Team Batista no Eikō

There exists a legendary team of surgical experts in Tojo University Hospital that specializes in the Batista procedure - one of the most difficult cardiac surgeries with the survival rate only at 60%. Ever since its formation, this team has shocked the country by having 27 consecutive post-operative successes, virtually unheard of in the medical community. They basked in the glory until three of the most recent procedures resulted in consecutive deaths on the operating table. Taguchi, a psychosomatic medicine specialist, has been entrusted with the investigation but is in over his head because of his soft nature and having to deal with skills beyond his realm of expertise. Then arrives Shiratori, a cocky Ministry of Health Labor and Welfare investigator. He not only labels Taguchi naive, but speaks with confidence that this is a murder, and the murderer is within this team of elites. As the mystery unfolds, so does the complicated affiliation between each of the seven team members.

Directed by Takeru Kaidô, Noriko Gotô, Team Batista no Eikō leans on a strong ensemble — Atsushi Ito, Toru Nakamura, Chiaki Kuriyama — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The series landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about mystery titles of 2008.