K-Drama Premiere: I’m Not A Robot Delights With Engaging Characters & Plot Premise

Despite the underrated opening week, I’m Not A Robot is such a refreshing treat, perfect to complement the holiday festivities.

In I’m Not A Robot, a man with extreme human allergy is set to change his hermit life upon meeting a robot that perfectly caters to his needs.  Unbeknownst to him, the robot is a real woman commissioned to be an android in disguise because the real robot is broken.

I’m Not A Robot commenced by presenting the story framework while introducing the characters in a quirky manner.  It also set the conflict which seems to function as the love catalyst in the story.

Pilot Week Recap

Team Santa Maria has been working on robotics and artificial intelligence technology. Their prized possession is Aji 3, a droid with limitless capabilities designed and constructed under a secret funding of a shipping company.

Wealthy businessman Kim Min Kyu (Yoo Seung Ho) lives in seclusion due to his rare case of allergy when he gets into physical contact with humans. When he receives an offer from Team Santa Maria to take in their robot, he agrees to test drive its function, however the robot suffers a short circuit by accident and it will take a day for the spare part to arrive in the laboratory.

Team Santa Maria leader Hong Baek Kyun (Uhm Ki Joon) is left with no other choice but to convince his ex-girlfriend Jo Ji Ah (Chae Soo Bin) who is the living inspiration of the robot. Jo Ji Ah agrees to work part time as Aji 3 since she needs some money to pay off her debt. She is in constant altercation with her lawyer brother who has been urging her to get a regular job instead of working on projects with impossible success rates.

On the day of Aji 3’s performance check, Jo Ji Ah is surprised to meet Kim Min Kyu who turns out to be the prickly customer she met earlier.  Min Kyu refused to pay for the limited edition robot figure she bought from a patient vigil outside the store because the packaging was accidentally stained. Ji Ah freaks out in a not so robotic way, perplexing Min Kyu. Team Santa Maria escapes the performance hurdle by calling the robot is on “friend mode” and advises Min Kyu to switch to “operation mode” by pressing her button on her neck. Power outage hits the non-paying laboratory so Ji Ah has to fend for herself as she needs to perform a series of tests. When Min Kyu’s pills get stuck inside his throat, Ji Ah rushes to punch his back and saves him from choking.

Min Kyu contemplates on saving Team Santa Maria which is tied up in the shipping business that his company is off to sell. He decides to work with Aji 3 for a month, so Team Santa Maria asks Ji Ah’s help for another week who agrees easily after another fight with her brother leaves her with no place to stay for the time being.  Ji Ah realizes that her dream to present her newest love lamp project is in the hands of Min Kyu. Thus, she intends to convince him to give a go-signal to finance the event which was temporarily halted.  Min Kyu gives a space for the team in his mansion’s area while he preps up to program droid-pretending Ji Ah.

What we can expect

I’m Not A Robot clearly paved the way on how the connections of the characters will happen in the future episodes. It also threw in a catch on the lead man’s human allergy plot which I am guessing to have a psychological explanation since the opening week hinted how his attack did not happen when he thought Ji Ah was a robot.

The innermost thought-sharing for the lead couple is expected to notch up the link that will bind them and heal their personal scars eventually. Of course the revelation of Aji 3’s identity is something to look forward to since the hero’s allergy is trauma induced which can be only healed by love per K-dramaland rules.  If there will be a love triangle that will erupt from Ji Ah and Baek Kyun’s residual feelings is another thing to anticipate.

Among all the dramas airing right now, I am Not A Robot is a happy and easy watch with graspable direction. So if you want a laid back rom-com-sci-fi spectacle, consider this drama from the famed director of W: Two Worlds, She Was Pretty and King 2 Hearts.

I’m Not A Robot is MBC’s midweek drama which will run 32 episodes until January 25 2018.