‘Prison Playbook’ also known as ‘Wise Prison Life’ revolves around the story of Kim Je Hyeok (Park Hae Soo), a famous left-handed baseball pitcher. He had everything – money, fame, fortune. He was poised to make his major league baseball debut in the US. However, only some days before that, he witnessed a man who attempted to rape his younger sister Kim Je Hee (Lim Hwa Young), which lead him to beat the suspect to death after using excessive force. Instead of flying abroad for the major leagues, he all of a sudden finds himself on a bus with his hands tied, surrounded by murderers, thieves, and drug lords, on the way to be imprisoned. The once famous pitcher has been convicted of assault and is now a fallen hero. Shockingly to him and the whole nation, he is sentenced to a year in prison.
Outside, Jae Hyuk's sister is traumatized, his mom is crying day and night, and fans are completely lost. He was already having a hard time right at the start, with the officer wanting to extort money from him, cellmates mocking him. But as fate would have it, he reunites with his long-lost high school best friend Lee Joon Ho (Jung Kyung Ho), who turned out to be a corrections officer in a different unit but constantly checks on him if he is fine. Despite the vile people he encounters inside prison, Je Hyeok's cellmates were also very supportive of his comeback as a baseball player.
‘Prison Playbook’ will take you into a very deep, hopeful, and cheery feeling in a package of dark comedy-drama. It is a life-in-prison story containing priceless life lessons where you can find in each episode of the drama. ‘Prison Playbook’ is definitely a great break for those who are tired of melodrama, romance, and gritty crime and mystery thrillers, but be prepared to be a little bit patient as this drama is very much dialogue-driven. What was interesting about this particular show is that it focused on the daily routines of a prison that the inmates go through, but is enhanced by its offbeat humour and a colorful set of characters that you would daily want to check on because you know that not one single moment it will be boring, whether it be labor in the greenhouse or in the meal times. It also touches on the stories of select prisoners and also touches on the lives of some of the correction officers as well.
‘Prison Playbook’ is a heartwarming story full of life-affirming lessons, and situational comedy that never forgets its dreary setting.
This Korean drama is another work of art from PD Shin Won Ho, who also directed the all-time favorite ‘Reply 1988’ and ‘Hospital Playlist’. He's mainly known for his detailed storytelling without making things look messy and his humor. The characters' stories are tied flawlessly. Coming from the fun and light 'Reply 1988', 'Prison Playbook' is comparatively darker and more serious. This drama’s theme focuses on the reality of life and wisdom that can be found in the most hopeless place in the world, also known as the prison. The first couple of episodes take place mostly in the detention center. It somehow had a slightly darker tone than the rest of the episodes.
From about episode 3 onwards, once our scene shifts to the penitentiary, the signature style of humor that characterized the ‘Reply’ series kicks in. The director brings forth that same essence of community and brotherhood in this show. All of the personal moments make this show feel warm and real, even though it’s set within cold prison walls. However, for all intents and purposes, they were able to reuse their proven formula and gave it an interesting twist that people loved. In fact, ‘Prison Playbook’ had crushing ratings from the moment it started airing in 2017. And now it is available on Netflix and Dramacool.
The show is listed as a “black comedy” as there are many situational and offbeat comedic moments, but the show never forgets what it’s about. And just as we are feeling comfortable with things, they slap us in the face with the harsh reminder that they are in prison, and with the many injustices that occur within the prison and the justice system itself. The acting in this show is definitely praiseworthy, as they were able to portray characters that were very much grounded and believable, not only as their characters but in the relationships they have as well with others.
They frame the narrative with flashbacks, whether it be a flashback from hours ago, or years ago, music, and sound effects that signal a failed punchline from one of the characters. Plus, it seems as if all of them are just great at delivering punchlines with such great deadpan expressions.
Money is the most powerful thing in the world. When you have power and money, basically you’re set for life. But I’m surprised that the male lead didn’t use this method to make his life easier. Je Hyuk is a famous athlete and everyone practically knows him. He could’ve easily bribed the officers to have his own room, to give him this or that, but he didn’t. The other prisoners though have their own system of bribery which shows a realistic side that if money makes your life easier and more comfortable, then why not? Je Hyuk did not resort to using this method, but instead, he befriended people around him and influenced them to be good. It’s an example of that, if you have good intentions and a good heart, you can move people too.
