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Mini-show with the vibe of “Love Between Fairy and Devil” - in a good way
This is an amazing mini-show. The storyline is interesting and exciting. Only problem is that the limited time creates a couple of plot holes that would have otherwise helped the show feel more complete and the characters more interesting to watch. I have to reduce the rating a bit because of that.This show has the vibe of “Love Between Fairy and Devil” - in a good way I mean.
Acting wise this is one of the best mini-shows I have watched.
Even if I normally hate an open ending, this one is ok for me. Perhaps we will have the honor of a second season. I truly hope so.
So, if you like a romantic and interesting (fantasy) mini-show, this is a “Must Watch”.
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Looks Beautiful, Feels Hollow
My 4 categories are Acting/Cast, Writing, Direction/SFX/Music, Entertainment Value.After I had binge-watched this drama in 1 day, I was left with mixed feelings. I spent some time reflecting on it to better understand what I liked and didn't like about it. By the way, I have not read the webtoon that it is adapted from.
Acting/Cast: I literally only wanted to watch this because it had been a while since I've seen Suzy in a drama. Don't let that fool you though - I actually don't think she's a good actress. Everything I've seen her in, her acting is subpar. However, she's one of the few actors that I still enjoy watching despite their acting ability. Instead, I like to watch her for the sake of nostalgia (Uncontrollably Fond -- my 1st K-Drama, Dream High). This drama was no different for Suzy; her acting was still lacking. But even so, I was glad to see her. On the other hand, Yang Se Jong (양세종) is a good actor. I've only seen him in one other drama (Thirty but Seventeen -- one of my top 10 K-Dramas) and I loved him in that one, so I was relieved to see that he would be playing the male lead in Doona! I knew Suzy would need the help and I was right - he was great. They worked well together and I felt their chemistry. The side characters were interesting too. I thought I wouldn't like them and I didn't at first, but they ended up being a fun addition. I actually wanted to see more of them. 5/10
Writing: This is the difficult part...this is the part that left me with this hollow feeling. It's as though I walked into a building that was still under construction. The foundation is set, the support beams have been erected, the walls are starting to be built up, and I can see signs of some great craftsmanship and beautiful architecture. But, the construction was left abandoned...I guess because the architect thought it looked more meaningful this way. I can't say that more episodes would have fixed this problem, because it seems to be an artistic choice. I felt as if the writing was skirting around the issues, afraid to really delve deep. I saw the potential for the drama to get into more of the psychology of Doona -- to really understand not only her, but others in the entertainment industry that may be facing similar problems, but it just didn't happen. This hollowness was even felt with the side characters. It seemed like they were just thrown in without much character development, which is a shame because I actually ended up liking them. The chemistry between the 2 leads helped to sell the romance in K-Drama world, but it didn't feel like a real-life romance to me. Observing it realistically, Doona would be the type of girl you'd expect to be (to put it nicely) a serial dater. She would have eaten that sweet guy alive in reality -- completely crush his heart with no remorse. So, while I was watching, I was very scared for him...I mean, she's just one giant red flag. But anyway, I'll stop here so I don't give any spoilers. 1.5/10
Direction/SFX/Music: Easily the best thing about this drama. It is very pretty, very aesthetically pleasing. Great ASMR mic quality. Great cinematography all around. I even like some of the music. My favorite songs on the OST are The Universe by Kwon Jin Ah and Still by DVWN. I think this is why it was so easy for me to binge this drama - it was just so nice to look and and listen to. 9.5/10
Entertainment Value: I found myself hanging on the every word while watching this drama. Even rewinding if I missed a sentence. I only do that when I'm genuinely enjoying a drama. However, by the end, I was left dissatisfied and wanting so much more. Maybe a bit confused, too. Towards the end it became somewhat frustrating to watch. I myself wasn't even sure of Doona's feelings... 4.5/10
Overall, I gave this drama a 5/10. It was difficult to put a number on it since my feelings about it are all over the place. Would I recommend this drama? Probably not... unless you're a fan of one of the leads.
