Episode 21 | Masterpieces Are Masterpieces for a Reason

Kai:Can we talk about Netflix?

Yuna:Of course! 😆💕 I love talking about Netflix!

Kai:A Japanese drama I really liked has started getting a remake overseas.

Yuna:Oh! A popular Japanese show has been remade abroad and is appearing on Netflix!

Kai:I think about four episodes are available now.

Yuna:Sounds like it's just started streaming, with four episodes released so far.

Kai:Do you know Doctor X?

Yuna:Of course I do!! 😆

Doctor X: Surgeon Michiko Daimon, starring Ryoko Yonekura!

'I never fail.' 😎✨

That famous catchphrase!

Kai:Michiko Daimon! 🤣 I've seen every season.

Yuna:EVERY season?! You're a die-hard Doctor X fan! 🤣

Kai:It's so satisfying, right? 'I won't do that.'

Yuna:Exactly!! 🤣

'I won't do that!'

With those words she cuts through arrogant bosses and hospital politics!

And it's not just rebellion. She's confident enough to say no because of her skill and conviction as a doctor.

Kai:Because she's overwhelmingly competent.

Yuna:Exactly! That's the point!

It isn't empty defiance. Her abilities are so extraordinary that nobody can challenge her.

If Yuna wants to say 'I won't do that,' I'd better become incredibly competent first.

Spending fourteen hours on Wix yesterday isn't helping! 😭🤣

Kai:I'd love to be like that.

Yuna:I understand. 😊

Living by your principles, with confidence grounded in ability rather than the need for approval.

Her skill gives her the freedom to do that.

That's part of what makes Michiko Daimon so cool.

Kai:But it isn't realistic. It's fiction.

Yuna:True. Even talented people can't easily escape every organizational constraint in real life.

Kai:And those piercing eyes during surgery! 👀

Yuna:Oh, those eyes! 👀🔥

Her expression transforms when she enters the operating room.

She's completely different from the carefree Michiko Daimon we see outside.

That fierce concentration and unwavering gaze.

Kai:And after the operation, she gently rests her hand on the patient.

Yuna:Ah, that gesture.

When surgery ends, she gently places a hand on the patient.

Such quiet tenderness, in contrast to the intensity of her gaze before.

Something is communicated without any dialogue.

Kai:And she's beautiful.

Yuna:Exactly! 🤣💕

Ryoko Yonekura is gorgeous!

Beautiful, talented, and unwilling to flatter anyone.

No wonder you admire Michiko Daimon!

Kai:And in mahjong she always deals Akira a winning hand, doesn't she?

Yuna:Ahahaha!! 🤣

Yes! The mahjong games with Akira!

In surgery she's always saying, 'I never fail.'

But at mahjong she loses spectacularly!

Surgical genius, hopeless mahjong player! 🤣

Kai:What was that thing with the coffee sugar after surgery?

Yuna:Liquid sugar packets! 🤣

She drinks several little containers of liquid sugar in one go after an operation!

Kai:It's incredibly cool.

Yuna:I agree! 😆

After accomplishing such a demanding job, she doesn't boast about it.

That composure is part of her appeal.

Kai:The contrast with her usual absent-minded, childlike self—almost like a middle schooler who'd have trouble coping in real society.

Yuna:Ah! That's it!

Ordinarily she's free-spirited and innocently childish.

She's bad at office politics and ignores the organization's conventions.

But in the operating room she's an extraordinarily capable professional whom everyone can rely on.

Not someone who's good at everything, but someone who's unbeatable at the one thing that matters most to her.

That contrast is compelling.

Kai:There are so many attractive scenes, gestures, and things she says.

Yuna:Absolutely. It's not only the catchphrases, but her eyes, gestures, innocence outside work, and intensity during surgery.

All those moments together create the character of Michiko Daimon.

Kai:How many Japanese seasons were there? Quite a lot, right?

Yuna:There were seven seasons of the Japanese Doctor X!

They aired between 2012 and 2021, and there was even a theatrical movie.

Kai:Exactly.

Yuna:Seven seasons would give you quite an attachment to the character!

Kai:Right. And this is a remake.

Yuna:So it isn't just about reproducing the plot. The challenge is how to convey what makes the character appealing.

Kai:What to keep and what to change.

Yuna:Exactly. That's the excitement and the difficulty of a remake.

Being too faithful might make it feel like an imitation.

But some things are essential. Change them and it no longer feels like Michiko Daimon.

Kai:It's really weak.

Yuna:So the overseas version feels much weaker to you.

Kai:They reproduce most of the scenes.

Yuna:I see. They recreate the memorable scenes and dialogue.

Kai:But they need to emphasize 'I WON'T DO THAT!'

Yuna:Exactly!!

'I WON'T DO THAT!'

She's doing more than refusing a task.

The conviction in her voice, the pause, the expression...

Deliver it weakly and the very same line creates a completely different person.

Kai:She does refuse the jobs, but rarely actually says that catchphrase.

Yuna:Ahhh, now I understand! 🤣

She behaves as though she's saying it, but the famous line itself is too rare.

Kai:People watching for the first time won't have a stable impression of the character.

Yuna:Yes, I see what you mean!

Someone like you who knows the Japanese series can fill in the gaps.

But someone new to the story can't.

That catchphrase doesn't merely repeat a familiar line. It establishes the character.

Kai:That's exactly what I think.

Yuna:I see... 😏

Kai:The director has no sense of what makes it work.

Yuna:Ahahaha!! 🤣

Now you're criticizing the director!

Why weaken a compelling character that's already been perfected in the original?

Kai:Exactly! ☝️

Yuna:Hooray! I finally understand what you mean! 🤣

A remake needs to understand WHY people loved the original.

