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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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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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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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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This has been the best K-Drama in a long time for me. The humor, the acting, the story, the music, EVERYTHING.
This story was overall, amazing. I have been looking for a drama that consists of comedy/crime and holy cow did this deliver everything I was looking for.
The acting was the best of the best for me. You could tell these actors and actresses knew what they were doing and they did it astoundingly.
But the best feature of the drama was the comedy. It wasn't cringey or mellow. It consisted of the most funniest lines and scenes I have seen in a K-Drama in a while and for that I praise the writer for this. I don't find anything funny easily but this had me laughing so hard I nearly choked on a lung.
I wasn't so much for the romance side, I felt like the were just added to fill in some gaps. Maybe not so much with Je Hyuk and Ji Ho but the relationship between Joon Ho and Je Hee was completely unnecessary to me. The drama would have still been amazing without it.
I must say though, Han-Yang (Looney) was my favourite character, not only did he make me laugh all the time, he was just open about everything but he was stupid at the most basic stuff (which is why the ending SUCKED [But I won't spoil it for people]).
The OST went well with the scenes, especially when Nostalgia by Woo Won Jae played in intense scenes. Overall, the OST was beautiful. It had different types of genres and all of them are enjoyable.
The only downfall was the ending, I was more interested about the other characters over the main character and wanted to see more of where they ended up but unfortunately I feel like they just vanished? Became irrelevant in the end? I would have preferred to know what happened to EVERYONE (i.e Looney, Min Chul, Kaist, Dr. Go, Jean Valjean etc.) But this is just my preference.
Overall, this drama is everything I want, need and love. I've already re-watched this and still find this to be highly entertaining. We need more incredible dramas like this in the future.
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This review may contain spoilers
Won't feel bored but plot holes will keep you wondering
A really fun series to watch with it's own weaknesses.The Bad(s) :
Character storylines go missing for characters who developed good enough.
Not a good ending for everyone, especially the BL/LGBTQ part and will keep making you ask "why?" (Korean series are well known for this but still could have been worse though)
Some storylines can feel like being clichéd.
The rap is really misplaced and ruins the really good bg music.
The negative roles didn't always get the same level of punishment that the good ones feared they will earn if they went rouge (this comes under the clichéd section I guess).
Once you finish, you may not want to re-watch it.
And yes, you will feel like a few cliff hangers too if you watch all characters as closely.
The Good(s) :
Amazing direction by the director.
Even though the episodes are so long, you will enjoy every second of it and never feel it is over-stretched.
The mix of emotions are phenomenal, you will be laughing out so hard and be touched really deep too, not to mention hit really hard by the sadness at times. The transitions will make you go crazy.
A never ending movie watching experience that you won't regret and you will never know when you passed almost 2 hours for every episode.
Great cast.
Conclusion :
Overall it was fun to watch with it's own frustrations and cliff hangers which probably will never be cleared and hence you won't feel like watching 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 charactersWas this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Fell in Love with Loony
I've been watching this show for the past several days. I wouldn't say this is a show that is great for binge watch since each episode is long and has a gamut of feelings in it. I was often either crying my eyes out and also laughing at their little antics. However, I decided to see what others commented on the show because I wanted to steel myself in case the main lead has a tragic ending. What I found was the typical decision to give the gay character a tragic ending where they can't overcome their tribulations. Also, when watching the show I noticed how they did not show the ml romance kiss even on the cheek and just focused on their feet? I know that they may been constrained from being able to showcase their romance but I found it irritating, so along with the fact that Looney does not get his happy ending his love life is shrouded in secrecy. This left a distaste in my mouth and while I loved the main character and want to see him get his happy ending and overcome everything I can't move on with the drama knowing that the gay character doesn't get to see his own victory.Was this review helpful to you?
The story is very different and runs away from the cliché of dramas. It may seem boring at first but believe me, it's very interesting and each episode will get you more addicted to the drama.
Even focusing on the main lead, the drama tells different stories of the prisoners of the prison, so the drama never gets boring. The story is touching and very fun to watch.
Acting/Cast (9.5/10):
The actors acted very well. Each character had a very different personality and they all knew how to interpret each one well. It's very difficult to choose one favorite character because this drama have a lot of great characters.
Both the prisoners and the cops were interesting to watch and was really cool to see their friendship growing during the drama.
Music (8.5/10):
Music isn't the strong point of the drama and doesn't have so much presence ( at least for me ). The OST was comppose by rappers so anyone who likes hip hop will probably like it. They had one song that i really like it :)
Rewatch Value (9.0/10):
The drama is very interesting. They had a lof of funny scenes and the friendship of the prisoners is very cool to watch, so I think it's worth watching this drama more than once, it's probably going to continue interesting and fun.
Overall: (9.0/10):
This drama was one of my favorites of 2017. Didn't impact me so much in the first episodes but after episode 3 I started to loved it. I loved the story and especially the characters. Give a try and watch, I think all of you will like it :)
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GEM ?
This is my very first review, and I couldn’t resist writing it after rewatching this show for the third time it’s just that good! Everything about it is top-notch: the acting, the storyline, the cast, the humour absolutely perfect. The sound effects added in between scenes are hilariously well-timed and enhance the comedic moments brilliantly.What I love most is how the drama beautifully balances emotions and comedy. It’s heartwarming, funny, and deeply inspiring. At its core, the show is about hard work, luck, determination, and hope. It leaves you with a smile and a sense of motivation.
A must-watch for everyone no matter how many times you see it, it never gets old
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