[Drama 2021] Dr. Brain, Dr.브레인

[CarolynH]

Just started watching ep 1.  For some reason, my TV will not accept my apple ID password, so I have to watch on my tablet

[backstreetboysfan]

Just watched episode one, okay wow. (Had to watch another way it's not on Apple TV Canada still).

[larus]

Apple TV+ Korea's first original series 'Dr. Brain' (Doctor Brain) press conference (Director Kim Ji-woon, Lee Sun-kyun, Lee Yoo-young, Park Hee-soon, Seo Ji-hye, Lee Jae-won)

 

 

 

Pictures from the press conference

 

 

 

https://m.newspim.com/news/view/20211103000569

[agenth]

The second people kept asking if he knows Lim Junki, a ~friend of his wife, I knew he was her lover . I guess I can see it, considering Dr. Brain is very oblivious about social connotations, and well, the death of their son impacted their marriage life A LOT. 

 

I didn't think the son was alive, but I am no veteran of mystery genre. I simply wondered now if the wife had run away with her lover (and son) - but the question is, why nobody knows "about" the wife - the detectives contacting Dr. Brain. They don't know she is comatose and assume she is just "away". 

 

He is conducting experiments, and very daring, looking for answers, but he is asking the wrong questions. The journalist's question and his answer is telling: he simply seeks answers, but not to the important questions.

 

 

 

 

[sweetroad]

Wow. I loved the first episode more than I thought I would! I didn't expect to laugh out loud a few times.

 

LSK definitely carries the show. And I'm glad we could get the slime monster and all the cockroaches out of the way. That they appeared in the first episode was a surprise.

 

6 hours ago, agenth said:

but the question is, why nobody knows "about" the wife - the detectives contacting Dr. Brain. They don't know she is comatose and assume she is just "away". 

 

That was so strange. We're supposed to believe he's keeping her in the basement, right? With no nurses or other medical help? SO weird. What did he plan to do with her, indefinitely?! That's a bit creepy.

 

@agenth Did you catch who he called for investigative help - did he call the private eye who came to see him, or someone else?

 

@CarolynH and @backstreetboysfan What did you guys think?

 

By the way, I loved the two bonus videos Apple TV+ has: the "First Look" video and the "Director's Vision" video. They're located in the Dr Brain page under the trailer. Fun to see some of the interviews and upcoming clips. LSK looks like a bada** stalking through the woods .

[sadiesmith]

Lee Sun-kyun teams up with star director for first Korean Apple TV+ original

 

 

By Lee Gyu-lee

Actor Lee Sun-Kyun, who garnered international fame through the Oscar-winning film "Parasite," has teamed up with star director Kim Jee-woon for the sci-fi series "Dr. Brain," the first Korean original series for the Apple TV+ streaming service.

The series is set to premiere with the service's launch in the country, Thursday.

"While Korean content is getting more and more attention globally, it is a privilege for the series to be released through Apple TV+ and I hope we contribute to a further boom in Korean content," the actor said during an online press conference for the series, Wednesday.

Based on the popular webcomic of the same name by Hongjacga, the new series revolves around a genius neuroscientist Sewon (Lee) who develops a technology that will allow access to the unconsciousness and buried memories in the brain.

After losing his family to a mysterious accident, he uses his technology to find the truth behind the terrible tragedy, even willing to go to extraordinary lengths in order to access the deceased ones' memories for clues.

Lee said the biggest reason for taking part in the series was the director, who has a track record of hit movies such as the action films "The Good, the Bad, the Weird" and "A Bittersweet Life," Hollywood film "The Last Stand," and horror flic "A Tale of Two Sisters."

"The first and foremost reason (for accepting the role) was because I could work with director Kim," he said. "Also, it had a very unique story that I've never encountered in Korea. The first two episodes of the script were a bit difficult to follow because of the terminology and the scientific aspects of the story but as the story develops, I fell deeper into it to the point that I was dying to know what happens next as a reader."
 

A scene from the series / Courtesy of Apple TV+

This is the first series for Kim, despite his long filmography ― he said it felt as if he was making his directorial debut all over again.

