Un piccolo gioiello da non perdere assolutamente!
Questo drama si è rivelato davvero una gran bella sorpresa. L'avevo messo in lista per via della presenza di Jung Kyung Ho, attore che sto apprezzando sempre di più. La serie conta in totale 16 episodi, estremamente ricchi senza mai essere frettolosi: incredibile come con un ritmo calzante ma non precipitoso, riescano a susseguirsi un gran numero di eventi in un singolo episodio. Il tempo sembra dilatarsi, in senso positivo, si arriva alla fine di ogni puntata soddisfatti di quanto appena visto e contenti del fatto che ce ne siano ancora altri da vedere.La sceneggiatura è solida, il background complesso e ben curato. L'attenzione dedicata alla serie si evidenzia sotto molti aspetti, dalle riprese, dal montaggio, dalla sceneggiatura stessa, dalla cura per i dettagli. Forse un attimo di smarrimento all'inizio del terzo episodio, dove ho avuto l'impressione di un tratto disconnesso dalla fine dell'episodio precedente, ma pazientando un poco tutto torna nello schema logico. Belle le riprese che diverse volte sfumano quasi nel bianco/nero, mai per caso ma sempre a sottolineare momenti salienti. Se parliamo dell'ambientazione, ci troviamo davanti a una serie ambientata per la maggior parte del tempo all'interno di un penitenziario ma dove la tematica sportiva del baseball è di fatto costante e motore di tutta la storia. Presenta l'accenno di due storie d'amore, un coppia che si riunisce e una che si forma da zero (che poi è quella che più ho apprezzato). Parlo di accenno perchè il fulcro del drama è in realtà l'aspetto bromance, ovvero il legame tra quelli che a conti fatti sono i due protagonisti, due amici - migliori amici d'infanzia e del periodo scolare - ritrovatisi in età adulta vestendo i ruoli rispettivi del detenuto e del secondino. Una delle poche cose che non ho compreso, anzi diciamo l'unica, è come mai i due si fossero persi di vista da un decennio, dato che erano migliori amici e che, una volta che il destino fa incrociare nuovamente le loro strade, riprendono lo stretto rapporto di prima come se l'amicizia, negli anni, fosse rimasta intatta. Ad ogni modo, dall'interazione non solo a parole ma anche negli sguardi, nelle azioni e nei gesti trapela questo stretto legame, questa fiducia indissolubile e conoscenza dell'altro, dove con uno sguardo si può capire il non detto e il non voluto dire. Davvero, il sentimento fraterno è rappresentato in modo impeccabile. Loro due sono i protagonisti del drama, ma la storia è ricca grazie anche a numerosi personaggi secondari che tanto secondari non sono, ma che con le loro singole vicende calcano a turno la scena. Dal Galeotto al Pazzo (una delle figure più complesse, con storia altrettanto complessa alle spalle), al capitano Yoo, al tenente Paeng (splendido personaggio interpretato da un bravissimo Jung Woong In, che per una volta non veste i panni del cattivo di turno ma sa ritagliarsi un ruolo di tutto rispetto nello schieramento dei buoni). Per quanto riguarda Jung Kyung Ho (l'attore che interpreta Lee Joon Ho), ha dimostrato ancora una volta grande talento e versatilità: è un attore che trovo sempre molto sobrio - anche nei momenti divertenti e scherzosi - con un'eleganza intrinseca che sa esprimere attraverso gli sguardi, il portamento e la voce (di quest'ultima, timbro e cadenza mi ricordano incredibilmente quella di Namgoong Min, punta di diamante tra gli attori coreani, per quanto mi riguarda). Che dire, una serie davvero complessa e completa, di alto livello e con minimi difetti, che consiglierei a chiunque di vedere perchè davvero merita! Non do il massimo come valutazione poiché sono irrimediabilmente fan dei grandi romance, e questo no lo è, nessun batticuore da grande amore al centro della scena. Ma, al di là di questo motivo, è come se gli avessi dato il massimo del punteggio. Da non perdere!
