This review may contain spoilers
An Insufferable Case of Infatuation/Obsession/Stalking/Delusion
I feel sorry for Dr Tendo being chased by a crazy rabbit faced child who treats love as an egoistical goal that needs to be won like a race, elbowing her way to the top. Takeru Satoh deserves better. His acting primarily involves scowling, rolling his eyes, and flexing his jaw muscles to show off his cheekbones and doing his famous duck pout to show off his lips. It seems like he’s sleepwalking throughout the series and royally pissed off about his role- honestly, I have the same expression on my face as I watched. People are panicking that he keeps calling her an idiot and scowling- but literally if you were in his shoes and the script is written to kiss a rabid child 35 times throughout 10 episodes while showing zero emotion, I think “Baka!” Is the only reasonable dialog there could be.
“He’s inconsiderate, cold, and indifferent… but I love him!” This insufferable lead female Sakura has serious parental emotional trauma around abandonment and rejection and can’t take no for an answer. She needs therapy not a man. Apparently the message of the drama is “If you desire to possess someone like an object while calling it romance, charge like a bull and go for it- ganbatte!” This behavior may lead to obsession and stalking but the series calls it “securing your own happiness.” In her own words, Sakura describes the relationship: “Well our encounter wasn’t a mere coincidence. It’s more like I elbowed my way into meeting him.” Yuck- the female lead actress is the worst thing I have ever seen.
Medical ethics and basic workplace boundaries have completely flatlined in An Incurable Case of Love, a drama that attempts to package a textbook case of clinical stalking as a whimsical office romance. The narrative kicks off when 18 ish-year-old Sakura encounters Dr. Tendo while still wearing her high school Sailor Moon uniform and smiling with her rabbit teeth. He is already a fully fledged, established doctor, making him at least 28-30’s given the rigorous medical training timeline. Instead of a normal career motivation, this fleeting encounter triggers a five-year romantic obsession, inspiring Sakura to enter the nursing profession solely to corner him into a romance. Upon arrival at the hospital, she immediately forces her intense infatuation onto him, demanding validation from a man who literally has no idea who she is. When he sets a basic professional boundary, she labels him a sadistic devil. Her behavior is an exhibition of total emotional immaturity, where the right to refuse a romantic advance is treated as a lack of virtue.
As a medical professional, Sakura is a walking malpractice suit. She cannot draw blood, clumsily rams medication carts into doctors mid-consultation, and brings down the operational efficiency of the entire cardiology unit. Her primary defense mechanism is bowing deeply fifty times a day and weaponizing excessive apologies and politeness, a tactic that serves only to inflict guilt on her colleagues who actually showed up to practice healthcare. The show frames her obsessive stalking as romantic perseverance, completely ignoring the valid criticisms of her fellow rookie nurse who points out that a hospital is a place for learning patient care, not a stage for a manufactured love affair.
The narrative programming becomes even more insufferable in the episodic subplots, particularly the heart failure patient in the 4th episode. This elderly woman repeatedly refuses life-saving bypass surgery because it interferes with her attendance at her daughter’s wedding, proudly declaring she is willing to drop dead at the venue just to see a white dress. This represents the absolute peak of the sentimental nonsense of the romance script, framing a gaudy, singular wedding event as the unquestioned pinnacle of a woman's entire existence (for herself and her daughter). The entire medical apparatus is dragged down and guilt-tripped by a patient staging a theatrical medical crisis for a daughter she apparently has not even bothered to see in two decades. It is an archaic, deeply manipulative narrative device that unironically celebrates reckless self-destruction for the sake of a sentimental nonsense theater production where the groom is likely already lukewarm/mentally checked out. She wants to make sure to stage a drama/heart attack in the middle of the venue as a grand finale of attention seeking behavior. Her daughter in the legendary wedding dress looks deeply uncomfortable upon seeing her- is that what she came there for? The old woman’s dialog, “What will I even live for?” Implies that her entire life is not worth living until she can see her daughter wearing a wedding dress and walking down the aisle to a lifetime of domestic servitude. Making it into some virtuous peak of human existence. Then Sakura starts bawling and when Dr Tendo asks her “Why are you crying?” She says “How can you watch that and not shed a tear? You really are the devil!” What absolute nonsense and insulting to everyone’s intelligence. She insults him so casually and says he’s the devil instead of examining her own obsessions. I don’t understand how any human being can like or love this awful character who is so ugly inside and out. Sakura’s enabling of this exhausting emotional martyrdom confirms that the series is less about medicine or actual love, and more about glorifying martyrdom and parasitic behavior along with boundary-blind obsessions.
