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The last episode made us painfully aware that Vietnam was happening, but it showed it to us from the side of someone who wasn’t there. Another country, feeling the effects of it. This episode, we throw ourselves straight into Vietnam. So what could of tempted Hazama to do something as dangerous as toss himself out into a war zone?

His loyalty to his friend Yabu-san of course. Yabu came to Vietnam to prove himself as a doctor. Watching Hazama and feeling useless as he does. He really does want to help people, even with his hang ups about blood. He has an actual spark of life to his eyes in this episode and generally looks a lot happier and healthier. Despite being out on a battle field, he’s doing what he loves and saving lives. He’s no longer cowering in fear.

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Can I just say that I love how every story in this show so far as connected to one another? The surgery in the first episode showing everyone that he could perform miracles which led to the cosmetic surgery on the cult leader, who was the person who helped him get to Vietnam to support his friend who’d gone there to help people after feeling he paled in comparison to his friend.
Also, Hazama, just, Hazama. I want to speak as someone who has seen the later Blackjack series but I always got the feeling from the character design that he was kind of a jerk. I don’t know if that’s true in the older series, but in Young Blackjack he’s just like, the nicest person.
Who generally wants to help people. He has something in him that makes him want to save lives. Even on the middle of a battle field. In almost impossible conditions. He works and shuts out the combat around him to save the life of an American soldier.

I really liked this episode. Though I can’t say how I feel about the reporter that Hazama was hanging around with. I think he was a little too eager for a story. I know it wasn’t safe for him to do much but sit and take pictures as Hazama was out there working, but something about it just sat wrong with me.
Perhaps it was the way he said that he got a spot for Hazama to travel with them because he could sense a story brewing. This guy came to a war torn country to try to find his friend that has gone missing and you treat him like just a news story. I just, I get it…but I don’t?
Like logically from the standpoint of a news reporter, I get it. As a decent human being? I don’t get it at all. I guess we all just compromise our morals sometimes.

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It’s nice to have some Yabu development too, I sort of feared that his character would be something of a one trick pony. Set in the show to make Hazama look better. That’s not the case though, he’s there and really growing. Because of his relationship with Hazama and I really enjoy that.
We got a brief glimpse of Maiko this episode too, seeing her take care of Hazama’s fish. She’s cute, I hope that she’ll have a character growth arc after the Vietnam episodes are over. With that said, and the episode ending with Hazama and his band getting captured. We’ll return to Vietnam next week for a further look into a war torn country and meet a character from the opening. Another doctor, the preview was rather vague.
I can sense that he’ll have a rivalry with Hazama, but I’m not exactly sure what the nature of their relationship will be. Should be interesting though, he looks like he’s a real hardened kind of guy.

~Midnight