BLACK JACK NI YOROSHIKU
STATUS
COMPLETE
VOLUMES
13
RELEASE
January 23, 2006
CHAPTERS
127
DESCRIPTION
"What is a doctor?"- a young intern faces the dark side of the medical world.
The reality awaiting intern Eijirou Saito at the ultra-prestigious Eiroku University hospital turns out to be brutally long hours of work for a paltry salary of less than $500 a month. 3 months after his graduation from the university, his patients-first idealism crashes head-on into a medical system that's a veritable tangle of contradictions and competing interests.
(Source: Manga Club)
Note: Won Excellence Prize for Manga in Japan Media Arts Festival (2002) and Grand Award in Japan Cartoonist Association Award (2004).
CAST
Eijirou Saito
CHAPTERS
RELATED TO BLACK JACK NI YOROSHIKU
REVIEWS
saulgoodman
50 Shades of Morally GreyContinue on AniListI find that morality and ethics are somewhat onerous for story creators. In manga specifically, my eyes have long been weary from the dull contrast of black-and-white morality, particularly with action shounen. From a villain's sleepily sappy tragic motives, batshit illogical course of actions, abrupt epiphanies in the face of their defeat at the hands of the morally perfect protagonist, et cetera et cetera. Of course, this may be an unfair critique considering that shounen typically doesn't tread the morally darker topics that seinen does and that there are quite a few outliers to my generalization. Still, my point stands that morality is often subjected to genre tropes, friendship power cough, that may remove character depth.
Anyhow, that was all rhetoric to prologue my love for seinen. As mentioned previously, seinen takes the brunt of dark topics, which can act as a double-edged sword. Gore, murder and sex are no outsiders in seinen and are extremely vulnerable to edge-ifying a story and leaving a bad taste in one's mouth. However, if this sword swings in favor of its wielder, it's good. Perhaps great. Phenomenal, even. Give My Regards to Black Jack is one seinen series that reminds me why I love darker-oriented stories.
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#__An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away__ To save you from a lengthy tangent about Medicare, it's fitting enough to state that health care has always been a prevailing social issue present in many nations. More than just the financial devastation and technicalities, though, Give My Regards to Black Jack seeks out to dish out the darker blemishes of the Japanese health system. However, this informative regard isn't what enthrones this story as one of the best manga I've read, but how it utilizes these dire issues in order to give the characters exceedingly strong, empathetic sets of ethics and morals.
Though, admittedly, our young, blissfully ignorant doctor-in-training protagonist's foundation is somewhat shaky at the start. Eijiro Saito is an extremely idealistic intern, tending to disregard everything that doesn't sit well with his steel-clad sense of morality. His ignorance and stubbornness made it tempting to drop the story initially, as it seemed nothing more than a morally-white underdog's ascendance to reforming the system. And by the end, it wasn't. I loved it. Though Saitou's character generally remained static throughout the course of the series, it wasn't invulnerable to moments of hesitation and doubt in the face of dire situations that couldn't easily be answered by simple yes-or-no's. Witnessing him in these stormy moments, then arriving at an answer according to his set-in-stone beliefs, it was difficult not to root for him. However, a large part of this was supplemented by other characters, namely his supervising doctors who challenged Saitou's idealism.
Shuuhou Sato did an outstanding job portraying these "villainous" doctors in the most authentic shade of morally grey I've seen in any *manga*. In many media, there's often a strong association between villains and the "system" ~~We live in a society~~ and conforming to it often has a negative image. However, even though these doctors have resolved in their conformation, they're far from their seemingly villainous image when clashed with Saitou's idealistically white morality. Each one of them has fleshed-out motives and reasons for their cold, apathetic treatment plans, doctor-patient relationships and other hospital nuances. You may share Saitou's initial dislike for his seniors, as well, but it becomes all too quick to see how empathetic their sets of morals and ethics are. Contrary to Saitou's static nature, his senior doctors find steady change and epiphanies by the end. Change, perhaps is a poor word. These senior doctors who've long conformed to the system, revert back to the same youth innocence that Saitou's stubbornness birthed.