"It was overwhelming. I would be responsible for all the outcomes and lead the production, but there were so many things that were a first for me," he said. "It was such a refreshing experience. I tried to pull out all the stops and gather all my techniques and experiences from my previous work with a fresh perspective."

Adding making a six-part series was harder than a two-hour-long movie, he said that he focused on making each episode compact.

"It was hard to make the story into a six-hour length without having any loose parts. And making a series had more limitations on things I can do than in movies," he said. "But I put in a lot of effort to keep the fuel burning throughout all six episodes and to make each of them in a way that viewers will look forward to watching the next one."

The director noted that the series adaptation will be a little different than the original webcomic.

"The webcomic is very original. Being able to see what goes around in one's head and reading other people's minds is what many would desire to do. So the story (that revolves around that concept) sounded really interesting," he said. "Whereas the original story focuses more on solving the murder mystery, the series delves deeper into more things, with richer plots. It has fun, meaning, and an emotional message, like an assorted gift basket."

 

https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/art/2021/11/688_318159.html?tw

[sweetroad]

Another good review without being too spoiler-y.

 

‘Dr.Brain’: Episode 1 Has a Gifted Scientist Delve Deep Into the Minds of the Dead for Answers

Gabriela Silva

 

Apple TV+ brings a riveting sci-fi thriller story to life in its first Korean drama, Dr. Brain. The premiere episode will take K-drama fans into the mind of Koh Se-won (Lee Sun-kyun), a scientist gifted with an extraordinary brain and knowledge. The storyline takes the most common wondered phenomena into reality as Se-won taps into the memories of the deceased.

 

Looking for answers to his family’s tragedy, Se-won’s story and character evolution within the first episode will have fans hooked. Dr. Brain balances between fabricated reality caused by the memories of others and Se-won’s tragic reality. The K-drama shows promise as Apple TV+ looks to ride the wave of Korean content popularity.

 

[Spoiler alert: This article contains mild spoilers about Dr. Brain.]

 

‘Dr. Brain’ gives its main character a difficult circumstance between tragedy and his own mind

Episode 1 of the Apple TV’s Dr. Brain does the job of introducing why Se-won is special compared to the people around him and how it affects his life. Se-won was born with a high intellect and larger brain capacity than most humans. While viewers will come to sympathize with the character, Se-won feels no real empathy. While his mind can calculate complex theories, it can not calculate how to display human emotion, even after his mother’s death as a child.

 

At the beginning of Dr. Brain’s episode, the K-drama makes it a point that Se-won is clearly dedicated to his life’s work. Se-won admits he knew he could never be the husband and father his family deserved. After his son dies and his wife spirals into grief, Se-won’s inability to feel compassion leads him to further his research. The events of the first episode work as a start to hopefully have Se-won look past his emotionless barrier.

 

Dr. Brain’s premise uses a common scientific theory for the Apple TV+’s K-drama storyline. According to Apple’s press release it “is an emotional journey that follows a brain scientist who is obsessive about figuring out new technologies to access the consciousness and memories of the brain.” But, Se-won’s research takes on a sci-fi thriller mystery.

 

In episode 1, Se-won uncovers the secret to making the brain sync work and tests his theory. It is the events after that bring the K-drama’s story to a new level. When a mysterious investigator approaches Se-won about the knowledge of a client, it kickstarts Se-won’s inquisitive brain.

 

The events with the investigator soon make sense to Se-won when detectives visit his home. They are looking for the same man the private investigator was. He has a connection to Se-won’s wife. Plagued by the mystery of who the man is, Se-won connects to his memories, opening a can of worms. Se-won is initially unable to differentiate reality from the memories of the dead. The memories lead to a bigger picture and a dark truth to his family’s tragedy. Viewers find themselves on the same journey as Se-won, traveling through the intricate system of the mind to solve a bigger mystery.

 

‘Dr. Brain’ K-drama uses impressive cinematography and Lee Sun-kyun dazzles on screen

 

Dr. Brain on Apple TV+ will dazzle fans not only for its dark eeriness but for its cinematography in episode 1. Bright colors and shadows often differentiate the K-drama’s scenes. Se-won is often in unflattering and grey lighting when in the lab. It gives off a cold and unalluring feel, similar to Se-won’s lack of emotion. The complete opposite is used with lieutenant Cho Ji-un (Seo Ji-hye) and her team. A neon purple light illuminates their office.

