Are You Human?
2018
Original language: Korean
- sci-fi & fantasy
- drama
- mystery
The story
Nam Shin is a son from a family who runs a large company. After an unexpected accident, he falls into a coma. His mother Oh Ro-Ra is an authority on brain science and artificial intelligence. She creates an android named Nam Shin III which looks like just like her son Nam Shin. The android pretends to be Nam Shin and he has a bodyguard So-Bong.
What it’s like
Glossy, well-lit Seoul interiors do most of the visual work: sleek glass offices, high-end apartments and hospital corridors in cool whites and polished greys, with warmer lamplight for the more intimate scenes. The camera leans on conventional medium shots and close-ups, so feeling comes through faces more than texture. The score favours sweeping strings and piano swells that signal romance and revelation. The vibe is polished, playful melodrama with a thread of unease about what counts as a person, well suited to a weeknight with a drink. Pacing is episodic and dialogue-driven, with frequent cliffhangers and comic bickering between the leads easing heavier stretches. The tone is romantic and bittersweet, with tension around deception and family power. Violence is present but restrained: occasional scuffles and threats, no gore. Sexual content is limited to kisses and implication. It suits viewers who enjoy K-drama romance with a sci-fi premise, are comfortable with soap-opera conventions, and want a story they can follow across many episodes.
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