ARAI MAMARE

PROFILE

An unsung hero fights to be heard!

In times like these, the world realizes who the actual heroes are… Doctors, Nurses, Firefighters and Law Enforcement. In fact, every First Responder to a crisis is a hero acknowledged by their profession. But in the shadows, behind the spotlight there are many other “Unsung” heroes. People who work tirelessly for others. People who are taken for granted and lack the appreciation they deserve. People who are beautifully depicted in Arai Mamare-sensei’s incredible manga, Unsung Cinderella: Midori Aoi, The Hospital Pharmacist.

In Japan, pharmacist services are more limited compared to other developed countries. In Europe or the US, you can consult about any illness directly to a pharmacist and get a prescription or refill, with the doctor’s role that of consultant. In Japan, society has placed the doctor above the pharmacist, creating the misconception that the pharmacist’s medical knowledge is lower than a doctor. Is this a general misconception of pharmacists that thanks to the power of manga, we are able to explore in Unsung Cinderella: Midori Aoi, The Hospital Pharmacist?

The manga tells the story of Midori Aoi, a passionate pharmacist who works in a general hospital. Because of her role, she feels that patients and doctors do not take her opinions seriously… after all, she’s only a pharmacist! Questions like “are pharmacists really necessary?” Spring up time and again. As a medical expert, she takes her job very seriously and is always in the search of the best medicine that would fit the patients’ condition and needs, sometimes even going out of her way for them, which some colleagues and patients might find troublesome. Arai Mamare-sensei brought to life the dramatic world of a pharmacist’s job in this manga, with the help of expert consultant Hiromitsu Tomino. Aoi’s determination and insight to really delve into the work of a pharmacist job has gained the reader’s attention in Japan, ushering in own TV adaptation starring Ishihara Satomi.

So the next time you need medicine, or medical advice from a Pharmacist, make sure you notice that flowing cape… because they are heroes too!

Arai-sensei will be available to answer all your manga questions!!