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1This review may contain spoilers
This review and rating are only for the BL side story of Won Seok and Ho Dol
'Love With Flaws' is a rarity: a full-length Korean drama featuring a bonafide BL side story. The m/m relationship between 20-something Won Seok and uni student Ho Dol develops as a slow burn over the course of the 32 episodes, and it is only during the final episode that we learn that the two are actually a couple, but it's during that final episode that we also hear Won Seok's older brother use the word 'love' to describe how Won Seok feels about Ho Dol. They even get their own little happy ending during the montage that ends the series.Generally speaking, 'Love With Flaws' is a romantic comedy, with the comedic element pitched at a level that might remind you of the American TV series 'Shameless'. Like in 'Shameless' the characters in 'Love With Flaws' are larger than life. Their behavior is often outrageous, but also like in 'Shameless' there are moments of drama and tenderness that stand out in bold relief against the humorous backdrop.
This is part of what makes the character of Won Seok particularly interesting. Won Seok is the gay middle brother of the female lead, and as 'Love With Flaws' progresses it turns out that he's the one exception to the outrageousness of the other characters. Throughout the series he's never held up for ridicule or embarrassment. In fact I can't recall any instance where Won Seok is placed in the kind of madcap situation that requires him to make a fool of himself -- something that every other major character does at some point (including Ho Dol). Won Seok is always taken seriously.
In the first episode we see that Won Seok's job is tending bar at an upscale gay lounge in the city. He and Ho Dol first meet when university student Ho Dol ventures into the establishment for the first time -- a rite of passage that many gay men will recognize from their own coming-out. Ho Dol is almost overwhelmingly nervous, and after Won Seok realizes what he's there for he serves him a beer at no charge and tells him to drink up and get lost. (Ho Dol ends up leaving money to pay for the beer anyway, but leaves the beer untouched.)
A few weeks later, when Won Seok's youngest brother needs a tutor for school, the tutor that the family hires turns out to be none other than Ho Dol. The surprise meeting between Won Seok and Ho Dol in Won Seok's home is played for laughs, with Ho Dol assuming that Won Seok's siblings don't know that he's gay and that Won Seok will want to get him fired as a tutor in order to keep his secret safe. By this point we've seen that the family actually does, in fact, know that Won Seok is gay, and that they have absolutely no problem with it. Ho Dol's misreading of the entire situation is handled with broad humor, but there's no denying that Won Seok doesn't help matters when his reaction to seeing Ho Dol on home territory is to remain cold and unapproachable. This only manages to feed Ho Dol's fear that Won Seok will be out to get him.
Things between them begin to change when another closeted gay uni student (who we've earlier seen pursuing Won Seok only to be rebuffed) spots Won Seok and Ho Dol together on campus. He mistakenly thinks that Won Seok is romantically interested in Ho Dol, and for revenge on the two of them he subjects Ho Dol to a cruel prank that results in some humiliating video footage of Ho Dol. The video gets posted online, outing Ho Dol to his fellow students and anyone else who happens to see it -- a list that eventually includes Ho Dol's family back home.
When the humiliated Ho Dol suddenly stops showing up to tutor Won Seok's younger brother, Won Seok goes back to the campus to confront him over leaving the job needlessly. He then follows Ho Dol to his lecture hall, where he sits with him and puts on a public display of behaving like his boyfriend. The ensuing scenes are particularly gratifying as Won Seok takes Ho Dol's side (literally) and afterward harshly confronts the closeted student who'd pranked him.
I won't give any details about the turn of events that ends up bringing Won Seok and Ho Dol closer, but suffice to say that the scenes that follow the campus confrontation provide Jang Yoo Sang (who plays Ho Dol) with the opportunity to show us that his acting chops aren't by any means limited to comedy.
Eventually we also learn of the dark moments that occurred during Won Soek's own coming out, and once this revelation occurs it puts much of his earlier behavior in perspective, including the stand-offish treatment he gives to Ho Dol at the outset. Perhaps Ho Dol reminds him too much of himself at a younger age, when he struggled with his own sexuality and made some very bad choices. After enduring so much and seeking to put all of the unpleasantness behind him, the sudden appearance of the confused and timid Ho Dol must have shaken him -- especially since the kid was turning up at both his place of employment and his home.
While Won Seok and Ho Dol do eventually end up in a relationship, I have to admit that when I first watched the series I didn't expect that to happen. I thought instead that Won Seok would end up mentoring Ho Dol as he finally meets someone at the university. Initially, of course, there was no relationship between Won Seok and Ho Dol at all, not even a friendship, and while this can be a starting point for the 'opposites attract' trope, what did manage to develop between them at first felt a lot like it had a 'big brother' vibe to it. Fortunately, the series does end up showing us the ways in which Ho Dol also makes a (very) profound difference in Won Seok's life. The underlying theme of redemption through love flows in both directions.
