Grey is the new black!
While watching this show I realized…there are an awful lot of shows about prisons, aren’t there?! Anyway, Prison Playbook is one of the many prison shows out there but don’t get tricked by the ominous concept and poster, this show is not a violent, grimdark view of the place where the deviants go to rot. This is decidedly a comedy-drama about community, empathy, and self-betterment. The story is centered around friendship and hope and it’s full of quirky characters that will steal your heart.Yes, yes, I’ll admit it…I did start watching this show for Jung Hae In, guilty as charged (!), but he didn’t show up until episode five (really, six) and by then I was already invested in the show so that just goes to show how entertaining it is.
This show is way too famous for me to recommend it so I’ll just get to it. You should watch this show if you like :
1. Orange is the new black
2. Prison life stories
3. Ensemble shows
4. Comedy
5. Bromance
6. Slice of life
7. Barely-there romance plots
Plot: The plot is naturally very good. The story is interesting from the start…sort of. I didn’t love the first episode but it slowly gets better. While the main plot revolves around Je-Hyuk, the show is rather decentralized with side characters getting fleshed out subplots of their own. But all those plots would be nothing without the great character work in the show. The strength of this show lies in its ensemble cast and the idiosyncratic antiques of each character, their past, and their uncertain futures. The plots grip you because they rely on the viewer’s investment in the betterment of the characters and what happens to them. Thus, they only engage and entertain because viewers care to know about the characters. A lot of the subplots were meaty enough to be their own shows. For example Captain Yoo’s subplot, while a nightmare-fuel in its own right, could easily be a miniseries of its own. The other subplots may not be able to carry a whole show as easily as Captain Yoo’s plotline can but they too had the potential to be standalone. Yet as subplots, they do not feel overshadowed or underdeveloped. This is mainly due to the amazing character work that has been done. While each character is in focus for a short while, they are all so well developed that they managed to deliver the maximum impact while they can and when they are not in focus, fade perfectly into the supportive position while maintaining the personality and history that was developed for them in their central plot.
The show also has a bizarre flashback format that is a bit disorienting but you’ll get used to it. Romance is not central in the show but what little of it appears, is endearing enough to capture the heart. I would even say the show has one of the cutest romantic exchanges I have ever seen but I won’t spoil it for you!
Acting: Everyone did an amazing job. As I mentioned, the supportive cast is very well-written and engaging and thankfully each actor amazingly brought them all to life furthering their impact.
Music and production: Music was there. Nothing exceptional but not bad either. The production is also good. The show stays in small prison sets for the most part so there's not a lot of variety. I don't really know what prisons in South Korea look so I can't attest to its realism or anything but it looks real enough? The technicalities were all good to my unprofessional eyes too.
Rewatch: I don’t have time to rewatch shows but it’s a good show to go back to.
Negatives: There are a couple of things that bothered me in the show. One thing was how the sexual assault that triggers the plot was treated. I understand that the sister is not the main character and therefore her plot is not central but she had enough screen time that it would’ve made sense for them to at least deal with it a bit. However, the show never even verbally acknowledges the character’s trauma from the event. The thing is only mentioned in regards to how the main character, her brother, felt about it all. Even she is shown to be feeling guilty for causing him to go to jail but showing no sign of PTSD as a result of the event. Speaking from experience one would know that the trauma of sexual assault never just fades away without actively dealing with it. It festers and affects anything from relationships and intimacy to simple daily functions. A little reference to her struggles would’ve been nice. Secondly, this show is the first kdrama I have seen that has a gay character not as a joke but as a fleshed-out human while also not being a BL show. Yes, the character is funny and has some special antiques but he’s never made fun of for being gay so you can imagine my disappointment when he is the only character whose arc ends negatively. Moreover, the only other queer-coded character in the show just happens to be the only “villain” who stays evil throughout the show and is never redeemed. So yes, basically what I’m saying is that the show treats its not-straight characters very badly and I’m a bit bothered by that. That said, the show is still good and right up to the end, that character’s plot was very well-written and he is one of my favorite characters of the show. Thirdly, the romance of Je-Hyuk and Ji-Ho had me squint my eyes a bit...like being into someone you knew when they were a kid and you were grown up?! Sounds fake but okay...
Overall: A really good and heartwarming show. I really needed something that celebrates the better part of humanity while ironically dealing with the worst humanity has to offer. It’s a hopeful show that tugs at your heartstrings in a good way.
Was this review helpful to you?
a must watch drama, you won't regret it
If a drama is on the first page of MDL top shows, it must be somehow worth your time.I passed this drama in 2017 because I do not know the actors and it is a prison story. Now I have some time and was looking for a worthwhile drama to watch and decided to watch it. I am really glad that I did because this is the kind of drama that stays with you for another 2 days after watching it. All the characters came alive as if you were with them throughout the journey and after the drama ended it was hard to let them go.