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This is the most emotionally-driven review I have ever written. So much that I don't know what to say.Five years back, I switched from watching dramas that have already aired to dramas that are, as we put it, "currently-airing". We've all had that transition at some point, and to me, a good currently-airing Korea drama has two potential flaws - one, certain scenes are too boring so you skip over or skim over them; two, when you come back a week later to watch fresh episodes, you might not find the drama as appealing as you did last week. But once in a while, you find a drama like Wise Prison Life. A drama where you can't skip a single scene and cherish each and every moment. A drama where you come back to watch new episodes, dive right in and feel like you never left.
The script is so well-written. There is no strong intensity or urgency in the drama, but only in small doses. And the feels are so sweet, heartwarming and beautiful. I don't know how to describe it, but you'll understand if you have watched the Reply series. You would end up loving the smallest details and the entire journey would make you an emotional mess (but in a good way, thankfully).
Coming to characters, the writers have always been my favorites for the characters they develop. No wonder everyone wants to work with them! And Wise Prison Life has some of my favorite characters ever. And in one single drama! I loved every single character and their personal journeys as well as their shared journey. They are all so lovable and cool. I can't even pick a favorite! They're all so amazing and their friendship and their struggles make me cry even after finishing the drama. Kim Je Hyuk is such an inspiring character, not just because of his perseverance, but also because of his non-judgmental, humble personality. Joon Ho is the best friend one could have! I am so glad Jung Kyung Ho did not skip out on this one (let's face it, his role isn't as meaty as we would have all expected). He was perfect! His brother was hilarious! And OMG LOONY!!! And OMG LIT. PAENG!!! And...okay, I shall stop. Bottom line, all of them were so awesome, and I am overwhelmed.
Not only did this drama have a great OST, I also ended up discovering Kim Kwang Seok and his beautiful songs because of it! The rap intro OST was super lit. Mino and Yoon did a song for them too. I love them, they are one of my favorite musicians (and so is WINNER). In fact, I was really surprised when I saw Yoon in this, because I have had a huuuge crush on Yoon for a long time. But yes, this is not the time to talk about KPOP crushes! LOL. And Yoon did a very decent job here. The romance was perfectly incorporated in the story. It was not overbearing and neither was it lacking. I liked Krystal here and also the romantic interest of Jun Ho (who I'll not name because I have learned to keep my reviews spoiler-free. Mostly, LOL).
Overall, this drama is for everybody! It's a rare gem. Everyone must watch this!
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I haven’t seen this much heart in a drama before. It’s beautiful and melancholic. Serene and hopeful. And ultimately: very important.
The drama has a reputation for being an easy, fluffy, heartwarming watch however that’s just one element of it. Prison playbook, in its core is a show about a couple of men in a bad place, who’ve done bad things but have good hearts. It’s about finding purity in the most unfortunate circumstances and seeking warmth in a cold, hopeless time.
There are some hauntingly dark and jarring moments but the beauty of the show is such that it overcomes its darkness with a good dose of laughter and love. There will be times when you have to pause the screen to let out a jolly good cackle and times when you can’t stop the tears because you’re so overcome by feeling.
All the characters are fully baked and beautifully developed, so much so, that you’ll find yourself forming a personal connection with each and every one of them. The story flows smoothly with "almost" no plot-holes and the writing is exceptional, giving attention to detail and a tight plot. Each episode plays with a range of emotions with never a boring moment. It’s far from a tension drama and develops very slowly, yet it managed to hook me in a way that I binged it as fast as I would do any crime-thriller.
The OST is perfect. The screenplay is immaculate. The acting is top-notch. Kim Hae Soo plays one of the best male leads in a drama in a way so natural and effortless that you can’t help but adore him.
The drama gives birth to one of the most iconic bromances in K-Drama history. There’s real brotherhood and friendship here. The relationships between characters are incredibly fleshed out and the side of romance is also well-done.
So over-all, Prison Playbook is an excellent show. The only reason I didn’t give it a perfect score was because I had mixed feelings about the last couple of episodes. The fact that some of the characters that I had grown very attached to were given a somewhat realistic but quite unsatisfactory and abrupt open end, while other characters were given an almost ideal personality change and happy ending made me raise eyebrows. This contradiction made me wish that there was an additional episode that gave much needed closure to some aspects of the show and closed the story cleanly. However, in the grand scheme of things this could easily be overlooked.
Filled with sugar, spice and life- Prison Playbook is definitely one of the best dramas out there.