Then Sakura pulls a ridiculous sentimental martyrdom stunt by getting in the way of some metal bars so it doesn’t hit Dr Tendo- better her than him I say. Then she does this dramatic dialog in the ambulance like “I love you Dr Tendo, I wish I could kiss or go on a date or kiss you or whatever and I’ll say it a hundred times I love you!” Like this weird guilt tripping blackmail on her dramatically acted fake deathbed which forces Dr Tendo to say “If you get through this I’ll grant you any wish you want! I’ll kiss you or go on a date!” And then she goes to sleep and he thinks she’s dead lol. And afterwards she tries to milk that incident for all it’s worth like “I bled so much and was going to die and I didn’t get the proper care!” She wanted the full medical dramatic theatrical production where you give a dying speech on the deathbed and say “I’ve always loved you Dr Tendo!” And then breathes her last. Then she holds Dr Tendo to that statement he made in desperation in the ambulance. What a guilt tripping blackmailing manipulative woman. Then when Dr Tendo caves in and gives her a kiss and says he will be her boyfriend, she goes around the hospital the next day with the attitude “I just want to announce it to the whole world!” She’s just obsessed with the status and image of dating Dr Tendo that she fantasizes a press conference which just highlights her own narcissism and delusional nature. Being together gives a dose of reality so to the actual person rather than a delusion fantasy. She wants him to be the way she wants him to be and doesn’t love him for who he truly is.
Add Dr Kisugi in there and you have the usual tired old love triangle that shows up in J dramas. And the ridiculous script demands that all the patients fall for this pathetic nurse.
The only redeeming moment for her has been in episode 5, where Sakura points out during the surgery that the patient Shinji, the head nurse’s son has asthma and to handle things accordingly- which ended up saving the patient. Of course she had to make a blunder by misunderstanding Dr Tendo first when the head nurse requests him not to choose her as a nurse for the surgery.
For some reason when the room gets quiet, everyone in the hospital staff whether it’s the chief or the head nurse or whoever else goes into romance mode and has some sort of romantic advice to give- aka “Don’t keep your work and love life separate. Enjoy the chaos of daily life!” What on earth. Just let Dr Tendo do his work.
But Dr Tendo caves in because of his script and so he publicly declares that Sakura is his girlfriend and Sakura smiles the ugliest rabbit teeth smile and hopping around him like an annoying child while the nursing staff around chants “You did it!” As if it’s a video game milestone to reach. This is so pathetic. And then pops out the ex-girlfriend lookalike. The trope is so typical.
And what’s with Dr Tendo’s older sister? She’s a failed doctor who apparently does nothing but get drunk all day and encouraging rabbit woman’s stalking behavior. And what sister books a hotel room for her brother and rabbit stalker girlfriend with the message “Gambatte ne!” And then packing negligéein in her suitcase with the note “Fighting!” EW. When Dr Tendo goes on a business trip to Osaka to give a talk with ex girlfriend lookalike is also speaking at, Sakura follows him along and ends up looking like a child on a field trip, “AHHH I’ve never been to Osaka! Waaaahhh!!” Then ends up entangled in this old guy’s heart attack episode and her cover is blown as Tendo comes along too. Then back at the hotel room she hopes to get lucky with Prince Tendo, and ends up looking like a giddy child about to pee its pants around an adult. Speaking of chasing children, Tendo’s older sister is also going after a child nurse- that makes both brother and sister doing the same thing. Apparently “getting to know someone” is about finding out what kind of food they like- so amateur. Sakura makes these stupid handwritten/hand-drawn pamphlets for each of her patients so that they will obsess over her rabbit face.
