Mr. Plankton (2024)

One Last Emotional Ride With The Stolen Bride

If you have seen the trailer and read the synopsis, then you already know the drama will be a rollercoaster of emotions from humor to heartbreak. and it delivers everything spot on. You better have some tissues ready as there are plenty of moments where you will need them. The pacing is decent and I am glad they didn't make it 16 eps as it would have been extremely draggy to watch. Every character has their own scars they hide from others but slowly let it out and will have you root for their happiness. For me it is a one time watch as I don't want to go through all the rollercoaster again but would recommend to you if you are ready for such genres.

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When abuse is romanticized

I found Mr. Plankton to be one of the most toxic shows I have watched in a long time, which is why I decided to write this review. Maybe someone out there can find this review helpful when deciding to watch a show that frankly does not deserve the high rating it has received on this site. Some might even find a lot of the elements from this show to be triggering and disturbing, I know I did. I will list to the best of my ability the many things I came across after only watching 3 episodes of this series.

The Female Lead:
She is horribly written as a simpleton. She has no agency of her own. The two men on the show control her decisions, her actions. She is shown most of the time to be hysterical/ screaming, kicking, and flailing her arms about. Having tantrums like a small child. One of her first scenes is a ridiculously over the top one where she has a hysterical fit in what looks like a funeral parlor after finding out she's going through menopause early. I was about to stop watching the show right there. She has this tantrum because she is set to marry her fiance, who happens to be from an elite family. She cannot bear his child and so the world has ended for her. Her whole purpose in life, therefore, is reduced to a man continuing his bloodline. Her ex, the ml, kidnaps her on her wedding day and she again has no purpose or motivation of her own. She is at the whim of her captor and what he wants. We the viewer, never get any insight on her character. She is very much a 2D prop for the male lead and 2nd male lead of the show.

The Male Lead:
This male lead is one of the most despicable character's I've come across in recent years. He reminds me of toxic male leads found in some of the worst 90s/00s dramas...Boys over Flowers, anyone? I thought we had gotten past the abusive/sexist stories of yesteryear, where the fl is grabbed by force into a car and it's considered romantic. Judging by the comment section of Mr. Plankton and the many positive reviews, I guess not. What a pity. Anyway, back to this particular male lead. He is abusive, cunning, and overall unlikable. I couldn't find one redeeming quality about him, which is a problem when the show makes it out that we should care about him dying.

Some of the things ML does in only the first 3 ep:
*Broke up with Female lead in the past in a cruel manner saying she's "No fun."
*Kidnaps FL on her wedding day. Picks her up like a rag doll when she says no. Her head hits something and she is knocked out unconscious. FL is in her captor's car still unconscious as he drives away. Her head repeatedly bumps the window and it's shown as comical when it's anything but.
*FL tries to escape several times in the second episode and ML won't let her. He controls when and where she eats. What clothes she will wear etc.
*In 3rd episode, ML ties FL to a table with a cord so she can't escape. This scene again is shown in a light comical way.
*Took one of female lead's shoes and tossed it on a roof. Gave her slippers to wear, making her vulnerable and harder for her to escape.
*ML starts a fight with a restaurant family after they gave them food and a place to sleep.
*ML constantly teases and mocks FL and s*xually harasses FL with taunts
*ML grabs FL and forces her in a car after he sees fiance has found them
*Fiance points taser gun at ML and ML grabs FL and puts her in front of himself as a shield.
*Episode 3 ends with ML grabbing FL's wrist once again and saying he will never let her go.

Object vs. Subject:
Male lead at the end of episode 3 claims to the FL, "You're mine." Now remember this is after he kidnapped this woman, dragged her into his mess of a life, and repeatedly manhandled her. He clearly see's the FL as an object he must possess and not a human being. The problem is that the show sees the female lead in the same way and even encourages it. This scene at the end of the episode is made to seem like this kind of behavior is romantic and not the horror sh!t show it actually is. The writing and tone for this show is so problematic that it's hard to put into words. To sum it up, the male lead is always the subject and the female lead is merely the object...This is the story of an unlikable abusive a$$hole that kidnaps an ex and forces her on a road trip to find his real father. I guess we viewers are like the FL, where we are just along for the ride and should feel compassion for the ML because he happens to be dying. Fck that!

Dropped
Rating: 1/10

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it made it to the list of my fav kdramas

I hesitated to begin this kdrama because I already knew he would die but as soon as I began to watch it I knew it was going on the list of my favs. I cant really explain why exactly I liked it so much but I love how "raw" and "real" it feels and i laighed quite a lot too so I binged the first 8 episodes but had to take a break before I watched the last episodes to prepare mentally.
I also watched the smile has left your eyes and compared to that the dead in mr plankton seems oddly satisfying/happy. I mean they pretty much fulfilled everything they wanted to do and were happy until the end. I would love to watch it again but I don't know if I will really get myself to put it on again. in addition to that it got beautiful OSTs

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ripping out my heart and leaving me to bleed out

this was really fun and really fucking depressing at the same time. it's not like i wanted to be alive anyway.
the leads had incredible chemistry and when i say incredible i mean INCREDIBLE. i fully believe that had they chosen anyone else, it wouldn't have worked as well; many of the scenes seemed to me like they were bts they included anyway, so it just looked really natural. also she was so cute and he was so hot and they made an incredible visual feast.
he was kind of a red flag at the beginning (he literally kidnaps her), but luckily for him i'm colorblind

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A great gem

May i start with.. I rarely leave reviews, like seriously, this is my second or third review ever, and I've watched my fair share of dramas.

