As earlier declared in this blog, we are Japanese drama-addicts. Recently, we followed a very engaging Japanese medical series, "Shiroi Kyoto" or The Great White Tower at DramaCrazy.net. The story revolves around Zaizen Goro, a highly-skilled and ambitious surgeon specializing in cancer-removal, and his alter-ego Dr. Shuji Satomi. Both characters are into cancer treatment - Zaizen is a brilliant surgeon while Satomi is physician devoted to reseach, but their methods, ethics, and goals are poles apart. Yet, typical of an oriental drama, the yin-yang philosophy was the unmistakable undercurrent in the story. Zaizen and Satomi, while very different from each other (Zaizen is a realist while Satomi is an idealist), are drawn to each other like forever-quarreling brothers that have umblical cords that can't be separated.
The plot thickens when Zaizen, driven by ambition, moved mountains to get the professorship position in the Surgery Dept. of the Naniwa Medical School. He used all kinds of tactics and strategies, most of which are ethically questionable, to achive his goal. The story allows the viewers to peak into the politics and power-play of doctors, stripping them of the usual bright-eyed nobility associated with the profession. It also tackled the controversial issue of medical malpractice and how doctors close-ranks to protect their own.
The beauty of the drama is that it was able to develop the context and motivation of each character that one cannot villify a character for his/her action(s). No episode was dull as each draws and engages viewers as the story unfolds. Shiroi Kyoto was awarded as the best drama, best director and best screenplay at the 40th TV Drama Awards 2003 in Japan.
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