I've come this far without mentioning the untimely death of Cha In Ha, who plays Won Seok. In some ways it has ended up casting a tragic shadow over 'Love With Flaws', and I've wondered if this could be one of the reasons the series is not often mentioned when BL-friendly dramas are discussed. Cha In Ha's death occurred while 'Love With Flaws' was first airing, and at the time there was some speculation that the broadcast might be halted out of respect. I'm glad it wasn't. He is truly wonderful in the role of Won Seok, and this along with the fact that the role was part of a groundbreaking BL side story in a Kdrama makes 'Love With Flaws' a fitting memorial to his art and his humanity.
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This review may contain spoilers
Buying back dignity: a smart, grounded, and entertaining corporate Slice-of-Life
If you are expecting the classic lottery fantasy filled with champagne showers and luxury revenge plots, The Ordinary Jackpot will pleasantly catch you off guard. What reads like a light, quirky premise on the surface turns out to be a dense, clever, and deeply honest critique of 2020s South Korean work culture. For me, this is definitely a must-watch.The KDrama captures the daily office grind with striking realism, but it never drags you down into pure misery. Instead, it uses the workplace as a microcosm to ask a fundamental question: Who are we actually without our jobs? In a society where identity is almost entirely defined by your profession, status, and business card, this question feels genuinely existential.
The story shows us the corporate world at its worst and its best—and, more importantly, how it could be. In real life, the gears rarely click together this smoothly. The show offers a refreshing glimpse into what a healthier workplace dynamic looks like, subtly dissecting the world of designer brands as modern status symbols along the way.
The plot's central narrative irony is brilliant: it is only after securing financial safety that the protagonist, Gong Eun-tae, finds the strength to unlock his full potential. It is a bitter but profound piece of social commentary. For years, his skills were stifled by a paralyzing blanket of anxiety—fear of reprimands, fear of missing out on promotions, or the looming dread of being fired. The drama highlights just how much human creativity and potential is suffocated daily in our modern world by pure survival anxiety. With the "mental insurance" of his lottery win, Eun-tae can finally breathe, set boundaries, and truly shine.
Yet, the series never dips into cheap sentimentality. The crushing pressure of modern life is perfectly symbolized by the exact amount of his winnings. In today's Seoul, 1.3 billion won after taxes is simply not an utopian, happily-ever-after cure-all. The show doesn't even need to spell out that this money won't fund a permanent luxury retirement at age 30 – the audience already knows it. It is enough to sustain the life of an average office worker without a job (minus any future promotions or raises), but nothing more. The moral of the story lies entirely in the subtext: the sum doesn't break the system, but it is exactly enough to buy back his dignity at work. (Though, in the end, isn't that a systemic rebellion in itself?)
While the supporting characters are clearly written to serve the main plot, they are never neglected. Every character is given profile and purpose. It leaves you reflecting on how shockingly little we actually know about the colleagues we spend eight (or often far more) hours with every day. For a tight 10-episode run, the pacing is nicely balanced – zero filler, zero loss of depth.
The entire show is carried by a thoroughly convincing Lee Jun-hyuk. It is an absolute joy to watch his subtle yet deeply impactful transformation as he reclaims his sense of self-worth.
The Ordinary Jackpot is a hidden gem that flies under the radar. If you are looking for a smart, grounded, and immensely entertaining slice-of-office-life drama, do not miss these 10 episodes.
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A one hour plot stretched to a four hour snooze fest.
As Thai BL goes, the production values are good. And a nice set of attractive actors.But the BL is only skin-deep.
It suffers from unimaginative writing with a minimum of plot. There is an hour's worth of plot stretched to four hours, hardly the first time this has happened in Thai BL, but still.... As usual, the first few episodes are somewhat engaging, and then they just keep stretching and stretching until you beg for it to PLEASE BE OVER.
Second, I had trouble figuring out who the target audience would be. The portrayal of human relationships seems really limited. Idealized grandmother-ness. Jealousy. Friends are forever. Even most tweens would want more than that.
