Înțelepciunea Închisorii (2017)

A nice watch but I wanted more

Overall a nice watch and a lot of mini lessons and touching scenes, but I'm kind of surprised it's rated THAT highly here. I think the beginning was stronger for me, more about JH dealing with his prison situation and who the people around him are, rather than the latter half which had more rotating bad guys and random baseball obstacles. I thought the drama would deal a lot more with morality and be heavier, but overall it seemed pretty light-hearted to me.

There are A lot of rotating characters, which makes sense given the prison system, but it just makes it feel like the writers dropped the ball on their stories. One side character that was consistently present throughout the entire series got a terrible ending; I know how unrealistic it can be to give everyone a happy ending when there's such a big cast but it just felt terrible to watch and so unsatisfying :'(

A lowkey star of the show — Paeng! So much depth in his character, from his own backstory to just how he interacts with the inmates. And Minchul was another fave of mine.

Obviously, I loved the bromance and the friendships throughout but I think it could've gone further as well if they handled more serious topics about unjust laws / redemption / life paths / power dynamics, etc.

Anyways! This was a fun one for me and as a fan of the friends-to-lovers trope, the fact that we got two of that was a huge plus.

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The story is exactly as the title says -- main characters are all very smart and you'll love seeing them put their brains at work to survive prison life. There are a lot of characters to keep in mind, but that also keeps every scene interesting without the scriptwriters needing to use stupid tropes/failures to drag the plot out. While there is a lot of life-or-death (and justice) at play, the scenes are also interspersed with amazing comedic relief, keeping the whole show pretty lighthearted and easy to enjoy. The way they use flashbacks as a story-telling device also keeps it interesting and makes it easy for the audience to keep up at the same time.

The casting was so appropriate, and the main characters portrayed the complex emotions so well! Special love to Lieutenant Paeng, whom I had only seen as scary villain characters before (coughcough, I Hear Your Voice). His acting here made me discover a whole other side of him!

Only reason why I didn't give this a higher score is I'm more into heavier/more intense dramas, but if you're looking for a lighthearted human drama with comedic relief, smart characters, and amazing acting, this is a must-watch :)

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NASAYO NA ANG LAHAT BY DANIEL PADILLA

This drama has it all: drama, comedy, romance, suspense.

Tbh I started watching it few years back but then I don't continue watching it because it's just not my style and the eps are so long and I am regretting it now.

No words can explain how I love this drama so much. It made me laugh and cry like there's no tomorrow. I'm curious what happened to Looney and the others but still I'm satisfied with the ending. This drama also tackles different issues that we are facing.

P.s. My rating for the rewatch value ia low because I don't rewatch dramas he he. Hence, it's definitely worth rewatching ^^

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What can I say, the people responsible for the Reply series hit it out of the park again. I realize I gave it a 9.5 but I will explain myself later as to why I docked it half a point.

First of all let's start with the story:

I loved it. Me and my son were watching it and I was like this reminds me of the Reply series and he was like uuuuummmmm that's because it was done by the same people lol. My favorite drama is Reply 1988 so it hyped my enthusiasm right off the bat. There were times in the story where I was like wth these were like main characters and with no warning, poof gone. Also the way they handled the drug portion of the story and Looney kind of annoyed me but more on that later. Other than that it was fantastic, You really fall in love with the characters and their struggles in prison. Also the back stories were pretty good as well for each character.

Characters:

I usually write the actors name and I may mention them but for now I will stick with their screen names.

Kim Je Hyuk: I actually love this character. He was a super great guy who just got the crap end of the stick for protecting his sister and really it was self defense in the end. He was pretty dense but also very caring about those around him. I will say you definitely did not want to mess with the people he cared about. He did a very good job of holding the story together. Plus he made me laugh quite a bit.

Lee Joon Ho: His best friend and corrections officer. Talk about charisma, I loved him and his acting was top notch. He was super smooth and hilarious as well. His relationship with Je Hee was super sweet.

Ji Ho: This is Krystal from f (x), I really liked her character but she didn't play a huge part but did add some really good relational aspects to Je Hyuk's personality which I enjoyed.