The story is beautiful, main lead has just found out that he has 3 months to live so he re-connects with his ex-girlfriend and goes on a search for his biological father, so to say, his last mission before death.

From start to end the drama is beautiful, funny, crazy and super sad, it tucked on my heartstrings big time. And the OST, oh my, it's perfect!
I haven't watched such an amazing emotional roller-coaster for quite a while and this will stay with me for a long time, a true gem ❤️
Actors - oh my, 11/10, perfection!

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JOINING HAE JO IN THE FINAL DRIFT OF HIS LIFE

The day we are born, our date of departure is also decided. Death is something we all know is inevitable, yet we're never truly prepared to face it. Without giving away too many spoilers, this is the first time I've seen a story where, instead of seeking a cure, the protagonist opts to do some last-minute homework. Out of the blue, he decides to find his father (a sperm donor), convinced that his disease was inherited from him—despite never considering that his mother could have been the carrier.

Anyway, moving on, he ends up kidnapping his ex to accompany him on his adventure. Why? Because she's dealing with premature menopause, and somehow he decides to take her along. Logic? Don’t ask me. Maybe he just wanted to try his last shots at fertilizing her fallopian tubes before his time runs out—who knows?

Yet, despite all this absurdity, the story is surprisingly captivating. It made me laugh like crazy and cry like hell.

What I liked best:

1. Actors: The cast is incredible—seasoned artists, many of whom have been in the industry for decades.


2. Character depth: The leads, in particular (and everyone else, in general), have their own backstories that genuinely make you feel connected to and sympathetic towards them. For instance, the second lead, who has always been timid around his mother, undergoes significant character development. By the end, he transforms into a confident person unafraid to speak his mind.


3. Plot: The storyline is focused and concise, with no unnecessary detours. In fact, such narratives don't have room for conspiracy theories or melodramatic suspense.


4. Realistic ending: The male lead doesn’t survive. It’s tragic but also very realistic. Writers can pen countless miracles, but we know that in real life, such situations rarely end in a fairy tale.


In terms of the music, it was decent—perhaps not entirely to my taste, but it wasn't bad either.

I'm genuinely glad that Korean writers are experimenting with their typical storytelling tropes. We're moving away from the heavy makeup and designer outfits to something more raw, with imperfect backgrounds. Even the actors are expanding their range, taking on roles that go beyond merely being eye candy.

However, the re-watch value is zero. No matter how good it was, I wouldn’t recommend sticking to this gloomy story a second time.

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Great storyline with fenomenal acting of Do Hwan that makes you laugh & cry.

I was hooked from the first episode, as the drama keeps you entertained all the time. There is no boring moment or bad scene or useless character. The drama has great screenwriting, and the director has done a superb job. The drama will make you laugh and will make you cry.

I have to say Do Hwan was perfect for this role; he slayed! I am really impressed with his performance, and their chemistry is amazing. They took us on an amazing journey, even though we knew it would not be a happy ending. I loved the dynamic of the drama and all the characters.

Even though you will cry your eyes out in the last episode, it's worth it. Do Hwan's acting was phenomenal. It will stay with me for a long time.

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Mr Plankton or how to turn an awfully sad fate into a fun story.

At first you get some "uncontrollably fond" vibes but you quickly understand that it is totally different. This drama is like its main character, it does whatever it wants, it's never really serious and it literrally ends with him. You can like or dislike the end but it actually stays true to itself.

You keep smilling even in teary moments,. Sometimes, you feel the sadness and the heartbreak but end up laughting...
You can like or dislike that but we have to recognize that it's a prowess and salute the actors skills.
Plus, the chemistry between the leads was good even when they were exes so it really didn't disappoint on the romance part.

A wee bit disappointed by the OST tho. It's a mini kdrama and what we've got is not bad but it feels like they didn't put in too much effort.

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Not for everyone especially if you're too emotional of a person.

I overall loved the series, it was built on a great storyline and amazing acting. I know it's marked as comedy drama but just proceed with caution especially if you've lost a loved one from cancer. I had a panic attack by the end of the series bc of how real everything around the person with the illness was depicted sooo yeah, it's not for you if you have a weak stomach. I wish we could see a little more of the dad and how he felt and delt with Hae Jo leaving home and him learning about Hae Jo at the end, I believe it would add a bit more to the story or well it would probably make me cry a bit more ig.

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