This review may contain spoilers
Series with no exaggerated plot, just plain pure genuine emotions
Initially, I wasn't interested about this because who cares about an athlete who suddenly have to go to prison at the peak of his career? However I have seen a lot of blogs and reviews about this series which made me wonder what's with this series that almost everyone love it and I can proudly say, watching this series is one of the best decisions I have made this year. It's definitely worth it. Every episode is so worth it.What made me love this series so much is that it's not perfect. There were things I wished I've seen here but didn't and that's what made it better. Fangirl alert. Spoiler alert too. (I'm telling everything I feel about this drama from plot to characters and everything)
So these are the things that left a remarkable memory in my heart and brain that I would love to share to everyone:
- Lieutenant Paeng's character stood out the most for me. He was the most unexpected and well-written character in this series. I've seen Jung Woong-In in a lot of dramas and he's always the psychopath villain but in this series, his character is so much deeper than what he appears to be. (This series casted a lot of people who had strong first impression and mostly worked as villains which probably why the storyline worked well. From the start to end, this series reminded me that "It's not always what you imagined.")
- Most of the support characters are scene stealers. I know JeHyeok (Park HaeSoo) is the main lead. He had an interesting character and personality however a lot of characters really stole the spotlight. One of the scene stealer (which most would probably agree) is HanYang. He's the cute asshole whom you won't think or imagine would ruin his life for drugs. He really set the mood for most of the series. He made me laugh, hope, love, hate, cry and all sorts of emotions. Lee KyuHyung's versatility really helped in making HanYang's character come into life.
- There's a diverse relationship and connection among the characters. JeHyeok and JoonHo's unrivaled friendship that withstand even the strongest adversities. MinChul and Jean Valjean's father and son relationship with a pinch of betrayal and redemption. KAIST and HanYang's tease and punch relationship. JungWoo and HanYang, the preschool brothers. Lieutenant Paeng and Lee JoonHo's love-hate relationship. JeHyeok and Jailbird's brotherly love. JeHyeok and Crony's unbelievable shift of relationship from killing each other to caring for each other. The unexpected but cute HanYang and JiWon's relationship. And there's a lot more I probably couldn't mention. Just watch it and you'll see what I mean.
- The references made on Hospital Playlist. (I watched Hospital Playlist before I watched Prison Playbook and at the time when I was watching Hospital Playlist I didn't know the references. But now that I know. I can't help but feel so happy and ecstatic) There were lots of things that feels similar and also feels like a crossover in a parallel world or something. KyungHo dating his bestfriend's younger sister again in HP. KyuHyung's cameo as an owner of a Pharmacy (in relation to drug addiction from PP) and dating a college friend. Song JiWon from PP is Ahn ChiHong in HP. It was a great treat since I loved both series dearly.
There were definitely a lot more to expect and there were also a lot of things that I am curious about this series but I guess I'll leave it to my . I can't say enough about how much I enjoyed and loved this series. It's a really job well done for all the staff that made this series happen.
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Prison Playbook is a hangout show, similar to US sitcom show How I Met Your Mother. In contrast to how kdramas became worldwide phenomenon as addictive bingeable watch, Prison Playbook and other creations by Reply PD's, are familiar friends you want to hang out with everyday, to see how they're doing. Basically, the drama is Je Hyeok being a fairy godmother granting wishes here and there lol.
It was slow at the start, as the drama sets up all the characters, and Reply PD's always want to put the most unflattering UGLY haircuts on the cast, but once the ragtag gang of boisterous prison inmates are all together, I'm already invested. The best part of the drama is when they're all in their cell with their hilarious shenanigans, whether it's just getting hot water for ramen, or distributing the food. This drama is not only about the big heartwarming moments, but the small quiet ones as well.
Great big cast and lots of cameos, esp. the prisoners. My favorites has to be Loony and the ever smiling warden lol. LOONY. Why Prison Playbook, why?! I'll forever be salty.
