I’m Not a Robot is about a wealthy man (Yoo Seung Ho) who is allergic to other people and spends most of his time alone that ends up falling in love with a woman (Chae Soo Bin) who pretends to be a robot.
Yoo Seung Ho is our reclusive lead, Kim Min Kyu, who suffers from a severe allergy to other people. Any form of touch with other humans causes a severe reaction that could be fatal if not treated. It has caused him to live alone, and on the few occasions he does venture out, he covers his skin, wears gloves, and carries a baton to touch things from a distance.
Of course, this sort of existence has left him isolated and lonely. He does find some joy in his home and has made friends with some of his robotic appliances. But those things are no replacement for human love.
Chae Soo Bin plays the dual roles of the human Jo Ji Ah and the robot Aji-3. When she finds herself in need of money, the opportunity to pretend to be a robot presents itself. This girl is very strong willed and full of attitude. It turns out she’s really not that great at acting like a robot though, lol. But that plays an important part in our story. And Chae Soo Bin was thoroughly enjoyable in this role.
Uhm Ki Joon is Hong Baek Gyun. He’s a scientist and the ex-boyfriend of Ji Ah. He creates Aji-3 in her likeness which is why when he gets in a jam because of issues with the robot, he needs Ji Ah to step in. And this all begs the question, how would you feel if you found out your ex created a robot in your image?
There really is so much to love about a drama like I’m Not a Robot. The early episodes have more humor as our couple meets and we get the story set up. I found the episodes to be cute, but a little dry, so it took a bit for me to really get into the drama. But it is one of those dramas that gets better and better as it goes on. As the story thickens, it gets so good! It’s a story with many layers that just keeps pulling you in deeper.
I really like it when kdramas explore unique topics, and this one focuses on psychosomatic illness. There are a couple other dramas out there that hit on this topic, but it’s not common. The actual portrayal of the illness had a lot of truth to it, and it displayed just how strong the mind is.
I was glad it also showed that despite being an illness that originates in the mind, it causes profound physical effects that can even be deadly. And for the most part, the illness is something the mind does on its own. It’s not easy to recover from. And even when Min Kyu does start to find some relief, it has some complications.
Yoo Seung Ho does what he does best and completely rips my heart out. I found Min Kyu’s situation so incredibly sad and had so much sympathy for him. My heart broke as I saw how lonely he was. Then it broke even more as he fell in love with someone he thought was a robot and went through agony over how he could do such a thing. After being kept in a prison of isolation for many years, he tastes freedom, happiness, and love only to be thrust back into captivity.
And Yoo Seung Ho brought forth every emotion with such power and thoughtfulness. He has plenty of opportunities to showcase his lighter and more comedic side in this drama, but it’s his pain that really grabs my attention. I’m one who really likes an angsty Yoo Seung Ho because he is just so incredibly good at it.
The emotions just pour out of his tear filled eyes in a way that always crushes my heart. And that’s what he did here. I wanted Min Kyu to be healed. I wanted him to find love. I just wanted him to be happy. I wanted his mind that thought it was protecting him to learn that there was another way.
And what a truly horrible situation Min Kyu was facing. Not only had being betrayed by others made his mind distance himself from people, but when he finally starts having connections and making friends, it turns out they are all lying to him about the robot. There’s just no way for that to end well.
SPOILERS NEXT 2 PARAGRAPHS
Of course when all was revealed, he was devastated by their lies and had a terrible relapse forcing him back into isolation. Despite everyone having the best intentions with their ongoing deceptions towards him, Min Kyu’s reaction and feelings are completely understandable. Everyone he cared for lied to him. He felt completely betrayed and utterly alone.
And I appreciated how well the drama depicted how he felt about the situation as well as how conflicted he was. Everyone else was also portrayed well, and I felt like we really understood all sides of the situation. The episodes dealing with Min Kyu resetting Aji-3 and then the aftermath of him discovering the truth were my favorites and were so incredibly well done.
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I’m Not a Robot is a very sweet love story at its heart. I think most people will really love this couple. Neither of them are perfect, and they each have their quirks. Then they are put in a unique situation that allows them to fall in love which is something they never expected.
Yoo Seung Ho and Chae Soo Bin are super cute together. There are tons of adorable moments throughout the drama to make your heart flutter. But watching them fall in love and care for each other was the best part. Min Kyu’s love for Ji Ah is so new for him, and it’s something he never thought he would have.
And as Ji Ah slowly learned about Min Kyu and began to understand his situation, her heart ached for him. But rather than just pitying him, she grew to love him as a person. And this was also something she never expected. This couple was so nurturing towards each other, and it was truly wonderful to see.
I’m Not a Robot really checks all the right boxes. It has a fantastic love story featuring a couple with excellent chemistry. It explores some interesting issues surrounding Min Kyu’s illness as well as when is it okay to lie to someone for their own good.
The story was balanced well between lighter moments and the more serious and heartbreaking ones. There’s plenty to enjoy is this lovely tale of a man who was shut off from the world who begins to break free because of one woman pretending to be a robot.
My Rating: 8/10
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