Apple TV+ has recently launched its first ever K-drama titled “Dr. Brain” (Dr. 브레인). Directed by famed film director Kim Jee Won (his first foray into episodic series), the sci-fi thriller stars Lee Sun Gyun (from award-winning movie “Parasite”), alongside fan-fave actors namely Lee Yoo Young, Park Hee Soon, just to name a few.
“Dr. Brain” tells the story of an intelligent brain scientist Ko Se Won (played by Lee Sun Gyun, 이선균) who suffers a horrific personal tragedy after his family falls victim to a mysterious accident. Desperate to unravel the truth behind the incident, he goes to extraordinary lengths to solve the tragic mystery by conducting “brain syncs” with the dead in order to access their memories for clues.
Similar to countless other K-dramas, “Dr. Brain” is based on a 2016 webtoon of the same name. When asked to point out what sets the drama from the original artwork, director Kim shared, “While the webtoon is more fast-paced in describing the murder mystery, the show adds more layers to it. For example, the drama features family relationships, which adds on some heart-warming feelings to it.”
In introducing his character to the viewers out there, Sun Gyun revealed to the press, “Se Won is a character who cannot empathise with others. He’s very cold-hearted and monotonous at first. But after performing a few brain syncs, he begins to understand other people’s feelings and he realises that he’s also lacking in several ways. That’s one of the reasons I like the role.”
During the virtual press conference held last week, he was also asked on how he approached the role. The veteran actor said, “Um, I think the phrase ‘brain sync’ sounds very unfamiliar and strange. So, I focused on how I should express the-my state, or reaction, after brain sync happened. Because, uh, the thing about brain sync is that it’s more than simply obtaining memory.”
“Even the emotions and the characteristics or habits of the other person is transferred to myself, that could be the side effect to that. So, the director and I discussed a lot about this and we concluded that when people ask, ‘What is brain syncing?’ the closest metaphor that we can find was the AirDrop function in Apple devices,” Sun Gyu added.
Season 1 will consist of a total of six episodes, with new episodes airing every Friday. As per HITC.com, the titles are listed as follow:
- Episode 1 – “Loss of Life”
- Episode 2 – “Mind Games”
- Episode 3 – “Soul Searcher”
- Episode 4 – “Back in Time”
- Episode 5 – “Flashback”
- Episode 6 – “A Certain Smell”
Watch the trailer here:
The first episode of “Dr. Brain” is already available on Apple TV+.
