Mr. Plankton

Justice for heung!!

I was really excited for this one. I had a feeling this might be the best kdrama of year 2024 but I guess I was wrong. It was not that great as I expected.

I enjoyed the first 6 episodes because they were chaotic, dramatic and full of adventure. I enjoyed the road trip part of the drama more. There was laughter amongst all chaos. All the mess was too fun to watch. Heung trying to rescue Jae mi and the thugs trying to find Hae Jo was too hilarious. But it all went down after the roadtrip ended and they all came back to their lives. This is where I feel like the drama lost its charm. It got predictable and dragging towards the end.

The thing that bothered me the most was the way Jae mi and heung ended. She never looked back after the guy literally tracked her all over Korea to rescue her. She left him just like that and went back to the guy who had previously abandoned her!!!!It was messed up. I know Hae Jo was the ML and jae mi would eventually go back to him but I was hoping this time writers will do something different (as Hae Jo will die in the end) but they didn’t. Heung was too good of a person and I never thought I will find him this adorable. I guess I wanted a better ending for him. As it felt incomplete to me.

Jo jae mi was hella confused character. She hated Hae Jo, blamed her menopause on him, and wanted him to die but then suddenly she was soo in love with him again that she forgot all about heung??? She was either too chirpy or crying all the time!! No in between. I did find her annoying at times bcz I don’t like that much crying. Nonetheless she was a unique character.i do believe she owned heung a better apology..

Hae Jo was also a confused personality . I couldn’t fully understand him. He was tough but he was also soft !! He was in love with Jae mi then why he let her go the first time ? I didn’t understand why he took her along while looking for his father !!! Maybe he just wanted to stop her wedding but couldn’t say that to her. Most importantly i didn’t discover his reason for abandoning jae mi the first time, which made their story incomplete to me. How was he suddenly soo crazy about her when he left her previously!!!

Heung !!! My favourite character. I feel like jae mi actually just took more from him than gave him. He kept his promises and was left with nothing. In the end the story became all about jae mi and hae jo which made his character irrelevant.. The last 3 episodes were just dragging the story bcz nothing really happened in them !! Did heung got closure ? Did jae mi apologise to heung for abandoning him? Did Hae Jo found his real father ? No, none of these things happened soo basically the last episodes were pointless. The only thing that happened was that Hae Jo went to his father and that’s that. Honestly Hae Jo’s death wasn’t a shocker and it wasn’t very sad either. But the character that made me sad was heung!!

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Fatherless Algae

First and foremost, what's really with the title? I mean why a plankton? When I studied science, it is correlated with an algae and micro organisms. I don't get the relevance. It would have been better if it's A Frozen Sperm or DNA perhaps.
Anyways, this is not my usual cup of tea when it comes to drama. But, this...is definitely one of my rare exceptions.

It started kinda dark for me. ML is absolutely not a likeable character. But, who cares? as long as the abs are so hot right?!!! 😁
FL is also not a likeable character but more of pitiful. The chemistry of the leads are simply insane. Oh yes, another notable character, the second ML. At first, I thought I would love his character better than the ML but, as a man, he kinda felt weak in terms of being able to live independently. These three complicated characters gave this drama more depth to the story that will make you get hooked till the end. This was definitely well written. Like, how each character was entangled to one another.
no need to point out every scene. It is way better being watched than being read.

There are some thoughts that I have, which I think should have been improved , story wise. For the ML, given the journey he went thru just to look for the biological father, It would have been great if he succeeded in finding the right one. Partly, to give him closure as well. Though, the father he loved and acknowledged reciprocated that thought a bit late in the end. Second, I was hoping his sickness can be cured by 2ML using TCM. And mentioning that skill, I thought that career would give 2ML a chance to be able to live independently. As for the FL, am not sure if she was thankful to meet the biological mom which she longed for. And yes, the ending that I was hoping for is that she'll get pregnant with ML. That her pre menopausal was a misdiagnosis from the hospital. She'll give birth to baby boy and will name him after his father. After that, 2ML will take responsibility being the father after ML left from his sad fate. These were just scenarios that I for in the finale.

Given said that, the ending felt lacking for me. Oh and I also ship Bong Suk and Yoo Gi Ho. I was kinda looking forward for any development on their chemistry in the end. John Na is another likeable character in this drama. I'm just kinda confused if he was an adopted son of Beom Ho Ja. And that BL feels between him and 2MLwas just hilarious.

