This isn’t a very popular theme in anime, but there’s still quite a few series like that.
Have you ever wondered if more obscure topics get anime made about them? Surprisingly, medicine — and the general topic of health — is occasionally mentioned in anime. Sometimes, it’s one of the main elements, even — here are some examples.
Of course, The Apothecary Diaries (Kusuriya no Hitorigoto) is now the definite most popular anime dealing with the topic. The protagonist, Maomao, works in the Imperial palace — and she has to treat all kinds of usual and unusual ailments. There’s also an overarching plot — a conspiracy that is slowly uncovering.
Cells at Work!
MyAnimeList score: 7.55
Cells at Work! (Hataraku Saibou) takes an educational approach to the topic of health. It reimagines cells (and other incredibly small objects in our body) as anime characters, and shows the inner workings of the human body as their daily life. It’s surprisingly entertaining and spawned a lot of memes, too — and the information it provides is also factually correct.
Black Jack
MyAnimeList score: 7.79
Osamu Tezuka is a mangaka, animator and director who is largely responsible for anime becoming what it is right now. He was also called “the God of Manga” — and many of his works are still held in very high regard.
One of those is Black Jack, a story of a mysterious traveling doctor who can treat any patient — for a sufficient price. He’d charge the rich people more and the poor less — but, more importantly, he’s a genius who can cure practically anything.
Mononoke
MyAnimeList score: 8.42
Mononoke is only very loosely related to medicine, but it’s worth a mention regardless. The protagonist is the mysterious “Medicine Seller”, a person of unknown origin who travels all across Japan, encountering supernatural entities — and exorcising them.
The anime is famous for its incredibly unusual art style — it takes some time to get used to, but it’s beautiful in its own regard.
Tree in the Sun
MyAnimeList score: 7.36
This is actually the second anime based on a manga by Osamu Tezuka on the list. And, if you look into the history of its creation, it also explains why he had multiple works that deal with these topics.
Tree in the Sun (Hidamari no Ki) follows Ryoan Tezuka throughout his life as a doctor in 19th century Japan. Yes, he’s actually the great-grandfather of the mangaka, and while Osamu Tezuka didn’t know him personally, he was inspired to write a story about him when he learned more about his accomplishments in life.
This isn’t a very popular theme in anime, but there’s still quite a few series like that.
Have you ever wondered if more obscure topics get anime made about them? Surprisingly, medicine — and the general topic of health — is occasionally mentioned in anime. Sometimes, it’s one of the main elements, even — here are some examples.
Of course, The Apothecary Diaries (Kusuriya no Hitorigoto) is now the definite most popular anime dealing with the topic. The protagonist, Maomao, works in the Imperial palace — and she has to treat all kinds of usual and unusual ailments. There’s also an overarching plot — a conspiracy that is slowly uncovering.
Cells at Work!
MyAnimeList score: 7.55
Cells at Work! (Hataraku Saibou) takes an educational approach to the topic of health. It reimagines cells (and other incredibly small objects in our body) as anime characters, and shows the inner workings of the human body as their daily life. It’s surprisingly entertaining and spawned a lot of memes, too — and the information it provides is also factually correct.
Black Jack
MyAnimeList score: 7.79
Osamu Tezuka is a mangaka, animator and director who is largely responsible for anime becoming what it is right now. He was also called “the God of Manga” — and many of his works are still held in very high regard.
One of those is Black Jack, a story of a mysterious traveling doctor who can treat any patient — for a sufficient price. He’d charge the rich people more and the poor less — but, more importantly, he’s a genius who can cure practically anything.
Mononoke
MyAnimeList score: 8.42
Mononoke is only very loosely related to medicine, but it’s worth a mention regardless. The protagonist is the mysterious “Medicine Seller”, a person of unknown origin who travels all across Japan, encountering supernatural entities — and exorcising them.
The anime is famous for its incredibly unusual art style — it takes some time to get used to, but it’s beautiful in its own regard.
Tree in the Sun
MyAnimeList score: 7.36
This is actually the second anime based on a manga by Osamu Tezuka on the list. And, if you look into the history of its creation, it also explains why he had multiple works that deal with these topics.
Tree in the Sun (Hidamari no Ki) follows Ryoan Tezuka throughout his life as a doctor in 19th century Japan. Yes, he’s actually the great-grandfather of the mangaka, and while Osamu Tezuka didn’t know him personally, he was inspired to write a story about him when he learned more about his accomplishments in life.