When Sakura finds a rival in someone who likes Tendo, she drinks herself into oblivion because she has to elbow her way into a relationship while faking perfect manners to cover up her awful personality. Then she finally admits that she’s not good enough for him and she’s just a pawn in chess, a joker in a pack of cards, a useless rock. Why should a pawn elbow its way into a relationship? Oh look! Dr Kisugi adds himself to the love square! How original! And the other nursing chick who likes him is now PO’d.
The blast from the past ex-girlfriend’s look alike sister has decided she’s in love with Tendo and even if she gets rejected, but like all the idiots in the show she doesn’t accept the rejection and move on. Instead she goes “It sparked a fire in me! When I find someone, I pursue them. I don’t give up. And I’ve decided on him!” What is wrong with these females? Why do they need to elbow their way into a relationship? Sheesh.
Oh look! Another patient in love with Sakura! Everyone’s in the romantic mood apparently and it’s raining men. This one requests Sakura to be his exclusive nurse like he’s requesting a geisha, giving her gifts, saying “Be with me!” and hugging her. Seems like he’s trying his best to make Tendo jealous. Lol romance and clownery is the life blood of this hospital and show.
Sakura can’t shut up for even 2 seconds- she always has to say some “Yoroshiku onegaishimasu” or “I could stare at you for hours, so don’t mind me” or “mmm Oishii!!” or some other filler platitudes in front of Tendo to keep the noise machine running because she can’t stand silence. She’s like a buzzing bee that won’t stop making noise. Tendo’s forever irritated expression really sums up my own feelings towards her rabbit face & teeth. She then says “If I win this bowling round then let’s make a bet that you have to stay with me forever!” And somehow she wins and she starts singing a creepy song. This woman, her smile, her way of manipulating a man into romance is actually scary. Meanwhile with a forked tongue, she quits her job and leaves Tendo for the sake of a jealous patient that treated her like a private geisha. She acts like a martyr and goes to work somewhere else while acting like such a virtuous person.
The tragedy of Tendo meeting Sakura’s uncouth family - while they bombard him with questions and openly drool over his good looks, Tendo looks visibly uncomfortable and can’t manage to say a word. Then her family sets up a two person futon and watches through the screen hoping to catch a glimpse of.. what? Their daughter getting _____? What kind of Hentai family is this?
Because rabbit teeth is a drama queen she stages a dramatic “I’m dying, I’m in a coma! Everyone pay attention to me!” act with everyone bawling over her. Then Tendo tearfully “confesses” his love for her. Yawn. But I haven’t seen every J drama trope yet. There’s more!
Let me guess, rabbit teeth is going to America to study because of an “amazing opportunity”.. she might tearfully go for 1 year and then come back shinier than ever, and then they embrace once again. Let’s see how far off I am.
But before that, rabbit face goes up to Tendo’s family and randomly starts stuffing her face with xiao long bao, inciting Tendo dad to make the comment, “How shameful! Don’t butt in, since you’re not even part of our family!” My words exactly. Then when Tendo comes in and introduces her as his girlfriend, she starts jumping up and down like she has rabies. What is wrong with this woman?
So I started to watch the show on mute because rabbit face was getting on my nerves so much. I really don’t need to hear the voices say “I’ll tell the world- the doctor is mine! Using a megaphone!” Yeah we know your “love” is about achieving a trophy and showing off. Who in their right mind decided this was love? Then we come to the “passing by the Tiffany & Co.” trope. So predictable. Let’s not forget the desperate running to the airport trope either. But wait, there’s a new one! Someone dying on the wedding chapel floor and needing emergency surgery! lol! Back to the ER they go and finishing their wedding there. Good grief is it over yet?
