Mr. Plankton

so worth it

will i ever be okay again? i fear i will not.
genuinely went into this drama expecting it to be a darkish sad drama but goddamn 😭😭
honestly, at first i didn't think Mr. Plankton would be a good drama but since i cannot not binge watch fully released dramas, i decided to do the same with this one. i got addicted so quick and turns out this will be one of my favourites of all times. i fully recommend this, it's so so worth it PLUS the casting is insane.
i love everything about this drama but hell i didn't expect this amount of pain...
never getting over this

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cool, soon-to-be classic

A gem. 10 episodes at 1hr ea. and the first really brilliant kdrama in the new international streaming formats. A black comedy.

Woo Do Hwan was born to play this role: a tragi-comic loner with a big heart and a mordant sensibility. No other current leading drama actor could have carried off this character's combination of sensuality and innocence in the squalid universe in which he lives. In the Korean context his theory of the life of a drifter as an essential micro-organism in the life of society is fundamentally radical. As a runaway from the psychologically unbearable life of a 'good son' in the Korean upper middle class he also has the chameleonic-like ability to insert himself into varying social strata which is necessary to a conman, but he uses these abilities to help others (for big bucks of course).

An original script which combines generic expectations from kdrama (romedy and crime) and from the common international cinematic universe (road movies, riches to rags sociological commentary). These serve to maintain dramatic interest and emotional involvement while still streamlining out some of the more baroque parts of lengthier classic kdrama.

As a road movie, relationships are developed and memories are dissected by two characters at a time, in the intimate space of the two front seats. Theatrically, the setting in the fluid life of the underclass in a time of extreme social stratification, has been an eternally fascinating subject, whether in the cinema of mid-century US and Europe or in 21st century Korean films and drama.

The farce-like stock characters of kdrama (and some less common ones) set up expectations in the viewer which are quietly subverted as their pasts and present are slowly revealed. And some of my favourite stock memes still remain: a funny love triangle, an end-episodes reintegration of the small band and bonds of the main characters, standard and wickedly funny gang involvement, fields of onggi and often a vaguely familiar mysterious character, here John Na, a sunglass-cool bodyguard.

In fact the development of the character arcs is the heart of the drama so I have to stop here to avoid spoilers. GO RIGHT NOW TO THE SHOWPAGE and start watching with a fresh and happy mind open to this wonderful tear-jerker of a romedy-action-road drama.

A Netflix original show, with the composer Kim Taesong. Writer -- Jo Young.

simultaneously posted on viki

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I LOVEEE THIS KDRAMA

I LOVEEE THIS KDRAMA SOOO MUCH BUT WTF WAS THAT ENDING! I KNOW WE GOT A FORESHADOWING BUT STILLLLL WHAT THE ACTUAL F*CKKKK I CRIED SOOOOOOO MUCH!!! I LOVED THE CASTNG, STORY, THE FUNNY MOMENTS AND THE SAD MOMENTS, I FELL IN LOVE WITH EVERYONE OF THEM IN ONLY 10 EPISODES. I WISHHHH IT WERE LONGER, AT LEAST 16 EPISODES LIKE USUAL AND I WISHH THEY GOT A HAPPY ENDING TOGETHER LIKE HOW WAS HE SO UNLUCKY. HE GOT A F*CKING FORE LEAF CLOVER JUST BEFORE HE DIED HE WAS SUPPOSED TO GET SOME KIND OF LUCK BUT NO HE DIDNT, THE ONLY LUCKY THING WAS THAT HE GOT TO DIE HOW HE WANTED TO AND NOT JUST THE SKY BUT ALSO SAW THE WONAN HE LOVED. HE LITERALLY SMILEDDDDD WHILE HE WAS DYING WTFFFFF. IM STILL CRYING AND FEEL LIKE IT WONT BE ENDING SOON IM JUST AMAIZED OF HOW GOOD THIS KDRAMA WAS IN ONLY 10 EPISODES AND I FEEL LIKE I ACTUALLY WONT BE ABLE TO MOVE ON.

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The vacation is about to end

This drama was a surprisingly beautiful journey.
I must admit I have a lot of interest in Woo Do Hwan... However, I am seeing an totally different person in here. We like an actor who tries different roles !
The male lead is reckless, selfish, immature and with separation anxiety/abandonment issues which can turn him into quite the assbutt. (trying to be polite)
I think that what I appreciated the most was the fact he is far from being perfect and they are not trying to make him perfect in our eyes. They are trying to make us empathize and the last scene forces us to finally see things from his point of view.

Anyway, in my opinion it is a must watch if you like road trips and crying.

PS : California dreamin' had a special place in my heart before, now i'm not even sure i have a heart.

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So funny, but my tears are falling

I usually wouldn't want to watch a tragic drama like this, but after seeing a clip of it, I decided to give it a try. I'm so glad I watched it — it was truly the right decision.

It all starts with the very quirky character names, like Hae Jo, which in Korean sometimes sounds like a word for asking for help. Then there's Jae Mi, which sounds like the word for "funny" in Korean, Eo Heung, which sounds like the growl of a tiger, and the comedic highlight is in the name John Na.

This drama really showcases both the romantic comedy and dark comedy genres, making you shake your head as you watch. The most impressive part for me is that I could easily enjoy the presence of all the characters. There really are no "useless characters" in this drama, as each one has solidified their existence with a very unique personality.

It's an odd kind of love triangle, but it gets resolved in a satisfying way. And once again, Oh Jung Se is in a great drama. His character reminds me of Sang Tae (maybe because the writer is the same), but a wiser version (when he's not being a fool in love), similar to his role in Revenant.