Enjoy!
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- This drama has so many things to offer to the viewers, and amongst all those things, one is the heartwarming friendship. This drama has one of the most wonderful portrayal of frienships that I've seen, and not just between the prisonmates. They might be at that place for different reasons, but they learn to lean on, rely and look out for each other.
- One of the most enticing things to look forward to in dramas (I guess this comes under the 'friendship' point mentioned above, but I have to mention this separately)- Bromance! This drama has plenty of it. Not just between the two 'main' characters, but between every single character in the drama.The bromance moments aren't just that'll make you laugh, although those are present. But also, there are bromance moments that'll make your heart feel like it's brimming over with feels.
- This drama has some serious #SQUAD-GOALS. The 2B6 wing is freaking awesome!!
- The comedy in the drama is top-notch. It's more subtle in it's approach, but that doesn't negate it's effect. Infact that fact alone makes those comic scene laugh-out-loud worthy. Those humour scenes mostly result from Je Hyeok's various interactions in prison. As he himself likes to put it, he's a bit 'stupid' when it comes to things other than baseball, which leads to some hilarious situations. Ofcourse, other character too, more than contribute the comedy in the drama.
- This drama is about each and every character, not just the main lead(s). It focuses on every single character, whether they are inmates, correction officers, or their families. And that's what makes the viewers fall in love with the characters here. It's hard to find a drama where you love (almost) all the charaters, whether they have minor or major role. I loved so many characters here, I think it's even hard to pick a favorite. But Lieutenant Paeng does come really close.
- Every character has a story. Of who they are. Of how they got here. Of what they dream of. Of what are their hopes for the future. Their story gives us insight into their personalities, and is one of the many things, that makes the viewer close to them.
- Aside from the individual acting of all the actors, which ofcourse is truly commendable, the chemistry between the characters here is crazy good! From Je Hyeok & Joon Ho, Joon Ho & his brother to Looney & Kaist, every character interaction will have you craving for more!
- For the romance lovers, there is romance. It's a bit subtle and can't be considered a main genre. But it is a sub-genre, and it's more than enough, believe me.
- Let's be honest for a second, and admit that there's a lot of prejudice attached with the word 'prison' alone. And there's a reaso for it. Whether they are rightly or wrongly convicted, for the law, and henceforth for the 'general public' they're still criminals, whatever their crimes may be. Hence the prejudice. But in this drama, the writer tries, and is successful, in breaking our preconceptions about those matters. The writer, through this beautiful drama, stresses on the fact that the convicts are, before anything else, human. And just like everyone else, they are also trying to live their life. Some are trying to make the best of their situations, trying to learn from their past mistakes, and are hoping for a better future. At the same time, there are also those who have despaired, and given up on their future. The writer beautifully captures both these types of inmates,
- Have to mention the OST, ofcourse. The songs were good and fitting with the series. I specially liked the songs the 'theme song' "OK', ", 'Bravo My Life' by Eric Nam, Would Be Better' by Heize & 'Like A Dream' by Park Boram
- If you're hesitating because of the run-time of the episode, or if by any chance, you find the first few episodes 'slow', my advice for you would be to keep watching. With this drama, you just need to find your rhythm and pretty soon you won't even notice how long the episodes are. Of course, you could always love the drama right from the start!
Well, that's about it for the review. I hope you give this one a chance, because otherwise you'll be missing out on a wonderful drama.
Happy Watching!!
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Great reviews for this rare gem have already been written, but even without having anything new or original to add, I feel the uncontrollable need to come here and share the joy with whomever wants to read.This drama is brilliant. It's profoundly human, histerically funny, heartwarming, emotional, at times highly gratifying and - given the premises - surprisingly uplifting. Who would have thought I'd enter prison with gloomy anxiety and come out of it with a huge grin of satisfaction, almost wishing they would prolong my sentence and let me stay a little longer behind bars?
The strengh of the script is the wonderful ensamble of characters. They literally invade the viewer's life with their diverse personalities, background stories and antics. I laughed, despaired, feared, anxiously waited with them and never felt bored, even when the events taking place are paramount only for the characters and not for the script itself. It happens when the world of a drama or movie is so well outlined you forget it's fictional.
