LilMeggs
San Jose, CA
This drama took me by surprise - I found it randomly after I had written my review on another drama and saw that someone had given it an amazing review. I was stuck trying to find something to watch and didn't want to commit to something super long as well as a quick watch in the meantime to give another on-air drama some time to come out with more episodes before I started. Little did I know, that this drama would become one of my all-time favorite j-dramas and make my favorites from my 2020 list.
The plot wasn't super original, but I also have never watched a "hospital drama" and I think this was a good intro. This was about a high schooler named Sakura who during an important time in her life, ran into Tendo, a resident at the hospital, that introduced to her new passion in life - winning over his heart and studying to be a nurse to get close to him. And throughout this drama, Sakura is still motivated by her love of Tendo and trying hard to win over his heart, but also come to find out that she has a knack for being a nurse. Maybe not in the "traditional" obvious way of physically healing someone that only seems to matter to Dr. Tendo, but realizing that "emotional" healing is very important as well. Yes...it did pain me seeing Sakura being only really good at blood draws and messing up everything else, but once she found her groove, she realized that she did have her own motivation at her job and added her unique flair to the position. In the process, she was "emotionally healing" Dr. Tendo's heart, which broke years prior, unintentionally.
Dr. Tendo's character was the obvious, not super original, brutting doctor who is all about work and healing everyone by any means. Which is good, but he was so wrapped up in healing people physically, he never thought about the person as a person - except for the one outlier, Anrie.
I loved how both characters went through classic character development but in two different ways. Dr Tendo needed to learn how to trust in other people and listen to other's insights, as well as learn that it isn't all about "saving everyone" but helping people live, so they can "die the way they wish." There was this whole scene. Sakura needed to learn to be her own motivator as well as learn that sometimes it isn't enough to just try your best, but the be your best.
But I think my favorite part in this whole drama was the slow-burning romance on Dr. Tendo's side. I felt bad for Sakura for the most part because she already knew what she wanted, and she stayed put, waiting. Dr. Tendo, on the other hand, needed a little more time, which is fine given his situation, but I enjoyed the slow-burning romance because Dr. Tendo needed the time to get to know Sakura and fall in love with every piece of her. And when he did...OMG....his smile was worth the wait. The secret little half-smiles he tried to hide in the beginning were everything. He also never faltered when he was just getting to know her or started to like her a little. He was in completely when he wanted to get to know her. Given, I was a little skeptical in the beginning because of his little put-downs, but I think it was the first thing he fell in love with - her determination and spirit.
I loved the stories of the different people who came into the hospital, that she helped out. The way they helped Sakura grow in her position as well as show her coworkers and Dr, Tendo that she was an asset.
I think the reason why I couldn't give this a full 10 though, was because of the side romances. I felt that Dr. Koichi's "romance" if you can call it that, was random, and was only put in because they wanted everyone to be happy. Not only that, but Nishi Ryusei's crush that turned into romance was also a completely different story or spinoff that could have been executed better. I feel like I didn't know him as a side character enough to root for him. Also, the whole time, I felt that this hospital that everyone worked at, was full of age gapped relationships. Which is fine...but we didn't have a single romance with two people that were close in age. All the doctors wanted to date nurses and it felt a little overplayed that I didn't too much about the minor characters.
Other than that, I felt like the relationship between Tendo and Sakura wasn't rushed nor laggy. One part of their relationship did seem very random and fast, but maybe it was a way for Tendo to tell Sakura that he wanted to pursue her, and no one else, and only thought of one way to do that.
The plot wasn't super original, but I also have never watched a "hospital drama" and I think this was a good intro. This was about a high schooler named Sakura who during an important time in her life, ran into Tendo, a resident at the hospital, that introduced to her new passion in life - winning over his heart and studying to be a nurse to get close to him. And throughout this drama, Sakura is still motivated by her love of Tendo and trying hard to win over his heart, but also come to find out that she has a knack for being a nurse. Maybe not in the "traditional" obvious way of physically healing someone that only seems to matter to Dr. Tendo, but realizing that "emotional" healing is very important as well. Yes...it did pain me seeing Sakura being only really good at blood draws and messing up everything else, but once she found her groove, she realized that she did have her own motivation at her job and added her unique flair to the position. In the process, she was "emotionally healing" Dr. Tendo's heart, which broke years prior, unintentionally.
Dr. Tendo's character was the obvious, not super original, brutting doctor who is all about work and healing everyone by any means. Which is good, but he was so wrapped up in healing people physically, he never thought about the person as a person - except for the one outlier, Anrie.
I loved how both characters went through classic character development but in two different ways. Dr Tendo needed to learn how to trust in other people and listen to other's insights, as well as learn that it isn't all about "saving everyone" but helping people live, so they can "die the way they wish." There was this whole scene. Sakura needed to learn to be her own motivator as well as learn that sometimes it isn't enough to just try your best, but the be your best.
But I think my favorite part in this whole drama was the slow-burning romance on Dr. Tendo's side. I felt bad for Sakura for the most part because she already knew what she wanted, and she stayed put, waiting. Dr. Tendo, on the other hand, needed a little more time, which is fine given his situation, but I enjoyed the slow-burning romance because Dr. Tendo needed the time to get to know Sakura and fall in love with every piece of her. And when he did...OMG....his smile was worth the wait. The secret little half-smiles he tried to hide in the beginning were everything. He also never faltered when he was just getting to know her or started to like her a little. He was in completely when he wanted to get to know her. Given, I was a little skeptical in the beginning because of his little put-downs, but I think it was the first thing he fell in love with - her determination and spirit.
I loved the stories of the different people who came into the hospital, that she helped out. The way they helped Sakura grow in her position as well as show her coworkers and Dr, Tendo that she was an asset.
I think the reason why I couldn't give this a full 10 though, was because of the side romances. I felt that Dr. Koichi's "romance" if you can call it that, was random, and was only put in because they wanted everyone to be happy. Not only that, but Nishi Ryusei's crush that turned into romance was also a completely different story or spinoff that could have been executed better. I feel like I didn't know him as a side character enough to root for him. Also, the whole time, I felt that this hospital that everyone worked at, was full of age gapped relationships. Which is fine...but we didn't have a single romance with two people that were close in age. All the doctors wanted to date nurses and it felt a little overplayed that I didn't too much about the minor characters.
Other than that, I felt like the relationship between Tendo and Sakura wasn't rushed nor laggy. One part of their relationship did seem very random and fast, but maybe it was a way for Tendo to tell Sakura that he wanted to pursue her, and no one else, and only thought of one way to do that.
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