 

The memories Se-won taps into are often bright, colorful, and play out like a dramatic movie compared to the real world. Viewers will be impressed when Se-won’s dive into the mind develops as hallucinations. A grotesque manifestation of the dead’s memories appears in an alley illuminated by neon and street lights. Se-won’s complex mind manages to differentiate the memory that needs to be heard in the mass of faces and voices.

 

According to the New York Times, Director Kim Jee-woon “takes these as opportunities to inject visual pizazz into the generally naturalistic mise-en-scène, in the form of giallo and Asian-horror motifs.”

 

Parasite actor Lee Sun-kyun brings Se-won’s character to life in the first episode. His low baritone voice is free of emotions and shows the often lack of feeling. As the episode develops and Se-won entangles himself with memories, he starts to feel things he has felt before. Lee manages to successfully display Se-won’s slow emotional awakening as he delves into his family’s mystery.

 

Source: https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/dr-brain-episode-1-has-gifted-scientist-delve-deep-into-minds-dead-for-answers.html/

[CarolynH]

@the_sweetroad :  I enjoyed ep 1.  It sometimes takes 4 episodes to really "get into" a drama, but this one captured my interest by the end of the first ep.  I did cringe when Sewon tested the mind sync on the mice.  I guess with his mind he doesn't understand, or doesn't care, about ethics.  His character reminded my of Shi mok (not sure if I got the name right) from Forest of Secrets.  At the end of the ep, he hooked himself up to his comatose wife.  I thought the other person had to be dead or is it because she's brain dead (is she?), that he believes that the mind sync will work.

[africandramalover]

I enjoyed episode 1. Gorgeous cinematography! Like seriously gorgeous cinematography! I love that color pallette. (I became a fan of a certain song because the video has the same darks and blues. ) I also love the difference in the cinematography between Netflix/Apple dramas and standard fare KDrama. It's a welcome change.

 

If they are going to expand the storyline from the comic book to give more emotional connections to the storyline about accessing memories that seem related to his family, I think I'll enjoy the next 5 weeks.

[backstreetboysfan]

@the_sweetroad, I enjoyed episode Gorgeous cinematography. But I think I will need to watch this during the day, watched it at night and couldn't sleep right away lol.

[jongski]

Check on this.  I guess the saying 'two people can see thesame thing and see something different' applies to me. 

 

Previous posts from chingus enjoyed the drama, episode 1.  Me, I'm kinda bored 30 minutes into this drama.  I'm looking for an emotional pull. I din't get it. I like  LSK. I like the way he acts with his stoic.. non empathic type character. But I don't know.....I'm not yet feeling the connection of sort.  His mother died, the son died, the wife went crazy  (not sure if alive or not) and yet,  I don't feel anything.  I was thinking... with the way his life is presented from young age and becoming researcher/ brain scientist, we'll see something deep. But I'll assume because this is a mystery thriller (genre I like btw) with a sci-fi of sorts it doesn't have to have that emotional  fare. I'm not familiar with the webtoon either.

 

I'm not drama expert or purist like chingus here. But 15 mins into the drama, I'll know if I'll like it or not.  I'll watch the whole thing in go sometime this holiday season. I like the leads in this drama. 

 

But I agree with chingus... the cinematograph is good. The flashback slow lifting of rock blood droplets scattering, the yellow shadowy sunset like flashback scene of his wife and son.

 

Maybe a full watch all the episodes of of this ddrama will give me different impression.

 

 

[agenth]

3 hours ago, jongski said:

I'm looking for an emotional pull. I din't get it.

 

don't worry, i'm no drama purist or expert, either . we're just here to enjoy or discuss the drama, no pressure.

 

i also do not have emotional connection to this drama. as i finished episode 1, however, i am still intrigued enough to watch episode 2 next week. the fact that he has ASD in this fashion/category sort of limits his social connections - and emotions. as of now, he is pictured as a guy who seemingly only has research/work in his head, and does not care that his family fell apart. it's just something that is a fact to him, but not yet emotions. 

