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Ayana Taketatsu, Miyu Irino Star in Anime Video About Rheumatoid Arthritis
posted on by Jennifer Sherman
Chugai Pharmaceutical began streaming an anime short about rheumatoid arthritis this week. The video, titled "Megane no Mahō" (The Magic of Glasses), aims to educate viewers and spread awareness of rheumatoid arthritis.
The story begins when a girl named Nozomi finds a pair of glasses laying amongst family photos in her house. She asks her mother Nanami about the glasses. Nanami begins by describing an incident when her mother Minami broke a vase due to recent problems with her hands. Nanami later tells her friend Hikaru about the incident and her mother's hand problems. She tells him that her mother went to the doctor due to pain in her hands, but the doctor was unable to provide a clear answer. Minami dismisses the problems as due to her age, but Nanami doesn't think her mother is that old.
Hikaru then remembers an incident when he and Nanami were younger. Nanami rescued him from bullies when he lost his glasses on the beach. Nanami helps him find the glasses, and Hikaru begins to look at Nanami differently after the that day.
In high school, Hikaru tells Nanami that he is going to pursue science instead of becoming a novelist like he previously told her. Nanami can't understand his decision, especially since he revealed it soon before college entrance exams. Nanami is discussing the matter with her mother when Minami again has trouble with her hands, causing her to spill tea.
Hikaru studies hard for exams, while doctors continue to be unable to help Minami. Hikaru gets into medical school and begins to study rheumatoid arthritis. Hikaru invites Nanami and Minami to come see a specialist, who is finally able to help Minami's hands. At the hospital, Nanami thanks Hikaru for his help, and he quotes something she said to him during the glasses incident when they were children. Hikaru continues to study rheumatism, and he and Nanami eventually get married.
Wearing Hikaru's old glasses, Nozomi tells Nanami that Hikaru is a magician. Hikaru returns home, and Nozomi again calls him a magician. Minami drops in for a visit without telling her family, and Hikaru asks her how she is doing. She says she owes her health to "Dr. Hikaru," and the women tease Hikaru about being a doctor. The story ends with a photo of Hikaru, Nanami, Minami, and Nozomi standing in front of a building labeled "Hikaru Rheumatism Clinic."
Tatsunoko Production animated the video. The anime's cast includes:
- Ayana Taketatsu as Nanami
- Miyu Irino as Hikaru
- Kayoko Ohkubo as Minami
- Mizuha Kuraoka as Nozomi
The video also credits a real cat named Mii-chan as the inspiration for the calico cat that appears in the video.
