The First Apple TV+ K-Drama Is A Sci-Fi Series Like No Other

Korean content is all the rage right now on streamers like Netflix, which has ridden a wave of international interest in the genre for several years now and even recently saw its animated "KPop Demon Hunters" become the streaming giant's most-watched original movie of all time. One of the few streamers that hasn't yet dived into the genre in a major way is Apple TV+, although that's not to say it's avoided the genre completely. In fact, the iPhone maker's streamer quietly released a sci-fi-tinged K-drama back in November 2021 that many fans probably didn't know what to make of at the time, as it didn't fit the typical K-drama formula.

Following a brain scientist who undergoes a major personal tragedy, "Dr. Brain" isn't the kind of historical fantasy, romance, or crime drama you typically see on Netflix. Befitting its availability on Apple TV+, which has taken a different approach to the streaming game pretty much since its launch, "Dr. Brain" (which also bears the distinction of being Apple's very first K-drama) is a high-concept and very cerebral sci-fi thriller.

Based on the popular Korean webtoon and directed by filmmaker Kim Jee-woon, here's how Apple describes the series: "'Dr. Brain' 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. His life goes sideways when his family falls victim to a mysterious accident, and he uses his skills to access memories from his wife's brain to piece together the mystery of what actually happened to his family and why."

In terms of the reaction to the series, it's always fascinating to see an alignment between critics and fans, because it so rarely happens. And that's exactly what Apple TV+ got with "Dr. Brain," which is sitting on an 80% critics' score and a 79% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes — strong numbers in and of themselves, and especially so for a show that's not exactly a mainstream sort of TV series. "A mad, thrilling mix of Inception and Frankenstein," raves The Daily Beast about the show.

"Dr. Brain" is almost clinical in its exploration of memory, grief, and consciousness. And its imagery — from the human brain to synaptic connections to dreamlike memoryscapes — leans heavily on visual metaphor, something that's a bit unusual for mainstream K-dramas that tend to stay grounded in plot-driven storytelling. To someone like me who watches a ton of Korean content, that makes the show actually feel closer to Western psychological thrillers than to typical K-drama fare. But don't get me wrong; that's not a bad thing at all.