While I did mention that the grey morality takes impressive precedent over the medically informative nature of this series, the latter is just as phenomenal. The plot follows Saitou interning at different medical departments in the hospital, such as cardiology and the ER, giving well-rounded informative revelations about different parts of Japanese health care. The situations he faces are dire and paint a doctor's career as more than lengthy surgeries and hefty salaries. What impressed me most, though, was the final arc revolving around mental health. Mental health, thankfully, has enormous awareness surrounding it these days, but going back even a decade ago, the informative landscape and public perspective of mental health was considerably different. And I'd imagine that in Japan, mental health was something discussed behind closed doors and restrained to the patients' family. Considering that this story was written in the early 2000s, this social commentary on mental health is refreshing. That is, prejudice towards psychiatric patients and the strong association between gunmen and mental health issues. Authentic depictions of mental health disorders are a sparse sight, with the majority using them as character quirks delegitimizing the direness of mental health awareness, but *Give My Regards to Black Jack* fantastically handles it with the upmost seriousness and care.
Not to mention, the art absurdly elevated the extreme circumstances in the final arc. Shuuhou Sato's character designs border on pseudo-realism, with his attention-to-detail apparent in their serious, grim expressions. Sato's skill in facial shading is notably commendable. Outside of character designs, Sato's art is also a cut-above-the-rest in the occasional 2-page spreads, where he also tends to treat the audience with mouthwatering water-coloring. The final arc best boasts Sato's artistic expertise, with it being the most the enthralling and peaking arc of the story and the panels breathe catharsis.
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#__Conclusion__ Morality is a thorny path for many authors to tread, but Shuuhou Sato leisurely strides by whistling a tune. Painting a flush shade of grey in morality, *Give My Regards to Black Jack* depicts dire medical situations that any sane man would break down from. Rather, these situations use medicine as a front, and are challenges of the characters' beliefs. Heroes aren't heroes and villains aren't villains. To quote the golden idiom, "just because you're correct, doesn't mean you're right". And in this story, vice-versa applies, as well. These characters encompass the flawed nature of humans and the consequences of bigotry, in the form of one's severe conformation and rejection of the system. No one character in *Give My Regards to Black Jack* is right or wrong. Dogma of all parties are illustrated equally empathetic. In this story, no one is the hero or villain. However, Saitou's self-righteous journey to Japanese healthcare reformation is nothing short of heroic. Spoiler, has nothing to do with *Black Jack*. ___
DrFlapJack
An emotionally heavy look at the dark underbelly of Japanese medical care.Continue on AniListOut of all the possible professions for young people to choose from, healthcare jobs are some of the most demanding. Doctor and nurses must work long, exhausting hours, all while balancing the lives of the various patients that come to them for help. They also provide some of the most rewarding work imaginable in return. The warm gratitude expressed by a patient brought back from the edge of death can make all the fear and stress worth it for a doctor. As valuable as the medical field is, it is not without it's share of darkness lurking beneath it's surface. After all, skilled though they may be, doctors are still only human.
Practicing medicine requires doctors to adhere to an ethics code: autonomy, justice, non-maleficence, and beneficence. In summary, a doctor must do no harm. However, medicine is a career that requires doctors to work with all different kinds of people from all different walks of life. As we all know, when there's flawed human beings involved, nothing is as clear-cut as it first appears.
Give My Regards To Black Jack, similarly to the classic manga from which it takes its name, is a commentary on the various inadequacies of the Japanese medical system. It also explores the various ethical dilemmas that doctors are faced with every day. "Do I give expensive treatments to a patient who has only a slim chance at recovery?" and "Should I tell a cancer patient that their days are numbered?" are just some of the difficult questions that doctors must ask themselves if they are to offer the best choices to their patients. Every person is different, as is their individual situations. Nothing is absolute. Sometimes doctors have to make hard decisions for the good of the patient.
The manga's protagonist is Eijirou Saito, an idealistic medical student fresh out of school and ready to take his place in the sterile battlefield. He is nothing like your typical shounen protagonist, nor is he like a typical seinen protagonist either. He has no special talent for surgery, or heavy influence to wield for the greater good. All he has is an innate ability to empathize with any patient down to the tiniest infant in the NICU, and a deeply ingrained inability to turn a blind eye to the numerous injustices that corrode the Japanese medical system.
The story follows Saito as he takes his two year internship. He soon learns that saving patients is not the only agenda on the minds of the other doctors. Many of them are motivated by ambition and greed. Others simply turn a blind eye to the blatant corruption. They don't ignore it because they want to, but because they've given up hope that there's a way to purge it. His unyielding idealism causes him time and again to butt heads with the older, more experienced doctors. However, no matter how much he infuriates his superiors, he always leaves them with a stark reminder of just why they became doctors in the first place.