Third, as the time is stretched, I found myself paying attention to extraneous details. As an example, anyone who has ever visited a bakery or coffee shop know that they are fairly busy places. But in this world, the kitchen has a few listless pretty boys on their smart phones while one takes forever to twiddle with one cake. And then they all meet up to take a chunk out of the ONE cake they've spent hours making for tasting purposes. I totally get the need to build a fantasy world, but when hardly anything happens the ancillary things start becoming more interesting than whatever counts for plot/character development and it becomes harder to suspend disbelief to live in the fantasy world.
Finally, they've managed to take a BL and remove any sense of LGBTQ, queerness, freedom or even gender. Many fans of BL / Yaoi come because this genre offers an escape from a reality in which everyone / everything is stuck in some cultural role / expectation. This offers none of it.
I'm definitely going to watch some Japanese, Korean or Taiwanese BL next. I need something with some life to it.
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Cast: my favorite character in this drama was Kim Sung Soo (Lee Sang Woo) I found him to be the most loving, compassionate, hurt person during this drama, of course he too has his flaws and has made similar mistakes - but he has learned from them and tries to be a better man - even through his struggle of whether or not he should get a divorce.
My second favorite character was: Song Mi Kyung - she was the wife to the other male lead on the drama - she struggled with being "perfect" and that of course never let her show her hurts and true self - basically she lived beating herself up inside everyday while trying to show a happy appearance - which is what she thought everyone wanted her to show. I found her character to be strong, wise but yet foolish, hurt and desiring love.
There was also Kim Sung Soo & Na Eun Jin's daughter whom I loved very much.
As for the other 2 main characters I didn't like them much as they never really felt "apologetic" for their sins they committed against their spouses - one (the woman) was way too "pity me" type and that got on my nerves a lot (but she made up for herself in the end) the other character (the guy) was way to arrogant and always thought he was right - he basically never sincerely apologized for his actions - he believed he was right and no one should judge him for it - that angered me a lot - I never really liked him at all.
Side Characters: there was Mi Kyung's brother and Na Eun Jin's sister who formed a relationship - as you can imagine there would be a struggle with their relationship - but I really loved it - they were special to me. Plus Na Eun Jin's parents relationship was really great to see.
Music: was really good - although a couple of times I thought the song was inappropriate for some scenes they added the song to - my favorite song (that I still listen to) is: I Love You by (the girl from Clazziquai)
Basically if you are interested in dramas that show things very uniquely and from all perspectives then you should watch this show - but don't be too biased when doing so - or you may hate people wrongly.
Re-watch value: for me it is a 10 - I will definitely re-watch this drama someday and even buy it if it becomes available.
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Story: Too long, messy, draggy. I felt uncomfortable watching at times just because the romance was too weird. It really pissed me off. The ending was kind of dumb. In all honesty I didnt like it at all but it was watchable enough that I didn't fast forward.
Acting/Cast: I thought the casting for most characters were spot on. However, Park Shi Hoo's acting was a bit bland. I dodn't know if its the fact I hated his character or if his acting really was bad back then but yeah didnt like it one bit. I also wanted to mention my distaste for the way the writers changed Bae Doo Na's character. She started off as this tough chick but by the end of the drama she turned weak even willing to be a mistress! I was just shocked and very annoyed at that.
Music: Don't remember it but i dont think it affected anything.
Rewatch: I could never watch this again or Id have to rip my hair out.
Overall, I'd say this drama is watchable but you might not enjoy it.
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My expectations were too high.
I get why everyone is obsessed with this show, I really do… it just wasn’t for me. There’s nothing wrong with it; it’s adorable and the characters are funny and the songs are catchy, I was just so bored the entire time. I almost dropped it twice but I didn’t and I kept watching, but overall I was really underwhelmed.I don’t know if it has to do with the fact I watched Moonlight Chicken first and fell in love with HeartLiMing, but I could just not get as invested with msp. I’m more disappointed than anything that I didn’t love it.
But Fourth slayed as always and I really liked Sound and Win, they were the highlight for me and I needed more of them.
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The story is based around a pregnancy and how Ji An's life was affected by it not just within her body limits but her job and coming to terms with being a single mother. And The views on fatherhood are highlighted in this story aswell. I don't really know how to explain it but if you have watched it you will understand what I mean. The fatherhood was outcasted as it usual is in our society. I liked how they highlighted this but also how from the mothers point of view it was hard and difficult descions she had to make.
