How to begin? "I Am Not a Robot" tops my list of all-time favorite dramas. Ever. Why?
I, for one, enormously enjoyed this drama. I love romantic comedies, so when I saw this was a rom-com starring Yoo Seung Ho, I had to give it a go. The drama was equal parts lovable, fluffy, silly, hilarious, and touching. The premise seemed slightly ridiculous at first, what with a guy who's allergic to humans and a girl who pretends to be a robot, yet also very intriguing. I was curious to find out what exactly put them in that kind of situation, and why the main male lead, Kim Min Kyu, didn't have an allergic reaction to the female lead, Jo Ji Ah, who pretended to be Aji-3. After that, I kept finding more reasons to continue watching. Jo Ji Ah, portrayed by the endearing Chae Soo Bin, is introduced as a strong-willed, determined woman who's trying to make the most of her life by doing what she loves to do: inventing. She possesses an emotional and mental strength that I really admire, and she continues to shine in later episodes when she interacts with Kim Min Kyu. Her deep and intuitive understanding of Min Kyu's feelings and struggles as she gets to know him really drew me further into the show. Min Kyu, in turn, unwittingly supports Ji Ah's ambition and drive to be an inventor who creates things that are needed by people. *START OF MINOR SPOILER* Their symbiotic and emotionally healthy relationship fosters character growth, with Min Kyu learning how to interact properly with others and get along with people, thus allowing him to eventually befriend the Santa Maria team and find his new family, not related by blood, but just as close. *END OF MINOR SPOILER*
I love, love, LOVE that the way they help each other is so innocuous and yet pivotal and crucial in their respective lives. Ji Ah needed that extra push and encouragement when she was feeling down to achieve her dream of being an inventor, while Min Kyu needed the emotional support and scaffolding that she provided to start his own growth and bring his kindness out of his inner shell, allowing him to overcome his loneliness and lack of human connection. The overarching theme of human connection in this drama makes it extremely powerful and compelling to watch. What everyone needs, but often forgets, is that emotional connection to other people, since it allows them to express themselves, to not feel alone, and to find purpose in life. "I Am Not a Robot" takes a unique approach to this topic by exploring this theme through a remarkably human-like robot (android), who then is mainly substituted with an actual human. The stark contrast of this portrayal of human and robot, namely how the human Ji Ah expresses emotions and understands Min Kyu while the robot Aji-3 can only understand emotions on a conceptual level and imitate humans, emphasizes the fact that being able to feel emotion is at the core of what makes us human. This topic gets kind of philosophical as Min Kyu is conflicted over whether or not a robot can actually feel things, and he discusses this with Pi and Hong Baek Gyun, who take things pretty much at face value and argue that Aji-3 can only mimic emotions through learning from humans.
Getting a little off topic. Anyways, besides all of these deep and meaningful themes addressed by this drama, Yoo Seung Ho and Chae Soo Bin, as well as the rest of the main cast, do a stellar job of portraying their characters. Yoo Seung Ho and Chae Soo Bin possess some incredible and intense, yet still innocent, chemistry on-screen, which truly makes this drama worth watching. They are fully relaxed around each other and feel at home around one another, and they just bring the best out in each other. Their interactions in behind-the-scenes clips make you fall in love with the drama and their characters even more, as they are super comfortable with each other and just plain cute together.
I also love the character growth the writers included for the second male lead, Hong Baek Gyun (played by the hilarious Uhm Ki Joon), as he started out super oblivious and naive, in a sense, but really reflected on his past mistakes and learned from them, working hard to fix those flaws after he realized he had them. The rest of the Santa Maria team is also just lovable and all-around adorably sweet. Their interactions with each other and close bond that later extends to include Min Kyu and Ji Ah are super charming, and they provide for a lot of comic relief and fun times. They are also incredibly genuine in their feelings, which is something that Min Kyu really needs and comes to love. Ji Ah's best friend is also an awesome friend; she's supportive, truly wants what's best for her friend, and just a cool person to talk to and help her through things. Her niece is a real scene-stealer, since she's adorable, but also quite clever in her own right. Her scene with Min Kyu is one of my favorites.
I truly recommend this drama if you want something light-hearted, yet really meaningful.