The Inmates in cell #7:

Kim Min Chul: Omg what a great character, even though he had done something terrible his persona in the prison was quite gentle but you def did not want to mess with him. In all actuality, his later parts were probably the only ones I teared up on. I was just hoping the best for him throughout the series.

KAIST: This guy was hilarious, his relationship with Looney totally cracked me up. He was a total conman but you still felt for the guy which is a testament to the excellent writing in this drama. When he left a few episodes before the end all of the sudden it was a total disappointment, it left the story of the character without any closure at all which sucked because he was a main character in the series.

Looney: What a hilarious character. At first he kind of annoyed me but later he was an indispensable part of the story line. I will say I just hated the way they portrayed drug abuse since some of it wasn't based in reality at all. I'm wondering if they were forced to portray drug abuse in this way to discourage viewers from taking drugs but some of it was ridiculous like how he was in withdrawls for almost a year, wth was that. The way they ended his character was also extremely disappointing which is one reason along with Kaist and Dr. Ko's characters I had to dock the drama a half a point.

Captain Yoo: Man did you feel for this guy. His whole story showed how the justice system in Korea is quite flawed. You'll see what I mean when you watch it. You'll be yelling at the screen going why in the hell is he still in there. It will just make you mad and show you just how slow the system actually is. On a brighter note, he was a super sweet guy and his interactions with Looney were absolutely priceless.

Croney: Now at first his character really pisses you off but by the end you love him. When Je Hyuk gets discharged and he hugs Hyuk and says you were the only person who ever treated me like a human being was very touching. I wish they would have extended his ending so we would have gotten some closure at least.

Another aspect of the drama were the guards who did and excellent job. One in particular, Lieutenant Paeng, was excellent. He really added heart to an otherwise cold system. Rough and rude on the outside but a real teddy bear on the inside. Without him the drama wouldn't have been as enjoyable as it was because he really added to the feels in the whole story.

Only a couple of gripes. The ones I mentioned before, like characters just abruptly leaving and the way drug abuse is portrayed really annoyed me. Also this is less about this drama in particular but Korean drama in general. I freaking hate how the last episodes go almost to the end with the main story instead of giving us any real type of closure. I mean they rush the wrap ups and leave us high and dry for some of the characters with little closure to their stories at all which is very disappointing. For me I wish kdramas would do a better job of wrapping up the characters and giving fans a bit more closure.

That being said, this was one of the best kdrama has to offer, I really can't recommend it enough!

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Prison Playbook is one of those dramas that reaches your heart. Since I watched the first episode it got on my top 5 (and i’ve already seen a bunch of them).
In the beginning I was very reticent to watch it, because I am not a fan of prison shows (as Prison Break or Orange is the new black), but on the other hand I’m the biggest fan ever of Jung Kyung Ho. So, yes, he was the main reason why I started it. And I have to admit that I didn’t regret it for a second since the first minutes of the show.
This drama is something really special. It can make you laugh for hours and later on, you would like to cry of emotions (and most of them are not sad feelings). That’s probably the best thing the writers, directors and actors have done here. They could make you feel thousand of different emotions watching the same drama.
Acting: I know this wasn’t the best role for Jung Kyung Ho, but anyway he’s the best brother-friend there could be for the male lead. Everybody’s casting in this drama was perfect. Overall, I liked very much Lee Kyu Hyung as “Loony”, he was amazing, and Jung Woong In as Lieutenant Paeng. Moreover, the interaction among the inmates was sublime.
Without a doubt, everybody should watch it.
Don’t hesitate for the prison main subject (as I did for a long time), the episode’s length or the almost non-existant romantic subplot (you are not going to care anyway that it doesn’t exist). I miss this drama already, I could continue watching it on and on and on. And I assure you, it’s the first drama I watched where I was not interested on what would happen at the end, because the development was so much more important than the ending. I’m sure I’ll rewatch it again.

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Overrated trash

One of the biggest mysteries of Kdrama land is the rating of this trash drama. I literally barfed my entire lunch when I saw old dude kissing Krystal and playing as a universaty student bleaaaaah. I just wish I could unseen it an easy 1 for me. Could have gotten a new reply series instead of this trash. The prison Drama didn't move me as well it's was underwhelming like everything about this drama, there are plenty prison Dramas that tops this, I think if the reply series directors wasn't in it, it would have flopped. Anyway don't reccomend unless you want cliche drama that want to move you but does, an unwanted romance and edgy characters

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I'm writing this at 5am in the morning, that should give a little bit of insight on how great this drama is, it really is on a level on it's own. If you are thinking of watching this, just give it one episode and I guarantee you will be hooked.

