TV-Series
Description
Doctor Kirii, whose name is also written as Doctor Kiriko or simply Kirii, appears in the anime Young Black Jack as a skilled military surgeon for the United States Armed Forces. During the events of the series, he is a young man with short white hair and blue eyes, typically dressed in his military uniform. He serves as a significant counterpart to the protagonist, the young medical student Hazama Kuroo, who is later known as Black Jack.

In his youth, Doctor Kirii possesses a personality that sharply contrasts with his older, more cynical self from the original Black Jack stories. He is portrayed as amicable, humorous, and highly ambitious. His driving motivation is a straightforward and idealistic one: to save patients no matter how impossible the situation may seem. This belief is so strong that he will go to great lengths to reach the injured, even parachuting from a helicopter into a dangerous war zone to provide care. He is brave and willing to take significant risks, relying more on his own extensive experience than on textbook knowledge. For example, during a complex surgery to remove a bullet, he confidently uses a much higher dose of an anticoagulant than what is considered standard, trusting his practical judgment over established guidelines.

Within the narrative of Young Black Jack, Kirii acts as a rival and a temporary ally to Hazama Kuroo. Their meeting occurs during the Vietnam War arc of the series, where their equally brilliant but contrasting approaches to medicine create a tense dynamic. While Hazama is still a student, his genius is already evident, and Kirii, already a seasoned combat surgeon, finds in him a rare equal. The two are forced to cooperate on complex surgeries, saving the lives of both an American soldier and a member of the rebel forces. This partnership highlights their similar levels of technical skill but also foreshadows the philosophical divide that will later define their relationship.

A key relationship in his backstory involves a Vietnamese girl named Hoa. His experiences in the brutality of war and his inability to save everyone, particularly those suffering from the effects of radiation exposure, begin to plant the seeds for his future transformation. These events start to challenge his youthful idealism and contribute to the darker perspective he adopts later in life. By the end of his appearances in Young Black Jack, while still primarily a healer, the foundations for his eventual disillusionment with prolonging life at all costs have been laid.

Regarding his abilities, even at this young age, Doctor Kirii demonstrates surgical skills comparable to those of Hazama Kuroo, who is a genius. His time on the front lines has given him a vast wealth of practical experience. He is a fearless and decisive surgeon, capable of performing high-risk, intricate operations under the most extreme pressure and with limited resources. This experience is his greatest asset, allowing him to trust his instincts when faced with life-or-death decisions in the operating room. This version of the character stands as a direct contrast to the "Doctor of Death" he becomes in the future, showing a talented and dedicated healer whose ideals are gradually worn down by the harsh realities of war and human suffering.