 

however, now that he started to dig into this mystery, and dragged us as viewers along with him, by putting this research into high-risk mode, is going to change him - and reveal more of his emotions.

 

 

[sweetroad]

10 hours ago, jongski said:

I'm looking for an emotional pull. I din't get it. I like  LSK. I like the way he acts with his stoic.. non empathic type character. But I don't know.....I'm not yet feeling the connection of sort.  His mother died, the son died, the wife went crazy  (not sure if alive or not) and yet,  I don't feel anything.  I was thinking... with the way his life is presented from young age and becoming researcher/ brain scientist, we'll see something deep. But I'll assume because this is a mystery thriller (genre I like btw) with a sci-fi of sorts it doesn't have to have that emotional  fare.

 

Totally hear you....I enjoyed watching the first episode but I don't feel too much of an emotional connection with him yet. His reactions to his son dying and his wife being in a coma (at least, what we're shown) are not how I'd feel and act. But I also wonder if that's on purpose. It's like we're being dropped into his current emotional state. Hopefully as the story unfolds and he becomes more empathic it will pack a more powerful punch for us, emotionally, than it's doing now. I read somewhere that as he picks up other people's memories, he'll also be picking up feelings he's never felt before.

 

It did crack me up in this episode that he made the list of:

"I am right-handed."

"I do not like music."

"I do not like coffee."

"I'm not friends with Dr. Noh."

(There was one more I can't remember now).

 

It will be interesting to see how the memories of other people keep messing with his personality.

_____

 

Rotten Tomatoes has been collecting Dr Brain reviews little by little. Currently Dr Brain is at 67% 73%! Fun to see so many "top critics" reviewing it.

 

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/dr_brain

 

Review snippets are at the link below. I'm not sure how to get here from the link above.

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/dr_brain/s01/reviews

[sadiesmith]

I share many people's sentiment here that Sewon is a little hard to relate to. I liked the first episode a lot but didn't love it yet. It was still very enjoyable though. At times it felt slow and draggy, at times things moved so fast that I wished we were given more time to get more connected with the mind of the protagonist. This is definitely a very ambitious project for the director and I sincerely hope he "knew what he was doing" with this crazy mix of genres in one short drama. There are also so many themes to explore, one of which regarding violating a person's privacy by tapping into her innermost thoughts and feelings, even if it's one's own spouse. Will this get sufficient treatment? When watching My Mister, I had complete faith in the director; not having the same feeling here. But my fingers are firmly crossed. 

 

I really liked what little I saw of Jung Jaeyi (Lee Yoo Young). Can't wait to see more of her. Also enjoyed the references to Parasite and other horror movies, too. I think we'll see more later in the series. This was definitely a unique Kdrama experience for me, and I am excited for the whole ride. And it's also unusual seeing so many English-language reviews out already, unfortunately reading them is like stepping on a landmine if you're trying to avoid spoilers.

 

I heard while first episode was rated 21+, the second one was 17+. Is this true? 

 

And did LSK get cheated again by his drama wife? For the 3rd time?  

 

New poster out. So the wife wakes up in episode 2?

 

[sweetroad]

4 hours ago, sadiesmith said:

There are also so many themes to explore, one of which regarding violating a person's privacy by tapping into her innermost thoughts and feelings, even if it's one's own spouse.

 

Good point. She can't defend herself against his "intrusion" nor has she given him permission. It's like the wiretapping theme in My Mister.

 

4 hours ago, sadiesmith said:

And it's also unusual seeing so many English-language reviews out already, unfortunately reading them is like stepping on a landmine if you're trying to avoid spoilers.

 

Agreed! I've never been able to find so many English reviews for any kdrama, but now I know more about the plot than I wanted to.

 

4 hours ago, sadiesmith said:

And did LSK get cheated again by his drama wife? For the 3rd time?  

 

He's a pro at it now . Except this time his character might not care as much, at least initially. It's really an interesting character to watch LSK perform.

 

18 hours ago, africandramalover said:

I enjoyed episode 1. Gorgeous cinematography! Like seriously gorgeous cinematography! I love that color pallette. (I became a fan of a certain song because the video has the same darks and blues. ) I also love the difference in the cinematography between Netflix/Apple dramas and standard fare KDrama. It's a welcome change.