Story was exceptional, the way they told the story of the main character, the other prisoners, officers and more and what occurs in prison was entertaining and exceptionally done. Even the writing, the relationships build, the humor that was placed in all episodes was out of this world.

Acting/Cast - Every single person cast in this drama, it was as if they were made for the role. Great acting from the main leads and supporting roles.

Music - The music helped to set the theme and tone very well, I even liked the theme song a lot. But something that I really liked was when someone would sing a song for a scene and then they wud play it after. I liked those moments for some reason. Great song choices throughout.
Rewatch Value - Yes,  I would watch this again.

I really enjoyed this drama, before I started it, I didn't think I would enjoy it so much. It even made me cry, which is hard to do. I will miss it.

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I am not a fan of cheesy romance drama  so this drama was already on my watchlist.... I am way more impressed  with the amazing story line.. brilliant cast and direction.....It focused on the character development  and building bonds between them....There was not a single dull moment in any episode , again thanks to the perfect amount of humour  at perfect timing....It would have been just another kdrama if writer had given a happy ending to every character....... even though  felt bad for some  character but this was another flavour that writer added in his unique recipe...waiting for another work of the writer/ director...actually sequel would be great  in the near future..

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Corre y mírala!!!!

Hace tiempo que tenía Prison Playbook en mi lista de series para ver. No me había decidido aún porque el tema de prisiones es duro y tenía ganas de ver algo más light. Las calificaciones estaban claras, es de las series más valoradas en MYD y está en el top junto a otras series maravillosas como Goblin o las Reply y no es para menos. Si estás en la misma situación que yo, dudando, no lo hagas y corre a verla, porque netflix está haciendo sitio en su catálogo de dramas y están desapareciendo algunas joyas. Y esta es una joya que reluce de verdad. Tantos valores tiene este drama, tantas enseñanzas, es una gema maravillosa, una serie para ver y revisar no una sino muchas veces, con actuaciones asombrosas, superlativas, historias muy tiernas y emotivas, y uno de las amistades más maravillosas de dramalandia y un romance que es muy "cute"!!!! Además todo está contado con tanta maestría, que sus capítulos de hora y media se te pasan en un santiamén y tienes la tentación de ver otro capítulo cuando sabes que es una locura y que la noche está para dormir. Esta serie es un arte, nada es excesivo, todo está muy bien hecho, los flahsbacks donde conocemos las historias de los diferentes personajes son un 10, la música es fantástica, los momentos comicos son hilarantes y los momentos emotivos son buaaaa, he llorado sin parar con ellos!!! Para siempre en mi top de series "slice of life". Además y eso es importante para mi, tiene un final satisfactorio para casi todos los personajes!!!!

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It might have been titled WISE PRISON LIFE, but believe me when I say that the drama dabbled in more that just prison life.

Story/Plot: It's one of the best one's ever narrated and put to film to be honest. I love how each character was so unique and complex and flawed that it's easy to love everyone of them. Je Hyeok is the lead we all never knew we needed. He is kind and soft and fluff but he is also manipulative and resourceful as he has displayed multiple times in the drama. It breaks my heart to see Han Yang end up the way he did but it was realistic. Would have wanted to see how Captain Yoon's case go or how Min Cheol adjusted with living out of prison after 2 decades but that's that. There was never a dull moment in the drama. It was full of plot twist in every episode that I finished it in 1 sitting. That's how good it was.

Acting/Cast: The dynamic of the cast is amazing. I can't stress enough how perfectly fit or how amazingly portrayed every character is. Yes, even the Warden and the Deputy was on point. They were beautiful to watch interacting on screen. I feel like their acting spoke to me as a person.

Music: on point but not as exceptional as the story itself.

Rewatch Value: Definitely a must watch and if you're feeling down, or want a good laugh or two or just in the mood of binge watching anything, this should be your first choice.

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