Another regret I have is probably Jung Kyung Ho's role. I've been amazed by his talent since Falling for Innocence, and his role here is not meaty enough, it's always an extension of Je Hyeok. I appreciated their friendship and felt that hug in the end, but I wanted more from his story outside of being Je Hyeok's best friend.
Lieutenant Paeng even shone more in his role as grumpy but empathetic correction officer. I love it that actors that are usually typecast as villains, are flipped here.
I don't know if it's because of the infamous Reply shipping wars, but the PD has made conscious effort to veer away from that. The drama has realistic uncomplicated relationships, but not memorable in the long run. Maybe they want to highlight the prison life and not romance. But why not have it all, right?
They showed just a gist of the harsh reality of prison life, and it shows that there are lots of reasons a person can get imprisoned. It's not always because they are guilty, sometimes it's just life, or plain bad luck. A person can still have a new life after, it should not be a death sentence. At the end of the day, prison should be a place for repentance and reform.
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One of the best dramas I've ever watched.
I don't write many reviews but I decided to for this one. To say that this drama is near perfect is almost an understatement. This drama is binge-worthy and nearly every element of it excellent. Perfect for anyone interested in relationships (romantic or non-romantic).The storyline is engaging and there isn't much filler and it gets straight to the point. The acting is on point especially from our main characters and side characters.
The dialogue is great and it had many comedic moments which cracked me up. It also made me tear up at other instances and had me hooked right to the end.
The character development is the part that had me the most. By the end, I was rooting for everyone (except for the evil mfs).
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There are tons of positive reviews about this drama. And it was what made me watch this, because so many people said it's amazing. But i have been putting it off for a long time. When i finally decided to watch it i was not that intrigued to be honest. So i decided to write this review for the people who are like me and didn't feel the greatest charm of this drama for the fist minutes :)
The start was a bit boring for me, I watched this by playing games on the phone. People going to prison, living in prison. I'll be honest I don't like slice of life dramas. During the first episode i found out it is a comedy (yes i didn't know about it). I was surprised, because I didn't expect it and overall comedy didn't go well with the melancholic theme of the drama. I watched like that around 6 episodes. I couldn't stop because it was indeed interesting, but I also didn't enjoy it much thinking how sad that this is not my cup of tea. Well i was very wrong. around 6-7th episode I already was attached to not only the lead characters but to ALL of them lol. It captured my attention and I was no longer looking at the phone but happily watching each and every episode with interest.
Story:
The story is somewhat melancholic but also comedic and satirical. Hilarious at times, at other times hopeless and cruel, then again full of hope. Sometimes super realistic to the point you wish they would just stick to drama and not realism, and sometimes very unreal making you think like "oh, no way prison life can be this good" lol. It was about a famous person who ended up in prison, his life there and people who he gets to know, the story also switches between those people showing us a lot of each one of them, so that everyone became a main lead in my heart at least once.
This story is about characters. It's a drama about humans, they are the center and everything revolves around them.
Characters:
As i said it's a character driven story. Each and every single character has their little backstory. Which makes you grow attached to all of them. It shows how complex can people be, and at the same time how simple they can be. Each and every person has their cruel and dark and bad sides. At the same time those people have their bright, kind, so-called "normal" sides. I loved the people from their cell a lot. And the prison guards were also great. The whole place was a like a little society with it's rules. With different people, who came there for many different reasons. There were people who ended up there while helping someone, there were the ones who were unfairly accused, there were pity thieves and small scale criminals, there were murderers, gangsters, there were druggies, and also people who embezzled money. Variety of people, variety of stories but they all ended up in the same place and were trying to live there.
Acting:
There is really nothing I can say about acting other than give a standing ovation to all the actors who played here. They all really have done an AMAZING job!
Music/OST:
It was a really nice surprise to hear songs of musicians i like. Kim Kwang Seok a famous singer from 90s who played guitar and sang songs with very touching lyrics. He committed suicide, but people still remember and love his songs.
