Marshmallow-Chocoholic
Europe
Are You Human Too?’ was a tightly paced, high-budget extravaganza which plays out upon many notable cliches and tropes that are not particularly new to the world of Korean dramas. Nevertheless, the drama touches upon notably sensitive issues such as freedom and lack of control of ones actions, hatred and self-improvement, greed and the consequences of the terrible power of ambition. As a consequence., our main character, Nam Sin III ( Seo Kang Joon; acts is a metaphor; reminding viewers and characters what is truly means to be human.
Undeniably, Seo Kang Joon truly stole the show within his dual performance as callous hearted businessman Nam Shin, and of course our loveable and naive robot main lead Nam Shin III. Whilst most actors struggle to make subtle assertions for audiences when they are playing dual characters, it was intriguing to note from expressions and body language, the evident difference between human and robot Nam Shin. For audiences, it truly felt as though we were watching two different actors onscreen with Joon’s effortless transition from naive Nam Shin III in one scene with his bodyguard , friend and later love interest Kang So Bong (Gong Seung Yeon) to the sardonic and cynical Shin in the next moment.
Seo Kang Joon was naturally asset to his brilliant persona as both Shins in the series, however, it was also thanks to the fairly well-written characterisation of screenwriter Jo Jung Joo that allowed Joon to fully innovate his acting skills and array of emotions onscreen. As audiences, we are supposed to note the clear differences between both Shins as characters and our sentiments towards them. The human Nam Shin is put forwards to be cynical, selfish and aloof, whilst ironically the robot Nam Shin III maintains a benign sense of innocence and altruism throughout the series. Whilst it did feel a little enforced for us to stereotype human Nam Shin as “ the one we aren’t supposed to like” and Nam Shin III as the “ favourable hero”, it was surprisingly well-tackled how screenwriter Jung Joo subverted from this obvious “ black and white” framing by slowly explaining previous flashbacks and its foregrounding behind the personality split of our two characters.
Without spoiling too much for viewers, the human Nam Shin isn’t intrinsically someone who is intrinsically “ evil”, ( though certainly not a virtuous figure either ) but an individual trying to retract from years of emotional and psychological neglect by both his parents. From a young age, Nam Shin has been forced to grow up fast by being wary of others ( thus Lee Joon Hyuk’s character Ji Young Hoon being one of the few friends that Nam Shin has in the show) and having his innocence and naivety stripped away from him at such a young age.
In contrast Nam Shin III was built upon the memories of the “ innocent” Shin by his mother and scientist Oh Ro Ra ( Kim Sung Ryun). Shin III was brought up in a complicated, yet fairly familial environment by Ro Ra and her scientific partner David ( Choi Deok Moon) with a sense of emotional stability and respect kept between the trio. This is what makes Shin III an oddly likeable, and heartwarming character; he grows to develop his own individualistic core, free from machinery and wires unlike many of the “ humans” in the series based upon his emotional and human experiences. It is because of this that the human Nam Shin gradually grows to detest Nam Shin III; his machine counterpart that still reflects a life that he never had of innocence and being loved openly by his mother.
The relationship and obstacles which occurred between both Nam Shins was easily the tour de force of the series, however, a notable problem which did arise within the portrayal can probably be found in a later and hard-hitting plot twist for both characters. Although it does notably effect Nam Shin III more based upon his circumstances, it felt a little lacklustre in the grand scheme of the show to not consider Nam Shin’s own reaction towards this news in more emotional manner by allowing us viewers to get rid of the previous barricades or isolation around him and actually allows us to see him as an individual, rather than a plot mechanism.
On the other hand, it is important to not forget the brilliance of Gong Seung Yeon’s role as Shin’s bodyguard So Bong. Although arguably a little less in the limelight due to her simplistic role in manner of speaking as the “ love interest” of the series, Seung Yeon was able to capture something truly brilliant within her development of body language and general ambiance around Nam Shin III. As a character, So Bong is used as the archetype of the “ fearless female lead” and for a major proportion of the series, screenwriter Jung Joo plays upon this role for So Bong for all it’s worth.However, there was something oddly heartwarming behind So Bong as a character and her growth at times throughout the series. Initially starting as dishonest and an opportunist, So Bong’s relationship with Nam Shin III is intricately complicated, yet oddly allows us her to reveal her true self as a kind-hearted advocate of the robot. Additionally it was certainly refreshing that So Bong did not fall for the cliche trick in K-dramas of being in a love triangle with human Nam Shin, even notably accepting the fact that regardless of whether Nam Shin and Nam Shin III were identical, she’d always hold more faith in Nam Shin III due to his purer principles.
