Kounodori 2 (2017)

God knows how much I loved Season 1, and how much in love I fell for Ayano Go and all the cast. And when it was announced the 2nd season, and that  the whole gang was back... Fans know we waited so long for a kind soul  to sub this wonderful drama, so thank you subber! A million thanks ^_^

Cast (10/10): the whole cast is back! The chemistry between Ayano Go and Hoshino Gen and Yoshida Yo... and Sakaguchi Kento and Omori Nao and Matsuoka Mayu... I am even satisfied with the new faces, Goro-san (Miyazawa Hio) and Kurasaki-sensei (Matsumoto Wakana).  They all complemented each other so well! Ayano Go said that he was  happy they were all back since all of them are now leading actors in  dramas and movies, and I can tell that, even with a supporting role,  they were all happy to work together again.

There are even guests  from S1 who make an appearance, like the mother and father of the  little boy with the Trisomy 16, and Kounodori's "mama" and other  surprises.

My personal favorites, who deserve an award for their acting: Ayano Go (obviously... and I am not the only one mesmerized with his  gentle face and gentle voice.. even GC were commenting every week on his "yasashii" attributes) and Yoshida Yo.

Story:(9/10) Every episode deals with a new problem with the mother and/or baby.  There were many stories that made me cry (more than in S1). All the  supporting cast has his/her own story as well: either professional or personal. While in S1 there is an episode regarding Kounodori's past, in S2 we get to know some of the supporting role's family and ambitions regarding their career. I understand that there has to be changes, in order to be better or to achieve a dream, but regardless of that, I wasn't too happy with the final episode. On the other hand, it makes me hope for a S3... **crossing fingers**

While this season made me cry more than the previous one, S1 remains my favorite. I sensed that the scriptwriter was not the same... in S1 the dialogue was less "pink", less "romantic" than this season's. That's the only fault I can find in S2, that it was more written more "sweet".

Music:(10/10) so good, so good. The  piano complimented the poignant moments like a glove. I wonder if Ayano Go truly plays the piano.. if he does, he is truly a "Kamisama" <3

Rewatch value:(9/10) it  is not precisely an episodic drama, but I could rewatch my favorite  stories without a problem. And I will rewatch when S3 is confirmed  (because there has to be). I could rewatch this for the cast and the cute babies and the human stories and the wonderful OST. So yeah, for the whole package :)

Please, this drama deserves more recognition! I hope it wins some awards, unlike S1... Highly recommended!

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"Reality continues after miracles"

Dr. Storks S2 continued the stories of the doctors in the OB/Gyn and NICU departments at Persona Hospital. Miraculous stories of new life and stories of heartrending losses were shared. This time around there was also focus on the reality that faced many of the new mothers before and after the miracle of birth.

Dr. Konotori Sakura with his cheerful and uplifting personality still seeks to give mothers and their babies the best chance at success. Dr. Shinomiya Haruki is there to balance our Sakura’s optimism with a strong dose of if not pessimism, a harsher view of reality. Imahashi Takayuki remains the rock of labor and delivery as the head of the department and NICU. Komatsu Rumiko, the midwife, helps keep everyone grounded and focused on the mothers’ experiences and needs. The team confronts all sorts of crises for mothers and babies alike. There would also be movement in and out of the department as people seek to broaden their educations or return from other experiences.

For my review of S1 I lamented the lack of women doctors. The OB/Gyn profession is dominated by women in my country and around half of the neonatal docs are female as well. Then I read this, “In 2018, Tokyo Medical University admitted to manipulating women applicants’ entrance exam scores for years to restrict the number of female doctors, in part because they were performing better than male applicants.” * The previous statement helped explain the dearth of women in the profession. It might also explain why the women were either portrayed as overly emotional or with almost no emotion and why one of the doctors was worried if she became pregnant she couldn’t continue to work as a physician. With all the public service announcements they had in the drama, it would have been nice to have shown competent and emotionally stable women physicians. Also, NICU nurses are the unsung heroes in that department and they were an almost invisible presence in the drama with the doctors doing all the work. Rant over.

I did like the holistic approach they had toward prenatal care and labor. The support a couple with a stillborn child had from the staff was particularly moving. The midwife, Komatsu, pushed the need for more maternal services before and after the birth. This season brought up the demand for support for postpartum depression, birth defects, and multiple miscarriages. Another topic of interest presented remote places with limited medical facilities. Women carried a great burden along with their babies if doctors were too far away. Without babies, remote places’ futures came into question.

If S1 was about the miracle of life and birth, S2 dealt with the reality of life of not only birth, but after the baby was taken home. Much emphasis was also put on teamwork both with the doctors and patients. Doctors and new parents need emotional support and also support in order to become better at what they do. While I enjoyed S2, I didn’t find it as compelling as S1.

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”

27 June 2024

*https://geographical.co.uk/culture/countries-with-the-most-female-doctors

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