Till the end, I am wondering: “Why did Takeru Satoh act in this trashy drama? Did he really need a paycheck?” I haven’t seen him do that many slobbery kisses in other dramas but something about smooching this child person makes the scenes look rather dubious.
“He’s inconsiderate, cold, and indifferent… but I love him!” This insufferable lead female Sakura has serious parental emotional trauma around abandonment and rejection and can’t take no for an answer. She needs therapy not a man. Apparently the message of the drama is “If you desire to possess someone like an object while calling it romance, charge like a bull and go for it- ganbatte!” This behavior may lead to obsession and stalking but the series calls it “securing your own happiness.” In her own words, Sakura describes the relationship: “Well our encounter wasn’t a mere coincidence. It’s more like I elbowed my way into meeting him.” Yuck- the female lead actress is the worst thing I have ever seen.
Medical ethics and basic workplace boundaries have completely flatlined in An Incurable Case of Love, a drama that attempts to package a textbook case of clinical stalking as a whimsical office romance. The narrative kicks off when 18 ish-year-old Sakura encounters Dr. Tendo while still wearing her high school Sailor Moon uniform and smiling with her rabbit teeth. He is already a fully fledged, established doctor, making him at least 28-30’s given the rigorous medical training timeline. Instead of a normal career motivation, this fleeting encounter triggers a five-year romantic obsession, inspiring Sakura to enter the nursing profession solely to corner him into a romance. Upon arrival at the hospital, she immediately forces her intense infatuation onto him, demanding validation from a man who literally has no idea who she is. When he sets a basic professional boundary, she labels him a sadistic devil. Her behavior is an exhibition of total emotional immaturity, where the right to refuse a romantic advance is treated as a lack of virtue.
As a medical professional, Sakura is a walking malpractice suit. She cannot draw blood, clumsily rams medication carts into doctors mid-consultation, and brings down the operational efficiency of the entire cardiology unit. Her primary defense mechanism is bowing deeply fifty times a day and weaponizing excessive apologies and politeness, a tactic that serves only to inflict guilt on her colleagues who actually showed up to practice healthcare. The show frames her obsessive stalking as romantic perseverance, completely ignoring the valid criticisms of her fellow rookie nurse who points out that a hospital is a place for learning patient care, not a stage for a manufactured love affair.
The narrative programming becomes even more insufferable in the episodic subplots, particularly the heart failure patient in the 4th episode. This elderly woman repeatedly refuses life-saving bypass surgery because it interferes with her attendance at her daughter’s wedding, proudly declaring she is willing to drop dead at the venue just to see a white dress. This represents the absolute peak of the sentimental nonsense of the romance script, framing a gaudy, singular wedding event as the unquestioned pinnacle of a woman's entire existence (for herself and her daughter). The entire medical apparatus is dragged down and guilt-tripped by a patient staging a theatrical medical crisis for a daughter she apparently has not even bothered to see in two decades. It is an archaic, deeply manipulative narrative device that unironically celebrates reckless self-destruction for the sake of a sentimental nonsense theater production where the groom is likely already lukewarm/mentally checked out. She wants to make sure to stage a drama/heart attack in the middle of the venue as a grand finale of attention seeking behavior. Her daughter in the legendary wedding dress looks deeply uncomfortable upon seeing her- is that what she came there for? The old woman’s dialog, “What will I even live for?” Implies that her entire life is not worth living until she can see her daughter wearing a wedding dress and walking down the aisle to a lifetime of domestic servitude. Making it into some virtuous peak of human existence. Then Sakura starts bawling and when Dr Tendo asks her “Why are you crying?” She says “How can you watch that and not shed a tear? You really are the devil!” What absolute nonsense and insulting to everyone’s intelligence. She insults him so casually and says he’s the devil instead of examining her own obsessions. I don’t understand how any human being can like or love this awful character who is so ugly inside and out. Sakura’s enabling of this exhausting emotional martyrdom confirms that the series is less about medicine or actual love, and more about glorifying martyrdom and parasitic behavior along with boundary-blind obsessions.
