Iryu 4 Review

Title: Iryu 4

AKA: Dragon Medical Team 4 / Dragon Team 4

Genre: Medical

Episodes: 11

Broadcast period: 2014-Jan to 2014-Mar

Cast: Sakaguchi Kenji, Inamori Izumi, Mizukawa Asami, Abe Sadao and Koike Teppei.

Several years have passed and the Dragon Team has split in numerous different places and occupations. Dr. Asada (Sakaguchi Kenji) has left to his usual ‘doctors without borders’ and is saving victims of war. Dr. Kato (Inamori Izumi) is working in the lab and has found ways to make surgery easier and has made different kinds of medical equipment and medicine, though she is not recognized for due to jealousy. Dr. Ijyuuin (Koike Teppei) is working as a chief in the transplant section of Meikyuu Hospital, but is still looked down upon because he tries to save people and doesn’t worry about the costs. Dr. Arase (Abe Sadao) has gotten a job in a wealthy hospital where rich people get treated. Dr. Fujiyoshi (Sasaki Kuranosuke) is working at a smaller hospital taking care of a little girl with the same illness as his deceased daughter, and at the same time working on a cure.

When Asada is called back to Japan by his former mentor of Sakurai Hospital, a smaller regional hospital, to help him take over the hospital for the time since many patients are in need of help, but since the newest hospital L&P, a fancy all tech hospital, claims patients the Sakurai Hospital is at its end.  Asada decides to call upon all his friends and make sure Sakurai Hospital stays active, but when a familiar hated face returns with a new ally Okamura Tadashi (Takahasi Katsunori), and they both have plans with the Dragon Team…

I started watching this when it aired, and finished it almost 10 months later. Why? Because of the lack of subs, and yes, I regret starting it so soon. You kind of feel each episode ends short might be because it does end at most exciting part. Though I did feel that I was bored out at the end of it as the fourth season kind of goes on and on, though it was interesting to see the story of the characters and how they grow I felt that they finally should end it. I mean I can’t get excited at the same situations all the time (by the way season 2 is best), and the annoying antagonist simply is bugging you all the way through all the freaking time, so the fact that they keep him as that character annoys me so damn much.

But is a good drama with good episode stories, so it’s not a complete bore.

☆☆☆½ / 3½ out of 5 stars

♥♥♥ / 3 out of 5 hearts

Iryu 3 Review

Title: Iryu 3

AKA: Dragon Medical Team 3 / Dragon Team 3

Genre: Medical

Episodes: 10

Broadcast period: 2010-Oct to 2010-Dec

Cast: Sakaguchi Kenji, Inamori Izumi, Abe Sadao, Koike Teppei and Endo Kenichi.

When Meishii University Hospital once again is on the verge of ruin with a lack of good doctors and bright interns, a new president is announced. The new president is the former Professor Kitou (Natsuki Mari) who decides to reformate the hospital with good doctors and a better management plan. She calls upon the best doctors in order to recover the reputation of the hospital, and those are no other than the previous Team Dragon members Dr. Asada (Sakaguchi Kenjji), Dr. Kato (Inamori Izumi) and Dr. Fujiyoshi (Sasaki Kuranosuke). Trying to revive Team Dragon she reinstates Dr. Noguchi (Kishibe Ittoku) much to others displease, especially since he brings another doctor Dr. Kuroki (Endo Kenichi) to the hospital who introduces the new catheters which threatens the cardiology surgeons in losing their work - making heart surgery less popular amongst patients..

I sort of feel these seasons are like a repeat of one another with the difference of it being newer in terms of medical equipment. I have to admit what they are trying to do in every season by portraying the team dragon as a ‘super’ team has affected me, where I honestly root for them and want them be together as a team again, seems to be working on me, and I found myself thinking several times that “if the team dragon had gotten this patient…” etc. The drama is good, and it is getting better by the years, because you have this group of people focusing on the patients and doing their best, and greatly enough they like being together. So this is about them trying their best with their patients… Simply put.

I really good watch, and I love medical dramas, which must be why I am so biased.

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥½ / 3½ out of 5 hearts

Iryu Review

Title: Iryu

AKA: Dragon Medical Team / Dragon Team

Genre: Medical

Episodes: 11

Broadcast period: 2006-Apr to 2006-Jun

Cast: Sakaguchi Kenji, Inamori Izumi, Mizukawa Asami and Koike Teppei.

After spending some years in refugee camps as a MSAP doctor Asada Ryutaro (Sakaguchi Kenji) returns to Japan and lives life drinking and doing nothing. Having given up on medicine, Asada who was once known as a genius surgeon, he cannot seem to find a purpose in his life, until he meets Kato Akira (Inamori Izumi). Kato had heard about him when she was in MSAP herself and had witnessed one of his surgeries, so she had decided to bring him to Meishii University hospital and make him the head of the Batista team, so she can start writing her thesis about the surgery.

Interested Asada decides to go and see the hospital for himself, but is repulsed by the system the hospital is having. Patients without insurance are turned down, patients with hard surgeries are moved to other hospitals, drugs with severe side effects are used on dying patients, and no matter whether or not the patient is to die, no one is allowed to defy the people above them.

With the persuasion and constant reminder that he will be the one deciding his Batista team, Asada agrees and the battle for the Team Dragon starts…

Another franchise for me, and yes I love them.

I have to say I liked it more than I expected and I think that is because of the visual of the surgeries. Kind of makes me believe that they are actually doing real surgery, and they are making me understand how and why as well. Though I found it funny that a ‘yankee-ish’ character was a genius doctor, I was surprised to see that I liked it a lot. But this drama has made me realize one thing: I do not want to get sick, in any way. Even if I do understand that the idea is a group of doctors fighting for their patients against the money driven hospitals, I feel bad knowing that there actually are patients who are not treated due to the lack of success rate.

On the other hand I love how the team is made, and how good they are together, even if it is a bit preposterous to have a “super team” like that.

All in all I enjoyed it, and I think you should give it a shot if you haven’t got anything on your plate.

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥½ / 3½ out of hearts