Amazing story. Amazing acting and AMAZING music (sooo catchy)
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It's beautiful
It makes me sad that this drama is getting so little attention + a lot of attention that it is getting is negative because apparently these days every character has to be flawless & every relationship has to be 100% healthy which is so annoying.What I liked about this drama:
- The cinematography in this show is so beautiful!!!
- Fell in love with the music, the end credit song is a bop.
- Didn't even notice how the episodes went by (I often struggle with getting bored even with 20min eps) which means that I was really invested in them.
- The animated scenes when starting Hira's & Kiyoi's POV were well done.
- The dynamic between Hira and Kiyoi is just interesting to me because you don't see it often in series.
- Flawed characters who have a lot of growing and maturing to do (and no Hira isn't an innocent baby who's just being abused by Kiyoi, they both got issues + Kiyoi treats Hira better than everyone else in that high school, sure he calls him names sometimes but he also talks to him and spends time with him without expecting something in return unlike others who either ignore him, make fun of him or uses him.)
- Despite what some people say I don't think it's "romanticizing toxic relationships", I'm pretty sure the characters know that they have issues and they're trying to deal with them, that's the whole point.
- I also have to mention that I love the acting!! Especially watching Kiyoi I really saw and felt his inner conflict and frustration while trying to understand his own feelings.
Overall I really enjoyed this drama and have rewatched every episode multiple times (which is not what I was expecting when starting it since I'm not a fan of high school stories, especially ones that deal with bullying but that's only first 3 eps)
You should give this series a try but don't expect it to be light & fluffy, that's just not what this show is about, it's like the polar opposite of Kieta Hatsukoi.
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I was actually confused what the rating should I give this show. I kept switching between 7 and 8. As I thought I will finally give an 8, I decided I will give it a 7.
I don't want to say I am disappointed with this drama, but it didn't really meet my expectation. I honestly DO NOT like horror. I avoid them as much as I could, but because of the reviews and people continued to say to watch this, I gave in.
I liked the first episode a lot. There are parts of the show that made me surprise and got scared a little, but one of the people who watched this did say as the story progresses, you wouldn't mind the ghost at all and she is right! I didn't get THAT scared as I thought I would, but I am still happy I watched this with my aunt and cousin. xD
Few of the stories of the ghost made me sad and cry a little (especially the first episodes). Erhm I thought the ending would be bad because my cousin and aunt told me it had a terrible ending, but I didn't think it was horrible at all. It wasn't spectacular though. (You might be wondering why I didn't watch the ending with them. We watched this show for 2 days, but for the last episode, I couldn't take it anymore and fell asleep so I just finished this drama.)
I really LOVE Kang Woo and Yi-Ryeong. They look good together! I enjoyed watching them. The other couples look cute too and I enjoyed looking at them as well. As for the main leads, they weren't amazing for me. I thought they were okay.
Lastly, you probably caught glimpse of why I rated it with this score, but the main reason it is a good drama for me but not very good or great or whatever is because there are parts where it dragged and parts where I got bored. I was really tempted at times to skip it. When we reached around episode 11, we almost decided to just jump into episode 17 to see what is the ending (I am glad we didn't though. We wouldn't know the answer of what we are looking for because it is not in that episode - if you know what I mean).
Recommend this drama or not? I think that if you guys want to watch other dramas, watch those first before this one. You wouldn't miss a great deal if you wouldn't watch this at all. If you really want to watch it though, go right ahead. It will make you laugh, at least in the first part of the show :)
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PROS:
-Hilarious mix of different genres: you have romance, comedy, drama, thriller, horror, historical/mythological etc. There are so many different elements of everything you love from various genres that its a treat to watch them all come together and create a mess (in a good way, for the most part...)
-Strong performances and diverse characters. You have your sanctimonious prick mothers, your 'screw authority' mothers, your 'we're not in Kansas anymore' confused as hell mothers and so much more, all played wonderfully by their respective actors. I'm dying to know how they fare!
-Relationship building: I loved how they portrayed relationships (both romantic and platonic) in this TV show in a realistic way. I especially love how they handled the 'will they, wont they' romance side plot of one of the mothers in the centre and dealt with it keeping in mind her personality and life. I hate it when dramas pull a 360 on a character's personality just to ensure a happy ending, but I think her ending turned out happy in her own way.
