Apparently dead men do tell tales as seen in Apple TV+’s first K-drama Dr. Brain.
The six-episode series centres on a brain scientist named Dr Koh Se-won (Parasite’s Lee Sun-kyun) developing a method to synchronise brain waves in order to tap into someone else’s memories and consciousness.
Although brilliant, Se-won – who’s diagnosed as being on the autistic spectrum – is not sociable. Hence, he keeps to himself at work and is not communicative with his wife (Lee You-young) and son either
Pouring all his time and energy into his research – not stopping even when a family tragedy occurs – he finally gets a conclusive result after experimenting on countless rats.
Se-won then secretly begins a human trial by synchronising his brain waves with a number of dead people and, erm, a cat.
This leads him down a path he never knew existed as not only does Se-won gain the other person’s memories but also their personality, abilities and emotions.
All the slight changes in Se-won’s nature throughout the show is exactly why actor Lee was keen to take on the role.
“Se-won is someone who can’t empathise with others,” mentioned the 46-year-old star during an online press conference to talk about the series.
“So, at first, Se-won comes off as cold and monotonous. But after having a few brain syncs, he understands other people’s feelings and he realises of his own (emotion-related) deficiency.
“Through the process, too, he learns he hasn’t been a good father or a good husband.
“(The audiences) will see him go from a cold-hearted person to someone who is more compassionate. I was really excited about (exploring) that as Se-won,” added the winner of 2015 Baeksang Arts Awards for Best Leading Actor.
Writer-director Kim Jee-woon agreed that while Dr. Brain offers a number of action sequences, mind-bending sci-fi elements as well as thrilling mysteries, it is ultimately a story about a man who comes to understand about “family, emotion and humanism”.
“A neuroscientist who never naturally felt compassion or emotions solves cases and paradoxically learns what longing, sadness, rage, sacrifice and love is through other peoples’ brain scans,” elaborated Kim, who helmed the 2003 horror film A Tale of Two Sisters as well as 2016’s The Age Of Shadows, and is making his first foray into television with Dr. Brain.
Kim continued that he added the familial-themed layers to the original story of the popular webtoon the series is based on, as he wanted to add “meaning and some heart-warming feelings to the story” so audiences will become invested in Se-won.
While the webtoon has a linear storyline of solving a single murder mystery “with the memories of the dead people Se-won brain syncs with”, Kim shifts the overarching mystery in Dr. Brain on the perplexing accidents and tragedies that befall Se-won, including the loss of his young son in a fire and, his grieving wife attempting suicide and falling into a coma.
As Se-won begins regretting his past actions to those around him, he decides to find out what really happened to his wife and son by syncing his brain with people related to his son’s accident.
He gets a little help from a private investigator named Kang-mu (Park Hee-soon), who turns up at his doorstep one night.
Actor Park – last seen playing the tough guy Choi Mu-jin in the action K-drama My Name – gives the series a bit of edge with his character; not only because Kang-mu wears dark glasses all the time but also because the relationship between Kang-mu and Se-won provides the series with a buddy-movie vibe.
“Kang-mu is kind of similar to Mu-jin in My Name in the sense they are both mysterious and charismatic,” Park shared with StarLifestyle during the virtual Q&A session.
“But Kang-mu has a more humanistic aspect to him and he becomes Se-won’s partner. I also wanted to portray him as a more witty and laidback character, so I had more fun shooting this show.”
Director Kim further commented in the production notes that he would define Dr. Brain as “a brain-chase drama or a memory-chase drama, rather than a murder mystery”.
He explained: “Se-won sees his dead son alive in the memory of someone he doesn’t even know which is the first mystery.
“The second mystery is that people in that memory keep telling him that his son is alive. He’s trying to uncover these secrets and suspicions as if peeling an onion while being forced into facing even bigger ones.”
Kim also worked closely with a specialist on brain science to ensure the science part of the story in Dr. Brain is grounded.
“I used a lot of scientific hypothesis to try and add authenticity to our work,” Kim told the global press.
“I wanted these brain syncs to be created as if they’re a dream or nightmare where you vaguely remember after you wake up.”
Dr. Brain is available on Apple TV+ with a new episode premiering every Friday.
Already a subscriber? Log in
Get 20% OFF The Star Digital Access
Cancel anytime. Ad-free. Unlimited access with perks.