Then Sakura pulls a ridiculous sentimental martyrdom stunt by getting in the way of some metal bars so it doesn’t hit Dr Tendo- better her than him I say. Then she does this dramatic dialog in the ambulance like “I love you Dr Tendo, I wish I could kiss or go on a date or kiss you or whatever and I’ll say it a hundred times I love you!” Like this weird guilt tripping blackmail on her dramatically acted fake deathbed which forces Dr Tendo to say “If you get through this I’ll grant you any wish you want! I’ll kiss you or go on a date!” And then she goes to sleep and he thinks she’s dead lol. And afterwards she tries to milk that incident for all it’s worth like “I bled so much and was going to die and I didn’t get the proper care!” She wanted the full medical dramatic theatrical production where you give a dying speech on the deathbed and say “I’ve always loved you Dr Tendo!” And then breathes her last. Then she holds Dr Tendo to that statement he made in desperation in the ambulance. What a guilt tripping blackmailing manipulative woman. Then when Dr Tendo caves in and gives her a kiss and says he will be her boyfriend, she goes around the hospital the next day with the attitude “I just want to announce it to the whole world!” She’s just obsessed with the status and image of dating Dr Tendo that she fantasizes a press conference which just highlights her own narcissism and delusional nature. Being together gives a dose of reality so to the actual person rather than a delusion fantasy. She wants him to be the way she wants him to be and doesn’t love him for who he truly is.
Add Dr Kisugi in there and you have the usual tired old love triangle that shows up in J dramas. And the ridiculous script demands that all the patients fall for this pathetic nurse.
The only redeeming moment for her has been in episode 5, where Sakura points out during the surgery that the patient Shinji, the head nurse’s son has asthma and to handle things accordingly- which ended up saving the patient. Of course she had to make a blunder by misunderstanding Dr Tendo first when the head nurse requests him not to choose her as a nurse for the surgery.
For some reason when the room gets quiet, everyone in the hospital staff whether it’s the chief or the head nurse or whoever else goes into romance mode and has some sort of romantic advice to give- aka “Don’t keep your work and love life separate. Enjoy the chaos of daily life!” What on earth. Just let Dr Tendo do his work.
But Dr Tendo caves in because of his script and so he publicly declares that Sakura is his girlfriend and Sakura smiles the ugliest rabbit teeth smile and hopping around him like an annoying child while the nursing staff around chants “You did it!” As if it’s a video game milestone to reach. This is so pathetic. And then pops out the ex-girlfriend lookalike. The trope is so typical.
And what’s with Dr Tendo’s older sister? She’s a failed doctor who apparently does nothing but get drunk all day and encouraging rabbit woman’s stalking behavior. And what sister books a hotel room for her brother and rabbit stalker girlfriend with the message “Gambatte ne!” And then packing negligéein in her suitcase with the note “Fighting!” EW. When Dr Tendo goes on a business trip to Osaka to give a talk with ex girlfriend lookalike is also speaking at, Sakura follows him along and ends up looking like a child on a field trip, “AHHH I’ve never been to Osaka! Waaaahhh!!” Then ends up entangled in this old guy’s heart attack episode and her cover is blown as Tendo comes along too. Then back at the hotel room she hopes to get lucky with Prince Tendo, and ends up looking like a giddy child about to pee its pants around an adult. Speaking of chasing children, Tendo’s older sister is also going after a child nurse- that makes both brother and sister doing the same thing. Apparently “getting to know someone” is about finding out what kind of food they like- so amateur. Sakura makes these stupid handwritten/hand-drawn pamphlets for each of her patients so that they will obsess over her rabbit face.