Fenomenal acting by everyone bar none. Alas, I can't fill up the page with ravings about each one of them: it would take too long, I'd end up being spoilerish somewhere and I'd bore those who haven't watched the drama yet to death. Suffice to say all the actors had the time and the means to shine, both individually as well as a group, proof of their talent but also of an awesome director's work.
Perfect score for the music too. This ost does not exist only to soundtrack the scenes, it also exists in the world of the characters, it's listened to by them, even sung by them, so that we have the weirdest blend of classical music, rap, old korean folk, opera and everything in between. There isn't the usual love ballad played at every turn, until it becomes haunting in a bad way. This soundtrack adds to the story, instead of simply working as a background to the written events. Genius.
Prison Playbook was warmly recommended to me. I'm deeply grateful to all my friends here who encouraged me to watch it and I hope this short review may have the same effect on others. Perhaps some of you are hesitating because of the setting: indeed, there's no glamour here, no super trendy clothes to show off with, no highly dramatic love story, and the goodlooking actors aren't here to simply beautify the set. This drama goes deeper than that, it will make you laugh a lot and it will make you cry, but rest assured you won't regret a single tear.
My only warning: the first episode. Now that I have completed the drama, I could rewatch it with a new perspective. The first time around however, that long pilot felt kind of hard to get through. Hang in there, please. It's worth the patience!
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Story: [9.5/10] Prison Playbook is one of those shows that sort of starts out slow and provides you with very little information. The series begins with an episode that is very vague. You learn very little about the character as well as the over-arching story at the very beginning. The story begins to unfold as you continue deeper into the series. You begin to learn about Je Hyuk and his personality. You also get to learn about his many different cell mates as well. Some good, others not so good. The good ones are awesome though when they group together and sort of form a little brotherhood of sorts with Je Hyuk. I'm definitely enjoying the mini-brotherhood/sisterhood themes that have occurred in dramas in 2017. I.e. the brotherhood you see in Prison Playbook and Save Me, the sisterhood you see in Avengers Social Club. I also enjoy the fact that the series is not very predictable as well. Overall it's a very well written drama about prison. The comedy needs a little more work though, hence the 9.
Acting/Cast: [9.5/10] I found the acting/characters in this show to be really refreshing. The first reason is the fact that our main character Kim Je Hyuk isn't really the brightest of the bunch. Why does this seem refreshing to me? It's refreshing because it makes the show a lot more realistic and credible. There are so many different shows I've watched where the main character had everything. He/She is usually the smartest, good looking, richest, and the best at a certain skill. Je Hyuk became a character that was easy to relate to for me because he seemed more like any other every day average joe. Well... other than the fact that he was one of the best baseball players in Korea at the time. Even that though is evened out by the fact that he uses his perseverance in order to help him get better at baseball. It's a lot more realistic to see a character struggle to get to his/her goal (rather than be born with the skill). It was also nice to see Jung Woong In play a nice person for once. I swear he has played the villain in every other drama that he's in. Again I found his character very relatable and admirable. His character acts tough on the outside, but on the inside he's a teddy bear. He takes a lot of scorn from the prisoners but he often tries to do what is best for them. In fact I was a big fan of all of the prison guards except the Captain Na guy (You can't have all nice prison guards, that would make for a boring story).
Music: [9.5/10] Music is pretty likable. It uses an array of different tunes for different situations. The whole -cricket- whistle thing sort of gets old though.
Rewatch Value: [7,0/10] I possibly see myself rewatching this show in future. However it definitely would not be one of my top priority dramas to rewatch. The problem that I had with this show was that it was about 90 minutes long. Each episode is generally about one main topic/struggle that the main character(s) have to go through. Generally most Korea dramas have episodes that are 60 minutes long. The fact that this show is 90 minutes long meant that some events were essentially dragged out 1.5x longer than usual.
Overall I'm a big fan of the show. I thought the show started out pretty slow, but I began to like the show more and more as I learned more about the characters. It was an easy show for me to relate to because it is a show in which you have average Joe characters proceeding through life and going through some very realistic misfortunes. My only gripe about this show was that I was use to the 90 minute episodes. I found it hard to binge the show. I ended up watching about 2 episodes a day before deciding to go do/watch something else. Prison Playbook definitely distinguishes itself from its competition though. It's one of my most favorite dramas for the winter season. I recommend you give the drama a try.
