Air Date: November 8, 2024

Episodes: 10

Where to Watch: Netflix

Genre: Dark Romantic Comedy

Starring: Woo Do Hwan and Lee You Mi

A fatally ill young man goes on a final adventure to find his biological father.  And when he accidentally finds out that his ex is also going through her own struggles, he decides to “kidnap” her and take her along for the ride.  But with her fiance on their trail, they will have to think fast and keep moving.  And along the way, they will both dig deep to discover what true happiness actually means and how to live their lives to the fullest, even in the face of impending tragedy.

Hae Jo was abandoned as a child, when his parents discovered that there was an error in their artificial insemination process.  Since then, he has been a loner, who holds everyone at arms length.  But when he receives the news that he has an inoperable brain tumor, he decides to spend his remaining time searching for the biological father he never knew.  And when he sees his ex, Jae Mi, in the same hospital, suffering from her own medical tragedy, he decides to take her along for the ride.  

Hae Jo shows up to “kidnap” Jae Mi from her own wedding, and the pair set out on their search.  And through the miles and the crazy adventures, Hae Jo comes to terms with his life, and sadly, finally realizes he wishes he could live.  

Hae Jo has had a tough life, full of struggles and disappointments.  And that has colored his view of the world around him and those closest to him.  He is reckless and bad tempered, and prone to saying hurtful things, and then regretting them.  And even to his loyal friends who have seen him at his worst, he refuses to let down his guard and be vulnerable.  Woo Do Hwan is such a fun actor to watch.  I love how expressive his eyes and smile are.  I think that he was perfect in this role, and he portrayed the full gambit of emotions with ease and sincerity.

Jo Jae Mi grew up as an orphan, and has always dreamed of having a family of her own.  She is engaged to Eo Heung, who is a wealthy young man whose mother is the head of a 500 year old familial dynasty.  But Eo Heung’s mother doesn’t approve of their engagement until Eo Heung lies and tells her Jae Mi is already pregnant.  So Jae Mi is devastated when, on the eve of their wedding, the doctor informs her that she is in early menopause and is unable to bear children.  

With all of this weighing on her mind, she is stunned when Hae Jo shows up before the wedding and begs her to come with him.  And when she refuses, he picks her up and forces her into the car.  Now, with years of anger at the way Hae Jo had treated her before their break-up and the fiance who she left at the altar hot on their tail, she and Hae Ji set out to try to find his bioloical father.  And along the way, Jae Mi will have her own moments of self discovery and healing. 

Jae Mi is earnest and sweet.  She has never grown out of the need for approval and love that she gained growing up alone in an orphanage.  And while her feelings for Eo Heung are full of affection, she does not love him the way she loved Hae Jo when they were together.  And now, with her life at a crossroads, she will have to decide what she really wants and deserves.  While I didn’t feel the same depth of character development from Lee You Mi’s character, I think her chemistry with her co-stars was smooth and  natural and I enjoyed their scenes together.  

I wish there would have been a bit more closure to Hae Jo’s search for a father.  I loved the short scene of him with the man who he had thought was his dad and I think it was fitting that all roads led him back there.  But I would have liked to see a bit more between the two of them and Hae Jo’s sister.  

Seriously, even calling this a love triangle feels wrong.  It’s more like a third wheel situation.  I wish they had spent less time trying to convince us that Jae Mi and Eo Heung even stood a chance as a couple and more time showing their fun chemistry as a group.  If they had taken time to foster that friendship, they wouldn’t have had to send Eo Heung away before we even got to the end.

I feel like Jae Mi’s whole wanting to be a mom backstory kind of got buried in all the drama with Eo Heung’s mom.  I would have much rather seen her wrestle with those feelings and emotions than rehash her troubled relationship with someone who never actually becomes her mother in law.  

‘Mr. Plankton’ ends up right where it promised from the very first scene; with Hae Jo dying in the snow.  There is no magic happy ending or miracle cure.  But first there is some business to take care of .

Hae Jo finally seems to realize that looking for his biological dad is a waste of his precious time.  So instead, he goes to see the father who abandoned him in the first place.  And he finds out his dad has missed him this whole time, and saved his room exactly as it was.  Hae Jo spends the night there before sneaking out in the morning to finish his road trip.

And now that the dad issues have been settled, Hae Jo and Jae Mi are free to go wherever the breeze blows, and spend Hae Jo’s final days on his terms.  We see that Eo Heung also has the travel bug, but he has taken. his self discovery on the international trail, with a social media channel to document it all. 

And finally, one quiet morning in the snowy mountains, Jae Mi wakes to find Hae Jo gone.  When she finds him lying on the mountainside, it is obvious that his time is done.  And although she screams and begs him to stay, Hae Jo leaves peacefully, content that her face is the last thing he will see in this life.  

If this review has made you curious about where your other favorites stand, here is break down of the other reviews by rating.  Links to both spoiler-free and full reviews are available on each page. Feel free to explore all the wonderful dramas I have watched.