5 Reasons Why You Should Watch “Prison Playbook”

From the director that brought us the Reply series and the hit medical drama, Hospital Playlist comes Prison Playbook. It has that familiar and magical touch of Director Shin Won-ho, which guarantees to give you a quality drama that will stay with you forever.

Here are the reasons why you should watch this drama:

1. The Story

Kim Je Hyeok (Park Hae Soo), a famous left-handed pitcher, was convicted of assault after saving his sister Kim Je Hee (Lim Hwa Young) from a sexual attack. He receives a one year sentence in prison where he reunites with his long lost friend, Lee Joon Ho (Jung Kyung Ho) who works there. This is a captivating story about his life in prison and the lives of the people he encounters there.

2. The Cast

If you started watching Hospital Playlist, you will recognize some of the actors here. But if you are a die-hard K-drama fan like me, you will recognize most of the actors in this drama. I will not state all of them here. Instead, I will share those characters that I fell in love with.

The Athlete and The Stalker

The two main leads of this drama that have their own charm. A friendship that knows no bounds. Their differences fit each other perfectly. Kim Je Hyeok (Park Hae Soo) and Lee Joon Ho (Jung Kyung Ho) will show you what true friendship means.

Officer Na

Wow! This guy can get on your nerves. If you watched Crash Landing On You and hated him, you will hate him again here. His acting is effortless and yet he can stir your emotions to the highest level of hatred. Bravo to you Officer Na (Park Hyung Soo), you left a mark for me to remember.

Father and Son

Kim Min Chul (Choi Moo Sung), can scare you with his looks but you will love his good heart. Jean Valjean (Kang Seung Yoon), treats Kim Min Chul as his father. Would they finally find what they’re looking for? Or would they lose their way? Their relationship is proof that everyone deserves a second chance.

Lieutenant Paeng

Lieutenant Paeng (Jung Woong In) is the perfect example of the saying “Don’t judge the book by its cover“. I made that mistake the first time I saw him in this drama. But he was more than what you expected to see.

Looney

They call Yoo Han Yang (Lee Kyu Hyung) as Looney because he looks and acts like a crazy person. He was in jail because of drugs. What he did is not right and he will make you realize it. But he will surely make a space in your heart because of his honesty and comedic remarks. At the same time, he will break it for you because of his weakness. Hands up to Lee Kyu Hyung’s awesome performance.

3. The Friendship

One thing noticeable about the characters here is the friendship they form with their cellmates or the guards. How they support each other with whatever it is that they are going through. They have fights which will bring you laughter, but if one of them is going to be attacked by someone who is out of their circle, each one of them makes sure that nothing bad happens.

4. The Growth

Each of the characters has their own story. I find it amazing how each of the stories was told without compromising the main story. Each story has its own lessons. The regrets they all share and how they set to have a better life. It also amazes me how they showed that not all of the people who go to jail are really guilty of something. Some of them just don’t have the money or power to protect themselves.

5. A Slice of Life

You don’t have to be a criminal to relate to them. Their life stories and wrong choices could even serve as a lesson for you to not walk down that path. But here are some of the things I loved about it:

We Are All Human

Regardless of your social standing, status in life or your gender preference, we all deserve to be treated equally.

We All Deserve A Chance

Everyone has a chance to change and be a better version of themselves. They just need a chance and the right people to make it happen. There was one particular scene where Kim Je Hyeok spoke these words to another inmate:

“How could you have worked harder?
How could you have possibly tried harder?
What more could you have done?
You did your best,
but you weren’t given any opportunity.”

Kim Je Hyeok

Justice

Justice will prevail. You will love how justice is served to the people who deserve it. You will also find appreciation in the backstory of each action. Regardless of who the person is, if you did something wrong, that person will pay for it.

The dram consists of 16 episodes, each running at 1 hour and 30 minutes. It’s a bit long but it’s all worth it.

You can watch it on Netflix!

📸 CTTRO