Brave and stubborn though he may be, Saito is still only an intern. He has no power to change the system, only the power to resist it. His helplessness and frustration are powerful enough to be felt beyond the pages of the manga. However, he is not completely helpless. What he can do is change the lifes of the patients that come under his care. He risks his career time and again, all to ensure that his patients have the best chance of someday walking out of the hospital on their own two feet.
The story is cut up into three different arcs. Each one takes place in a different department, so every arc is fresh and unique. It offers the opportunity for the reader to see the strengths and weakness of a variety of disciplines. Working in a hospital brings you up close and personal with the lives of other people. As a result of dealing with sick people who have potentially hit their lowest points, you'll see a lot of ugly, depressing situations. This manga doesn't pull any punches when depicting these things. Patients don't always pull through. Sometimes, there's nothing that the doctors can do for a patient. All they can do is make the painful decision to let them go.
This manga shook me to my core. It made me cry bitter tears for a life cut short; it made me clench my fist in anger at the injustice of a doctor who cared more for his social status than his patient's wellbeing; it made me explode into raucous cheers for Saito's small, yet precious victories on his patient's behalf. Above all, it made me thank the heavens for people like Saito. People who never give up on those around them, and never lose respect for their fellow man.
daseito
Un joven medico que lucha por no perder la moral en un sistema corrupto y donde la muerte se vuelve cotidiana.Continue on AniListIntroducción
"Say Hello to Black Jack" es de lejos el mejor manga que he leído en los últimos años. Escrito e ilustrado por Shuho Sato, en este manga estaremos acompañando a Eijiro Saito, un joven médico que recién está comenzando su carrera de medicina y se adentrará al corrupto sistema médico de Japón donde más de una vez enfrentará problemas éticos y morales. Tocando temas como los costos de atención en el sistema médico japonés y la gran brecha que existe en costos entre la medicina privada y pública, la privacidad del paciente, el poder que tienen los padres de decidir sobre sus hijos pese a que esto los perjudique, la corrupción institucional tanto de las universidades de medicina como de los hospitales, el estigma de los pacientes que sufren de enfermedades mentales, la falta de personal médico y sobre todo en lo cual nuestro protagonista estará luchando a lo largo de la historia, la pérdida de la pasión por la carrera de medicina y sucumbir ante este gran sistema y volverse un engranaje más del mismo.Say Hello to Black Jack es una serie que considero universal porque pese a que este ubicada en Japon y su objetivo es criticar el sistema medico japones, esta toca temas universales de los problemas del sistema medico de cualquier pais, como en el primer arco de la historia que nos dan el dilema de la rentabilidad del hospital o salvar la vida de un señor que probablemente igual morira en unos años por vejez.
¿Realmente merece la pena gastar tantos recursos en ese paciente?
¿Podemos cuantificar la vida de una persona 75 años y abandonarla si esta no es rentable?
Esto escrita con un gran realismo que nos hara sumergirnos en la obra y hacernos que nos duela profundamente cada vez que Saito tenga un tropiezo o cuando no todo resulta bien al final del dia con uno de los pacientes.Historia
Saitô es un joven egresado de la prestigiosa Universitario Eiroku, y en los siguientes 2 años debera de trabajar como interno en distintas areas del Hospital Universitario Eiroku, recorriendo a lo largo de sus practicas la Unidad de Urgencias, el Servicio de Cirugía,Sistema Circulatorio, la Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos Neonatales, el Servicio de Pediatría, la Unidad de Oncología y la Unidad de Psiquiatría
La serie se dividira principalmente en estos arcos
Servicio de Cirugía 1
Sistema Circulatorio
Cuidados Intensivos Neonatales
Unidad de Oncología
Unidad de PsiquiatríaEn estas areas Saito se encontrara con toda variedad de doctores de los elitistas que nisiquiera ejercen mas la medicina y son unos burocratas que solo luchan por su poder, "renombrados" medicos que se anuncian como la mano de dios pero realmente solo ejecutan el primer corte en cirugias que saben que no son riesgosas y tener un falso prestigio pero muy rentable, algunos que han perdido la confianza traz enfrentar la muerte repetidas veces y por consiguiente la confianza en ellos, en otros que han sucumbido completamente al sistema medico corrupto y trabajan de forma automatica en los hospitales, otros con una pasion como Saito que aun no se apaga y siguen luchando a su manera.
Pendiente para editar despues
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SCORE
- (3.95/5)
MORE INFO
Ended inJanuary 23, 2006
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