The central premise of Night Head is rooted in the theory that humans only use a fraction of their brain's capacity, with the remaining seventy percent—dubbed the Night Head—being the source of latent psychic abilities. The story follows brothers Naoto and Naoya Kirihara, who possess powerful supernatural gifts. Frightened by their children's unexplainable powers, their parents abandoned them, leading to the brothers being confined for fifteen years within a secretive research facility known as the Mikuriya Institute. This institute, hidden deep within a forest, is protected by a powerful spiritual barrier designed to shield its contents from the negative psychic energy of the outside world.

The series begins when the brothers finally escape this confinement, seeking to live normal lives. However, they quickly discover that the outside world has not become more accepting of people like them. Instead, they find themselves caught in a struggle far greater than their own search for freedom, as they must fight against a coming new revolution that threatens humanity. As they navigate a society that fears and persecutes psychics, the Kirihara brothers become entangled in a series of supernatural cases. Their journey gradually reveals a larger conspiracy involving a global corporation that seeks to exploit the psychic energy of gifted individuals.

The original live-action television drama aired in Japan from 1992 to 1993 on Fuji TV. The show starred Etsushi Toyokawa and Shinji Takeda as the two psychic brothers and was created by George Iida. Despite its late-night time slot, the series was a critical and popular success, leading to an expanded franchise that includes a sequel series, a special episode, a theatrical film that served as a conclusion to the TV storyline, as well as novels, manga, and a video game.