Apple TV+ Produced Korean Sci-fi Thriller Drama, 'Dr. Brain' To Compete With Netflix

Drama Dr Brain produced by Apple TV+ in Korea. (photo: screenshot of apple TV + )

JAKARTA - Following Netflix's South Korean hit with "Squid Game", Apple Inc has launched its first Korean-language original series this month. This launch coincides with the launch of the Apple TV+ streaming service in South Korea.

Based on the Korean webcomic of the same name, "Dr. Brain" is a six-episode sci-fi thriller about cold-hearted neurologist Koh Sewon who tries to find clues to a mysterious family accident through brain experiments.

Apple's “robbery” of Korean original content comes as the country's entertainment industry achieves new global popularity, from k-pop superstars like BTS to the 2020 Oscar-winning South Korean film "Parasite," and now "Squid Game," which saw Netflix launch a biggest original series.

Director Kim Jee-woon said after the successive success of the Korean content, global audiences are starting to understand Korean culture through the artwork and that they have put in extra efforts to get the translation right.

"I hope Dr. Brain can prove that there is a wide variety of works in South Korea that cover as much variety of genres, sensibilities, and material as previous Korean mega-hit series," Kim said in an interview with Reuters.

Lead actor Lee Sun-kyun, who will be familiar with international audiences from his role in "Parasite", said his role as Koh is one of a man who gets dragged into an "emotional vortex" whose relationship with other people's thoughts makes him reflect on his own mistakes.

"This is a very immersive sci-fi mystery thriller, but at the same time it is a drama about how a man who is feeling poor accepts other people's emotions because of the side effects of brain scans," Lee told Reuters.

"Dr. Brain" debuted on November 4 when Apple TV+ launched in South Korea, with other available original content dubbed or with Korean subtitles. For now, it lags far behind its rival, Netflix, in South Korea, which has been offering both licensed and original Korean content for several years.

The launch of the TV service in South Korea comes as Apple is one of several US tech giants facing new regulations in the country forcing them to open their app store for third-party payments.

The growing number of over-the-top (OTT) media service platforms such as Netflix, Apple TV+, and Disney Plus, which are finding new popularity in the era of the pandemic, have allowed actors to explore roles they might not otherwise have been able to take on.

"The COVID-19 era has come with a new era for drama production," said Lee.