Season: Summer 2021
Broadcast by: TBS
Rating: 9 / 10
Recommended for: those who like speedy stories about those saving lives on the frontline and fans of Suzuki Ryohei & Kaku Kento
Liked:
- The breakneck speed of the story that there was hardly any time to feel bored.
To be honest, I was rather taken aback at first because so many things happened in the first episode that before I knew it, it was over. Most first episodes take their own sweet time introducing the characters and their relationships so this drama was very unusual from the get-go. As the story progressed, I really liked the no-nonsense and straight-to-the-point approach of letting the viewers get acquainted with the characters while the team dealt with their issues - internal and external - and tried to save lives at the same time.
- The members in the TOKYO MER team were quite pleasing to watch on the whole but Suzuki Ryohei definitely stood out in a good way. His portrayal of Kitami Kouta was so convincing and charismatic that he came across as a natural leader who could make people follow him although he could be a tad reckless and too much of a risk taker at times from the perspectives of others.
Similarly, Kaku Kento's character Otowa Nao may seem like a scheming fellow out to bring down TOKYO MER for political reasons at first but he gradually showed the conflict within Otowa - should he pursue power in order to effect change from a high level or would it be better to do the same from ground up - and the humane side of a seemingly cold character to someone who definitely has burning passion within and lofty aspirations. I thought that their combination of hot vs. cold and the subsequent bromance at the end turned out to be really engaging and interesting to watch.
- The amount of effort and detail in the props and medical scenes.
If you compare the medical treatment scenes from the first episode to the subsequent ones, it was interesting to note that the chemistry and teamwork of the TOKYO MER team (as well as the cast members) got increasingly better. From just barely keeping up with Kitami's speed to everyone being so in sync and knowing what to do and doing things proactively, this came across as the best sign that the team had gotten close both on and off screen and everything flowed very seamlessly as a result.
And not to forget, I was impressed with how the operating theatre inside the TOKYO MER truck was designed. Despite a possible space constraint, the OT looked quite well-equipped and the futuristic design gave the impression that the TOKYO MER initiative was something ahead of its time since they were the first in the country to implement such a trial.
Disliked:
- The terrorist subplot in the last few episodes was probably my biggest bugbear with this story. No doubt that I could understand it was necessary as a final obstacle for Kitami who seemed invincible and unbeatable throughout the whole story, the motive of the terrorist played by Shirota Yu was just unfathomable and unconvincing. Well, I guess most ordinary people cannot get the logic in a psychopath's mind so that's natural. The problem is, I just felt that the sacrifice of a key character was somewhat unnecessary and I felt that the story's momentum was disrupted as a result. That is why I didn't give full marks for this drama.
- The political fighting did get really weary to watch by mid-point and I couldn't help but roll eyes at those scenes. They were simply repetitive and could be found in any other drama featuring self-serving politicians. Perhaps the only saving grace from these political scenes was that Ishida Yuriko and Watanabe Makiko did a great job at playing female politicians who had the guts to do the right thing despite the potential danger posed to their careers and really kicked the asses of the incompetent men in the male-dominated political arena.
