Unsung Cinderella: Byoin Yakuzaishi no Shohosen (2020)

La pilule du bonheur

Honnêtement, J'ai hésité (un peu) avant de me lancer dans le visionnage de ce drama. Son titre faisant référence à "Cendrions", ses acteurs (beaux gosses ou Idols de magazine) et surtout, encore un drama en milieu hospitalier. Après avoir visionné Alive - Oncologist's Medical Record (très bon) , Top Knife (peux mieux faire) ou Radiation House (très bon aussi) je me suis dit que cela allait rapidement me gaver une nouvelle histoire "sanitaire" et surtout en ce moment. Mais une fois de plus, je me suis fait avoir. Il ne ma fallu que deux épisodes pour devenir accros. Les dramas japonais, comme les mangas ou les animés ont ce pouvoir magique de vous faire admirer n'importe quel métier en le faisant passer pour le plus cool du monde. Cette fois-ci ce sont les pharmaciens qui sont mis à l'honneur (après les infirmiers, les oncologues, les radiologues, et sûrement bientôt les proctologues, donc). Pas les chercheurs en pharmacie mais bien ceux qui s'occupe de préparer les médicaments prescrit par les médecins. Leur implication envers les patients (certes exagérées) réchauffe l'âme et le coeur.
Écriture parfaite, acteurs excellents et tellement touchants (c'est pas juste, ils sont beaux, jeunes et en plus ils jouent bien) Et de l'émotion à chaque épisode. Attention, âmes sensibles s'abstenir, comme dans Alive le propos est dur, la mort est souvent présente en filigrane et cela monte en puissance dans les derniers épisodes. On est loin d'une amourette entre collègue et c'est t'en mieux. En même temps, retrouver réunis Tanaka Kei et Nishino Nanase qui m'avaient tenu en halène dans 'Anata no ban desu' ne pouvait donner que du bon (même si cette dernière a un rôle assez transparent malheureusement). Et Ishihara Satomi n'arrête plus de m'étonner depuis qu'elle m'a fait aimer les magazines de mode dans Jimi ni Sugoi! Koetsu Garu Kono Etsuko. Un drama à visionner sans ordonnance, donc et surtout pas à dose homéopathique.

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Prescribing a dose of hope

Every so often in drama land, I would come across a gem of a drama that’s so low key, unassuming and totally under the radar. This drama truly is one of those rare gems, and I’m so fortunate and glad to have discovered it. When I chanced upon this show, I thought it was going to be similar to say Doctors (SK), Surgeons (China) or even Grey’s Anatomy (US), but with the focus on pharmacists instead of doctors, which piqued my curiosity because it’s never been done before as far as I’m aware. It turned out to be so much more than that.

Unsung Cinderella is adapted from the manga series "Unsung Cinderella Byoin Yakuzaishi Aoi Midori" by Mamare Arai. I’ve not read the manga but because of how fantastic this show is, I might just be tempted to pick up the manga, which comprises 5 volumes and still ongoing at the time of writing. This is a story about the pharmacist Aoi Midori’s experiences working at Tatsuya General Hospital. Unlike her colleagues including her peers and the higher ranked health care staff such as doctors and nurses, Midori has a big heart of gold and she’s not afraid to show it, even at the expense of crossing the boundaries of expected code of conduct and hospital regulations. She doesn’t treat her patients merely as case files, but she views them as human beings with unique circumstances and who are in need of genuine care and concern, beyond the routine impassive facade and superficial interaction when administering medication. Going beyond her scope of duty in no way diminishes her professionalism, and over the course of 11 episodes we see how her unorthodox approach actually brings added value that benefits those under her care.

Do not be fooled thinking that this drama is purely goodness and heart. From the very first minute in episode 1, I was completely caught off guard by the fast and furious action. Every episode addresses a particular medical condition concerning certain patients and is filled with action packed and fast paced scenes involving life and death situations, before slowing down to focus on the complexities of human drama. This episodic procedural format works very well by incorporating enough urgency and agency that it never gets dull or monotonous, while cases are neatly resolved within each episode.

The overarching storyline and the different cases are very creatively conceived, while the main and supporting characters are superbly written to be realistic and relatable that I cannot help but empathize with them and hence become totally invested in the show. Kudos to Mamare Arai for creating this masterpiece, and the screenwriter for adapting it into this well made production.

The producers couldn’t have selected a better cast for this production. This is my first time seeing Ishihara Satomi in a drama, having seen her in various films over the years and what a talented actress she is. She brings to life the role of Midori and in fact, she does resemble the manga character to a certain degree. Her ability to convey the nuances in the emotional moments as well as her portrayal of a health care professional is utterly convincing to me. Narita Ryo’s Onozuka Ryo is also very interesting as his role is probably the most layered and multidimensional among all the characters, with a depiction of conflicted emotions within a somewhat tortured soul, especially at the initial stages. The many guest stars also add much colour to the production with their respective portrayals of patients and their families who carry the burden of pain and suffering. I honestly thought everybody did such remarkable work, even the child actors for that matter.

Overall, this drama has been an emotional ride personally for me. I hardly ever watch slice of life but this drama has done an amazing job of depicting the despair that patients of chronic illnesses go through, only to emerge with hope and optimism, thanks to our heroine, Midori. The beautifully crafted poignant moments throughout the series certainly bring out a tear or two, I admit. I’m aware that there are concerns or even criticism over perceived lack of realism in certain scenes, which perhaps do have some merit. However, being based on a manga, I understand that this drama isn’t too engrossed in the finer details and technicalities on the roles of pharmacists and hospital administration, and I can accept that. I have truly enjoyed this live adaptation and the performance by the cast. Give this show a chance, and I think you would too.

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