What I'm Watching: Team Medical Dragon

It is interesting how I find new shows to watch. I was having a conversation with a friend about a musical composer who we both liked. My friend told me that this composer had done music for a Japanese drama called Team Medical Dragon and he strongly suggested that I watch it. I will be completely honest, the name of this show didn't really instill any confidence in me. In fact, I dragged my feet a bit before finally watching it (at my friend's behest, I might add). Now that I have seen it, there isn't enough good things to say about it.

Team Medical Dragon is a medical drama that centers around one man, Dr. Ryutaro Asada, a virtuoso in the area cardiovascular surgery. He is so talented, he has been dubbed a surgical genius. However, his moral convictions about how one should act as a medical professional causes him to challenge his superiors and eventually gets him blacklisted from the Japanese medical community. Several years pass and Asada is given the opportunity to re-enter the surgical community, despite the black mark on his name. But only because of one simple reason. He is the only surgeon in the country who is skilled enough to undertake one of the riskiest heart surgeries known, the Batista.

This show is brilliant on so many levels. There are numerous power struggles layered through out the show. The struggle against corrupt authority, to fall in with the crowd or to stand alone on your beliefs, finding one's personal convictions and understanding your true self, the show goes through all of these and more with seamless continuity. I also love the medicine that is shown on the show. There is always a thorough explanation of what is happening while the surgical procedures are taking place or being discussed. I cannot express how much I adore shows that take the time to get the medical aspects of the situation correct and present it in a logical manner. (Time Slip Dr. Jinn does a good job in this same area).

And of course, I have to talk about the music. I don't believe I have ever been so excited, anxious, and on the edge of my seat while watching surgeons walking down a hallway to the operating room. It is like watching a group of superheroes slowly stroll out to the battlefield. Sawano does a magnificent job with the score on this drama series. My favorite song from the soundtrack right now is Dragon Rises. You should give it a listen.

Team Medical Dragon has 4 seasons and currently can be viewed on Crunchyroll (www.crunchyroll.com) for anyone who is interested in watching. I highly recommend watching it. It is well written, you become invested in the all characters almost from the moment they appear on the screen. And there is no lack of plot twists and surprises. In my opinion, this show is absolutely wonderful.