医療の限界に苦悩する孤独な医師

[From January Issue 2014]

Black Jack
Dubbed the God of manga, TEZUKA Osamu continued working as a cutting edge author for over 40 years. More than 50 million copies of “Black Jack” were published and it is considered to be the masterpiece of his later years. The work was serialized in the weekly boy’s magazine Shukan Shonen Champion from 1973 through to 1983. Pioneering the new medical manga genre, it was adapted into an animated cartoon and live action movie.
Each episode contains a complete story. In general, patients who cannot be treated by standard medical care are operated on by Black Jack. Different variations on this theme are depicted in the entirety of its 242 episodes. Black Jack is the alias used by the protagonist whose real name is HAZAMA Kuroo. When he was young, he sustained serious injuries all over his body when an unexploded shell accidentally went off.
His life was saved by an operation, but he had scars all over his body and half of his hair went grey from the shock. His mother who had taken care of him, lost her life, and his father, who was away on a business trip to Macao at the time of the accident, choose to live with his lover, abandoning him. In order to overcome the after effects of the accident, young Kuroo tackled his tough rehabilitation all by himself. His chief physician, HONMA Joutaro supported him.
Loving Dr. Honma just as he would his own father, when he grows up, Kuroo set his sights on becoming a doctor. Though he was an excellent medical student, he becomes an unlicensed doctor who demands vast fees. Then, he applies his exceptional surgical skills to treating patients whom other doctors have given up on and to taking on illegal work that has ties to the criminal world.
As the story progresses, it is revealed that the reason he requests large fees is that he is gauging the determination of his patients. Black Jack’s first priority is to help the patient. Depending on the circumstances, he occasionally waives his fee. However, patients still lose their lives even if he does treat them. Faced by his inability to save lives, Black Jack is overwhelmed again and again by the limits of medicine and by his own powerlessness.
Pinoko offers him support when he is suffering. She was supposed to be born as a twin, but only possessing a brain, internal organs and other parts, was given human form by Black Jack. She says she is 18 years old as raised for 18 years in her twin sister’s body, but she still has the body of a child. Sympathetically watching over Black Jack, Pinoko says, “The doctor seems lonely.” When there’s an operation to be done, she helps out as an assistant.
Another side to the story comes out when Dr. Honma speaks his dying words, “Don’t you think it’s presumptuous of humans who are living creatures themselves to play with life and death?” When confronted by certain death, what can a doctor do? The work comes to no definite conclusions. He does his best for the patient in front of him, and never stops questioning even when in despair. By depicting a man who continues to waver, Tezuka points to an honest answer.
Text: HATTA Emiko[2014年1月号掲載記事]

ブラック・ジャック
作者の手塚治虫は40年以上に渡って第一線で活躍し続け、まんがの神様と呼ばれていました。「ブラック・ジャック」は後期における代表作とされ、5,000万部以上が発行されました。1973~1983年まで週刊少年チャンピオンで連載されました。アニメや実写などでメディア化されており、医療まんがという新しいジャンルを開拓しました。
連載は一話完結の形式です。基本的な流れは、通常の医療では治療できない患者がブラック・ジャックの手術を受けるというものです。それを全242話、異なるバリエーションで描きました。ブラック・ジャックは主人公の通称で、本名は間黒男です。幼い頃に不発弾の爆発事故にあい、全身に大けがを負いました。
手術で命は助かりましたが、体中に傷跡が残り、ショックで髪の半分が白くなってしまいます。彼をかばった母は命を落とし、事故当時にマカオへ出張していた父は、黒男を見捨て、愛人との暮らしを選びます。事故の後遺症を克服するため、黒男少年はすべて一人で過酷なリハビリに立ち向かいます。彼を支えたのは、主治医だった本間丈太郎です。
本間医師を父親のように慕う黒男は成長し、医者を志します。優秀な医学生でしたが、莫大な額の報酬を要求する無免許医師になりました。そして、天才的な外科手術の腕で、他の医者に見放された患者の治療や、犯罪がからんだ非合法な依頼を請け負います。
物語が進むにつれ、高額な報酬の理由は患者の本気を試すためだと明かされます。ブラック・ジャックが優先するのは患者を助けることです。事情によっては無償で手術を行います。しかし治療をしても患者が命を落とす場合があります。救えなかった命を前にして、医療の限界と自らの無力さに、ブラック・ジャックは何度も打ちのめされます。
苦悩する彼を支えるのがピノコです。元は双子で生まれるはずでしたが、脳と臓器などしかありませんでした。しかしブラック・ジャックによって人間としての体を与えられたのです。姉の体の中で18年間育ったので自分では18歳と言っていますが、姿は子どものままです。「先生は孤独なのよ」と話すピノコはブラック・ジャックを理解し、見守ります。手術の際には助手として手伝います。
一方で本間医師は「人間が生きものの生き死にを自由にしようなんて、おこがましいとは思わんかね」と言い残して亡くなります。誰もが避けられない死に立ち向かうとき、医師は何ができるのか。作品内で明確な結論は出ていません。患者を目の前にして最善を尽くし、ときに絶望しても問いかけを止めない。ゆらぎ続ける一人の男を描くことが、手塚が示した誠実な回答だったのです。
文:服田恵美子

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