They also played Panic (Lee Juck)'s Snal! Man, this is my favorite song and i was so happy when i heard it here several times. It has amazing lyrics!! <3 And also can't leave out the great rappers who contributed to the OST of this drama. they really suited the whole concept and were made really well!!
**** I never rewatch dramas so just put a random number there.
What I liked:
-Characters
-Music
-Acting
What I didn't like:
-The ending of one of those characters :(
-a bit slow pace of the drama (BUT this was this dramas charm actually so this can't be considered as dramas disadvantage)
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Damn good if you ignore the love story
I really enjoyed this kdrama, every character is charming and their stories are interesting but I really do have a problem with the romance plot, it's really weird and boring, every time it was about them I skipped the scenes, but it didn't bother for enjoying the other stories that for me, it's what makes this kdrama so entertaining.Love the cast, the acting is so good as expected, their chemistry and their own stories made me laugh and cry. Again, I think the plot if you ignore the romance is so good.
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Magnanimous, undeterred baseball player Kim Je Hyuk, most trustworthy and loyal friend Lee Joon Ho, incredible buffoonery of Yoo Han Yang a.k.a Looney, composed and cultured Choi Moo Sung, lovable and sacrificing brothers Jung Moon Sung and Lee Soon Dol, most sweet-hearted and loving Lieutenant Paeng, confident and disciplined Captain Yoo, humorous Kang Chul Doo a.k.a KAIST, sycophantic Crony, ever supportive and unconditional lover Kim Ji Ho, ever faithful Kim Yeong Cheol, impulsive but tough and determined Lee Joo Hyung, authoritarian Captain Na, talkative Song Gi Dong and many other characters surmounted Prison Playbook in a different level. Excitement has been created gradually in a slower pace. Every episode has something different to present. The fondness of each character would eventually grow in a viewer as the episode progresses which imprints a deep mark in the mind. The main focus is the eclectic characters indicted for wrongdoings which are basically not wrong as a matter of fact and finally acquitted after much hardships.
It started with the high-flier baseball player Ki Je Hyuk getting arrested for defensing a crime took place against his younger sister. After being captivated in the penitentiary, the journey of his life while he was serving his terms was the main theme. He met with different inmates of various age, professions, habits and personalities and the relationship he established with each of them through interaction was most amusing, sometimes heart rendering and sometimes empathetic. Remaining within the confined boundary he tried to help his cellmates and other inmates as much as possible. Also he established excellent relationship with other wardens and correction officers as well.
What makes this drama different from rest of the prison dramas/movies is that there is no single protagonist fighting against all the diabolism or morbidity a prison life can offer or how the protagonist fight against all odds to finally get released. What makes it distinguishable is that each character has their own endearing story and background to share. Not necessary that just because they are prisoners they are all heinous criminals. The story emphasized more on the positivity of different characters. Within 16 episodes every story of every character were written and presented meticulously. Eventually enamoured the viewers with the wonderful story telling. This is not the single story. There are multiple stories brought under one place, i.e. prison. This is the story started with a one famous person but there were more than ten to twenty stories. No one is shown as pure evil rather shown their aspirations, dreams or the purpose of doing certain act or how they had fallen prey to a certain situation/incident. It is a character oriented drama. Even the wardens and correction officers have their own story to tell. Not all wardens and correction officers are brutal. Here they displayed the warm hearted and kind team of law enforcement people who were very understanding of the prisoners’ needs and wants. The wonderful affability among these people made the overall story spectacular. All were strangers to one another but ended up having compassion for one another. The stories were simple but the portrayal is elucidated sublimely.
Correspondingly, the sarcastic comedy depicted by all the characters is another charming strength. In a moment it would make one cry and in next would make one burst into laughter. None of the scenes can be said superfluous. When any scenes were important it was there precisely rather than in a prolonged version.
