"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.