Naturally this does draw us onto whether the relationship between a robot and human was too problematic within its promiscuous undertones, or notably heart-rendering within this series. Whilst it does draw in some ethical questions which did feel a little glossed at times within the drama , the relationship between So Bong and Nam Shin was fundamentally the ideology of “ boundless love” for both characters, as well as surprisingly well-developed with the ridiculousness of the setup . It was refreshing for once that the two love interests were given time to actually develop a bond as friends before moving on with their relationship. Fundamentally, whilst the romance factor could have fallen into the trap of becoming an unnecessary quality in the series of interesting science-fiction elements and high budget CGI , it instead helped the strength the bonds and character development between the two main lead’s overall.
However, despite being enjoyable, the series was not flawless within its execution; minor plot inconsistencies became apparent in the storyline, and for those with analytical minds, it may appear additionally frustrating that the characters do not evidently address the elephants in the room of these evident mounting problems arising into their view and refusing to do anything for the sake of “ plot development” in the storyline . Nevertheless, the final ending of ‘ Are You Human Too?’ was surprisingly bittersweet for audiences, with an intriguing ending scene which was purposefully symbolic .
Therefore it is undeniable to probably take away that ‘ Are You Human Too?’ did have a brilliant premise, undeniably brilliant CGI which did not undermine the more serious moments of the series and fairly decent characterisation as well. In terms of acting, Seo Kang Joon was certainly fairly brilliant ( alongside his costar Seung Yeon), in his dual role as Nam Shin III/ Nam Shin with an ability to beguile audiences through both of his performances.Yet whilst it would be fun to claim that all the acting and characterisation in the show was top-notch, there were a couple of notably questioning moments and cliche story-writing, not least through Park Hwan Nee’s role as Shin’s fiancée Seo Ya Na and the moustache-twirling “threat” of the series, Seo Jong Gil ( Yoo Oh Sung) and plot inconsistencies to be wary of. On the other hand, there’s no denying that overall ‘ Are You Human Too?’ was a well-written romance and as science-fiction and fantasy drama, which is certainly worth watching as an escape from ordinary conventions.
Undeniably, Seo Kang Joon truly stole the show within his dual performance as callous hearted businessman Nam Shin, and of course our loveable and naive robot main lead Nam Shin III. Whilst most actors struggle to make subtle assertions for audiences when they are playing dual characters, it was intriguing to note from expressions and body language, the evident difference between human and robot Nam Shin. For audiences, it truly felt as though we were watching two different actors onscreen with Joon’s effortless transition from naive Nam Shin III in one scene with his bodyguard , friend and later love interest Kang So Bong (Gong Seung Yeon) to the sardonic and cynical Shin in the next moment.
Seo Kang Joon was naturally asset to his brilliant persona as both Shins in the series, however, it was also thanks to the fairly well-written characterisation of screenwriter Jo Jung Joo that allowed Joon to fully innovate his acting skills and array of emotions onscreen. As audiences, we are supposed to note the clear differences between both Shins as characters and our sentiments towards them. The human Nam Shin is put forwards to be cynical, selfish and aloof, whilst ironically the robot Nam Shin III maintains a benign sense of innocence and altruism throughout the series. Whilst it did feel a little enforced for us to stereotype human Nam Shin as “ the one we aren’t supposed to like” and Nam Shin III as the “ favourable hero”, it was surprisingly well-tackled how screenwriter Jung Joo subverted from this obvious “ black and white” framing by slowly explaining previous flashbacks and its foregrounding behind the personality split of our two characters.
Without spoiling too much for viewers, the human Nam Shin isn’t intrinsically someone who is intrinsically “ evil”, ( though certainly not a virtuous figure either ) but an individual trying to retract from years of emotional and psychological neglect by both his parents. From a young age, Nam Shin has been forced to grow up fast by being wary of others ( thus Lee Joon Hyuk’s character Ji Young Hoon being one of the few friends that Nam Shin has in the show) and having his innocence and naivety stripped away from him at such a young age.