Was this review helpful to you?
Prison Playbook is the most heartwarming show I've ever seen. It's all about love, friendship, kindness and compassion. Most of the characters are felons and criminals, and yet they re probably the most humane characters I have ever seen of television. THIS IS the most humane show I have ever seen on television. I'm seriously in love ????
I can't get over this drama. The writing is soooo sooo smart and the actor's performances are top quality. This show truly deserves more recognition.
Was this review helpful to you?
the perfect one sentence description for this drama would be don't judge a drama by it's summary.now, the main parts-
story-it's a very simple, beautifully described one year journey of a murderer in a prison.now one may question how can it be beautiful after all its the jail or prison we are talking about.but no.it is beautiful. after all who would have thought even in a small cell in a nasty prison something called family can be build.but this family doesn't contain mom,dad,children.it contains friends,companions,supporters,brothers.
at first you may not understand what is happening but as the story develops everything blends in very well.you will understand why those things are happening what are happening.you will understand how those prisoners became prisoner.also that not all the prisoners are bad.like some are but not our main characters.they are the most innocent prisoners in my opinion(yes innocent and also prisoner)
the story i believe has two parts like first part is in a detention center with the main lead and different characters and the second and main part in the Penitentiary with the main characters .
what is the best about this story is that even though it has main lead in my opinion every single person in this drama is the main character .why ?because the story describes everyone's story very well.though the main lead's story is the main but others characters had their own stories which were important as well.
acting-mind blowing .that's why i gave it a 10.everyone was a pro but i basically loved the acting of looney (if you watch the drama you will understand).he beautifully portrayed both of the character of looney and han yang (they are the same person). also our something in the rain main lead -it was great to see him play a totally different character this time.
music- the ost was good.i know many people will mention that but what i want to mention are the songs played on the radio during the drama. they are beautiful.i loved how every time they were lying down to sleep and a song was played in the radio which went with the situation very well.so a salute to those songs as well.and also the music of whisteling which was played every time when something funny would happen was good.
rewatch value- i may not watch the whole drama again (that's why it's a 5)but i will watch the moments over 1000 times so a 10 (if that counts)
over all -it doesn't have a melo or tragedy or drama genre it's a slice of life drama.there will be times when you will smile,cry but most importantly there will be times when you will laugh as hell.
now the things i want to mention -
loved - jae hyuk and joon ho's friendship( nomu chhowa),looney and captain yoo's fights and bickerings,kaist and looney's bickering and how they taunt each other and most importantly everything.
i mean there is nothing to hate in this drama
if you watch this drama you will understand that you either love this drama as hell and get many inspiration from it or you feel it's too boring to watch.(if you feel the second way it's a waste that you didn't understood this drama's value)
Was this review helpful to you?
'gonna miss the squad esp. the bonding of the male leads. it's such a beautiful story. one of the best!!!
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Wow. I can't believe I was able to finish this in a day and a half. All this time, I thought I might lose interest since it only contains minimal romance and a few female leads but I've never imagined myself loving prisoner characters this much. I love how the story went by so smoothly and simple but was still able to surprise me every episode. I enjoyed everyone's back story and helped me understand where every character was coming from. It also amazed me that I was not upset when a few characters didn't get to have their own happy ending, I was actually impressed as how realistic it was. For some reason, I still love Han-yang's character even though I hated him at the end. His cuteness might or might not compensate for what he did. LOL
The dry humor got me EVERY SINGLE TIME. I can't count how many times I laughed out loud or wailed like a lunatic. Kim Je-hyeok was one of the dumbest yet smartest male leads in the kdramaworld and surprisingly, I liked him for that.
And can I ask why this drama's OST is so underrated? The whole playlist is the bomb and that's saying something from someone who doesn't listen to rap music often.
Annyeong, Wing 2 Cell 6. Sarang.
Was this review helpful to you?
MUST WATCHH
GREATEST OF ALL TIMEEE.,,,I enjoyed a lot lot... can't even describe it how much I laughed while watching this one.One hilarious Squad this drama has.. This one is too lengthy but perfect .
it is the only show impressed me in every department and aspect such as narration, screenplay, character development, and many more..
Glad I watched this one.. 16 episode and almost every episode 90+mins passed by just like that..
dnt miss it..
Just be patient and finish first two or three episodes till the main squad settled in one cell and after that it never stops anywhere at all ,absolutely no breaks ...
A binge worth watch drama and I highly recommend it #PrisonPlaybook Squad ♥️
Was this review helpful to you?
