? ^__^
In terms of interaction between Shindo and Kaede, it gets better over time. Maybe it's because they have worked together on 3 out of the 4 installments so it's natural for them to be familiar with each other's styles. In Part 4, I like the part in the first episode where they talked about Kaede's lawsuit for malpractice. It feels as if old friends who know each other very well are having a heart-to-heart conversation. Later on, when they work together, a lot of things are not spelt out but from their expressions, the viewer can see that they understand what each other is thinking. I would think that the partnership between this two is something worth checking out especially when you have watched the previous installments. The improvement in their relationship is noticeable especially when you consider that both of them have been through equally tough times as people who lost their loved ones and have the same passion for emergency care. It feels as if they are not just good partners in work but also soulmates, although not in the romantic sense.
2) The BGM
Frankly speaking, I don't remember most of the medical scenes in this drama. Everything just went by in a flash and usually, we can see more than 2 of such scenes in each episode. Due to the fast pace of the drama when there is medical action, the BGM serves an important role in turning up the tension level. I like the background music especially in the opening intro.
3) Humour
You definitely have to check out this part in the drama. Shindo shows off a little unknown side of him. The other doctors realized that he doesn't eat green peppers so they played a trick on him and wanted to force him to eat it. However, Shindo gets away with it when an emergency call came and that cheeky grin he showed to Kaede was so funny. I think this type of tiny tidbits of information about these doctors in the cast would be very welcomed in future installments.
And my ratings for this drama...
Story: 6 out of 10 (I was disappointed with some of the major developments which didn't turn out as well as promised pre-OA. It would be best to fine-tune your expectations beforehand.)
Acting: 7 out of 10 (I like Matsushima Nanako's mellow style of acting but Eguchi's talent is severely under-utilized this time)
Theme song: 5.5 out of 10 (It felt OK for the first few times I heard but it didn't leave a lasting impression on me.)
Visual effects / Scenery: 6 out of 10 (Not much outdoor shoots to speak of and because the medical action was too fast paced for me to appreciate.)
Teamwork / Chemistry: 8.5 out of 10 (Kudos to Shindo and Kaede!)
Total: 33 out of 50
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