I’ve never really connected with Woo Do Hwan’s dramas, but in this one, I was completely mesmerized by him. ((Even though I’m sure Hae Jo hardly ever showers, lol)). Hae Jo’s character really hits that frustration point for me. I thought, how could the writer torture a character this much? Of all the dramas I’ve watched, I feel like Hae Jo is the most unfortunate character (previously, it was Gu Sanyeong in Revenant).

But I think maybe Hae Jo is just someone who easily finds joy... (well, the smell of fried chicken is enough to make him follow a stranger). Even at the end, he feels like his life is more than enough. He says that the last moments of his life were really cool and fun. Even though he wishes he could live longer... well... sigh.

Maybe I also feel that Hae Jo’s life up until now is like a bonus, because if he had gone with his mother to see the stars back then, he probably would have died with her.

I’ve never doubted Lee Yoo Mi’s acting. The first time I saw her in a web drama, she already stood out compared to other actresses in web dramas. In this drama, her smile is so sweet, completely different from her role in All of Us Are Dead (ugh). She’s the cute and naive one — a perfect description for her character, Jo Jae Mi.

Unlike Hae Jo, who is so avoidant with everyone, probably because he’s afraid of being hurt again, Jae Mi is someone who never gives up, has no fear, and is naive. I feel like the word "give up" doesn’t exist in her vocabulary. She’s such a mentally strong character.

With all the bad luck she’s had, including early menopause, I’d say the writer was really too harsh on her, giving her a condition like that when all she wants is a family. But even so, she still manages to smile through it all. Her smile isn’t to hide sadness, but to express sincere and true happiness.

Jae Mi seems to say, "Okay, let’s try another way!"

What happens between Hae Jo and Jae Mi is definitely unfair to Eo Heung. But as a viewer, I also support them getting back together. Their relationship is so funny, but why is the writer so cruel to them? Eo Heung’s love for Jae Mi is truly sincere.

It’s been a while since I’ve seen Kim Min Suk in a K-drama. Even though his character here is somewhat similar to his roles in other dramas, this type of character is definitely the one that suits him best. His relationship with Hae Jo is one of love and hate. He always insults Hae Jo, but he’s the kind of person who would risk his life to help him.

Lee El always nails the role of a cool and quirky woman. Bong Suk really is a turning point for Hae Jo. Hae Jo would probably be dead or even become a criminal if he hadn’t met Bong Suk. Regardless of her job, Bong Suk truly sees Hae Jo as her child. The love from someone with no blood relation is immeasurable. This is so different from Jae Mi’s biological mother, who abandoned her for the second time.

I was initially suspicious of Hae Jo’s real mother, thinking she would immediately tell her husband and have Hae Jo abandoned. But it turns out she hid it (though stressed) and protected Hae Jo so that he wouldn’t be abandoned by his father, who at that time was overly concerned with his image. Even in the end, she still wanted to be with Hae Jo, which is why she invited him to go with her. Her position as a mother was really complicated, although the clinic is the one most at fault! How could they mix it up? — so stupid, ugh!

I like the resolution of this drama because the search for Hae Jo’s biological father only reaches a third party. So, the duration of the drama wasn’t wasted just searching for people. I think it’s because that’s not what’s really important. In the end, Hae Jo just wanted to meet his father again, no matter what, because his happiest memories were with that father — not his biological father, who only passed on misfortune to him.

I also like the open ending that doesn’t tell us whether Hae Jo truly dies at that moment or if he just faints like before. I think that’s the perfect ending. Whatever happens after that, the important thing is that Hae Jo’s bad memories have been replaced with beautiful ones.

Hae Jo is with the people he loves, and who love him back, in the end. This drama kind of shows that the saying "blood is thicker than water" isn’t always true.

As someone who’s always skeptical about Netflix originals (since some have been disappointing), I can confidently say that this is the best Netflix original drama I’ve ever watched in terms of plot and execution. The visuals and sound quality are top-notch (a trademark of Netflix). The story is quirky in a typical Netflix way, but it doesn’t make you furrow your brows. Instead, it makes you laugh, cry, and get angry. The emotional side of the story really hits, even with such a quirky plot.

The actors and actresses in this drama have amazing acting skills. Literally, every character is well-played. The plot is fun but not light, diving into different types of families, parents, and human nature.

This drama is both emotional and enjoyable to watch, to the point where I just watched it without taking the time to judge. I was completely immersed in the plot and emotions. Among the many great dramas that aired this year, I can confidently say that this is the best drama I’ve watched in 2024.

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K-Trauma of the Year 2024 goes to...

What a ride this drama took me on. *Mr. Plankton* gave me so much comfort, even though the ending was sad and inevitable. It’s not just about the love that Hae Jo and Joo Jae Mi share—it’s about the things that make life worth living.

The way it talks about life and death hit me hard. Life is so short, and death can come when we least expect it, so we need to live fully. Even if we feel lost or like we’re just drifting, it’s okay. There’s still value in living and trying to find our way.

This drama really stayed with me. It made me realize how important it is to make something out of life, no matter how small or insignificant we might feel. It was such a touching reminder to live, even when things seem uncertain or tough.

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Mr Plankton - The Emperor's new clothes

The writer of Mr Plankton (Jo-yong) has thrown away the rule book. Whatever you were expecting, it isn't. At first I saw noise, chaos, swearing, fighting. By the end I saw romance, caring, concern and love.
The actors chose this project and decided to leave their outer shells at the door. They trusted the writer, director and crew to undress them metaphorically and to wear strange and dangerous personalities. If you wanted predictable, nice and twee, it isn't. From the lead actors down to to the smallest parts, they have all worked hard to bring this caustic fairytale to us. If we hurt actors and production crews, we will only get the k-drama we deserve.
I recommend that you watch 100%.
Stay safe everyone.

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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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