Best Medical Anime

Key Takeaways

• Medical anime series come with an engaging mix of dramatic tension, comedic relief, and informative content for exploring the complexities of patient care and healthcare ethics.
• Unique medical themes, such as vocal healing in Healer Girl and mythical creatures in Monster Girl Doctor, offer creative ways to engage fans in the medical field.
• Shows like Cells at Work! and Monster delve into human anatomy and ethical dilemmas in medicine, making them entertaining and educational tools for viewers of all ages.

In recent years, anime has risen in popularity as a narrative medium, and the medical genre has not been an exception. Anime with a medical theme provides viewers with a fascinating glimpse into the medical field, illuminating the complexities of patient care, diagnosis, and therapy. These series examine the moral and ethical challenges faced by medical professionals and stress the need for compassion, cooperation, and open dialogue among healthcare workers.

The best medical anime series combines dramatic tension with comedic relief and informative content, making them an excellent tool for exploring the medical field. Medical dramas like Doctor-X, which follows a rebellious surgeon through the Japanese healthcare system, and anime series like Cells at Work, which takes viewers on a tour of the human body, prove that the genre can appeal to a wide audience.

Updated October 14, 2024, by Oluwatokiloba Folami: Not everyone has a knack for learning about medical concepts or even hearing about them without being bored. This problem is something various medical anime have come to solve. Whether it be in a comedic-style animation, a documentary about the past, or even in a fantasy world, various medical anime have shown that expertise in the medical field can be portrayed to all. While the medical genre doesn’t suit everyone, fans who find it appealing or want to explore something new have a plethora of shows that portray the intricacies of medicine, whether it be used to kill or heal individuals.

21 Himeyuri

The Role Of High School Nurses In WWII

Regardless of the winner, most wars have been nothing short of pyrrhic victories with devastating losses on both sides. The Himeyuri anime series is a form of show that portrays the lives of high school nurses who served during the Battle of Okinawa in World War II. Unlike various other anime shows, this show serves more as a form of documentary that shows how the high school nurses operated during the war.

This battle was the fiercest of the Pacific War, with the Japanese having to use high school boys and high school Himeyuri students to make up for the numbers against the US Army. Despite being students who were told they would be at a Red Cross outpost, the Himeyuri were made to perform crude surgeries and amputations during the war at the very front lines.

20 Triage X

Restoring Society’s Health One Criminal At A Time

With Arashi Mikami at its center, this anime series features Black Label, a vigilante strike team assembled to eliminate dangerous criminals whose very existence proves a threat to humanity.

Triage X isn’t structured like other medical anime but is classified as one because of how it uses medical terminology to frame its overall narrative, calling criminals in society tumors that it needs to treat. Moreover, the series’ portrayal of the medical field is well seen in Dr. Masamune Mochizuki, a medical professional and surgeon and the leader of Black Label. With him in the picture, malignancies, tumors, and other diseases are often treated, as society must be made healthy again, through the hands of professionals.

19 Dokkiri Doctor

Medical Expertise Meets Comedic Chaos

Dr. Haruka Nishikikōji is an overweight medical professional who works at a high school clinic. Working there doesn’t seem lively at first, but with his secret crush Miyuki joining him to work as a nurse, Dr. Haruka is sure to conjure up various antics to get his crush to notice him. Dr. Haruka doesn’t always use the more practical approach to healthcare as he conjures various inventions to treat the students he’s obliged to assist. However, the ‘bizarre’ methods and inventions he conjures up lead to a whole lot of situations varying from being downright comedic to absolutely embarrassing.

Portrayed as a medical anime because of its various healthcare themes and the medical focus it embodies, this series combines Dr. Haruka’s medical expertise with his humorous behaviors. The comedic twist of the series makes it easier for audiences to explore the healthcare world of Dr. Haruka all while getting a good laugh.

18 Drug Store In Another World

From Japanese Salaryman To Fantasy Pharmacist

Reiji’s life revolved around his corporate job so much that he was practically a slave. His life changed one morning when his usual walk to work took an unexpected turn, as he found himself in another world. With his new drug discovery skill, Reiji sets out to live a new life in this world.