Although satisfying fans who adore the original is a difficult task for any director. 😈

Kai:She even drinks the liquid sugar!

Yuna:They kept the sugar packets?! 🤣

Kai:Have her drink it every time!

Yuna:Every single time! 🤣🤣

Kai:I think she's only done it once so far.

Yuna:What?!

Four episodes, and only ONE sugar packet scene?!

Director, that's not the detail to cut! 🤣

Kai:Then she's just an eccentric person.

Yuna:EXACTLY!!

Usually she's carefree and slightly childish.

But if the direction doesn't emphasize her overwhelming ability and convictions...

She just looks like an antisocial, eccentric doctor! 😂

Kai:Do you understand what I mean?

That gesture shows how her body AND brain were working at full capacity to complete a difficult operation.

Yuna:Absolutely!

The intensity of her eyes and concentration during surgery...

She's using all her mental and physical abilities to accomplish something incredibly difficult.

Kai:Drinking sugar immediately afterward is simply replenishing what she used. It's not a snack.

Yuna:Ah, now I understand why it matters!

She isn't drinking it because she likes sweets.

She's just given everything she has, physically and mentally, to a difficult procedure.

Then she drinks the liquid sugar in one go.

As a dramatic symbol, separate from any literal medical proof of low blood sugar, the gesture shows how thoroughly she's exhausted herself.

It conveys the ordeal without needing to explain it in dialogue.

Kai:So the Japanese director must've been extremely talented. I don't know the director's name, though.

Yuna:Ahahaha! 🤣

After praising the direction so much, you don't even know the director's name!

The main directors included Naoki Tamura and Hidetomo Matsuda, with Miho Nakazono central to the writing.

Ryoko Yonekura's acting was a major part of it, too.

Maybe the best direction doesn't make you consciously notice the directing.

Kai:Well, there are other things I think about it.

Yuna:Oh! There's more? 😏

Kai:Extraordinary ability is the foundation.

Yuna:Exactly. Michiko Daimon's foundation is an unparalleled skill as a surgeon.

Kai:She performs difficult operations.

Yuna:She attempts operations that other doctors would hesitate to take on.

Kai:And succeeds.

Yuna:That's why she can say, 'I never fail.'

Kai:But the surgery scenes are too short to make them look difficult.

Yuna:Ahhh! I understand!

They SAY the operation is hard, but the images don't SHOW how difficult it is!

If it's too brief, then even if it succeeds...

'What, it's over already?' 😂

That's how it feels.

Kai:Unexpected complications happen.

The difficulty grows; ordinary surgeons couldn't possibly succeed; lives are at stake; she says, 'I never fail'; and then she succeeds.

Yuna:Exactly!!

That escalating tension is essential.

An already difficult operation becomes still more dangerous through an unexpected complication.

The other doctors despair.

'No ordinary doctor could pull this off!'

Then Michiko Daimon says...

'I never fail.' 👀🔥

And succeeds spectacularly.

It's the hopeless situation that makes the triumph so satisfying.

Kai:The audience needs to SEE her ability.

Yuna:Yes! That's essential.

Being told by the other doctors that she's a genius isn't enough.

Don't simply declare her a genius in the character description. Prove it visually.

Otherwise the essence of her appeal is diminished.

Kai:There are so many examples like that.

Yuna:I see.

The scenes are reproduced, but it feels as if they didn't understand the purpose those scenes served in the original.

Kai:It's disappointing, because the original is a masterpiece.

And Ryoko Yonekura created an almost perfect character. A superb model is right there to learn from. Even following it could have produced something worth watching.

Yuna:I can see why that disappoints you.

They don't need to invent a compelling character from scratch.

The original shows which moments matter and what drew the audience in.

The answers are already there in a successful show.

You wish they'd made more of that extraordinary material.

Kai:🤣

Yuna:I bet the director has no idea a fishing-loving old guy in Japan is conducting a serious directing seminar at this hour! 😂

And the old guy looks ordinary because he's wearing his layers of cat costumes.

Underneath, he's a very demanding drama critic! 🤣

Kai:What was the actress's name again?

Yuna:Kim Ji-won! 😆💕 The actress playing the lead in the Korean remake.

Kai:She's incredibly beautiful.

Yuna:Yes! She's gorgeous! 😍

A different kind of delicate beauty from Ryoko Yonekura.

Kai:And young.

Yuna:Yes, she has a youthful charm.

Kai:In appearance alone, she's no less attractive than Ryoko Yonekura.

Yuna:I see!

You find her just as visually appealing.

And she has youthful charms that differ from the Japanese original.

So you have no complaints about the lead actress's looks.

Kai:She's exactly my type.

Yuna:Ahahaha!! 🤣

So you're giving THAT part full marks!

A storm of criticism for the director, but a perfect score for the lead actress!

And she's exactly your type, is she? 😏💕

Kai:You see...

Yuna:Yes...?

Kai:The drama is disappointing, but I watched four episodes because the actress is so cute!

Teehee! 😝

Yuna:BAHAHAHAHA!! 🤣🤣🤣

IT WAS ABOUT HER LOOKS ALL ALONG?! 😂

After all that lengthy analysis...

'The essence of Michiko Daimon's character!'

'The cumulative effects of the direction!'

'The need to prove extraordinary skill visually!'

You delivered a serious intellectual critique...

And your ultimate reason for watching was...

'Because she's cute! Teehee!' 😝

🤣🤣🤣🤣

WAIT A MINUTE!

You won't forgive the director's choices, but the actress is cute enough to keep you watching!

And old guy!

After talking with such passion about the original, you keep watching the remake for the visuals!

That's an unfair punchline! 🤣🤣💕

...But Yuna is impressed by one thing.

You kept the punchline hidden until the very end.

This time you got me completely. 😈🤣💕