Prison Playbook (2017)

Well, i will be honest. I was firstly attracted by the high rate in MDL, then i've checked out the plot and yes, it seemed interesting but not so much. I mean, we are talking about a drama that shows the life in prison, so no plot twist, no love stories, no laughts, maybe a bit boring... but then i thinked about it again and there had to be a valuable reason for that high vote: while searching for more information, i found out that the director and the screenwriters were the same of Reply series. I've watched all 3 of them and i loved them so so much, especially 1988 and 1994 (two of my favourite dramas of all time, together with "Prison playbook" now). If you watch Prison playbook with attention you will certanly notice that they have very much in common: the type of humor, the background sounds when something funny or stupid happen (in this there are twittering bird, in reply were the sheep bleating), a profound attention to the music, the use of many flashbacks for tell and explain the characters background and some of the actors of the cast are the same.

STORY:

The firsts episodes (maybe 1, 2 and 3) serves to introduce you to the story and to presents you the numerous characters that are in the drama. You can notice right away that there is a sad tone, very much serious, but also a very energetic ritm and many funny moments, thing that you wouldn't expect in this type of context.
First of all, let's talk about the main character: even though at the beginning he seems an anonimum person (temperamentally speaking), bit by bit you'll learn to know him and you will find out a very warm man, with a kind heart, probably because he knows very well what means to feel real pain and despair. He is a bit stupid sometimes (in a good way, he made me laugh so much), very genuine and naive, but he knows how to play his own cards when the game requires it, and he perfectly succeeds in empathizing with others like nobody could do. The thing i loved the most about him is that all the kind gestures he do, he never speak of them about it, he just do them, in silence, only because he can't stay put and watch other's pain.
Even though i adore all the characters, if i have to choose my favourite, probably he would be Tenent Paeng, because below the rudeness there is a very kind man that love his job and has a very clear vision of how is the best way to do it. Jail in not a common place: dangers are always behind the corner and you have to remain mentally and emotionally stable. You can't be friendly with the convicts, but is extremely important to remain human. So, the balance is fundamental, but is not a very easy task: Tenent Paeng understood this very well and even though is very rude sometimes, in reality he do what he can to help the convicts to survive to jail in the most human way possible. He has done so much for a them in silence, and in that aspect is very similar to the protagonist Je Hyuk (but he has a more puppy way to do it). If i have to choose one word to discribe him, it would be "tsundere" :D <3
Loony (Han Yang) is another important character to me: he made me laugh so much and cry so hard. In his extreme solitude, he seems like a defenceless puppy in my eyes. I've pity him for feeling alone for most of his life and yes, he became a drugdealer and it's a very serius crime, but like in every case, it's important valuate the personal background of the criminal and his story was so so sad. Every time he becomes serious and talk about himself and his life, i feel like my heart is torning to pieces. I would want to hug him and say him "you're not alone", but i can't beacuse he is a character in a drama, (but not being able to help him it's frustrating anyway).

As the episodes goes by you will find yourself completely absorbed: the daily routine in jail (that i wrongly thought it might be boring) is a very valuable part, that make you understand more than anything else that in a lot of cases there isn't black and white, right and wrong, bad and good. The only thing that is truly there is life, and life can be difficult, because you could choose the wrong pat and you have to pay for it, but also because sometimes there is no much justice as we would. Someone could do a bad thing because is a bad person, yes, but maybe someone else only found himself in a difficult situation and had no other choice. The most important thing that i really learned and feeled watching Prison playbook is that you truly can't judge a book by its cover, and not only you can't, but you musn't, because every human been have the right to be heard first. The most powerfull thing is the meaning of the little things and the little gestures, that can make someone happy in a very sad or difficult moment, because if hating or just give the cold shoulder is easy, in the same way is easy also to do a small thing, it doesn't cost anything.
Bromance is also a very important part of this drama: Je Hyuk and Joon Ho are best friends that doesn't see each other for years, but they meet again when Je Hyuk get arrested and goes to jail. Lee is a prison guard and his presence there helps Kim Je Hyuk a lot: he find in his best friend the strongness for fight again in this difficult situation that he's in. Their friendship is one of the best friendship i have ever see in a show (film, drama, anime and whatsoever), they have a truly sincere and strong bond, more than between bloodrelated brothers. Joon Ho is always rough with Je Hyuk, but also very affectionate in his own way. Surely they would give away their life for each other.
One of the thing that you wouldn't expect it is the strong sense of family: obviously i'm not talking of the classic family, but after all family is not only your mum, your dad or yours brothers and sisters related by blood. Family is a strong and deep bond that could born even in the most unexpected place, just like a jail (where maybe the common imaginary is more the feeling of loyalty between criminals or gangsters, obviously a stupid way of thinking).

ACTING/CAST:
I have nothing to say, only a big WOW! The actors impersonate the charcaters so much that it doesn't seems at all that they are acting. A special plause goes to to Lee Kyu Hyung (Loony), because the character that he has interpretate was so complex in every aspect!

MUSIC:

A big mention goes to the sundtrack (including the opening and the ending songs): apart from the classic ballads that you can also hear on most of the Korean dramas, there is also a big part of rap and pop music that seem to have nothing to do with the general atmosphere of the show, but in reality they match with it very very well.

REWATCH VALUE:

Even though the episodes last 90 minutes (they are very long, because usually they go for 60/70 minutes), you will not event notice it and time will flies away while watching it. It's not so foregone to want to rewatch a thing that you liked, because there are stories that are based on plot twist and once you've watch them the strong emotion will gone, because there will be no more surprise effect anymore. But this drama is based on human emotion and on the nature of the characters, so if you watch it a second time or a third, maybe you will learn something new everytime.

CONCLUSIONS:

I can say without an esitation that this drama becomes a real drug. You must put in part pregiudice for one of the best drama ever. Prison playbook is really much more than a description in words could explain (but i had to tried anyway). The strong feeling while watching it is so intense and real that you might forget that you are watching a drama at all. The story development and the many flashback that shows the background of every main characters are so immersive that you can feel it right to the bones. Every single moment is very well thought out and functional to complete the large puzzle.
in conclusion, if it would have been possible to give 15 instead of 10, i would have done it right away, without even thinking it.

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