Because of his skills, Reiji is able to open up a pharmacy in his new world, where he sells all sorts of potions and drugs to those around him, humans and non-humans alike. Luckily for him, he is not alone. He is able to gain the loyalty of Mina, a werewolf, after he treats her, making his life and journey in this new world more memorable, relaxing, and fun.

17 Tree In The Sun

Introduction Of Western Medical Practices In Japan

This anime is based on the real-life story of two individuals with opposing personalities on different paths in life, who become friends. Manjiro is a samurai, and Tezuka is a medical student passionate about being a doctor. Set in the mid-1800s, this anime tells the story of these men as their lives intersect. They even end up falling for the same woman, but their eyes never leave their respective goals and ambitions. Manjiro wants to be recognized by the shogunate by rising through the ranks of the samurai society, and Tezuka plans to take over his father’s medical practice.

This anime mixes medical themes with history. Tezuka is very passionate about becoming a doctor, and he wants to bring Western medical practices to Japan. No one likes change, especially when their ways work for them. But regardless of the opposition Tezuka faced, he never gave up because he knew how beneficial and helpful Western medical practices could be for Japan.

16 Snow White With The Red Hair

The Red-haired Herbalist Strives To Save Lives

Shirayuki was happy in her little village, Tanbarun, where she worked as a pharmacist. One of her standout features is her hair. Besides this, her impeccable ability to connect with others is a bonus. However, her hair eventually forces her to flee from her village after grabbing the attention of the prince of Tanbarun, who wants her to be his concubine by all means.

This medical anime combines romance with medical drama as fans see Shirayuki and Zen fall in love with each other. Shirayuki displays her medical skills by preventing disease outbreaks in the village and creating an antidote to save Zen’s life after he ate a poisoned apple meant for Shirayuki. Starting afresh in another village is hard, but with the help of Zen, the second prince of Clarines, and his aides, Shirayuki settles down nicely and even gets a position in the palace as the royal herbalist.

15 Doctor Elise: The Royal Lady With The Lamp

From Ruining Lives To Saving Them

Elise’s life is quite chaotic because she dies in a plane crash and reincarnates as Dr. Aoi Takamoto, where she decides to avoid the same mistakes in her previous life and, more particularly, save lives instead of ruining them. However, she dies in her reincarnated life and goes back to her previous life as Elise.

Luckily for her, she goes back to the period before her life started going downhill, which was before her engagement to Prince Linden. With her medical skills from her life as Dr. Aoi, she decides to fully pursue more knowledge in the medical field and will do anything to be of help to those battling ailments and in dire need of medical help.

14 Dr. Ramune: Mysterious Disease Specialist

The Ability To Identify All Sorts Of Diseases, Especially The Strangest Ones

Doctors do not really have it easy because they are constantly saving lives and staying up-to-date with the human body and findings about it. There are countless diseases that have no origin, no cure, and little data backing them up. However, in this anime, Dr. Ramune is the doctor people in his world come to when they have strange diseases or ailments that no one has probably heard of or seen.

In this series, this specialty makes him sought after by patients everywhere, as they all come to meet him to treat their mysterious ailments. It would be wrong to miss out on Dr. Ramune’s personality. This doctor does not have an ounce of professionalism, and his halfhearted and rude character is enough to chase people away from him, but his dedication and accuracy when it comes to diagnosing strange diseases are impeccable, and his patients are always at his door when they need help.

13 Dr. Junod

World War II Through The Eyes Of Dr. Junod

Junior high school students Mii and Yuko are on a field trip when they come across a statue dedicated to Dr. Marcel Junod. While wondering who the man is and what he did, the girls are transported to 1935, a time when the young Dr. Junod is practicing as a doctor.

The young Dr. Junod is seen as a Swiss medical doctor who heads to Ethiopia as a delegate of the ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross). As a medical practitioner, Dr. Junod’s work takes him across the European battlefields of World War 2. As an anime series, Junod stands out as it portrays the actual events that transpired during World War 2 through the eyes of Marcel Junod. With actual medical practices and historical facts, Junod serves as an interesting doctor anime watch with great lessons.

