Mr. Plankton

2024 unexpected gem

saw snippets on tiktok and decided to give a try. only to finish it within 2 days, enjoyed every single episode.

a solid story accompanied by stunning visual cinematography. some might think it’s choppy because some scenes doesn’t seem to add up but I didnt feel anything out of place, in fact, the consistency the drama delivered from ep1-10.

do Hwan mentioned that this drama is like a road trip. in fact from the start, the drama brought us along on their journey, wandering without destination (sailing without a map <- rmbr Start Up, anyone?). this is more about their journey rather than focus on each character and their backstory, which is why throughout the whole drama, I didn’t mind when they didn’t focus too much on their past and history because it’s all about living in the present.

some mentioned that this drama is like uncontrollably fond v2.0. that drama was pure depression. lol.

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Even though you know the ending it's worth the watch.

What can I say about this bitter sweet romcom. From the first episode it makes you more than aware of how this series will end, but the more you watch it the sadness you feel is not because of the ending but because of the life they ended up having and the mistakes they made along the way. The male and female leads act their heart out. Between the playful fighting, the constant chasing and running away from everyone and everything, we see a beautiful love story between two broken, and in their words, unlucky people.
We witness, through flashbacks, their first meeting. We see them fall in love and live a beautiful life together as a couple. We also see their breakup.
After they have a chance meeting at a hospital whereby they both get bad news. The male lead then kidnaps the female lead from her wedding (he wants to find his biological father, and wants to take her along for the ride), and their bitter sweet love story commences.
All I can say is, yes it is definitely a sad story (you see it from the beginning of episode one), but the traumady is not as harsh as I was expecting. It shows that as long as you are with someone you love in your final moments in this world your life would have had some meaning, and you are the luckiest person to have lived.
If you want a typical happy ending story (boy meets girl. Boy and girl fall in love. Boy and girl get married) then don't watch this drama.
If you want to watch a bitter sweet love story, that looks at all aspects of love (family, friends who are like family, partners who become your family) then this is the series to watch. Well worth the 10/10 stars 🌟 🤩

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VINTAGE KDRAMA FEELS !!!

This show is has every element that all classic dramas has ,

First of all , the freaking chemistry between main leads , be it Hae jo and jo jae mi or jo jae mi and heung or heung and hae jo.
Also , the Bong suk and hae jo scenes were very well made and enjoyed each moment of them.

I really liked it , it's been a long time since i being watched a kdrama this real quick.

This show remained me why l like watching kdrama : ) . Thank you! Mr Plankton.

The male lead Hae Jo :

Bro has fun ( jae mi ) , brother ( heung) , luck ( bong) , friend (kkari) and in the end he, himself and his dream !!! So this has to be
a good ending drama for sure,..

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I guess it's a comedy because life can be funny even when it's not.

"Mr. Plankton" is a drama that makes it clear from the opening scene what exactly you are in for. Yes, a lot of the characters are comedic even though their situations are dark, but if you're a person who appreciates a good trigger alert know that abandonment issues, terminal illness, fertility issues, and hospice are major themes in this story. This story is also full of horrible circumstances, bad luck, and lingering hurt, so this isn't the kind of drama you watch for fun escapism. A lot of the dark comedy in this story is about how these characters interact with each other when their lives are at their lowest. The comedy is never so silly that it takes away from the impact of the drama. I was very invested in Hae Jo's journey with Jae Mi, no matter what odd turns the plot would take.

Woo Do Hwan is amazing to watch, and his charm shines through even when his character is super toxic. Hae Jo as a character managed to make me laugh at his worst behavior, and empathize with him when he was at his most vulnerable. Hae Jo's impulsive behavior made the story feel a little more unpredictable even with so many standard tropes. He is matched with Lee You Mi, whose epic role in Squid Game reminded me more of Hae Jo, but as Jae Mi she leans more into a more optimistic and upbeat character which was nice to see. They had great chemistry even when my rational brain couldn't root for their codependency, the natural fun they exuded together was palpable.

I liked the rest of the cast but Oh Jung Se as Eo Heung was the stand-out among them. I loved him so much as Sang Tae in "It's Okay to Not Be Okay", and he brought a lot of those same elements to this role even though he is an entirely different character. Kim Hae Sook playing his mom was also great to see since she is one of my all-time favorite KDrama actresses. I also really enjoyed Jo Han Chul's guest role.

For people who hate love triangles, yes this one is a big part of the plot, but because the story is more about character development than just romance it may not be as upsetting to watch, and is often played up for laughs much more than for drama.

Would I watch this again? Maybe. It is a short drama, and I did enjoy the characters, but for me, a lot of the themes were a little too intense to want to rewatch. There were also points in the story that felt like filler and a few characters that got a lot of screen time that I thought could have been better with less like Oh Dae Hwan as the gangsta set on revenge and the odd mysterious bodyguard John (?). I wish instead more time was spent on the stories and perspectives of the main characters, and less on cheesy fights and slapstick humor, but I guess that would make the whole drama more dark than they wanted it to be.

Plus, some of the repeated songs did start to drive me a little crazy, and not in a good way.

As a new Woo Do Hwan fan, maybe just watching him is enough to justify a rewatch. Yes, He's THAT good.