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I was drawn in from the beginning, and if it were not for responsibilities and work....well, I may have been glued to my tv day and night until I was finished. At around an hour and a half long per episode, this was NOT an easy show to binge on. I wanted to, but it was practically impossible for me to do. This show ended up being a warm, full of heart, slice of (prison) life 'dramedy' that is almost entirely character driven rather than plot driven. If that type of show is something you enjoy, please give this a chance, I don't think you'll regret it.
The writing for this show was first class. I hesitated to give it a 10 just because I tend to get 'post show glow' as we MDL'ers like to call it. But I settled for an overall 10 with just a fraction knocked off for storyline and rewatch values (this show is LONG, did I mention that??) This story flowed so well, with proper use of flashbacks to fill in the missing pieces. There were some things I didn't think would be realistic in a prison, but some things which were too heartbreakingly realistic. I loved the relationships that the writer created and getting to know the motivations of the characters. Overall, I think the writing was VERY well done. I audibly laughed many times and then mopped up my tears through the last two episodes - both happy and sad tears. Prepare your tissues for those, folks! Although we didn't get a firm ending for everyone, I felt that, in a way, that was realistic too (and maybe, there's a chance for a second season down the road??) and I wasn't overly upset with that lack of closure as I normally would be. It made sense to me in this story, and it was enough for me right now.
The acting from the cast was worth every minute. Who would have thought they could draw this much sympathy from me for criminals? I loved how Je Hyuk, who was quite lacking in common sense, was so shrewd at reading people and knowing whether they were really a good person or a bad person and how to deal with them accordingly. I've only ever seen Park Hae Soo in one other show and that was a supporting role that I didn't remember. But I will definitely be looking forward to seeing him in more after this. I thought the chemistry between Park Hae Soo (Je Hyuk) and Krystal (Ji Ho) was excellent. I absolutely would have watched them do a straight up romance drama with these actors playing these two characters. And I always think that I'm not really fond of Jung Kyung Ho, but then I always end up liking him when I watch him. He was very likable in his role as Lee Joon Ho, and I liked his bromance with Je Hyuk and his romance with Je Hee. I loved all Je Hyuk's cellmates as well - I can't even choose a favorite. I liked them all for varying reasons, Min Chul, Han Yang, Captain Yoo, KAIST, and Crony. Then there was Lt. Paeng, the best corrections officer in the whole pen - and his protegé, Song Gi Doong. Wonderful performances from all the actors of these characters. I really have no complaints for the acting at all. Sometimes, even down to just facial expressions was perfect.
The music was very fitting and fit just the right emotions for the scenes, and I feel like I need to go back and listen to some of the songs again.
The re-watch was knocked off a bit just for those long episodes (did I mention those yet? LOL) but, time permitting, one day I really do want to go back and rewatch this again.
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So i sat down on my toilet seat and started analyzing this show.When the show ended, i felt good, but there were lingering feelings of wanting more in the background but i didn't pay much attention to it. I finally did a thorough self reflection and found why that was.
THIS SHOW IS NOT 9.0+ MATERIAL
There are so many points in this show that make you think " why?! " but then you forget about it because the story moves on.
The show is great, do not misunderstand the review.
This show belongs in the 8.5-8.9 category at best.
The expectations generated by its 9.1 rating cause all its small inconsistencies to pop out more.
I am bad with Korean names, so i'll refer to characters are what i see them as.
The Pros.
The Comedy is good. At no point did it feel lame, everyone's character perfectly generates the comic relief you'd expect from them.
The acting was great. especially the main inmates. They portrayed emotions and reactions mostly as you'd expect someone in their situation would do.
The pacing of the overall timeline felt planned and well thought out.
Even if at times it felt like they were dragging the story with fillers, the events are connected well enough with the main story to make the 90 minute long episodes go by without being boring.
The flashbacks are something i really liked. especially Mister gangster's, when the whole screen goes into 4:3 mode lol
but there are issues here.
SECOND LEAD SYNDROME STRIKES AGAIN.
THE FRANKENSTEIN.
First and foremost the Main leads Romance.
WHY??? How did they screw up so bad i have no idea. At first it felt cute. Then the whole part started to feel like a chore to watch.