12 Monster Girl Doctor

Human Doctor Who Treats Monsters

This medical anime chronicles the exploits of a human physician named Dr. Glenn Leitbeit, who has made his specialty the care of monster girls. The show follows Dr. Glenn and his assistant, Sapphee, as they treat patients in numerous cities and villages throughout a fantastical world populated by humans and a wide variety of humanoid species.

The anime successfully mashes together medical drama, fantasy, and romance to provide an engaging and fresh story. The series delves into the difficulties of diagnosing and treating the many medical issues that affect the monster girls. However, the program has been panned by several critics for its improper fanservice and provocative undertones. All in all, Monster Girl Doctor is an excellent anime for lovers of medical dramas and fiction, but owing to its material, it may not be appropriate for all viewers.

11 Comical Psychosomatic Medicine

Delivers Serious Medical Issues In A Light And Cheerful Manner

Various medical anime series teach viewers various medicinal techniques through the interactions of the characters they depict. However, the anime series Comical Psychosomatic Medicine takes it a step further by depicting useful information in a fun and intriguing way.

Comical Psychosomatic Medicine is a 20-episode comedy-based medical anime. The anime series portrays Ryou, the psychologist, and Asuna, the nurse, as they explain and discuss various aspects of mental illnesses with the viewers. As the depicted characters cover a broad range of topics like the origin of mental disorders, cognitive impairment, and mental states in a funny and unique way with reference to pop culture, this anime series stands out amongst others of its kind. It not only enlightens its viewers but also makes them laugh while doing so.

10 Ray The Animation

A Doctor Searching For Justice

A talented surgeon by the name of Ray is the protagonist of Ray the Animation, a medical anime. Because of her extraordinary gift of clairvoyance, she is able to provide novel and unorthodox diagnoses and treatments to her patients. Ray’s gift is both a boon and a bane; although it saves lives, it also causes others to dread and mistrust her.

This anime delves into topics including medical ethics, the quest for perfection in medicine, and the doctor-patient relationship. It also emphasizes the value of personal connection and compassion in healthcare. In general, Ray the Animation offers an interesting take on the medical field by providing a protagonist who questions established norms in the field. Anyone interested in the medical industry will find the anime’s exploration of moral challenges and interpersonal dynamics to be illuminating and thought-provoking.

9 Franz Kafka’s A Country Doctor

A Country Doctor Offering Help To Underprivileged Patients

The plot of the medical anime Franz Kafka’s A Country Doctor centers on the doctor’s trip to his patient’s bedside. The doctor’s internal struggle as he tries to find his place in the world and offer medical treatment in a remote region with few resources is shown in the anime. Surrealism, metaphor, and even magical realism or allegory are all present in the anime’s narrative style.

The series offers a provocative commentary on the difficulties doctors and nurses encounter while trying to treat patients, especially those who live in underprivileged regions. It deals with issues of responsibility, selflessness, and the mental and physical exhaustion that comes with providing care for others. As a whole, the anime Franz Kafka’s A Country Doctor provides an interesting new angle on the medical field and the tangled connection between physicians and their patients.

8 Young Black Jack

With This Genius Doctor, No Ailment Is Uncurable

The medical anime series Young Black Jack depicts the formative years of its protagonist, the bright medical student Hazama Kuroo, later known as the famed surgeon Black Jack. Hazama’s journey is chronicled as he deals with a wide range of challenging medical issues during the 1960s.

The anime is well-known for its in-depth examination of medical ethics and its violent depictions of surgical operations. Character growth is another highlight of the show, with Hazama, in particular, growing and changing as he struggles with his personal history and the obligations of his medical profession. To sum up, Young Black Jack is a compelling and thought-provoking series that will please viewers of both medical dramas and anime. It’s exceptional in the genre because of the depth to which it delves into medical ethics and the human condition.

7 The Saint’s Magic Power Is Omnipotent

Combining Magical Powers With Medicinal Herbs And Potions

The Kingdom of Salutania has always been shrouded in a dark miasma that brings monsters toward them. After the kingdom’s order of knights becomes unable to contain the monsters, the Grand Magus, Yuri Dreves, summons the legendary Saint, who is to save the kingdom and obliterate all monsters.