Overall, this was truly a hidden gem. All the casts deserve a best acting award, specially the main leads. The best thing about this drama, it has a balance of everything....a dark, family oriented, hilarious, romantic, full pack action melodrama.
Gave this an 8.5 Could have been higher if only I got the ending I was hoping for.

Lastly, California Dreamin' rings to my ears after watching this. 😁

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Impactful drama

Wow I finished this one at 2 am this morning, went to sleep, and woke up thinking about it. I loved this drama. I don't know if you'll like it, but I think this was a really important drama to me.

Were there things that could only occur in fiction that happened, like stealing someone from a hospital, or ripping the toupee off of a major Pharmaceutical CEO in order to get a paternity test? Yes, absolutely. But I think when you're watching a piece of fiction, you need to be able to suspend your disbelief while you're watching. Fiction has the privilege to do what only fiction can do, and twist reality to make the story work. And this one worked with those liberties.

But it also really got me thinking, and i think it had a lot to say. One thing was, sometimes you can do everything right and it still won't work out. Eo Heung did everything correctly. He loved Jae Mi with all that he had, and he didn't do anything wrong, but she still didn't pick him. That's reality. Even Hae Jo didn't do anything wrong to start. All he did was be born, but the circumstances were all f'ed up. He acted in ways that were consistent with abandonment PTSD, and treated others in a way that would allow him to easily abandon them first so he would never be abandoned unilaterally again.

Another thing was about how fleeting life is. I think this is the one that hit me the most. We know exactly how this one is going to end from the opening scene. And we also know how this life of ours is going to end. With death. And it's inevitable. But should you not watch this drama, or live your life, because you know how it's going to end? I think knowing the ending should not influence how you enjoy the story, or how you enjoy life. The little moments, like getting food with a loved one or simply watching them walk away, while they keep peeking around the corner to make you smile, or reconnecting with someone who you lost contact with, or watching a sunset, are what add meaning and make the ending worth it. Those moments are all we end up having at the end. And I'd like to live with that in mind going forward, especially since it's the start of the New Year. That the little mundane moments with people you see every day are actually what matter. Stop worrying about tomorrow so much. Today, and right now, is all that exists.

Again, I loved this drama. It's going in my Top 10.

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on the edge of death AND more sexy then ever

First SPOILERS ASIDE it was a really great drama. Love the acting and the story. It had some cliche moments but it really didn't bother me bc it was well written and almost all of the characters were behaving in a way that made perfect sense to me.
What I loved the most about this drama was the details.
[SPOILER FROM NOW ON] For example at the beginning we see how all of his fishes eventually dies and later on we see that THE RINGS THEY ONCE WORE are in the FISH TUNK. AND SHOES. Like she got expensive fancy boots and she really liked them and when they got lost she was sulking BUT she never chose them, she was just facing the fact that she need to wear them. AND SHE CHOSE THAT FKING UGLY AHH SHOES AND HAEJO BOUGHT THEM. AND THEY LITERALLY SAVED HER LIFE LIKE WHAAT. Absolute cinema if you'd ask me.
What I didn't like was the whole Sunglasses John Dude plot. It was so obviously gay and then just like that it was not??? I SAW GAY SO I SAID GAY and I won't elaborate. Watch again if you don't know what I'm talking about. It was just so stupid. I also hated how after ONE meeting with his sister he never see her again. I JUST LOVE TRAGIC FAMILY BONDING and I was hoping he'd give her the love she deserved but he just went to meet his stupid father okay give me nothing.
I could like the ending more. It was not bad at all and his last sight being her was tragically lovely but I was so ready to Jaemi falling pregnant after all, having a kid and telling them stories about their father...

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A DRAMA WITH LOST POTENTIAL

Have Mixed feelings about this Drama.
It's not bad or the best. The Actors did their best, and the Music was good, too.
The story may be good on paper, but the mixed screenplay and pacing let this drama down.
I wanted to like this drama, and I really liked the Main leads, their cute Chemistry and all the side characters, but I couldn't connect with them emotionally.
I am generally very emotional and excited about Melodrama but I didn't feel those emotions here,
Tho, I felt sad in some parts but didn't cry or feel emotional. For some Odd reason, it reminded me of "It's okay to be not okay" drama a lot, tho these two different types of Drama.
Overall it is a Good drama for Spare Time or in a Drama slump.
My Overall Rating: 7.5

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A beautifully shot, emotionally devastating journey… with a few frustrating loose ends.

