Prison Playbook (2017)

Diredector Shin won Ho has done it again! This was his first step outside the reply series and I was not dissapointed.
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!

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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

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I have so many wonderful things to say about this drama, but I'll start with the one thing that I haven't seen praised enough, and that is the cinematography and editing. I absolutely love the way so many of the scenes are lit and shot. The letterboxed ratio of the entire drama also gave it such a wonderful look as well. Scenes were shot from such thoughtful angles and were framed in such an effective way to convey mood or meaning.

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.

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I absolutely loved this drama. Each episode was pure gold. I haven’t felt this good about any other Korean dramas. Surprising how I never clicked on it although I’ve known about it on Netflix for over a year. If there is anyone who is reading this review and hasn’t seen it, I highly suggest you watch it. I promise it will be hours well spend.

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.

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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.

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Definitely worth the time.

I've always been a fan of romantic comedy dramas but this drama surprised me (in a good way). The story, characters and the acting together with witty and tasteful script, cinematography and music was PERFECT. You can learn and see humanity as its worst and finest through pivotal characters in this drama. If you want layers of story, emotions and life lessons about depression, discrimination and stereotypes then this is the right drama for you. If you're used to romantic comedies and predictable plots, then this will be one wild roller coaster for you. While there are some aspects of drama that can be too scripted or planned, their is a sense of reality and sincerity to the portrayal of the prison life. I'd say this is one of the best dramas I've watched throughout the decade as I've seen nothing like it before.

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I always felt a tad bored by this drama when I watched it - not for any particular reason. Objectively speaking, the plot was solid. The characters were great. We had a wonderful blend of both happy and sad endings for our characters. But for some reason, sitting down and watching this drama felt like such a dull experience. I mostly blame the directing, since the episodes that were dragged out to 90 or more minutes could have fit nicely in a 60 minute format. A lot of the time seemed to be filled up with characters staring into space as the camera focuses on them, or even filler chit-chat that doesn’t really change the plot one way or the other. Take that away, and you’ve got a solid drama. Just because I didn’t have the heart to give this drama a lower rating (since it was exceptionally high quality and the storytelling was incredible) than 8.5 stars, I’m just going to take the slowness as the director’s unfortunate affinity for dragging out the plot rather than his lack of ability to direct a captivating drama. Overall I would recommend this drama. Took me a while to get into and another month to finish, but the overall story was very wholesome and pretty comedic. Love me a good comedy :)

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Definitely Recommend

Where to start? I loved this drama. At first I wasn't sure about it but decided to give it a watch anyway since there was nothing else. I did hear that this was about friendships in prison and unlike other dramas this time it is based on older characters. I was not sure what to expect even knowing this. I was not disappointed. It was funny and very emotional. I found myself laughing more than I have while watching a drama in awhile and I also found myself getting all teary eyed and crying a little near the end.

I will say that the ending for han yang and kaist kind of sucked. Although what happened with han yang is realistic it still sucks that he relapsed when he just got out of prison too. Getting over an addiction is never easy but he did his best and if he was able to do it once he can do it again. I will also say I felt bad for Kaist too because he did what he could and trued to be a good father to his son but his son did not want that. He just did not have a very good ending at all. I did love ki soos ending though because he spent the rest of his days in prison all happy which made me very happy.

As for the ost it was awesome. Not many times do I watch a drama that also has an amazing soundtrack. So if you are into that then I would recommend this drama even more.

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I was almost going to add this drama to my list of favorite dramas, but then the ending threw me off so bad. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed watching this, I laughed at lot. To be honest, the inmates and side characters' relationships, as well as the character development are the highlights of the drama. The development of the characters is immaculate. Every character was unique and had their own story, and they did a good job incorporating all that. 

The biggest problem I have with this drama was that they introduced so many characters which also had a lot of screen time but I guess the writer got lazy to end and finish their stories well. There was no follow up whatsoever. The characters that really grew on me just disappeared mid season. There is nothing really exciting about the male lead, I preferred watching the supporting characters. Overall this was just a decent drama, it would have been better if only it had a more satisfying ending. I would recommend but don't expect much.

