Character: Aoi Aota
From: Toumei na Yurikago (An Invisible Cradle / Transparent Cradle)
Representation: ADHD
Importance: As someone who watches a lot of Asian dramas, I’d like to say that Aoi is one of the few examples in Japanese dramaland of a canonically neurodivergent character who is at the same time treated respectfully by the characters and the writing. She is an assistant nurse at a maternity ward and 17 years old. Aoi is not portrayed as a genius and is shown as being a very empathetic individual, though she often confesses that she has trouble figuring out why someone might feel a certain way and also at detecting what someone might be thinking. The drama shows her when she first starts working at the clinic, and portrays her relationships with the patients and infants, the other nurses, the head doctor, and her growing understanding and acceptance of people’s reasons for their actions.
They don’t actually say that she has ADHD until episode 7 (of 10), which is pretty late in the drama. Aoi and her mom, though clearly loving each other, do experience friction relating to her disability, which was more pronounced in her childhood pre-diagnosis. I have read some comments that speculate that Aoi may also be on the spectrum, but that’s entirely noncanon.
Also important to note is that the original mangaka has ADHD and is on the autism spectrum herself. The manga is based on her own experiences working as a nurse in an obstetrics and gynecology clinic.
Additional notes: The show is a slice of life medical drama set in a maternity ward, and there is a lot of discussion and coverage of issues such as pregnancy, childbirth, childcare, abortion, suicide and the like. In general, I thought these were sensitively and intelligently discussed, though the outcomes may not always be entirely satisfactory.
Thanks to anon for the write-up!