 

What song is it?

 

And yes - Apple/Netflix cinematography just has a certain polished quality that is engrossing. What do you think it is - different cameras? Or something else?

[sadiesmith]

Why was the first corpse labeled as a traffic accident victim when he was actually bludgeoned to death? The reason Sewon and his junior doctor chose him to brain-sync was because his brain was supposedly "intact." Now that we know he victim was indeed killed by a heavy blow to the head, this would mess up his brain, no? But I am not sure if this detail has any significance at all.

[africandramalover]

8 hours ago, the_sweetroad said:

And yes - Apple/Netflix cinematography just has a certain polished quality that is engrossing. What do you think it is - different cameras? Or something else?

 

Both use the same high quality cameras, but I think the color grading is the difference during post production. Standard KDrama go for that fairytale look and the Korean drama look which has been cemented as their way of production over time, while Apple TV/Netflix go for the cinematic look.

 

The style of cinematography may also be different, but this could be a genre thing. Mystery/action/thriller would be shot differently from romance and drama, even in KDramas.

 

8 hours ago, the_sweetroad said:

What song is it?

 

Dime by J.Balvin, Arcangel, De la Ghetto and Bad Bunny. I saw the thumbnail while listening to another song on YouTube, was drawn to the blueish/dark tones, clicked play and the rest is history.

[sweetroad]

2 hours ago, africandramalover said:

Dime by J.Balvin, Arcangel, De la Ghetto and Bad Bunny

 

Just watched it and I can see why you like it cinematographically. It reminds me of Human Disqualification somewhat. It's too bad I understand Spanish, though - that song is not great haha.

 

2 hours ago, africandramalover said:

Both use the same high quality cameras, but I think the color grading is the difference during post production. Standard KDrama go for that fairytale look and the Korean drama look which has been cemented as their way of production over time, while Apple TV/Netflix go for the cinematic look.

 

Ah, makes sense! I can see all this.

 

On 11/5/2021 at 2:51 AM, CarolynH said:

I thought the other person had to be dead or is it because she's brain dead (is she?), that he believes that the mind sync will work.

 

2 hours ago, sadiesmith said:

Now that we know he victim was indeed killed by a heavy blow to the head, this would mess up his brain, no?

 

I was puzzled by some of these logistical details as well. With the first corpse, I'm pretty sure they inserted rods all the way into the brain (the noise that made was disgusting). Hard to imagine he would do that to his wife without any damage to her, and hard to imagine that if that one guy was bludgeoned his brain would be up for probing.

[africandramalover]

6 hours ago, the_sweetroad said:

Just watched it and I can see why you like it cinematographically. It reminds me of Human Disqualification somewhat. It's too bad I understand Spanish, though - that song is not great haha.

 

I like it despite my resolve to spare my small cynical heart from more negativity in the form of songs about cheating. I also want to spare myself from songs about women busting their cheating boyfriends, but guess what? My favourite Vietnamese song is about that!!

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

[confusedheart]

I am not even getting into the whole ethical question, but what I am looking forward to is how the memories of his wife, the dead guy and his own play a havoc on him and how he 'finds' himself through all this. Another thing what really intrigued me was the way they implied that lacking social skills, and feelings were kind of hereditary- transferred through genes, here from father to son. Are there studies done to support this idea or is it just again a willing suspension of disbelief.

 

I am a little wary after watching Mouse but I am also hooked. Another thing that stood out for me was the play of lights/ light and shadow. I interpret it as how our brain- conscious , sub-conscious and unconscious work. There is a reason why some memories are repressed-like a traumatic experience to help people cope.

 

In the book, Many Masters, Many Lives, Dr Br(ai)n , (se what I did there)says that a person has many repressed memories from past lives and how the brain kind of keeps collecting these memories and repressing it in every new life, which I must say is amazing- if it is true. But that read is definitely fascinating and brings to our mind several questions.

 

In conclusion both Many Masters , Many Lives and Dr Brain are intriguing enough, questioning our beliefs , raising some pertinent questions and thoroughly entertaining.