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Tbh, I was hesitant to watch it at first. I thought it's going to be serious and tedious since it's not like the usual KDramas that I watch. If you're a sucker for romcoms and you've never tried watching other genre of KDramas like "Prison Playbook", don't worry! Your time will definitely not be wasted! I thought 1 hour and 39 mins for 1 episode is too long, but it's not! Episode was not that great tbh but I got hooked at ep 2! I love each of the characters' story. The drama was heartwarming and funny. (SPOILER AHEAD)














I love how the story of Kim Je Hyeok and his cellmates ended, except for Hanyang. I was hoping he would start a good life with his lover. He was able to fight his craving for drugs for months while he was in prison. I was so disappointed that not even an hour after he got released, he was doomed once again. But.. I guess what happened to him was kinda realistic.

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On aurait presque envie d'y aller passer ses vacances...

Pour Prison playbook, j'en suis à l'épisode 10, donc plus de la moitié et j'aime toujours beaucoup !
Ce n'est pas le truc qui te tient réveillée jusqu'à l'aube pour voir la suite, mais plutôt l'histoire qui s'installe tranquillement, les personnages qui s'approfondissent et auxquels on s'attache peu à peu.
Le fil rouge du joueur vedette balancé dans le milieu carcéral n'est, justement, qu'un prétexte pour voir toute une galerie de portraits (détenus au passé plus ou moins chargé et gardiens plus ou moins sympathiques)bien que le joueur lui-même ne soit pas du tout un faire-valoir banal ! On se demande au début si, à part lancer des balles, il est capable de comprendre quelque chose, mais peu à peu on s'aperçoit que derrière sa naïveté et sa maladresse indéniables se cachent un grand cœur et beaucoup de finesse !
Et j'adore voir Jung Woong-In (officier Paeng)si parfaitement odieux dans Empress Ki ou I hear your voice en gardien de prison bourru mais très humain, ça change tellement qu'au début j'étais sûre qu'il allait être le gardien sadique typique !
Alors bien sûr peu de femmes, sauf dans les flash-backs sur la vie du héros au temps de sa gloire, et aussi dans la vie du gardien Lee Joon Ho
Il y en a qui partent, (libérés, transférés, ou vers un monde meilleur… ) de nouveaux qui arrivent  apportant de nouvelles histoires et de nouveaux caractères.
Bon, j'aimerais être sûre que le système carcéral coréen est comme dans le drama (il faut voir la taille de la cellule de 6 personnages centraux !!! )avec un tel soin apporté aux prisonniers (nombreuses activités, et surveillance compréhensive.. )parce qu'on pourrait envoyer en urgence notre ministre de la Justice prendre des leçons !  
D'autre part le drama a clairement pris le parti-pris de rester du côté humain de la Force, car si les brimades et le côté sadique de certains petits chefs de cellule est évoqué, il reste très "soft" et plutôt en arrière plan

Maintenant je l’ai fini, et je peux conclure qu’il est vraiment agréable à suivre, les acteurs sont parfaits, et l’histoire finit comme on le souhaitait, sans cependant que ce soit ridiculement bisounours !

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engaging story and superb acting

Absolutely! One of the things that makes Prison Playbook so exceptional is its engaging story and superb acting.

The story of Prison Playbook follows the life of Kim Je-Hyeok, a famous baseball player who finds himself in prison after a series of unfortunate events. From the very beginning, the show establishes a compelling narrative that keeps viewers hooked. We see Je-Hyeok adapt to his new surroundings and navigate the complex social hierarchy of the prison.

As the show progresses, we get to know the other inmates as well. Each one has their own unique backstory and reasons for being in prison. The show explores their personal struggles, their relationships with each other, and their interactions with the guards. The story is both captivating and emotionally resonant, with plenty of twists and turns to keep you engaged.

The acting in Prison Playbook is also top-notch. The cast is made up of some of the most talented actors in the Korean entertainment industry, and they all deliver exceptional performances. Park Hae-Soo, who plays the lead role of Kim Je-Hyeok, is especially impressive. He brings a quiet strength and vulnerability to the character that makes him easy to root for. The supporting cast is equally excellent, with each actor bringing depth and nuance to their respective roles.

Overall, the story and acting in Prison Playbook are truly outstanding. The show manages to explore complex themes with grace and emotional depth, while the actors deliver performances that are nothing short of exceptional. It's no wonder that the show has received critical acclaim and a devoted fanbase. If you're a fan of Korean dramas or just looking for a compelling series to watch, I highly recommend giving Prison Playbook a try!

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