I would like to bow in front of the entire cast and crew for giving us such a joyful thing to watch. I have grown tremendous respect towards them. It was more like reading a wonderful book. The life of this drama were its casts. Each of them poured their heart and soul to perfect their characters given to depict. It is difficult to praise only one actor. All of them did utterly tremendous job. My personal favourites are the characters called Looney and Lieutenant Paeng. Looney’s character was ravishing. Needless to mention that ninety percent of the actors acted here are either struggling or aspiring actors. Hats off to the production company for giving them this lifetime opportunity. Many actors especially Park Hae Soo and Lee Kyu Hyung gave outstanding performances and would definitely leap to fame in the near future. Actually it is pretty difficult to praise a single actor and criticize others. They were all diligent in playing their role no matter how small it is.
Another interesting things are the OSTs and background scores. The intelligent incorporation of certain sounds in the background while showing a humorous scenes were extremely enjoyable. In fact the sounds itself brought laughter along with the blank expressions of the actors. The OSTs are pretty decent and ear catching as well.
I am always a penchant for “prison” related stories but this one by far the best one I have seen till date and definitely going to my most favourtie list. Prison Playbook is the best example of swashbuckling drama and a best example of aesthetically pleasing art piece. The writers and director should be applauded for their creativity and adept story writing and direction respectively. Good things come once in a while and leave everyone awestruck. This drama should be cherished till the end of the world.
Those who haven’t watched it should watch it immediately.
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Not your usual prison drama
LIKEWhen Min Chul told Se Yoon he did not trust someone who had once betrayed him and what happened after that - so touching
All the hilarious happenings in prison every day especially the one where everyone worked so hard together when I thought they were going to do something big, but ended up only to... LOLED at that one
DISLIKE
Could see why Loony made that decision as he was upset - all efforts wasted
MUSIC
That's the Way it Goes - DAVII (ft. Real.be)
REWATCH VALUE
It's on my mind all the time so yes
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One of my favoutites…
I don’t think I could write a long review without dissecting every part of the story told by this drama. This drama has a bit of everything, friendship, romance, comedy, tragedy.This story is so well written and I catch myself re-watching this every few months, it isn’t overly dramatic or overdoes it in any other aspect of it.
You will laugh, cry and scream at the screen as if it is a football game. Amazing acting, I don’t think I could pick one actor over another. And the main story is not the only interesting one, the story of side characters are so well thought and even though we get bits and pieces all over, it all comes together.
Phenomenal watch, 10/10.
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All the characters had depth and gave you all the feels, even the villains made you despise them with their superb acting (Chief Yeom - urgh!). The OST is amazing (ITS ON SPOTIFY), I as a non-Korean speaker still sang /rapped my heart out along to any songs that played.
It is great to see all these amazing dramas being taken up by Netflix.
Anywho onto the review
Story
It is about a baseball player who ends up in prison, annoyingly, because he protected his little sister from assault. Whilst in prison he meets people, goes through various trials, and comes out on the other side. The people he meets all change around him to become better people and he ends up influencing the whole penitentiary because of the simple and humble way he behaves. I don't want to give too much away.
The suspense is amazing and I am one of those people that hate to watch the preview of the next episode only to be annoyed that its not what I thought, but it really works here because everytime the preview shows something bad is going to happen to KJH there is always a way to turn it around. There is no dragging and there is also no unnecessary scenes as everything makes sense in the end. The drama has been directed very well and the story is amazing. I don't believe I am giving it justice so just watch it. You wont be disappointed
Acting
Amazing! Every single actor/actress plays their parts well. You laugh when the characters laugh or mess up and you shed a tear when the characters are going through hard times. KJH's character is so refreshing, although he is dopey he is still very smart and at times as the viewer you forget this but he remedies a situation and you then remember that he is actually really smart. Min Chul was another character I loved as he was so cute and his facial expressions portrayed everything he felt. His storyline was such a joy to watch. The bond between the guys with people leaving and people joining was amazing to watch. KJH and LJH's friendship was so endearing = true bromance. LJH was there for him, even following him to the next prison just to make sure he was okay. Loved those two together. The best comedic scene between them is when LJH is trying to help KJH overcome his struggle to throw straight, I cried laughing at those scenes.