In contrast Nam Shin III was built upon the memories of the “ innocent” Shin by his mother and scientist Oh Ro Ra ( Kim Sung Ryun). Shin III was brought up in a complicated, yet fairly familial environment by Ro Ra and her scientific partner David ( Choi Deok Moon) with a sense of emotional stability and respect kept between the trio. This is what makes Shin III an oddly likeable, and heartwarming character; he grows to develop his own individualistic core, free from machinery and wires unlike many of the “ humans” in the series based upon his emotional and human experiences. It is because of this that the human Nam Shin gradually grows to detest Nam Shin III; his machine counterpart that still reflects a life that he never had of innocence and being loved openly by his mother.
The relationship and obstacles which occurred between both Nam Shins was easily the tour de force of the series, however, a notable problem which did arise within the portrayal can probably be found in a later and hard-hitting plot twist for both characters. Although it does notably effect Nam Shin III more based upon his circumstances, it felt a little lacklustre in the grand scheme of the show to not consider Nam Shin’s own reaction towards this news in more emotional manner by allowing us viewers to get rid of the previous barricades or isolation around him and actually allows us to see him as an individual, rather than a plot mechanism.
On the other hand, it is important to not forget the brilliance of Gong Seung Yeon’s role as Shin’s bodyguard So Bong. Although arguably a little less in the limelight due to her simplistic role in manner of speaking as the “ love interest” of the series, Seung Yeon was able to capture something truly brilliant within her development of body language and general ambiance around Nam Shin III. As a character, So Bong is used as the archetype of the “ fearless female lead” and for a major proportion of the series, screenwriter Jung Joo plays upon this role for So Bong for all it’s worth.However, there was something oddly heartwarming behind So Bong as a character and her growth at times throughout the series. Initially starting as dishonest and an opportunist, So Bong’s relationship with Nam Shin III is intricately complicated, yet oddly allows us her to reveal her true self as a kind-hearted advocate of the robot. Additionally it was certainly refreshing that So Bong did not fall for the cliche trick in K-dramas of being in a love triangle with human Nam Shin, even notably accepting the fact that regardless of whether Nam Shin and Nam Shin III were identical, she’d always hold more faith in Nam Shin III due to his purer principles.
Naturally this does draw us onto whether the relationship between a robot and human was too problematic within its promiscuous undertones, or notably heart-rendering within this series. Whilst it does draw in some ethical questions which did feel a little glossed at times within the drama , the relationship between So Bong and Nam Shin was fundamentally the ideology of “ boundless love” for both characters, as well as surprisingly well-developed with the ridiculousness of the setup . It was refreshing for once that the two love interests were given time to actually develop a bond as friends before moving on with their relationship. Fundamentally, whilst the romance factor could have fallen into the trap of becoming an unnecessary quality in the series of interesting science-fiction elements and high budget CGI , it instead helped the strength the bonds and character development between the two main lead’s overall.
However, despite being enjoyable, the series was not flawless within its execution; minor plot inconsistencies became apparent in the storyline, and for those with analytical minds, it may appear additionally frustrating that the characters do not evidently address the elephants in the room of these evident mounting problems arising into their view and refusing to do anything for the sake of “ plot development” in the storyline . Nevertheless, the final ending of ‘ Are You Human Too?’ was surprisingly bittersweet for audiences, with an intriguing ending scene which was purposefully symbolic .
Therefore it is undeniable to probably take away that ‘ Are You Human Too?’ did have a brilliant premise, undeniably brilliant CGI which did not undermine the more serious moments of the series and fairly decent characterisation as well. In terms of acting, Seo Kang Joon was certainly fairly brilliant ( alongside his costar Seung Yeon), in his dual role as Nam Shin III/ Nam Shin with an ability to beguile audiences through both of his performances.Yet whilst it would be fun to claim that all the acting and characterisation in the show was top-notch, there were a couple of notably questioning moments and cliche story-writing, not least through Park Hwan Nee’s role as Shin’s fiancée Seo Ya Na and the moustache-twirling “threat” of the series, Seo Jong Gil ( Yoo Oh Sung) and plot inconsistencies to be wary of. On the other hand, there’s no denying that overall ‘ Are You Human Too?’ was a well-written romance and as science-fiction and fantasy drama, which is certainly worth watching as an escape from ordinary conventions.
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