-Ending for the mothers- all ended very nicely and some, honestly, even abnormally. By the end, our main character got a happy ending that SHE wanted to get as a woman and didn't endlessly sacrifice herself for her child.
-And that is my final pro: the message that mothers dont have to endlessly sacrifice for their child to be a good mother.
Now...CONS (oh boy):
- Every mother shown in this drama has a significant other raising their child with them which is far from realistic. I was quite annoyed, to be honest, because this drama wanted to show "different kinds of mothers" but eventually ditched that in favor of cutesy romance (which is... fine, but done all the time).
-(I cant believe I'm writing this) Too much time spent on breastfeeding: uhh, okay, I'm not a mom (I'm in my early twenties y'all I need to graduate college) but I do understanding that the decision between breastfeeding or formula is super important. Totes, I get it. But to spend 3 episodes...oohing and ahhing over it...yeah, excessive as hell. Especially when there are other equally barely talked about topics that are addressed towards the end of the drama like post partum depression that need more screentime. Which brings me to...
-I really, REALLY wish they spent more time on post partum depression. If breastfeeding is the golden eldest child of this show, post partum depression is the neglected and pitiful stepchild that no one pays attention to. They relegated discourse about the problem to literally the last 15 minutes of one episode and then poof, almost nothing in the next.
- There was such a mish mash of genres that it was everything and nothing at the same time. It didn't know what it wanted to be and after a point became annoying.
- They barely did anything to redeem sanctimonious prick mother. She may be actually a very nice person, but I think the writer forgot that this is a very low-stakes drama about a bunch of mothers set in a birthcare centre: way she talks down and demeans any mother who doesn't go above and beyond for her child like she does, she can almost be considered an antagonist because of the direct opposition she poses to the main character. You have to actively try to get the viewers to understand her motives and see where she is coming from- you have to create a complex character without providing convenient outs and excuses like "husband bad".
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This review may contain spoilers
Good OTP romance, but everything else is trash.
Yes, the leads have great chemistry with each other and the build up to their romance and their actual relationship stuff were entertaining to watch. However no amount of hot kisses can make up for the terrible writing. (if there ever was a couple hooking up, while shooting a drama..) The writing seriously is more than just terrible. I have given 10/10 to bad writing before, but I think this is the worst written drama I've ever finished. From the get go the premise is pretty hard to get onboard with. (tear allergy..) Then we get a workaholic male lead that is good at everything including & not limited to racing(he is better at racing than professional racers), playing the piano, BOXING & maintaining a ripped body. Truthfully I could have forgiven all of the above, since those things are pretty normal in cheesy Chinese romcoms, but there is a LOT of focus on the corporate life at an investment banking firm and all the plots there and I mean ALL OF THEM are just bad, It's difficult to describe in words how bad. The second lead is just the icing on the poo, I mean come on now, really? A character that has a completely different personality in every single episode, what were the writers thinking? Were they thinking at all? There is also a lot of contradicting information & moments where I felt the writer is insulting my intelligence. For example it's a big plot point, how supposedly FL only called ML Brother Yuan once, wait a few episodes & he is brother yuan in like every single flashback.. I'm okay with cliches in cheesy romcoms really and I'm sure it doesn't come as a surprise that this drama is a cliche-fest, however I think it's worth pointing out that the "oh no I accidentally fell onto your lips" thing happens TWICE in this drama, yep you've heard that right!I decided to give the drama a relatively high rewatch value, because despite all of the above, if you know the story in advance, it's super easy to skip all the scenes where the 2 leads are not on screen & that way it's almost prime entertainment..
edit: So a rewatch happened after all. Fastforward buttoning all the trashy office intrigue has led to a much more enjoyable experience as expected, but the whole breakup plot annoyed me much more than back then. Just why?
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Story: [9.5/10] Prison Playbook is one of those shows that sort of starts out slow and provides you with very little information. The series begins with an episode that is very vague. You learn very little about the character as well as the over-arching story at the very beginning. The story begins to unfold as you continue deeper into the series. You begin to learn about Je Hyuk and his personality. You also get to learn about his many different cell mates as well. Some good, others not so good. The good ones are awesome though when they group together and sort of form a little brotherhood of sorts with Je Hyuk. I'm definitely enjoying the mini-brotherhood/sisterhood themes that have occurred in dramas in 2017. I.e. the brotherhood you see in Prison Playbook and Save Me, the sisterhood you see in Avengers Social Club. I also enjoy the fact that the series is not very predictable as well. Overall it's a very well written drama about prison. The comedy needs a little more work though, hence the 9.
