Synopsis & Review I’m Not a Robot, Humans Fall in Love on ‘Android’
This Korean drama directed by Jung Dae Yoon is in the romantic comedy genre, with science fiction as well. From the drama poster, you can see Yoo Seung Ho embracing Chae Soo Bin. Then, who is not a robot, huh?
It is said that there was a handsome young man, looking healthy, and confident. As if not perfect enough, he also has abundant wealth. But, he has a drawback. That means he can’t come into contact with other humans. Why is that, huh? Let’s see the synopsis of I’m Not a Robot below.
Kim Min Kyu (Yoo Seung Ho) is seen wearing gloves, masks, hats and carrying injections. Then he sat in front of three interviewers. Min Kyu proved his illness by touching the hand of one of the interviewers, then a blush appeared which continued to spread to Min Kyu’s face.
It freaks out the interviewer. Min Kyu immediately injected his body, and the red blush gradually disappeared. Because he didn’t meet the requirements, Min Kyu was exempt from military service, which should be carried out by all Korean men in the age range of 18-35 years. Min Kyu returns home, where he has a butler living with him.
Meanwhile, Jo Ji Ah (Chae Soo Bin) is in the queue. Apparently he is a freelancer who opened a ‘jastip’ business. He is now in line to get a limited edition robot, Metal Gear Gurner. Ji Ah gets one robot and takes it very carefully.
However, he didn’t realize that the robot box was stained with the sauce from the snacks of children passing by. There was a car approached by Ji Ah. It turned out that the driver of the car was Min Kyu. Unfortunately, Ji Ah didn’t get the bonus fee as promised because the robot box was dirty.
Then, Min Kyu gets a watch that detects heart rate & body temperature from his personal doctor who has treated him for 15 years, Doctor Oh (Um Hyo Sup). The clock serves as a warning for allergic conditions. Hong Baek Kyun (Um Ki Joon), a professor, secretly gives Min Kyu a flash drive.
He promotes his android robot project called Aji-3. Min Kyu meets Baek Kyun because he wants to train the Aji-3 robot directly. Not only that, he also asked Baek Kyun and the Santa Maria Team to move into his house to develop the project there.
However, due to problems with the delivery of Aji-3 spare parts, Baek Kyun instead sends Ji Ah to pretend to be the Aji-3 robot. Because Baek Kyun made Aji-3 look like Ji Ah, Baek Kyun’s ex-girlfriend. Min Kyu can touch Aji-3 alias Ji Ah without hesitation because what he knows, Aji-3 is a robot.
Every day they interact like master and subordinate, but sometimes Aji-3 is in ‘friend mode’. Ji Ah tries hard to act like a robot so it won’t be found out that she’s actually human. One time, Min Kyu opened himself up. Turns out he lost his parents 15 years ago in a car accident.
He was also lied to by his own father’s colleagues. Luckily, before being tricked, Madam X gave instructions to Min Kyu not to sign any paperwork. Since then, if Min Kyu accidentally comes into contact with other people’s skin, a red rash will appear that spreads all over his body.
The rash will disappear after the injection of the drug. And for the past 15 years, Doctor Oh has not been able to find a cure for Min Kyu’s allergy. Flashback for a while, Professor Baek Kyun first met Ji Ah when the girl was looking for him to work together in making a love umbrella that he had designed for a long time.
kissing his lover. Baek Kyun who fell in love at first sight with Ji Ah, realized Ji Ah’s idea. Flashback finished. Baek Kyun who is jealous of Aji-3 alias Ji Ah’s closeness, stops Ji Ah from working as Aji-3.
Min Kyu tries to defend Aji-3 by giving lots of checks to the Santa Maria team, cooking dinner for them. But only succeeds in the third way, which is to reveal Min Kyu’s human allergy.
Feeling better with his allergy, Min Kyu wants to propose to Yeriel for a date. After kissing, they will apply and will soon be married. This plan makes Aji-3 a.k.a Ji Ah shocked and sad. However, Ji Ah still helps Min Kyu by sending his friend, Sun Hye, a kiss expert.
On that date, when Min Kyu finds the right moment to kiss Yeriel, he instead ends up with Aji-3. Finally Min Kyu’s first kiss was done with a ‘robot’. As time goes by, Min Kyu forces himself to get engaged to Yeriel, even though his mind can’t stop thinking about Aji-3.
Until finally he admits that he loves Aji-3. As the real Aji-3 is ready, Baek Kyun asks Min Kyu to reset Aji-3 who is actually Ji Ah. Before that, Min Kyu asked Aji-3/Ji Ah out on a date. They spent time together, walking around holding hands.
Shortly before Min Kyu resets Aji-3/Ji Ah, Min Kyu expresses his feelings for Aji-3, even though he knows the robot will soon forget about him. What he doesn’t know is that the human acting as a robot, Ji Ah, will always remember him.
