There are a lot of TV shows out there, and in this golden age of TV streaming, the choices have never been more significant. So how do you cut through the noise and find the “Best of” for any chosen topic? We’re here to help celebrate and shine a spotlight on some of the latest, most fabulous, and unforgettable shows through the years.
For our ongoing series of articles depicting the best anime, our attention this time turns to shows with medical aspects. From hilarious slice-of-life shenanigans to bizarre adventurous narratives, there’s an excellent choice to whet your appetite.
Of course, if we’ve missed any of your favorites, feel free to comment below, and we’ll add them when we can!
Dokkiri Doctor
Dokkiri Doctor is one of those slice-of-life comedic shows that doesn’t offer a groundbreaking premise or anything complex. It’s as wacky and absurd as its promotional art. While it lacks educational value, it provides a genuinely fun experience.
Our protagonist, Haruka, is an overweight doctor that can seem to catch a break around women. One day, he becomes the doctor of a famous elementary school and meets his first love, Koizumi, who wishes to become his nursing assistant.
Considering this is a late 90s anime, fans can expect the typical hilarity with Dokkiri Doctor. It has a decent amount of slapstick and witty jokes to keep fans laughing. This show delivers a comfy atmosphere and is excellent to binge with your spouse or loved ones.
Parallel World Pharmacy
Only a few Isekai anime involve our main characters bringing something from their world to a new one. Parallel World Pharmacy is one of those shows. While most shows like it tend to lean toward displaying medical knowledge in comedic ways, Parallel World Pharmacy presents this information with mature intent.
Our tale follows Kanji, who devoted his life to medical studies to honor his deceased sister’s legacy. Unfortunately, Kanji dies due to overworking himself but gets another shot at life in another world. He wakes up inside a body of a boy named Falma, who happens to be the son of an esteemed medical practitioner family in the Sain Fleuve Empire.
With this new body, Kanji inherits Falma’s ability to create and reduce substances. He also learns that this world has adopted ancient medical practices and that nobles are the only ones with access to this world’s medicine. By combining his pharmaceutical knowledge with his divine powers, he plans to make the medication available to everyone.
Kanji and several side characters have likable personalities, making them fun to follow. This show portrays its noble characters realistically to keep viewers immersed in its world. There are splashes of political mischief in this anime that plays second fiddle to the show’s medical themes. Isekai and educational anime fans will get a kick out of this show.
Junod
This anime follows two home schoolers named Mii and Yuko, who get sent 70 years into the past and find themselves in Europe. The two encounter and accompany a famed doctor named Dr. Junod on his trip to Ethiopia. In Ethiopia, Dr. Junod witnesses the horrors of war and lends a helping hand to those suffering from it.
His kind deeds don’t end there as Dr. Junod travels to multiple locations and helps its prisoners with their needs. As this continues, Mii and Yuko reflect on their lives and problems. Like Mii and Yuko, this anime offers some incredible commentary about war-like conflict and how it poorly affects everyone involved. Some will find Mii and Yuuko’s involvement strange, while others argue they serve as stand-ins for the viewer.
Either way, viewers will walk away from this anime, having learned something crucial.
Black Jack (1993)
Black Jack is one of Osamu Tezuka’s notable works. While this medical series has gone through different interpretations, many consider the 1993 OVA series a must-watch. This version feels more mature and dark compared to other iterations and portrays its protagonist more mysteriously.
Our tale follows Hazama, known as “Black Jack,” and his assistant Pinko, as they save many people from their deadly fates. He’s been blessed with the skills necessary to keep anyone from death, even those suffering from an unstoppable illness. Although people shun him for his greedy fees, they can’t deny the lengths he goes to ensure his patients are fully cured.
This anime offers a dark and dramatic look at the world of underground medicine as Hazama risks it all to secure his patients’ lives. Due to his notoriety, Hazama will meet many crude fellows aiming to give him a hard time. Each episode offers a new challenge for Hazama to tangle, be it environmental issues or problems with the human psyche.
Cells At Work!
Cells At Work is a significant medical anime with high educational value. This show centers around two blood cells that must ensure their human host remains healthy and stable. These two cells encounter obstacles like fighting dangerous allergies, fulfilling several cell residents’ needs, and maintaining peace.
However, these two cells tackle their job with high integrity. Although these two will find themselves at the center of their host’s many concerns, each cell in this world has a vital role. Based on how the series’ first episode pans out, fans will be bewildered by the number of research Cells At Work creator Akane Shimizu did to produce this series.
Akane miraculously managed to create an innovative and educational body of work. Some fans walked away from this show learning something new about the human body. It will make everyone realize why it’s essential to practice proper hygiene with the issues it presents. If you’ve been looking for a fun anime series with solid medical information, check out Cells At Work.
Welcome To Irabu’s Office
Welcome To Irabu’s Office is one of those anime people will despise or adore. With its outlandish humor, clever use of live-action segments, and bizarre storytelling, this is a show that won’t please every anime fan. Our tale revolves around a mysterious doctor named Dr. Ichirou Irabu.