Acting/Cast: [9.5/10] I found the acting/characters in this show to be really refreshing. The first reason is the fact that our main character Kim Je Hyuk isn't really the brightest of the bunch. Why does this seem refreshing to me? It's refreshing because it makes the show a lot more realistic and credible. There are so many different shows I've watched where the main character had everything. He/She is usually the smartest, good looking, richest, and the best at a certain skill. Je Hyuk became a character that was easy to relate to for me because he seemed more like any other every day average joe. Well... other than the fact that he was one of the best baseball players in Korea at the time. Even that though is evened out by the fact that he uses his perseverance in order to help him get better at baseball. It's a lot more realistic to see a character struggle to get to his/her goal (rather than be born with the skill). It was also nice to see Jung Woong In play a nice person for once. I swear he has played the villain in every other drama that he's in. Again I found his character very relatable and admirable. His character acts tough on the outside, but on the inside he's a teddy bear. He takes a lot of scorn from the prisoners but he often tries to do what is best for them. In fact I was a big fan of all of the prison guards except the Captain Na guy (You can't have all nice prison guards, that would make for a boring story).
Music: [9.5/10] Music is pretty likable. It uses an array of different tunes for different situations. The whole -cricket- whistle thing sort of gets old though.
Rewatch Value: [7,0/10] I possibly see myself rewatching this show in future. However it definitely would not be one of my top priority dramas to rewatch. The problem that I had with this show was that it was about 90 minutes long. Each episode is generally about one main topic/struggle that the main character(s) have to go through. Generally most Korea dramas have episodes that are 60 minutes long. The fact that this show is 90 minutes long meant that some events were essentially dragged out 1.5x longer than usual.
Overall I'm a big fan of the show. I thought the show started out pretty slow, but I began to like the show more and more as I learned more about the characters. It was an easy show for me to relate to because it is a show in which you have average Joe characters proceeding through life and going through some very realistic misfortunes. My only gripe about this show was that I was use to the 90 minute episodes. I found it hard to binge the show. I ended up watching about 2 episodes a day before deciding to go do/watch something else. Prison Playbook definitely distinguishes itself from its competition though. It's one of my most favorite dramas for the winter season. I recommend you give the drama a try.
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This review may contain spoilers
Joe Needs To Be Slap With A Rubber Chicken
What annoys me the most is that, Ming put Joe through hell, all because he was in love with a guy who acts like he sniffs glue and sells hair nets on e-bay.That being said. There must have been a 2-for-1 special on stupidity, cuz Joe sure bought a whole lot.
CHARACTERS:
Listen. Joe is a bummer. He makes sadness look pathetic. He’s like that friend who always ruins the mood whenever you ask them how they’re doing:
ME: Oh, hey, friend, how was your day?
Bummer Friend: Nothing much. My cat is in therapy. I wanna get a perm, but I don’t think I have the face for it. My parents threw me out so I’m living under a bridge now, and I got hit by a bus last week and died. 😑
Sure, sure, we can argue that Joe is pathetic because he couldn’t catch a break, and every time he did, it was at the expense of his self-respect, but damn… the dude just bummed me out. So much that when he died the second time, I was chewing on my popcorn like:
ME: Oh, noo, dude…you like, got shot and stuff…you rolling down the stairs dude…is you dead again?... (Side note: Did they really have to make him roll down the stairs like that? It was just sad.)
And yes, we all love/hate a no-self respecting, pathetic love-sick fool character. The only reason I watched ‘Theory Of Love’ was that bathroom scene where Gun's character got his heartbroken, and he was crying under the shower, but the water stopped, so he had to use bottled water. I laughed like there was no tomorrow, then went and made popcorn so I could binge-watch the rest of the series, and judge him through the screen.
So yeah, throughout the series whenever Joe did anything dumb, which was every time he opened his mouth. I went:
ME: Yayy, go on honey, be a dumb-ass, stay with that dude who took your virginity and can’t even remember it, and refers to you as a ‘stand in’, because he’s in love with a guy built like a Minecraft table.