It's very funny, at first you think it is going to be a really heavy drama but the black comedy evens it out! It's pretty sad that Kim Je-hyuk gets sent to prison and for longer than expected for something any person would do but he handles it briliantly. His cell mates are great characters which you'll hate and be annoyed at first but grow to to love and be annoyed at. Le joon Ho is one of the best characters always staying beside Je-hyuk.
Don't miss this drama it has everything you need with a main character who is only really smart at baseball but you'll love him to pieces. The little love scenes between him and ex girlfirend Kim Ji ho are the sweetest.
Honeslty you will love this drama!
Was this review helpful to you?
I HAVE NO WORDS. MUST WATCH!!!
DEFINITELY ONE OF THE BEST DRAMA KOREA HAS EVER MADE. REWATCHING IT RIGHT NOW!!!!~THE CASTS, THE ACTING, THE STORYLINE. THE OST AND THE CINEMATOGRAPHY IS SO COOL. VEYR NICE. VERY FUNNY. VERY EXCITING. AMAZING AND VERY HEART WHELMING. I HAVE NOTHING TO SAY ANYMORE HAHAHAHA IT SAYS I NEED TO POST THIS IN 500 CHARACTERS SO LEMME JUST LAUGH AND DON'T MIND IT OKAY? MUST WATCH PEEPS! MUST WATCH. I SWEAR. HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHHUHUHUHUHUHUHUHUHUHUHUHUHUHUHUHUHGHAHHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHHUHUHUHUHUHUHUHUHUHUHUHUHUHUHUHUHGHAHHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHHUHUHUHUHUHUHUHUHUHUHUHUHUHUHUHUHGHAHHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHHUHUHUHUHUHUHUHUHUHUHUHUHUHUHUHUHGHAHHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA
Was this review helpful to you?
Secondly, I've got to give a hand to the writing. Although the last few episodes felt a little bit sudden, the overall drama was written to be both heartbreaking and immensely heartwarming. Through the combination of slice-of-life writing and talented acting, this ensemble grew to be a family in my eyes. For a drama about prison, this drama ended up being more about ordinary life than one would think. It's not a dramatized caricature that's looking to romanticize criminality, but rather it's a narrative that attempts to portray real people dealing with the same problems that we all have, just in a unique setting.
Specifically, with this drama, each character's arc felt meaningful and subversive. Everything in the drama really is not what it seems, and that holds most true with our "loveable idiot" Jehyeok. Yes, we know that he can be a bit slow and thick-skulled at times, but Jehyeok isn't at all an idiot – he's thoughtful, he plans things out, and he never gives in. He sees people as they are, and maybe that is the gift of his straightforward thinking. I also love that he's reading Romance of the Three Kingdoms this whole entire time, because it's clear that he can't get through it, and yet he's kind of planning out his own tactical strategy this whole time – it shows that his talents don't lie in book smarts, but he can still make good choices based on his sense of self and his ability to be good to others. Also, love that this drama is called "Prison Playbook"/"Wise Prison Life" because that's really what it is – kind of like a playbook for surviving life.
The soundtrack is also amazing, from commanding K-hip hop raps to sweet k-indie love songs.
Everyone should watch this drama! It's just darn good TV, and I also learned a few things about my own life from it.
Was this review helpful to you?
I will explain now about what I enjoyed in the drama. Firstly the character development. Wow. Each character, was so well written and deep. I especially liked Loony, the druggie. He was hilarious, tragic and endearing all at the same time. There were characters who showed me that you should never judge a person until you know them really well personally and some who showed that positive transformation in behaviour and mind really is possible. This was of course helped by the largely talented cast, who all acted exceptionally. I ended up rooting for many characters, not just the leads.
Secondly the comic timing was great. It perfectly blended comedy and drama with a pinch of romance. The inclusion of a gay couple in normal light, was just so beautiful. There was just enough violence to reflect a genuine prison.
Each episode Is as long as an average feature length film. If this was another drama I would have complained. Fortunately each moment was justified. The writers have done a superb job.
The OST was amazing! It was very versatile and really complemented the excellent writing.
Overall this drama will make you feel some empathy for prisoners, prison guards and their families. The drama reinforced how important family support is as well showing how forgiveness and repentance can have positive consequences. I hope this review leads people to watch it. It will make you cry, laugh and think.
Was this review helpful to you?
A Story About Humanity…
‘ Prison Playbook’ easily has to be one of my personal favorite shows and for good reason.The series gave many opportunities to present humanity of its characters. No one in the drama felt like a stock character or particularly “ good” or “ bad” but instead human. The fact that the series presented many moments to see characters from all- sides which is a factor which can be hard for a lot of screenwriters.
Liked the acting front also. It was well- done by everyone in our main cast and helped to present an emotive and impactful storyline.
Was this review helpful to you?