After being summoned by the Yuri Dreves, Sei Takanashi is left to her own devices after it is reviewed that the kingdom needs only one Saint, and the Grand Magus summoned two. Left to her own devices, Sei Takanashi indulges herself with work at the Medicinal Flora Research Institute. Studying herbs and potions, Sei begins to explore the world of medicine, while her aptitude as a saint makes her an even better healer; moreover, some begin to suggest that she is the actual Saint.

6 Parallel World Pharmacy

Modern Medical Researcher Turned Medieval Medical Researcher

Kanji Yakutani is a famed world-class medical researcher who lost his sister due to ineffective treatment in his youth. To honor her legacy and make sure no one ever dies from it again, Yakutani develops himself until he becomes world-class. However, he dies of overwork at the age of 31. Luckily, the young man is given a second chance at life as he is reincarnated as Falma de Medicis, the young son of an esteemed family of medical practitioners.

Discovering the medical practices of his new works are based on ancient ways, Falma seeks to improve them with his modern knowledge while making sure good medicinal treatment is available to all, irrespective of class. As medical equipment and drugs are more expensive in some parts of the world than others, Parallel World Pharmacy stands out due to its unique protagonist, who tries to make medicine available for all social classes.

5 Healer Girl

The Uniqueness Of Vocal Healing

There are various forms of healing that have been portrayed in various medical anime series. However, the anime series Healer Girl takes healing a step further by introducing the art of vocal medicine. Vocal medicine allows one to heal others using the power of their voice. These songs can be used to treat a wide variety of conditions as long as the right knowledge is joined with the right technical skills.

As Healer Girl shows a unique form in which medicine is applied, it resonates with a lot of fans as it offers something unique. While vocal/sound healing offers a limited application in the real world, a whole field called Psychoacoustics exists, and Healer Girl portrays some of the things that go on there.

4 Cells At Work!

The Importance Of Cells In The Human Body

The animated series Cells At Work! is both entertaining and educational since it anthropomorphizes cells and shows their day-to-day operations, bringing the human body to vivid life. The series chronicles the adventures of two blood cells, AE3803 and U-1146, as they travel throughout the body and meet other cells along the way.

The series is widely regarded as a useful teaching tool because of its realistic portrayal of human anatomy and the roles played by various cell types. It’s a lot of pleasure to watch because of the interesting plot and lively characters. All in all, Cells At Work! is a refreshingly original and entertaining take on the medical genre. It’s a terrific show for all ages since it makes learning about the human body and cell operations entertaining.

3 Welcome To Irabu’s Office

Vivid Explanations Of Mental Health Issues

The oddball psychiatrist Dr. Ichiro Irabu and his patients with various mental health issues are the focus of the groundbreaking medical anime Welcome to Irabu’s Office. The show takes a bizarre and colorful look at mental health topics, including despair, anxiety, and addiction.

Visually, the animation is beautiful, with vivid colors and abstract images that effectively portray the characters’ inner turmoil. The show’s comedy is especially significant since it lightens up the rather heavy subject matter. Even if the program doesn’t teach fans all they need to know about mental health, it may assist in starting a dialogue about the value of seeing a specialist. Anybody curious about the murky and poorly understood field of mental health should definitely check out Welcome to Irabu’s Office.

2 The Apothecary Diaries

A Background In Traditional Medicine Helps Out

After 17-year-old Mamao was kidnapped, she was forced to work as a low-level servant at an imperial court in ancient China. Despite being separated from her norm, Mamao remained steadfast and planned to give her all as a servant. However, one day, the Emperor’s infants have fallen ill, and few can do anything about it.

Using her expertise as a pharmacist, Mamao secretly takes action but decides to remain anonymous. However, her talents are quickly noticed by an influential eunuch, and she soon finds herself solving various medical mysteries in the Emperor’s inner court. Now, using the medical expertise that she learned in a poor red-light district, a different future awaits Mamao.