Music
AMAZING lol, like I have said earlier the playlist is on spotify. Every song is amazing and the way they were played throughout the drama made sense. The music director matched the music to each scene really well and you never felt like a song was too loud or played too often it just worked.
Rewatch Value
Definitely a 10 because I want everyone to watch it and I want to be there when they do. Such a good drama, everytime someone comes to visit I make sure to get them to watch it lol.
Anywho in a summary = Great end to 2017 and Great beginning to 2018. Brought me back into KDrama's after a long hiatus.
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"Prison Playbook: Where Laughter Echoes Through Cell Blocks and Friendship Breaks Free"
This drama manages to be both hilarious and heartwarming at the same time? I mean, who knew a prison could be such a goldmine for comedy? The way the characters play off each other is pure magic – their chemistry is off the charts!Speaking of characters, Park Hae-soo as Kim Je-hyuk? Perfection. It's like the role was tailor-made for him. He nails the fish-out-of-water vibe of a star baseball player suddenly thrust into prison life. His deadpan expressions and subtle comedic timing had me in stitches!
But it's not just Park Hae-soo who shines. The entire ensemble cast is chef's kiss. The way they bounce off each other, building inside jokes and creating this little found family behind bars – it's both hilarious and touching. I found myself cackling one minute and tearing up the next.
And can we talk about the bromances? Because oh boy, are they strong in this one! The friendships that develop between the inmates are so genuine and touching. It's like watching a bunch of overgrown boys at summer camp – if summer camp had cell blocks and prison guards.
But "Prison Playbook" isn't just laughs – it's got heart too. The show tackles some pretty heavy themes, but it does so with a deft touch that never feels preachy or overwhelming. It's this perfect balance of humor and depth that kept me glued to my screen episode after episode.
So, if you're looking for a K-drama that'll make you laugh, cry, and feel all warm and fuzzy inside, "Prison Playbook" is your ticket
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Now, I blessed the day I started this. This drama proved me wrong so hard I fell in love with it. Haha. The stories, the acting....the bromance! Everything was just so good.
This drama had a solid enough plot to keep me going. And I found myself always craving the next episode.
The writer did a good job in making it a light enough drama by adding some comedy. Many times it had me laughing until tears were running. But then there were also parts where my heart was in my throat and I was at the edge of my seat. Especially when the main guy was in danger.
I had a complete soft spot for Looney. I found his story sweet, honestly. But it killed me a little bit inside what happened at the end. Captain Too was also calming a spot in my heart. Those bastards did him wrong! But the end of these two stories seemed a little incomplete and I wasn't that satisfied, sadly. Like what happened afterwards? I need details.
The acting was remarkable! A complete 10 for that! And the music too. My boy Eric Nam, as always, has a wonderful voice.
Overall guys, this drama is definitely worth the watch. You won't regret it.
I'm out "Mic Drop" ?
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I watched the first episode raw so I didn't understand a thing and i'm not satisfied. Later on, when the subs were out, there were actually many witty dialogues and scenes that i can't catch when I was watching it raw and it received my like immediately.
The story is definitely the title, Wise Prison Life. The prison life actually frustrated me and made me think that there were no good person here since it was prison. But the characters aren't clearly black and white. Also they won't give you a saint main character. We either hate or love the main character.
Through reply series, I got to know how good Shin Won Ho is and this one won't prove that statement wrong. He didn't give you the over-the-top character and it is proven by how he made an unskilled actor to act decently. If it's otherwise, I'd drop immediately.
Also the cinematography is one of the reason why I love cable series more than non-cable series. There are no cheap fillers and each scenes had their own charms.
The music, wow, i realized i haven't downloaded osts for a while and only liked one or two osts from recent dramas but this one, each osts are so good and enjoyable. My personal favorites are heize's and of course Seungyoon and Mino's (please listen, everyone!)
I would definitely rewatch this since all the scenes are so hilarious, even the sad one would make me cry if i rewatch it.
Overall it's 9 for me. I hope they have spin-off like reply series too
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