I write really long reviews but here's a summary. Keep in mind this is just my opinion and I don't mean to offend anyone ❤️

❗SPOILERS AHEAD❗

The Good:

The Storyline
They really committed to the realism with that ending — no magical recovery, no love-powered miracles, just death. And weirdly, I respect that. Hae Jo’s gradual shift from not caring about life to desperately clinging to it was handled with such subtlety, it wrecked me. Like, actually had me sobbing. You feel his transformation, which makes his death hit even harder.

The Ending
That final scene with his dad? Brutal and beautiful. Watching all versions of Hae Jo hug his father — child, teen, adult — felt like his soul was finally at peace. It was symbolic, emotional, and honestly? Perfect closure.

The Scenery
Every frame was wallpaper-worthy. The cinematography team did not come to play. Especially that final backdrop — if you’re gonna die, might as well do it with a killer view.

Woo Do Hwan
Woo. Do. Hwan. That’s it. That’s the review.

The (Possibly Real) Father Theory
Okay, I might be reaching, but the second dad totally felt like the real dad. The show never confirmed it, but the emotional parallels were suspicious. Both he and Hae Jo lashed out at people they cared about when feeling cornered — textbook self-sabotage. Their similarities ran deep, and honestly? That fish market bonding scene had too much heart for it to be fake. Maybe he didn’t mean to screw everything up — maybe he just didn’t know how to handle finally having something good. Sound familiar?

The Bad
Jae Mi Deserved Better
The trailer teased a love story, but Jae Mi ended up feeling like a narrative prop. While Hae Jo found peace (read: died) and Heung found freedom, Jae Mi just… existed. Her arc barely went anywhere. No closure, no growth, not even a final scene to show where she landed. The show really said, “Thanks for your service, now exit stage left.”

Character Development? Where?
For a man on the clock, Hae Jo didn’t grow much. He just kept abandoning Jae Mi, feeling bad about it, then doing it again like it was a hobby. Compare that to other dramas where terminal characters find emotional clarity — Hae Jo stayed in his mess. By the end, it felt less like a tragic hero and more like a guy stuck in a loop.

The Dad’s Mystery Vibes
Why did the dad never explain himself? He clearly kept mementos and cared on some level, but we never get a reason for why he ghosted his literal child. That flashback where he pretends not to know Hae Jo? Weird. And then… nothing. The emotional math wasn’t mathing.

The Final Goodbyes Fell Flat
His last moments with Bong Suk and Gi Ho were rough — and not in a cathartic way. Bong Suk, who was clearly a mother figure, got hit with a cold “you meant nothing to me” monologue before he dipped. Gi Ho, the ultimate ride-or-die, barely got a proper sendoff. These two loved him unconditionally, and he couldn't give them one final moment of sincerity? Painful.

Abrupt Ending, So Many Loose Ends
Yes, he’s Mr. Plankton — he drifts. But did the plot have to drift off with him? The second he dies, the show just… ends. No follow-up, no grief montage, no hint of what happens next. We don’t know what became of Jae Mi, the business, the gangsters, the dad — anything. Bold choice? Sure. Satisfying? Not even a little.

Final Thoughts
Mr. Plankton is a rollercoaster — heartbreaking, hilarious, and deeply human. It’s a raw, poetic story about life, death, and the messy, beautiful connections we stumble into along the way. Woo Do Hwan delivers an unforgettable performance, and the show’s refusal to sugarcoat reality? Bold and brutal in the best way.

That said, it’s not without bumps. Some characters were left undercooked, the ending felt rushed, and too many threads were left dangling. Still, its emotional honesty and gorgeous visuals leave a lasting impression. It’s not perfect, but it sticks with you. If you’re into bittersweet endings, painfully real characters, and male leads who are (almost unfairly) attractive — this might just be your next favorite. A strong 7/10, and with a bit more closure, it could’ve easily hit a 9.

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How can something so heartbreaking be so beautiful?

I wasn't prepared for the emotional rollercoaster this love story would take me on.

Woo Do Hwan's performance as Hae Jo was so raw, so layered, and so utterly convincing that it was difficult not to feel stirred by his internal conflict, helplessness, and emotional turmoil throughout his wild adventure into nowhere, searching for love and meaning before the end of his life. As the viewer, we not only sympathize with the plight of his character, but we become so invested in trying to get to know and understand him that we get completely lost in the storyline, secretly hoping that he would find a resolution that wouldn't make his destination so heartbreaking.

Of course, Lee You Mi's performance as Cho Jae Mi and Oh Jung Se's performance as Eo Heung were fantastic as well. In fact, the whole cast did a stellar job, and I was simply blown away by absolutely everything this show had to offer.

