House M.D., often simply called House, was particularly addictive among medical drama fans seeking a unique spin on the procedural formula, putting focus on diagnostics and medical mysteries. Even in the points past its fifth season where the series began regularly jumping the shark, fans craved more of Hugh Laurie’s cantankerous Gregory House popping pills and saving lives.
Yet, even other television shows considered House merely take the absurdity of the formula while following the hook. This includes recent spiritual successor examples like Watson, Tim Roth’s similarly cynical Lie to Me, or The Good Doctor matching House’s absurity while living on in meme infamy about Dr. Shaun Murphy’s affirmations about his preferred medical specialty.
But not all House successors should necessarily even be a TV show. Some are tucked away in other media, like the latest new Shonen Jump manga that debuted on January 25, 2026, Under Doctor. The series has a naturally similar focus on quirky diagnostic-focused abilities, but naturally, as a shonen series, it bears some absurd twists of its own.
Under Doctor Has Its Own Uniquely Absurd Diagnosis Moments Like House
While the chapter #1 release of this new manga clarifies it’s written in consultancy with Yasuhiko Tomita, a professor at Kyorin University’s School of Medicine in Tokyo, don’t be fooled. Much like House circa season 5, its protagonist quickly finds himself in a hostage situation with armed gunmen. Yet, before its sillier points, the manga showcases its hero’s odd talent.
Haiji Kino, a young ace doctor who can’t seem to shut off work-mode, sits aboard an airplane wherein a medical emergency appears, similarly to House season 3, episode #18. However, instead of methyl bromide poisoning or decompression sickness, the first doctor asked for help correctly identifies food poisoning as the patient’s illness, before Haiji steps in.
Instead of a more general mixture of the misanthropic formula, Haiji one-ups a curious veteran physician, Makoto Ishiguro, by showcasing his youthful charm and bizarre talent, spotting weak points in the human body indicating illness. Thus, just by looking at a patient, Haiji can identify what’s wrong, even overriding others’ opinions in confirming his diagnosis.
For what it’s worth, given one particular shot of House reading a fake manga onscreen titled Bad Medicine, it’s not a stretch to say he’d probably find Under Doctor entertaining, much like his daytime soap operas or video games.
Part of the fun of House is the rare diseases, or “zebras” he correctly identifies through wildly unorthodox tests. While Haiji has yet to spot his first case of Lupus (it’s never Lupus), the unique spin he brings to the table is precisely what makes most manga in Shonen Jump popular. He can use his bizarre “weak point” vision in combat.
House Jumped the Shark but Not Quite Like Under Doctor
Between moments like Dr. House being able to resume practicing medicine again even after his psychological episode in the season 5 finale, and driving his car through his ex’s house in season 7, House never took itself fully seriously. Yet, despite standing opposite the barrel of a loaded gun, even being shot before, House has nothing on Under Doctor.
In the latter parts of Under Doctor’s one-shot-like chapter #1, the manga moves from Haiji’s strange talent, to him using it in close combat to take down hijackers aboard his airplane in transit. But before even that, he treated Dr. Ishiguro’s two bullet wounds in a makeshift operation that should have lasted 90 minutes, with Haiji doing it in 58.
For anime and manga fans who haven’t checked it out yet, Ameku M.D.: Doctor Detective is perhaps the best House-style anime made yet. For those craving more medical trivia, Cells at Work! is also an especially fun series.
Haiji demonstrates his talent on multiple fronts, including using acupressure as a quick remedy until his food poisoning patient can get proper medical care, to Kyūsho, the targeting of pressure points in combat. It makes for some fun, uniquely odd Shonen Jump action, but the more tantalizing prospect is having a befuddled Dr. Mike reaction video to it should Under Doctor get an anime.
Fans have seen TV dramas, medical or otherwise, make a cottage industry of creating shows that similarly scratch House’s itch. None are quite ever the same, so why not give Under Doctor a read? It promises medical insight, and so far lacks the melodrama of the “Huddy” phase, all accessible every Sunday on Manga Plus, no cost necessary.
-
-
- Created by
-
Takashi Isono, Kazuhiko Torishima
- First Film
-
Dragon Ball: Curse of the Blood Rubies
- Latest Film
-
One Piece Film: Red
- First TV Show
-
Dr. Slump
- Latest TV Show
-
Kaiju No. 8
- Upcoming TV Shows
-
Dragon Ball DAIMA, Sakamoto Days
Shonen Jump is one of Japan’s most successful manga anthology franchises, published by Shueisha. Launched in 1968, it is the source of some of the most beloved and popular anime and manga series, such as One Piece, Dragon Ball, and Naruto. The franchise has extended into multiple adaptations across various media, including anime, films, video games, and merchandise.
