With Woo Do-hwan and Lee Yoo-mi, a K-drama described as a romantic comedy but which is colored with melancholic nuances. Mr. Plankton is available from November 8, 2024.
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| Image Credit: Netflix |
That K-dramas are conquering the world of streaming is now an undeniable reality. Serial productions from South Korea are consumed and appreciated on a large scale, so much so that even in Italy they have been able to reach and conquer a solid target audience. It should therefore no longer be surprising the amount of media products that streaming services, such as Netflix, offer their subscribers every month. Among the November releases, the Big N offers Mr. Plankton, a 10-episode romantic/comedy series starring Woo Do-hwan (The Hounds) and Lee Yoo-mi (We Are No Longer Alive, Squid Game). Available on the streaming platform from November 8, 2024, the show offers viewers an intriguing story that captures attention from the first episode and that, despite being described as a romantic comedy, is often tinged with melancholic nuances.
Mr. Plankton: a young man in search of his real father, an ex-girlfriend kidnapped on her wedding day, and a groom-to-be willing to do anything
Directed by Hong Jong Chan (Juvenile Justice) and written by Jo Yong (It's Okay to Not Be Okay), Mr. Plankton follows Hae-Jo (Woo Do-hwan), a young man with a seemingly carefree life and incapable of creating bonds with others, owner together with his friend Ki-Ho of a more or less legal business where they accept commissioned work. Everything suddenly changes when, following a motorcycle accident that occurs during one of his "jobs", he discovers that he suffers from a serious hereditary disease.
A hard blow, not only because Hae-Jo was abandoned by his family, but above all because he never knew his biological father. Determined to change his life and find his origins, Hae-Jo impulsively “kidnaps” his ex-girlfriend Jae-Mi (Lee Yoo-mi) on the day of her wedding to the rich scion Eo-Heung (who is also the heir to an ancient clan). The two ex-fiancés thus escape on a trip around the country in search of Hae-Jo’s father, pursued by a criminal gang and her fiancé, who is willing to do anything to get his fiancée back.
But Hae-Jo, in putting his plan into action, did not take into account a fundamental variable: having ended the relationship with Jae-Mi on bad terms. He did not even take into account the fact that he had a dangerous criminal gang on his tail that wanted him dead, and much less than the fiancé Eo-Heung is truly in love with the girl and willing to cross mountains and seas for her. With a debilitating disease and a resentful ex, the search for his biological father turns into a bittersweet adventure, in which Hae-Jo must learn to accept himself and deal with his own traumas. But he will also have to deal with a painful past and an uncertain future.
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| Image Credit: Netflix |
Mr. Plankton is a series that does not reject the stylistic features of K-drama and that works thanks to the acting of the main actors
Mr. Plankton proves to be an intriguing and compelling series from the first episodes, thanks to the fast pace and the characters that know how to keep the viewer's attention. The series does not deviate from the typical stylistic features and characters of the K-drama comedy formula, in which the protagonists must be desirable even if they have tough and difficult characters, in which the antagonists are cruel but at the same time clumsy and funny, in which the secondary characters are rather pathetic but still lovable. A series that focuses a lot on the comic elements as a strong point, but instead finds greater depth and intensity when it approaches drama.
Woo Do-hwan as the protagonist Hae-Jo is the fulcrum of the story and the narrative, and he deserves to be because he is certainly the most interesting character in the show. Woo is skilled at calibrating his performance based on the demands of the role, demonstrating control but also ease. With strongly expressive eyes and measured micro-expressions, the actor is not only beautiful to look at (an aspect that K-dramas focus on a lot) but is also emotionally engaging.
Lee Yoo-mi is skilled at bringing her Jae-Mi to the screen, but she is dominated by a script that makes her second to Woo, and on several occasions, she is the victim of the typical K-drama characterization of female characters: naive, sweet, and deafening. Oh Jung-se as the unfortunate future groom Eo-Heung is interesting to watch and brings to the small screen a character that often doesn’t get much space in Korean shows, that of the kind but unlucky man. The rest of the cast does its job, but no one is really noteworthy.
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| Image Credit: Netflix |
Mr. Plankton: a series described as a romantic comedy but which hides melancholic and self-discovery themes
Mr. Plankton, in perfect K-drama style, skillfully mixes comedy, romance, and action to follow the adventures of the protagonists Hae-Jo and Jae-Mi in their short but intense journey in search of his biological father. For those who know the world of South Korean series, they know that these are productions that never like to take themselves too seriously, especially if they are in the comedy genre. Characteristics that we also find in this show, but only when necessary! The show, defining itself as a comedy and romantic series, skillfully deceives the viewer, who already in the very first episodes realizes that they are in front of a K-drama that is comical, yes has romantic elements, and yes, also has action scenes, but in reality, it is a melancholic series.
Dealing with themes such as illness, old and new loves, but above all family relationships and generational trauma, Mr. Plankton presents the audience with numerous emotional scenes, which pose questions such as: “How does the past and the way we grew up influence who we are today?”, but above all “who can be considered a real family?”. Although, as previously mentioned, the series tries to stay in line with the comedy genre, it appears more engaging when it focuses on themes such as abandonment, being parents, and the parent-child relationship.
Mr. Plankton: evaluation and conclusion
Mr. Plankton does not pretend to be the series of the year and it certainly is not, but for fans of the South Korean series, it is a good addition to devour in one bite or even to savor more slowly. With an engaging story and a pair of leading actors who demonstrate excellent chemistry, the series is in line with the rules of K-drama. And while it wants to be considered a show somewhere between comedy and romance, it's much more compelling and emotionally charged when it lets itself go into drama and tackles more serious issues.
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