It's funny because at first, I kept reading comments saying that there was a sad ending, and somehow I mistook that to mean the ending left the audience feeling unsatisfied and without closure. However, after giving it a watch, I realized that the ending was actually quite tastefully done. After all, not every show can end with the protagonist miraculously being cured of a terminal illness and running off into the sunset without a care in the world. Sometimes it's nice to let the viewer imagine the outcome they want. For example, we can imagine that perhaps Cho Jae Mi discovers that she did become pregnant after all, carrying on Hae Jo's legacy, or whatever other type of ending helps us feel better after seeing Hae Jo close his eyes. Perhaps they did it that way so they could produce a season 2 if the show is successful enough.

All I can say is that Mr. Plankton is definitely about the journey and not the destination... and what a wonderful journey it was! Yes, you will shed a tear (shhhh... just let it happen), but there are also plenty of laughs and thrilling moments too. I rated it as a 9/10 to avoid seeming biased... but deep down I want to give it a full ten stars and type my review using caps-lock so it's abundantly clear that Mr. Plankton is a masterpiece that deserves all the hype.

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Grab the tissus

Didn’t watch a K-drama for like 2 months because I was busy with other stuff, but I finally started a new one. Went through my list and picked Mr. Plankton… honestly, what a comeback show.

This drama had me feeling EVERYTHING. I laughed, I smiled, I cried (way too much actually…). The ending though…It should be illegal to kill off a character right after he finally found happiness. He was finally at peace, finally living his happy ending… and then they just took it all away. He said he wanted to die with a beautiful view, and yeah, he got it… but damn, my heart wasn’t ready.

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The Most Seemingly Insignificant Things Turn Out To Be The Most Important Ones

I have to admit, I only watched this for Woo Do Hwan. I came into this blind so I didn't know what to expect. This is probably one of the weirdest Korean rom-coms I've ever seen! But that's not to say that I didn't like it because I did to some extent. I didn't drop or watch it in installments so that counts for something. When I get bored with a drama, I would usually take a break from it and pick it up again days or even months later, or just drop it completely. That didn't happen with this.

The story follows Hae Jo, a runaway whose father practically discards him when he discovers Hae Jo isn't his biological son. He comes to believe that his life is an accident and that whatever happiness he might find is borrowed and temporary. Hence, he has issues with commitment and permanence. Woo Do Hwan plays this role to a tee. Very few actors can pull off an anti-hero type of character and remain sympathetic. His Hae Jo is a selfish jerk and yet you find redeeming qualities in him. You wanna punch him one minute but hug him the next. Do Hwan carries this show, imho. But that's not to discount the rest of the cast. I think they're great too. It's just that this is a Woo Do Hwan drama through and through. And if the lead role had been played by a lesser actor, it wouldn't have worked as well, I believe.

Plotwise, it's pretty angsty. Not that I avoid that sort of thing or have problems with sad endings. In fact, I rather liked how it ends. He came from thinking his life meant nothing to wanting to live because he realized his life is worth living. That to me is a powerful message. It's a story about life, love, regrets, second chances, and endings.

The production is more than decent with the music particularly standing out to me. I would've given this drama a higher rating if it had been shorter. They could've chopped it down to just 8 episodes and it wouldn't have affected the story at all. Too many unnecessary scenes that don't contribute much to the overall plot. My biggest beef with this drama though, is the toxic nature of the main couple's relationship and the constant ridiculousness and nonsensical behaviors of the characters. It drove me nuts! And that's why I only gave this an 8 out of 10.

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Very watchable

Feb 2025
Overall a pretty good watch; some laughs and some heart string plucking moments. Loved the cast, but not all the characters!

I found Hae-joo (WDH), to be pretty selfish really and aspects of the way WDH played him in certain situations, reminded me of his character Si-hyeon in Tempted/The Great Seducer.

He could be shockingly cold and hurtful, yet looking the way he does, with that bad-boy vibe, is incredibly alluring. He also instils great confidence at times. A dangerous combo.

FL character, Jae-mi, is quite sweet, and absolutely craves love, a family, and stability. Consequently she puts up with far more than most rational people ever would!

Both of them carry heavy baggage, which is their great dividing rift. I doubted Hae-joo would ever have approached Jae-mi again, if not for his diagnosis, and subsequent plan for his remaining days.

I felt for Eo Heung (OJS), who was the polar opposite of Hae-joo. However, he was far too naive and gullible. He lacked self-confidence for 90% of the drama, but then found amazing courage and confidence the rest of the time. I think I felt for him most.

Besides being amusing and quirky, it's also sometimes very violent, often OTT, but mostly incredibly watchable!

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