The big themes here are healthy competition vs. Back-stabbing opportunism, medical truth vs. Medical hype, and the mind-blowing chasm between competence and genius. I'm just now watching this 2018 series in 2024 because it recently hit Netflix as "Black Forceps". Although the medical surgery themed tales are mostly as seen through the eyes of a young intern, his assigned mentor "Tokai" is the shadow star of the entire series. Like American TV's iconic Dr. Greg House, he's a brilliant misanthrope who is surly and checked out until there's some insane surgical challenge thrown at him. And then he takes control like he's some legendary GOAT surgeon. I recognized the actor who plays Tokai as the scene-stealing young soldier in Clint Eastwood's "Letters from Iwo Jima". Like in that film, he's a mesmerizing force; you can't take your eyes off his eyes. And then suddenly when he's thrown into a surgery scene, his surgeon's hands become equally hypnotic. (Some amazing camera work in the numerous surgery scenes.) It's clear from his colleague's expressions that everyone wonders if his astonishing gifts are the hand of god or of the devil. It's the question that kept me watching. But meanwhile behind these intense surgery scenes, the series is rather passion-free, so not going to be everyone's cup of Kombucha tea. Episode one had a very tender scene between the intern and an elderly patient that could have been expanded upon but got dead ended; Not too deep in the human relationship department. Instead the director prefers to add drama by filming people running up and down stairs searching for MIA emergency surgeons. (yawn.) All in all, I'd call this series a bit above average but flawed. Still I gave it 9 stars based on Kazunari Ninomiya's performance as the inscrutable genius Tokai .