ML and FL meet, at the start they make it seem like they like each other.
Then they meet later, and ML starts to reject her, with the cliche "ᵢ dₒₙ'ₜ waₙₜ yₒᵤ ₜₒ ₛᵤffₑᵣ" mentality. He is a simple stupid character so i guess that's a bit excusable.
Then the FL starts rejecting him. The flashbacks keep showing how everything was good between them, other than him ghosting everyone when he loses, but here we are, she is just not giving a frick.
Then suddenly by the end, they miraculously get together. Without obvious events to trigger it.
There are events that happen that could have been triggers, but they happen way before in their arc. but by the end out of nowhere, they are back together.
i think the writers knew how weak their arc was so we barely see them together in the last few episodes.
Now the fellow inmates.............................
Jailbird was the exposition boy. Didn't see much more character out of him. ML saves him mom at the start, so he is a loyal fanboy now. We are led to believe he is good, but the he comes back to jail again. True to his name i guess. We get a glimpse of the HARD TO SWALLOW PILL when loony gives everyone in the audience the middle finger that some people don't change and jailbird is obviously one of those characters. In the end he is ML's Agent by the looks of it.
This char was the least impactful among all other inmates. But he ends up getting the one of the best outcomes.
Captain Demon baby. His arc felt well done, i would have loved a look at him after he was released, i have no idea why they couldn't do that.
Dr Petitioner. We go deep into his char, his backstory, his actions, and we hoped that we'll get a nice wrap up to his ark. NOPE. gets transferred out of the blue. Poor guy is never heard from again. We never know if he survives the other jail, gets out, emigrates to some other nation with his wife. He helped ML so much and that was a big slap to my face.
Mr Lispy Engineer. We don't go deep into his character till its time for the writers to yeet him from the show. However refreshing it was to see professor conman draining Lisp's wife, we never get a follow up. This part is not a big deal but knowing so little about his backstory or life, that was the only part we knew and cared about. Then they decided to take him out so a son pops up with a problem there goes one more inmate. Poor guy is never heard from again. Did he end up on good terms with his ex-wife atleast who knows. its not like the writers care.
The "Son" of Mr gangster. he was annoying, whenever he called himself the son, it was cringy and the betrayal was out of the blue. That would have been understandable if he stuck with the betrayal, but then he comes back for a cameo and we are supposed to like him again. He is mentioned when Gangster is being released and that's it.
HERE comes the biggest RED PILL of the show. Loony. They definitely did not plan his end properly. He was showing genuine signs of recovery. He was almost force fed drugs but he RESISTED. But when he gets out he gives in? His ending was felt rushed too. For most of the other inmates we see a send-off. Looney was close to plenty of people and a send-off should have happened but it just cuts to the restaurant and him being released. I don't know if the writers trolling and geniuses with his arc. One hand it feels wrong, on the other it shows a realistic depiction of addicts. But he was very capable of resisting and that was for sure. Did he sabotage his life out of anger for his mom? nothing is made clear and he is gone without mention forever. I expected to see reactions of the cursing lieutenant or the inmates but nope. GONE.
Then my favorite inmate, the reformed gangster. He sits in the background of the show much like the engineer, but at the end his story is picked up nicely. It was nice what happened with his daughter and all, but that's where it ends. where is his ending? the mother clearly likes him, she is single, he got out, but we never see any of it happening. WHY? Just why?!
So much more could have been done with this show. 16 90 minute episodes are effectively 24 1 hour episodes. That's a LOT. The camerawork is very slow at times , they could have cut some useless parts and gave meaningful endings, sad or happy to more inmates. but nope. Its all open to our imagination. There could have been short scenes with ML and what happens after a few months, maybe he tells everyone in an interview how his cellmate friends are doing. it was entirely possible but NOPE.
And what's up with those footsteps at the end of each episode? i thought they'd pay that off in the last episode showing someone walking after everything ends but naaaaa.
