Shiroi Kyoto Review

I have been interested in Japanese drama these days. It started from Shiroi Kyoto, I always love medical dramas, I think this is one of the best. It doesn't only concentrate on romantic or love affairs, but also brought up a concern on social problems and humanity.

Overall, Shiroi Kyoto proves there is no bad person, only a bad system. If the system is corrupted, everyone involves lost themselves. Doctor Zaizen suspects if the officials will accept their money, his father-in-law says 'fool, find a way'; Prof Asuma wants to be a good doctor, but VIP patients keep sending him bags of cash, and he has to compromise; the only honorable and upright doctor Satome lives on a humble life, people call him an idealist. Zaizen, Asuma and Satome represent three groups of people, respectively. Zaizen wants power; Asuma cares of losing face; Satome is fearless. If we indicated them in colour, they are black, grey and white.

Zaizen is always under limelight, he is smart, good-looking, competitive and demanding. He forgets his initial thoughts, which was be a good doctor and to save people's life, gradually his heart is occupied with ambition. He is arrogant and ruthless. He manipulates patience's life carelessly, but acts like a flunky in front of professors and VIPs. He put his career on gambling, his life is either win or loose. Some people blamed on his father-in-law, says he just follows the wrong people and it leads him to a wrong direction; I suppose like attracts like, their ambition matches and they two pair up efficiently. However, sometimes success won't bring happiness, he's under big pressure, he smokes a lot, can't sleep at night, and lost the ability of love. Then he is diagnosed with terminal cancer, finally at the bottom of his heart he remembers his initial motivation of becoming a doctor, he donates his body to the hospital on research purpose.

Professor Asuma stands on the grey area. He represents the majority. He lives on his skills, he devotes his time and energy to work. He wants to climb higher, but he hates power fight, he despises bribery, but he can't refuse of being bribed. Therefore, he has a proper job, but he's not in the central of power. His college says he's 'naive',  they give out of money directly, he thinks an oral promise is enough. He can't believe that his junior classmate breaks his promise, just because of a better offer. His life is intertwined, he's not happy at all, but if he can still live on his dignity, he is fine; he hates bribery, but if the money can make his wife happy, he's fine. He is a man of exceptional intelligence, but his only son fails exam entrance again and again, finally gives up on his life and killed himself. It is a total denial of his life. He tried his best to live upper class, but his son passed away and his daughter said that they are not blessed. Is it a success of failure? As a middle aged man, he doesn't collapse. When he has got enough and can't hold anymore, he has the strength and courage to stand up and speak out.

Satome keeps everything he has, and lives peacefully. He doesn't care about common customs, and can resist temptation. Everything he does is morally. Between patients and authority, he always chooses the former. He doesn't mind work overtime and live in a simple department, if it is good for the patients, he will devote his life into it. He's loyal to his work and family, he refuses an offer from Ugai, and he refuses a love confession from a professor's daughter. He enjoys spiritually and lives calmly.

In less masterful hands, I could imagine Shiroi Kyoto ending with a success of great justice: Zaizen died, Ugai would be dismissed, the Satome’s, the Asuma's and the lawyer would sit around a table and celebrate their success. No, the director is smarter than that, at the end, Asuma resigns from his position; Satome still stays in the remote hospital; Ugai still is the head of department, he will continue doing the power playing game for sure; Zaizen dies, but there will be another Zaizan in charge of the Great White Tower. The message it's trying to impart to audience is more meaningful, life is hard and there is no easy solution, but don't give in to despair or sadness, because no matter how bad it gets, it will always eventually get better, the choice is in our own hands.

There were a group of good actors, especially Koji Ishizaka (Asuma). You can tell he had the skills and appearance. I have watched some other drama of his, such as the Inugamis, the Makioka sisters, and the Island teachers, I will try to comment on them later on. Actors are typecasted, I was surprised Toshiaki Karasawa is so funny behind the scene. It's been nearly a decade, it's not out of date, it's still good to watch.