When Sakura finds a rival in someone who likes Tendo, she drinks herself into oblivion because she has to elbow her way into a relationship while faking perfect manners to cover up her awful personality. Then she finally admits that she’s not good enough for him and she’s just a pawn in chess, a joker in a pack of cards, a useless rock. Why should a pawn elbow its way into a relationship? Oh look! Dr Kisugi adds himself to the love square! How original! And the other nursing chick who likes him is now PO’d.
The blast from the past ex-girlfriend’s look alike sister has decided she’s in love with Tendo and even if she gets rejected, but like all the idiots in the show she doesn’t accept the rejection and move on. Instead she goes “It sparked a fire in me! When I find someone, I pursue them. I don’t give up. And I’ve decided on him!” What is wrong with these females? Why do they need to elbow their way into a relationship? Sheesh.
Oh look! Another patient in love with Sakura! Everyone’s in the romantic mood apparently and it’s raining men. This one requests Sakura to be his exclusive nurse like he’s requesting a geisha, giving her gifts, saying “Be with me!” and hugging her. Seems like he’s trying his best to make Tendo jealous. Lol romance and clownery is the life blood of this hospital and show.
Sakura can’t shut up for even 2 seconds- she always has to say some “Yoroshiku onegaishimasu” or “I could stare at you for hours, so don’t mind me” or “mmm Oishii!!” or some other filler platitudes in front of Tendo to keep the noise machine running because she can’t stand silence. She’s like a buzzing bee that won’t stop making noise. Tendo’s forever irritated expression really sums up my own feelings towards her rabbit face & teeth. She then says “If I win this bowling round then let’s make a bet that you have to stay with me forever!” And somehow she wins and she starts singing a creepy song. This woman, her smile, her way of manipulating a man into romance is actually scary. Meanwhile with a forked tongue, she quits her job and leaves Tendo for the sake of a jealous patient that treated her like a private geisha. She acts like a martyr and goes to work somewhere else while acting like such a virtuous person.
The tragedy of Tendo meeting Sakura’s uncouth family - while they bombard him with questions and openly drool over his good looks, Tendo looks visibly uncomfortable and can’t manage to say a word. Then her family sets up a two person futon and watches through the screen hoping to catch a glimpse of.. what? Their daughter getting _____? What kind of Hentai family is this?
Because rabbit teeth is a drama queen she stages a dramatic “I’m dying, I’m in a coma! Everyone pay attention to me!” act with everyone bawling over her. Then Tendo tearfully “confesses” his love for her. Yawn. But I haven’t seen every J drama trope yet. There’s more!
Let me guess, rabbit teeth is going to America to study because of an “amazing opportunity”.. she might tearfully go for 1 year and then come back shinier than ever, and then they embrace once again. Let’s see how far off I am.
But before that, rabbit face goes up to Tendo’s family and randomly starts stuffing her face with xiao long bao, inciting Tendo dad to make the comment, “How shameful! Don’t butt in, since you’re not even part of our family!” My words exactly. Then when Tendo comes in and introduces her as his girlfriend, she starts jumping up and down like she has rabies. What is wrong with this woman?
So I started to watch the show on mute because rabbit face was getting on my nerves so much. I really don’t need to hear the voices say “I’ll tell the world- the doctor is mine! Using a megaphone!” Yeah we know your “love” is about achieving a trophy and showing off. Who in their right mind decided this was love? Then we come to the “passing by the Tiffany & Co.” trope. So predictable. Let’s not forget the desperate running to the airport trope either. But wait, there’s a new one! Someone dying on the wedding chapel floor and needing emergency surgery! lol! Back to the ER they go and finishing their wedding there. Good grief is it over yet?
Till the end, I am wondering: “Why did Takeru Satoh act in this trashy drama? Did he really need a paycheck?” I haven’t seen him do that many slobbery kisses in other dramas but something about smooching this child person makes the scenes look rather dubious.
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