If you've seen the Boku series from Kusanagi Tsuyoshi i.e. Boku no Ikiru Michi (co-star Yada Akiko where he played a teacher with a terminal illness), Boku to Kanojo to Kanojo no Ikiru Michi (co-stars Miyama Karen and Koyuki where he played a man who has to learn how to love and care for his daughter after his wife left the family) and Boku no Aruku Michi (co-star Karina where he played a man with autism) and you think that this drama is similar to these three just because there's the word "boku" in the title, you are only half-right. From the looks of it, this drama isn't going to be as tear-jerking as any of the Boku dramas because the lead character's not going to die or he doesn't have a disability or difficult situation to cope with. Even though this drama is pretty much a story about life lessons (similar to the Boku series), I was attracted to the premise of someone switching career paths at an age when people would consider too old for doing that. It is not easy to make such a decision and there must be a strong reason for doing that. It should be interesting to delve into the mindset of what made this person take the plunge into unknown territory.
The lead character in this drama is Konno Yuta (Kusanagi) who used to be a salaryman at a top foodstuff company. He made the decision to became a doctor when he was 30 and left his job without turning back even when his boss said that he would regret his decision. Well, when you are 30 and have been working in a company for a number of years, there would have been many things to consider before you decide to leave e.g. the salary you are getting, whether you are going to find a similar job elsewhere or when you will be content with your new job. There is too much at stake so a mid-career switch is really not as simple as it seems. However, as what Ep 1 has shown, Yuta has a very strong reason for doing what he does. He is obviously doing it for his girlfriend Suzu who's unable to speak for some reason and seems to be suffering from some kidney problems. It's quite clear that Yuta holds himself responsible for making sure Suzu can recover in future (maybe he was involved in what caused Suzu's condition) so that's why he could give up his career and go into unfamiliar territory. Becoming a doctor is not easy in Japan (actually, it should be difficult anywhere else in the world too) because not only you have to study for at least six years in university, there's also the internship and national exam to clear. From what we can see in this episode, Yuta has persevered for 7 long years before he finally reaches the internship stage.
Besides Yuta, there are three other interns Sawamura Mizuki (Mizukawa Asami), Shimoda Kentaro (Yaotome Hikaru) and Taniguchi Atsushi (Kiriyama Ren). Being the eldest in the pack, the three of them are wondering what made Yuta "lose his mind" and throw his well-paying job in a good company just to be a doctor. Sawamura in particular, thinks that Yuta is a nuisance because he keeps saying things which he isn't supposed to raise as an intern and it causes trouble for the rest of them in one way or another. She cannot comprehend why he wants to come to Toou University Hospital for his internship especially since Toou is known for its rigid ways and doesn't seem receptive to someone so different like Yuta. In actual fact, Yuta came to Toou in order to learn from Morishita Kazuaki (Tanabe Seiichi) who's an expert in kidney ailments so you can say that he's willing to bear with almost everything for Suzu's sake.
There are some moments of humour as well e.g. this scene where Sawamura finds that Yuta is her neighbour and she warns him not to poke his nose into her affairs. I think she means it to be that Yuta shouldn't tell people where she lives or what he knows about her lifestyle (since they are neighbours). However, Yuta takes it the wrong way and says that she shouldn't be worried since he has a girlfriend. Looks like Yuta is quite dense at times and can misinterpret what people are saying! He must have gotten the idea that Sawamura thought that he is interested in her! :-)
In medical dramas, you would usually have a central case in each episode where the lead character behaves differently from what others would expect him to do. It's no surprise that Yuta encounters problems with the old-fashioned ways in the hospital because he would point out faults which seem a given in the corporate world (printing presentation notes on paper instead of using digital files) and that shows in his way of treating patients as well. I won't go into details on what exactly the case is about but the gist of it is that Yuta feels that his superiors have not done enough analysis on the possible options and are jumping to conclusions just so it would make life easier for them. Yuta should have gone through the tough demands of his clients in his previous job so his mindset is that unless you've reviewed all the options, it's foolish to make a decision based on the limited information. What's more, you are dealing with someone's life here.
My first thoughts about this drama is that although it reeks of idealism i.e. Yuta gets away with what he does (as in the outcome turns out OK so he doesn't get punished), there is a balance with reality too. I think that's very refreshing to see in medical dramas these days because most dramas tend to make the lead character seem like a hero who can solve everything that is thrown at him. Yuta has his weaknesses (people thinking little of him and guessing that he's probably being a doctor for some frivolous reason) and he is clearly haunted by what Suzu has to go through regardless whether it is his fault or not (we'll probably find out later). That makes his character closer to reality and easier for viewers to identify with. Kusanagi does a good job in potraying Yuta and I really like that this character is flawed because that's what humans should be.
As Yuta "wreaks havoc" in the rigid university hospital with his corporate mindset, that should shake up the medical personnel there and I really look forward to how he's going to be a doctor just like how he was a salaryman. Just one thing of concern here, the professor in charge of the department Saeki (Matsudaira Ken) doesn't seem like he's going to be a supportor of Yuta's ways because he's known for transferring people out of the hospital if they go against him so I'm wondering if he will prove to be the biggest hurdle in Yuta's path to be a doctor.
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