Radiation House (2019)

What makes this drama different from other episodic type of drama is that every episode has its own unique theme, and not just an episode dedicated for fleshing out other supporting characters. My favorite is the episode about "mask" that every person put mask because of different circumstances, which it won't hurt if we remove a bit of that mask to have a better understanding of each other. Also in my years of watching Japanese dramas this might be the first time that a medical drama is about radiographers, people whom most of us, taken for granted, those who work behind the scenes taking your x-ray. I would never think much of those people if not for this drama. With all that said, this drama is a breath of fresh air among the very long list of job oriented Jdramas.

The story is also intriguing. It's about a radiographer who has a medical license. He could become a radiologist if he wants, but he has his reasons, which I would not discuss because that is in a more spoiler territory. I have no knowledge when it comes to medical terms, so I'll take whatever this drama has said as facts, which is why I didn't have problems in terms of it being logical. Every episode is basically Iori insisting to have 1 more scan then doctors will disagree because of pride but in the end Iori will get what he wants and will discover underlying disease that didn't get caught during the first scan. The drama will teach you that it's not about the position, and just like what Iori said "As long as it is within my capability, I won't give up".

Romance is like your typical Jdrama, so if you're looking for a kdrama-esque romance you would be disappointed. It is Radiation House after all, and not Steamy House or Radiation "Doctor's love affair" House. Even with minimal romance, the main characters have great chemistry. Igarashi Iori played by Kubota Masataka, the smartest fool ever, a genius who has a knack for knowing the truth by reading MRI images, which ironically a person who can't convey his own feelings. And Amakasu An, played by Honda Tsubasa, a tsudere type of character, whom I still don't' know if she still can't recall him, or just being cold until the end. Honda has that reputation of a ham actress, but in my opinion she did well here, aside from some dramatic scenes where she could have done more. Kubota's portrayal on the other hand is spot on, from gestures to expression, he nailed it. Both of them had brief moments on screen, but it's always fun seeing their interaction together. Iori's hilarious reaction towards An is the highlight in every episode. Aside from the cast there's also fun side characters, which have their own charms, but sadly they became a bit irrelevant in later episodes. The music is just okay but forgettable. The camera work though is dynamic, which makes such scenes engaging.

The way the drama ended hints there will be a special or a season 2, but it is directed really well that you won't have problem if it won't have, they conveyed its theme really well in my opinion.

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Coming off of Unnatural, I was unbelievably excited for a medical mystery drama with Kubota Masataka in it. And though I can't say I'm a huge fan of romance plots, the one in Radiation House isn't the worst I've seen, and I like that they address the fact that he's unintentionally making her feel bad about her own accomplishments. The camerawork is gorgeous, noticeably so. I'm not one to pay much attention to OST but hey, you can't go wrong with an ED sung by Man With A Mission.

There's a problem with the plot, though. That is, I don't think this drama ought to have been this long. I think the way that they bookend every episode with narration that has a meaning that changes before and after the episode, but the content of the episodes in and of themselves just doesn't seem quite... enough? Conflict is minimal and easily solved, and it really starts to grate after eleven entire episodes. The show settles into this formula of Igarashi sees something -> asks for more scans -> they don't give it to him at first but then either they bend the rules or someone has a change of heart -> Igarashi was right. Also, along the way one of the supporting case has a day in the limelight. It's just a bit trite and cheaply feel-good, you know? So I suppose if you're looking for a pretty time waster with nice actors but minimal real plot investment, this is for you?

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