And did i talk about the setting of the whole show? Is this "Baseball star Fan club" or set in a prison? We get a glimpse of the real deal when cursing guard and non stop talking guard leave for a scene and this stern guard shows up. That goes NOWHERE. why was that scene in the show? to show us how ridiculous the setting is in the show? Who knows?
i can go on and on about small small issues, but ill stop now. this is what happens when expectations are HIGH. this show came out 2 years ago, has a 9.1 rating. Higher than Goblin, which i thought was the best K show of this decade. i haven't even seen it yet but now it makes me wonder if goblin's 9.0 was over-hyped as well or not.
there are plenty of shows with more problems than listed here but people do not complain as much, they are rated low and people have conservative expectations. but this show felt so convoluted.
I rate this show 8.5 because it is a good show. i didn't feel the boredom that made me quit halfway like a lot of shows give me, even if it was so long. The characters are well written even if their endings are not. The comedy is the best part of the show. I am not happy with this show more for its bad endings rather than the character decisions.
I really like the sister of ML and daughter of gangster characters, They breathed some life into this show.
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The screenwriter is very talented and should be recognized more. My favorite drama, reply 1988 was written also by the same screenwriter. Every time this person works on a drama, not only he creates characters that you would enjoy watching during the drama, but also characters that feels like family members to you. Literally i felt like saying my goodbyes to important people in my life when this drama ended, and when reply 1988 ended as well.
I might sound stupid for people who didn't feel the same watching this drama or reply 1988, or for those who haven't watched any. but honestly that's how i feel finishing those two dramas.
B. ACTING!
*Choi moo sung, this man is seriously one of a kind. just give him whatever character, and he would 100% master it. and this was also the case in prison playbook.
*This was actually the first drama i watched for the main lead, Park Hae Soo, but will not be the last, he seriously played his role perfectly!
*I don't really have something to say about jung kyung ho. Although he is one of my favorite korean actors and one of the reasons why i started watching prison playbook, but his role here was not as massive as i thought it would be. OF COURSE his acting is great as always!. but just for those who are considering this drama for the sole purpose of kyung ho being in it, DO WATCH because definitely you're going to be hooked and ignore the fact that you're watching just for kyung ho.
C. OST!
PERFECT
D. OVERALL
Black comedy is not an easy genre. It is one of the best, and hardest to achieve. and doing this kind of dramas without pulling audiences into a big black hole of tragedy is the hardest. You will never feel tired or would want to take a break from watching this drama, because every episode is filled with the right amount of comedy and the right amount of drama. I'm very satisfied! cannot say anymore but IT DESERVES THE HIGH RATINGS, I CAN GUARANTEE THAT.
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The story is actually well written, logical, no apparent plot holes, and no character was sacrificed due to bad writing... No these were not the problems with the story... the problem was simpler than these, the writers forgot their setting!!! They forgot that they were writing about prisoners, about criminals, about victims and about the pain caused by the crimes, by violence, and by poverty (not just money wise, but emotional and moral poverty). They forgot that crimes are entangled with morality. They forgot to mention psychological aspect of a crime, that for example when one person commits the act of murder, other that than the pain they've caused others, they themselves are forever psychologically scared, that these scars don't just fade away, that these scars need to be addressed, that rehabilitation and a lot of help is needed for them to hurt less ...
In the drama, they joked about how the prisoners should come to their senses and that they are not in a club, or a hotel... to be honest, I felt like the writers thought the characters were simply lost sad boys who had decided to come together and live in a hostel ...
Half way through the drama, when I saw that the is no sign of ANY remorse the drama lost its charm for me, it wasn't fun to watch anymore, it was actually alarming to watch, to see how everyone in the drama seemed to ignore all the signs of psychological problems and morality issues of the main characters ... so yeah if I were to go back in time I will pass on this drama and spend my 16 hrs doing something else ....
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Story:10/10
The writer of this Prison Playbook was a genius..every scene was beautifully made.
Characters:20/10
Like the others, I cannot pick who will be my favorite coz everyone was freaking good. from the cellmates, correction officers and the villain gave a wonderful acting skills here... :) even the supporting actors like Joon Ho's brother, The warden(one of my favorite :)) and of course our favorite Lieutenant Paeng!!!!!
Music:10/10
One of the reason why the dark humor was so great in here is because of the background music.. :) Really love it!! :)
Overall it was a fun ride. I watched it after my surgery in my stomach part and it really gives me pain coz I laugh so hard in this one... Magnificent story. One of a kind... You need to watch this guys... :) You will love it... :)
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