Not feeling love in their relationship, Yeriel agrees with Min Kyu to cancel their engagement plans. Yeriel realizes that she prefers Hwang Yoo Chul (Kang Ki Young), Min Kyu’s business rival. As for Min Kyu, he falls in love with the robot Aji-3, which he still doesn’t know that Ji Ah is pretending to be the robot.
The real Aji-3 does his job well, while Ji Ah seeks a new atmosphere by visiting her grandmother’s house in the village. Meanwhile, Min Kyu can finally work directly in the office, because his human allergies have healed. Fate brings Ji Ah and Min Kyu back together.
Min Kyu, who is amazed by the similarities in Aji-3’s and Ji Ah’s faces, starts to become obsessed with Ji Ah. While Min Kyu is trying to win Ji Ah’s heart, the Santa Maria Team’s computer is broken into by hackers who hand over the hacked flash drive to Yoo Chul. Then Yoo Chul handed the flashdisk to his father.
They think they have found Min Kyu’s weakness, and can fire Min Kyu from his position. Min Kyu drops when he finds out that Ji Ah has lied to him while he was Aji-3. However, managed to recover with special care from Doctor Oh.
Baek Kyun and the Santa Maria Team are forced to sign the transfer of the Aji-3 project to Yoo Chul’s father, so that the secret of Min Kyu’s illness will not be spread to the public. Even though Min Kyu knows about this, he still sues Baek Kyun and the Santa Maria Team, even though in the end he dropped the lawsuit.
Then, Secretary Jo Jin Bae (Seo Dong Won) submitted his resignation letter to Min Kyu. The boss gets even more annoyed knowing that his secretary is Ji Ah’s older sister. Min Kyu once promised to take Aji-3/Ji Ah to Mount Hwangmae during a meteor shower. It was where Min Kyu’s father proposed to his mother.
And, fate brought them to Mount Hwangmae. Min Kyu and Ji Ah are honest with each other about their feelings. They kiss just as the meteors fall. At the same time, the Aji-3 robot is in the process of transferring ownership.
Min Kyu gives a flash drive from Jang Do Sam to his intermediary and Madam X which contains Martin’s confession, a potential buyer of Aji-3. He admits to being the mastermind behind the murder of Chairman Park, Min Kyu’s father. After all the problems were resolved, Min Kyu revealed his illness to the press.
Yoo Chul realizes that it is the cause of Min Kyu’s allergies. Yoo Chul apologizes to Min Kyu, and they become friends again. Two years have passed, Ji Ah has succeeded in her business. The Santa Maria team has also succeeded in creating a new robot.
Secretary Jo was appointed Director of Management. Min Kyu finally completed his mandatory military service which was delayed due to his human allergic disease. Then, do Min Kyu and Ji Ah stay together in happiness, or do they go their separate ways?
The chemistry of Yoo Seung Ho and Chae Soo Bin
In the drama I’m Not a Robot, Yoo Seung Ho and Chae Soo Bin are brought together in various scenes that are sometimes ridiculous, funny, but there are also sad scenes that can make the audience drift too. The chemistry between the two of them is really ‘snap’.
There is a ridiculous scene that really made an impression on me. That is when Aji-3/Ji Ah has a stomach ache and has to use the toilet at Min Kyu’s house. The bad smell in the bathroom was wafting and was known by Min Kyu. But, Aji-3/Ji Ah pretends to clean the bathroom by using perfume to cover up the smell.
There are also saddest scenes! That is when Min Kyu will reset Aji-3/Ji Ah. Even though actually as Ji Ah, she can’t possibly forget her memories and love for Min Kyu, because she’s not a robot. The most striking romantic scene is when Min Kyu and Ji Ah kiss in the kitchen.
Fun fact: during the filming process, the kitchen scene had to be shot over and over again because of the awkwardness between Seung Ho and Soo Bin. However, in the end the kiss was successful and the audience was very excited.
A Drama with Multiple Protagonists
The plot and flow of this drama are quite interesting to watch many times. Every incident is connected, such as the beginning of Min Kyu having allergies, the beginning of Ji Ah’s dating-breakup with Baek Kyun, and the friendship of Yeriel-Min Kyu-Yoo Chul.
Each character is not just there, but really important to be there to build a story. Even the love story in this drama does not only focus on the main character. The supporting actors also have their own story. Like Yeriel and Yoo Chul, Hoktal and Sung Hye, and Baek Kyun and Pie.
Robots in Drama
The main robot in this drama is of course the android robot Aji-3, but the Santa Maria Team has already made a cute assistant robot, you know! Head box like old tube computer. The legs are chain wheels. The little robot named Beetle has facial expressions on its front screen.
The shape is indeed ancient, but he is a friendly robot who will always greet guests with a smile on his screen. He can also express sadness, surprise, and laugh. The Santa Maria team presented their favorite robot to Min Kyu as a token of gratitude.
Beetle becomes the partner of the dust cleaning robot at Min Kyu’s house. The robot, named Pretty Three, will be upgraded by the Santa Maria Team and given additional facial expressions too, like a Beetle. Robot Pretty Three is Min Kyu’s birthday celebrated in the first episode.