There are TV shows that become instant crowd favorites just by having high-profile stars as cast members, and ‘Prison Playbook’ is the exact opposite. All the cast members are already very talented. It had been a hit. In this drama, there’s Kim Je Hyeok (Park Hae Soo) and Lee Joon Ho (Jung Kyung Ho) will show you what true friendship means. Krystal of the K-pop group F(x) was also cast in the role of Kim Ji Ho, who supports Jae Hyuk no matter what happens. 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 that 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.
And while this is all happening, through character interactions, and the unfolding of the story itself, each main character’s story gets touched upon, without anything feeling too forced or too rushed. Like, the gangster Kim Min Chul (Choi Moo Sung) who, was involved in a murder and was prisoned for 25 years and now regrets his past life. He can scare you with his looks but you will love his good heart. Jean Valjean (Kang Seung Yoon of ‘Winner’), treats Kim Min Chul as his father. Captain Yoo (Jung Hae In) was framed for killing a soldier and everyone started labeling him as the "Demon Captain." KAIST (Park Ho San) was an engineer prior to his imprisonment because of a gambling scam, and you'll see how good he is at fixing things while he's in jail.
Other cellmates call Yoo Han Yang (Lee KyuHyung) Looney because he looks and acts like a crazy person. Han Yang is a Seoul University graduate who ended up in prison for taking illegal drugs. The withdrawal was so hard on him that he even developed a different personality when he's clean. What he did is not right and he will make you realize it. But he will surely make a space in your heart with his honesty and comedic remarks.
We all thought that those convicts inside the jail are evil, and those who have done something against the law. Once you're put in prison, you'll be stamped as a criminal or judged as though you have done very serious wrongdoing. But again, are all the inmates criminal? But little did we know that they all have stories to tell and they are not all necessarily evil. Some went in for certain reasons like they were falsely accused, they were hopeless, or they were forced to do it. Many various factors can lead someone into prison life. It is easy to point your finger at someone's flaw and mistake. From this Korean drama, you'll figure out why you shouldn't do that. You may find the answer that all the results may be constructed by our past actions or encounters and so intertwined with the current state and your future. Sometimes a good person must do something 'wrong' to make everything right and sometimes even a bad person do something 'good' under such circumstances. Life is completely unpredictable.
Another important message that this show seems to want to give out is that there is always room for improvement. And every people do deserve a second chance. However, there are also those that take second chances for granted and those who refused to do better as well. Though this drama has a serious theme revolving around prison life and a little bit of politics with plenty of dark humour, it is still a much-recommended must-watch. The ultimate lesson of this drama will teach you that prison life imparts to all walks of life is to learn how to roll with the punches that life throws our way and to begin again and again no matter what, no matter how.
What makes ‘Prison Playbook’ such a realistic K-drama is that it doesn't skip on the issues that surround prisoners—there’s sexual and physical abuse, a messed-up justice system, and special treatment for those who have more money in the bank. It showed that if you have connections, anything is possible. This depicts the society we are living in because really, these are the things we often see on the news all the time. ‘Prison Playbook’ showed the horrifying truth about drug addiction and how it affects people. That's something we don't often see in TV shows.
Living inside jail doesn’t mean it’s the end of the world. One can gain new friends, learn new skills, and can change you to be a better person. Prison Playbook also reminds us that people are complex. No one is born evil, but there are a lot of situations in life that force people to change and do the unthinkable. It doesn't excuse them from their actions, and there are consequences that they have to face, but seeing each backstory will make you think of the bigger picture and the root causes of societal problems.
‘Prison Playbook’ is a gem that you shouldn’t pass up, as it contains heartwarming moments, a great emotional ride, great performances, realistic characters, great offbeat funny moments, and life lessons that hit home all the time. Exceptionally well written, this show is a must-watch!
* Rumaiysa M Rahman is a 10th grader at Viqarunnisa Noon School and College, Dhaka