Post-Confucian East Asian television dramas: Staging medical politics inside the White Tower

Abstract

Between 2003 and 2007, three versions of the Japanese novel, Shiroi Kyotou ( The Great White Tower) were screened as television drama serials in Japan (2003), Taiwan (2006) and South Korea (2007). The phenomenon of White Tower reflects the vibrant multiculturality and transnationality of East Asian television dramas. Accordingly, this article seeks to use the various narratives of White Tower as manifestations of the underlying tensions of post-authoritarian and post-miracle economies of Taiwan, South Korea and Japan. While audiences are awed by the technologically sophisticated hospital settings and the rigidly disciplined health professionals in the productions, they are also exposed to the ugly realities of cronyism, neglect and arrogance of the predominantly male medical elite. Given the conservatism of most mainstream television dramas, the challenge here is to determine how to interpret the latest versions of White Tower as simultaneously exhibitions and critiques of Asian modernity.