The Japs excel when it comes to comics. The quality is not just in the art but in the story and how it affects ones emotions towards the characters or the story as one reads along. If you read some of these, you can also appreciate that a good deal of research has been done to make the description as accurate or seem real enough for readers to believe. There are also some historical references in some of the comics again highlighting the amount of research done to produce these quality comics.
Imagination in the medical world thrives in these comics. Being in the medical field myself these comics help inspire in more than one ways. They also give new ideas to the field, sending a message that anything's possible.
Some of the summary and reviews of some of my favourite medical manga. Most of these can be read in onemanga.com
EMERGING
An outbreak of an unknown hemorrhagic disease breakout in Japan. Japan's CDC gets into action to figure out the cause of this outbreak and attempt to find a cure for this lethal disease. Word of the disease leaks into the media causing widespread panic among the public.
This ones on the public health aspect of medicine. The manga managed to capture the emotions and fear that strikes men when dealing with the unknown. Calm turns to chaos in mere moments. And then politics doesn't make things any easier. It never does.
HEADS
An unfortunate man one day was shot in the head during a bank robbery. He regained consciousness in the hospital to later find out that he had the world's first brain transplant.
Not really a medical manga per say but still interesting enough read. What happens when you have half of your brain taken out to be replaced with another? Will your personality change? Will you become someone totally different? Does your brain make you who you really are? More of a psychological thriller. Still early in the series but the psychological aspect of the story is told nicely so far.
Saijou No Meii (The Best Skilled Surgeon)
This ones about an aspiring young pediatric surgeon (my field!) whom with his skills and dedication attempts to revive a non-profiting peadiatric surgery department in his hospital while inspiring others to follow in his footstep.
As usual, the protagonist has special skills (in this case an ability to see things in 4D perspective) to effectively perform surgery on kids, a demanding surgery. Besides that his caring and charming personality with kids inspires one to do everything you can for a patient. As the protagonist attempts to establish the pediatric department, he has to face opposition from the hospital assistant director who attempts to derail his plans. The comic also provides a lot of historical references, one I like was on the contributions and sacrifices made by doctors in the past in the name of discovery. Has a cute heroine too =)
TEAM MEDICAL DRAGON
Asada, a brilliant surgeon is recruited by young and beautiful Asst Prof to help her finish her thesis on the Batista, a difficult cardiosurgery. Asada takes it one step further to recruit his own team members for the surgery at hand. Competition to take top post in the hospital management is rife and the ones already on top is not about to let go easily.
Like the protagonist in Saijou No Meii, the hero here also has a 'everything for the patient' attitude ,regardless if his decision might cost him his job, or his boss. The assistant professor meanwhile attempts to make her ambition of reforming Japanese health care come true as the current one is rife with feudalism and corruption to the detriment of patients. However to achieve that she has to get to the top first where political maneuvers are necessary. In this one, theres 2 HOT chicks. Reason enough to start reading.
Other medical mangas I haven't read like Black Jack might also be good. I'll be reading manga for a long time to come if the Japs keep up with fresh ideas like they are doing.