I was unsure about how I felt about this drama once it was over, but I found it tragically sad but also inspiring. I loved the theme of following your path as you go and appreciating what you have instead of harping on what you don't have or can't do. Yes, I expected to be heartbroken at the end but instead, I felt unsettled which I think is better and a more realistic ending feeling. We don't necessarily know the fate of all of the characters but we know how they faced their issues about family, discovering where they belong, and how this odd character of Hae Jo impacted their lives.

Overall, I feel like this is a good drama to watch if you are ok with inevitable tears. This is not a drama that attempts to solve the meaning of life but honors the journey for all its happiness and misery and unmet expectations and imperfections. It's also beautifully directed, and the episodes flow seamlessly into each other for great binging.

I got to visit a Bioluminescent Bay in Puerto Rico so the imagery of plankton shining was a vivid one for me. I love the idea of glowing plankton as witnessing unexpected beauty and purpose in small seemingly insignificant things and stars as the glow of what has long been gone. Hae Jo's perspective is an interesting one to follow as it changes and evolves, but his Plankton perspective was especially touching, and his observations never felt heavy-handed or sappy which made its emotional impact stronger on me.

It's not a perfect drama, and there are plenty of clichés throughout, but the main characters in "Mr. Plakton" are what made me a fan. I also appreciated a sobering look at how life may not always be fair but there's still space for laughter, love, joy, hope, and redemption until your very last moment.

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Best drama, sad ending !

Really this drama is amazing. The story is a bit stupid to be honest, yet you cannot stop watching until the end. Why? well, maybe the mix of emotions you have while watching the story : You can go from laughing one minute, then cry the next.
The acting is also fantastic. Kim Min Seok is very cute as the unlucky bad boy and Woo Do Hwan is sexy as usual.
But the trio with Woo Do Hwan, Lee You Mi and Oh Jung Se was very satisfying. A love triangle that is not at each others throat is a change I liked. Usually the want revenge, but here is about love and understanding.
One of the best drama this year!

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Funny, cute and veryyy sad

i definitely didn’t think id love this kdrama so much, i just started watching it for the main cast ofc mainly for woo dohwan but i loved the story soo much, the pace was perfect and every ep was soo entertaining, i cried almost every ep cuz the acting was soo good and i could feel every single emotion that the cast portrayed💯 i loved all the characters and how different and unique each one of them were, i also love the ending, the sad ending was unavoidable since he was dying and even tho it was sooo sad it was still the best ending in my opinion, both main leads stories break my heart but at least they experienced real love even if it didn’t really last unfortunately☹️ id love to watch this again… definitely worth the time and id definitely recommend👍🏼

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California dreamin' in Korea

A complete k-drama, from start to finish.
Starting on full scale with characters introducing themselves full of angst to a complete do-over of their life's choices.

I've watched this drama as a complete 10episode, no more no less and I feel complete.
From the main story plot in search to one's father to discovering how short life can be yet how full can days on end and minutes can make one feel alive.

Hae Jo is taking over such an adventure of his life, discovering and living every moment to the fullest. The hardships and cool moments, the scenary, the music and the acting. All make him one of the most relatable and alive on screen character. Seeing him makes you realize how much can a man crave for boyhood and warmth, love and understanding. Ever searching for the one thing that he still missed to feel full.

Jae Mi is full of fighting spirit yet a renagated human of society. Figuring out where and how to fit in, all that she wants is that place. By Hae Jo's side one can see how much they complete each other and how we can find each others half, soul mate, twin flame or whatever piece we thought was missing. She is incomplete, frighten, weak at some point and naive yet that makes her relatable.

This drama can take you from full blast of laughter to the most awful pain and tears.
You cannot unsee this one but you MUST SEE IT for sure. As the song from the legendary The Mamas & The Papas "California Dreamin'" this is a tale of a fading dream, of one place in time and space.
You must see, hear and feel this drama to see what type of dream you can wonder off in this life and maybe appreciate (your) our own adventure.

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This made me start watching k-dramas again after a 4 years hiatus!

(this review could be biased by the fact that I actually imagined myself having children with that Man)
let's start by the most important factor that made this drama that good, THE ACTING, Woo Do Whan was too good I was feeling all the distress he was feeling, he is such a great actor that many times is judged only by his (EXTREMELY) good looks but he was outstanding and he should get more reconignotion for that, also the chemistry between the main couple was such a different vibe from the one they usually deliver in K-dramas, it was like they actually were a couple that were in love but then broke up but still love each other, and it's shown in the way they are not embarrassed and they feel very comfortable with each other.
The plot was cool but very tragic and made me stare at the wall thinking about how I am wasting my life not making the right choices.
The music choice was unexpected in the most positive way, California dreaming is stuck in my head rent free.
I would recommend this drama 100000/10 cause it's also the reason I am now starting watching dramas again. <3

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Mr. Plankton is an extraordinary K-drama that takes viewers on an emotional rollercoaster, blending humor, heartache, and profound moments of self-discovery. From the very first episode, I was captivated by the unique storytelling and the depth of the characters

The series brilliantly balances lighthearted moments with heavy themes, such as abandonment and the quest for belonging and the The climax left me utterly devastated yet uplifted. I cried so hard at the end as Hae-jo came to terms with his identity and relationships, ultimately realizing that family is not solely defined by blood but by love and connection. The final scenes were beautifully crafted, leaving an indelible mark on my heart.

This K-drama is not just a story; it’s an experience that encourages viewers to cherish every moment and appreciate the people who truly matter in our lives. I wholeheartedly recommend Mr. Plankton to anyone looking for a series that will make them laugh, cry, and reflect on their own journey through life.

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