Mr. Plankton (2024)

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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"Spat on me and I'll leave" . LOL. Very good drama

I have not been immersed in a Korean drama for a very long time before this one. Good dramas make you laugh and then you cry all your tears. This drama will make you do both at the same time.

WHAT I LIKED:
- The story is not predictable and has a good pace like it is a real adventure. The main lead really goes through changes despite looking so stubborn doing things like he wants only. FL is likeable despite always swearing at the ML.
- The end was well handled.
- The mix of humour (situation, irony, absurd, slapstick, noir, burlesque...) in the right dose to balance with the sad subjects tackled (orphan, loneliness, unhappiness, illness, death...)
- The acting. I loved the two lead actors WDH and LYM in this.
- The pictures, like it is fine photography.
- The soundtrack, especially the songs closing each ep.

WHAT DID NOT LIKE:
- SML actor is too old for the part. He looked twice the age of FL. At times, he looked and talked like he was the father of the ML.
- Don't smoke. It's bad for your health.

I really enjoyed watching this. Recommended. 10/10.

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Well…Goddamn…

I just finished the show and uhm… yeah … heavy ass K-Drama.

In the beginning I was invested, plot and storyline were so good and I was excited to start each new episode. The characters were funny and Woo Dohwan is naturally a very good actor that every character he plays is instantly likeable (despite them being assholes most of the time).

Side characters were good and everyone matched their aesthetic pretty well.

Now for the FL, I don’t really know how to describe it but— the actress just keeps playing the most annoying characters ever. Every damn time I see her in a show, her character is crying, screaming, hitting or having a breakdown. I mean she acts REALLY well. But my god, she was annoying as fuck.

I think I liked her character sometimes but most of the time the choices and actions she made were just so infuriating that I have no idea how Hae-Jo fell in love with her. She was extremely obnoxious although she has her sweet moments.

Towards the ending when things got bittersweet I started liking her a bit more. I guess once she found out Hae-Jo was dying she also became a bit nicer although still stupid and obnoxious but that was the point of her character I guess. Hae-Jo always said ‘what would you do without me when you’re this naive?’ and I guess the episodes truly showed how naive and stupid she is.

But I guess that was also her charm at the same time. She’s a human like everyone else so I guess I can’t hate on her obnoxious nature too much.

Speaking of, I wanted to also mention the side characters. Honestly, I liked all of them. Okay you know what, fuck it, yeah, I liked everyone. Although every character pissed me off atleast once in this show, somehow it made them more human…? I don’t know. I guess K-Dramas usually always show perfect people without flaws (well some shows), atleast they give characters stupid flaws that don’t make them seem annoying so they’re likable. But this K-Drama…phew. Everyone pisses you off lmao, but atleast in the end all of them also show their good sides and it just reminds you they’re just as much of a human like you are and they’re not so bad.

Okay I’m talking too much about the characters but uhm, the story overall. Wow. The abandonment and then finding out the person who abandoned you is truly your father in the first place…wow.

I mean they never revealed who his father is officially but let’s be real, even if Hae-Jo found his biological father, the father he had in the beginning will always be his father.

I’m a little sad that their scene was so short and sudden but I guess that’s the whole point. To show he had no time left, and the little time he had- he wanted to spend with Jaemi.

Throughout the show I couldn’t figure out if I liked their story or not. Jaemi was a bit of an asshole for leaving Heung hanging and then breaking his heart but- you know what they say, ‘the heart wants what it wants’. And I guess I could direct my anger at Heung too for being so stupid and hung up over her. But hey, to quote myself back there, that’s what makes them human so I can’t be entirely mad.

The ending was something I can’t really describe. It’s out in the open that he’s clearly dying and the blackout in the end meant he had passed away. But though the scene was made in a way where you have to make out the ending yourself is what annoyed me a bit but it was poetic and beautiful and once again, I can’t get mad at it.

Hae-Jo’s wish to die somewhere out in the open and not confined in a hospital room was granted and he died in Jaemi’s arms which made him go in peace. Heartbreaking. I hate death tropes and I wasn’t really expecting it to be a death trope because I came to this show because of Woo Dohwan’s sexy edits on tiktok…😭 But it was worth it. Came for Woo Dohwan, and stayed for a beautiful story. Granted it broke my heart and made me cry, but I loved it.

1 star for rewatch though. Never going through that shit again. Nope.

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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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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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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.

Leggi di Più

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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Angst with a mix of comic relief.

I’ve just finished watching this and I’m bawling my eyes out.

I was expecting it, and literally promised myself I wouldn’t cry but boy oh boy, I failed miserably at stopping the waterworks.

While I knew that the writer going for a different ending (e.g via a loophole, or some bizarre plot twist) would have been very unrealistic I was still hoping for a better outcome.

Overall I genuinely went into this not knowing what to expect but I was so surprised, it had so many funny moments and I probably laugh out loud in public a few times. It was a ride but gosh so heart wrenching. And the cast were just phenomenal.

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Começa como comédia e ação e acaba em melodrama

Comecei a assistir esse dorama pela quantidade de pessoas que estavam comentando sobre ele e o surto coletivo que ele gerou.
Logo de início percebe-se que é uma mistura de ação com comédia, com uma história simples e que depois vai virando um melodrama.

Não acho que seja uma obra prima. O assunto inicial gira em torno de um sequestro, que até então muitas cenas não faziam muito sentido e beiravam o impossível de acontecer na realidade. Como por exemplo a protagonista gritar por socorro e não ter uma alma viva na cidade (era pós um apocalipse zumbi?), e depois entrar numa loja de roupas e ter uma vendedora (a única alma viva da cidade) e ela não pedir ajuda. Além disso, ela conseguiu um celular para pedir ajuda e como ela não lembrava o número do celular do próprio noivo? Porque não ligou pra polícia? Enfim, são essas e outras coisas que tiram um pouco a graça da história, a deixando com plots mal desenvolvidos e previsíveis.
Sem falar naquelas cenas da gangue atrás do protagonista, estavam tão chatas.

Com o passar dos episódios, mais especificamente a procura do protagonista pelo pai e a manifestação da sua doença, os episódios começaram a ficar mais interessantes e podemos nos conectar melhor com o casal principal.

Porém, lá pelo 7 episódio eu comecei a achar que a história começou a enrolar e encher linguiça, até porque esse episódio inteiro praticamente não acontece nada.

Um fato foi que eu vi o dorama inteiro em velocidade 1,5x na Netflix, e se tivesse como aumentar, eu teria feito. Tinham cenas que mesmo em 1,5x pareciam estar em câmera lenta. Esse pra mim é um dos maiores defeitos da maioria dos k dramas, os diálogos são em sua maioria arrastados e uma cena simples demora quase 1 minuto para acontecer (e você pode simplesmente passá-las pra frente que não perde nada).

Por fim, achei que o dorama começou numa premissa mais comédia e ação, depois virou um grande melodrama. É algo para passar o tempo se você quer algo para sofrer no final. Pela minha experiência, o dorama não conseguiu me prender da forma certa, não me conectei tanto com os personagens e esse tipo de história não é minha preferida. Então, não indicaria para quem tem uma visão parecida com a minha.

ps: se você está a procura de uma comédia romântica ou romance, não é pra você, porque o casal não tinha tanta química e o amor deles estava longe de ser um estilo “um amor para recordar”.

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