Are You Human Too? 너도 인간이니 Review

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The 2018 Korean drama starring Kang Seo-Joon as Nam Shin/Nam Shin III, Gong Seung-Yeon as Kang So-Bong, Lee Joon-Hyuk as Ji Young-Hoon, Park Hwan-Hee as Seo Ye-Na, Kim Sung-Ryung as Oh Laura, and Yu Oh-Seong as Seo Jong-Gil.

Brief summary: When the AI researcher Laura Oh gets separated from her son, Nam Shin, she does the unthinkable and creates a complex robot version of him. Two decades later, the real Nam Shin barely survives an attempt on his life and becomes comatose. If Nam Shin’s friends and family are going to protect his corporate position, they’re going to need Nam Shin III’s help. But there’s one variable to threaten their secret that none of them could have seem coming- the nosy Kang So-Bong.


This drama was surprisingly inspiring! When it came out after “I’m Not a Robot” (starring Chae Soo-Bin and Yoo Seung-Ho), I was a little skeptic that it would be too similar, a repeat with different actors. However, “I’m Not a Robot” was definitely a romantic comedy and while there cute aspects to “Are You Human Too,” it explores the theories and science fiction surrounding Artificial Intelligence more deeply. With VIXX in the OST, I’m more tempted to believe that inspiration for the drama came from that “Error” MV. But wherever the ideas come from, they sure came together well in “Are You Human Too.”


We have to applaud Kang Seo-Joon for playing two distinctly different characters so well. One face, two characters, and our feelings about them were on completely opposite sides of the spectrum! It was like watching a sci-fi take on the Prince and the Pauper in which every viewer hoped our Pauper would turn into a real boy like Pinocchio and our Prince would drop off the face of the planet. I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who thought this way 😂.



I always wanted to figure out what exactly was in Ji Young-Hoon’s head. Out of them all, he was the character that perplexed me the most. He seemed so protective of the human Nam Shin, which I found confusing because Nam Shin was so undeserving. But I guess even the undeserving can still be loved.



The biggest part of the drama is the paradox of the robot’s existence. He’s an object, but is loved as a person. He’s not programmed to feel or have emotion, but he has desires beyond needs and a will of his own. Can you have desires but not emotions? Throughout all 18 episodes, it becomes clear that even if he’s not human, he must have a soul somehow. But we never hear any specifics about how that came to be, so it may not be worth stewing over as you watch.



I was just a little saddened as I watched Nam Shin III in the beginning of episode 17. There was nothing to empathize over, but rather I felt a little sad for what it implied. The most trustworthy person to run the company was the robot. What does it say about human nature that robot leadership and management would be so obviously preferable?



Who was the true antagonist of the story? Was it all Seo Jong-Gil or Nam Shin? I’m tempted to say that both were, but Nam Shin was saved. He acted out of hate, which sure is despicable, but he could be saved from that hate. It is much easier for people to change emotions rather than habit. That’s what was so disturbing about Seo Jong-Gil. He started out with baby steps, “If I just do this then I’ll get what I want,” but “just one more time” became a repeating behavior until he was the one holding the gun. So which villain was really the scarier— the one driven by hate and rage or the one whose crimes were progressively escalating the entire time?



The ending did leave something to be desired, and the drama probably could have used an extension to 20 episodes, but lately it seems that a lot of my dramas have been ending like that. I think I watched and just accepted it although I would have loved to see how Nam Shin III was saved. Oh well.



To top off my remarks, “Are You Human Too” was great! I even downloaded “The Longing Dance” by Im Ji-Eun form the OST in hopes that I can hear it and remember my experiences as I watched. 5/5 stars!



(Ah. And just for the many that wonder: you never will find out what’s in the robot’s pants so it’s best to stop asking 😂)