His daily life consists of meeting several patients that suffer from mental illnesses. While Irabu’s nurse is a seductress, he himself is a wild card because of his three separate personality traits. While curing his patients in strange ways, Irabu’s goal is to gain something from each of his patients. Therefore, Irabu will learn that the thread tying their paths together is evident yet invisible as they struggle to cope with their distress.
This is a zany anime that’s written surprisingly well. Although it introduces new characters in every episode, each chapter makes each patient, including Irabu and his nurse, memorable. This is a psychologically-driven show that shows what could happen if people let their emotions and distress go unnoticed. The message won’t hit fans like a truck, but if you pay close attention, you might discover something remarkable about this show.
Himeyuri
Himeyuri is a dramatic film rich in depressing imagery and storytelling. This 30-minute anime film centers around a group of high school nurses deemed Himeyuri. They served during the Battle of Okinawa in World War II. In real life, many high school nurses lost their lives during WWII, and the filmmakers wanted to share their experiences with children.
This is a film that touches upon the horrors of war and sheds light on how war affects everyone not only the soldiers who fight in it. While other films like Grave of the Fireflies offer a similar message, the feeling of dread and sorrow feels heavier in Himeyuri. This anime’s storyline contains enough shock value and realistic depictions to warrant it as a heartbreaking yet stellar documentation piece.
The art and characters don’t leave as much to be desired. The characters don’t receive any development and the art feels bland in comparison to other notable works that delve into war-like scenarios. The voice acting is top-notch as you’ll be filled with dread hearing the narrator discuss the horrid events that take place in this work. If you’re looking for a stellar documentary themed around war and medicine, check out Himeyuri.
Franz Kafka’s A Country Doctor
Franz Kafka’s A Country Doctor is an anime interpretation of the German novelist’s beloved work. This story is about a hapless country doctor who wants to make it to his patient’s establishment in time. However, some surreal-like antics occur between the doctor and some bizarre horses who transport him to the patient’s bedside.
The doctor fails to find a cure for the boy due to being bombarded by personal mishaps and issues. This leads him to be humiliated by his fellow villagers. This is a strange anime that’s jammed with a lot of metaphoric and symbolic imagery. This anime’s animation plays into its uncanny nature with weird camera angles and bizarre body proportions for its characters.
Many who’ve read Kafka’s original work cite it as being a weird piece. While this anime offers a confusing and mind-numbing take on his story, it provides a level of eeriness and horror that adds more value. If you’re looking for a mind-numbing ride with a haunting atmosphere, check out this anime interpretation of Franz Kafka’s A Country Doctor.
Snow White With The Red Hair
From a complicated tale to one that’s more cohesive, we arrive at Snow White With The Red Hair. This anime features colorful storytelling, wonderful characters, and an enchanting fantasy setting. This tale follows a girl named Shirayuki, who attracts everyone’s attention because of her trademark red hair.
However, this leads to a skirmish between her and a prince named Raji, causing Shirayuki to flee the country. Shirayuki meets a young man named Zen and helps him recover from his injuries. To repay a debt, Shirayuki plans to travel to Zen’s home country to become a court herbalist.
However, it won’t be easy as Raji will stop at nothing until she marries him. To some extent, this anime feels like the antithesis to the damsel in distress story trope you’d find in many fictional works. It uses popular story conventions like Snow White’s poison apple and Rapunzel’s long hair to the opposite effect.
Surprisingly, it works in the story’s favor and provides a refreshing spin on the stories you know and love. This anime builds upon Shirayuki and Zen’s relationship well and many fans will adore seeing these characters interact with each other. If you’re looking for a romantic anime that offers a unique spin on classic folk tales, check out Snow White With The Red Hair.
Drugstore in Another World: The Slow Life of a Cheat Pharmacist
This anime is as wholesome and charming as its elongated title. It boasts amusing characters, a cutesy narrative, and many hilarious gags and jokes that’ll tickle anyone’s funny bone. Drugstore in Another World doesn’t offer the most original plot known to mankind.
Our anime revolves around a former slave named Reji, who wakes up in another universe. He learns he’s obtained superhuman pharmaceutical knowledge. This inspired him to open up a drugstore alongside his companions Noera and Mina.
The anime follows his quest to attend to every customer’s needs. As one can tell, this story lacks originality and creativity. Many applaud the show for its decision to stick to its guns as it never delves into anything dramatic or earth-shattering. The characters provide enough banter and hilarity to keep people viewing it.
The animation and art in this show are surprisingly stunning given its uninspiring premise. Viewers will find it difficult not to appreciate the fine detail that went into the show’s environment and character design. If you’re looking for a silly anime that blends pharmacy and fantasy together well, check out Drugstore in Another World.
So, there we have it, our picks for the best anime through the years about medicine.
What do you think of our picks? Do you agree? Are there any notable omissions? Let us know in the comments below!
Thank you, Gabriela. I haven’t seen Healer Girl yet, but I will give it a watch and have it added on here soon.
Great list. “Healer Girl” is also a good one.