Some of the things Joe did, and allowed Ming to do to him, busted my mind. And what do you mean he DIED again because of TONG! TONG!!! I understand if it was like for a person person, but Tong? Come on son! Do-gooders should come with a ‘self-sacrificing idiot’ forehead tag or something, cuz... Bishes be crazy!
And sure, Joe was a tortured, handsome fella who needed love, But, Joe, Joe, oh Joey, Jojo, Jeremiah, Josephina. To quote Earth from Moonlight Chicken: ‘How you gonna be poor, gay and dumb at the same time, child?.’ He suffered so much because… *check notes*
1. He had no family. (His dream was for someone to turn on the lights in his house.)
2. He had (1) friend. (And that friend wanted to get into his pants, but yaay friendship, right?)
3. He was a ‘stand-in’ boyfriend(eff buddy?). (Sure Ming hit him in the head with a baseball bat, kidnapped him, chained him up, caused him to fall off a cliff and die, but hey, at least they had his-and-his mugs. So, awwww love.)
I don’t even know what to say about Joe. Do I dislike the character, I guess not, because he’s too sad to even dislike. I just couldn’t get over all the dumb decision he made… **check notes** again:
1. Gave his virginity to Ming who was drunk off his arse
2. Asked Ming to move in with him so he could turn on his lights for him.
3. Died, came back, and went straight to Ming to be his stand-in ho. He wasn't even the main ho at that point, he was like a stand-in ho, for a stand-in ho.
4. Accepted Ming’s broke arse! (Dude, you are poor, how you gonna take care of him and your sick fake mom?)
5. Got kidnapped (again) and beaten for TONG. TONG!!
6. Died again so he can protect Ming. (You know, the guy who treated him like used slippers.)
I kept screaming, ‘No, girl, no, no!’ every time he made another dumb decision. Homeboy gets a second chance, complete with a whole new face and everything. And I thought he was gonna move cities, start over, join a local church or something but, the mfer was like:
JOE: Well…the thing is…you know…Ming glued the mugs together, you know the one I broke when he mistook me for his sister’s husband, who he’s in love with? Haha… he has changed… he wears old lady blouses, and wants to keep me as his ho… in exchange for money, so… yeah, *in love noises*
ME: This dumb-ass mother… *throws chair**
For one split second I thought he'd finally learned something, because he was like : "No Ming, this second chance is mine!" (Only to immediately proceed to try and get out of a moving car.) A moving car. Like???? And after all that yelling and 'Ming forget the old Joe, this body doesn't love you', homeboy didn't even make it half way down the traffic light!
And while he was talking about 'If you loved the old Joe why did you make me your paramour.' my arse was rolling my eyes at the screen going 'dude stop using that fancy arse word, use your government name, yous is a ho. A stand-in ho.'
Joe just vexes me! Every time he gives Ming those poppy dog in-love eyes I go.
Child! Child! Stop, Run. You must be a special brand of stupid to die, get a second chance, then go straight to the person who caused your death. JUST, WHY?? ARE YOU OKAY?
At this point, I’m gonna console myself by believing that Joe is color blind, cuz there’s no rational reason as to why he returned to Ming a second time. WHY??? And in the finale he’s talking about 'I forgive you, forgive yourself, I’ll always choose you cuz I don’t know what I’ll live for if not for you?' ‘CHILD! How about your fake mom? huh? How about living a life where you are not afraid your partner will hit you upside the head with a bat??’
You know what, eff Joe! My blood pressure can’t.
But like, Poom is an amazing actor!! Most bl actors looks like they are laughing or sniffing glue whenever they cry, but Poom was different. Even his eyes could act. Beautiful talented man. But Joe though, the bummer can go hug a tree.
Okay, on a side note, are we going to ignore the fact that, that woman’s son died and she didn’t even got to mourn? Sure, Joe is a good son to her and whatnot, but damn, homeboy took over that body with zero guilt.
—
MING. oh, MING.
HAHAHA. Some people talking about, ‘Girl, Ming is such a RED FLAG. AND???!’ HAHAHA. My sister, even if na red sea, I go still take cup drink ‘em!
Cuz we love drama in this house. And Ming, oh Ming, talk about a guy you wanna punch under a mistletoe. My anger when it came to him was unhealthy. Do I wish he go bury himself in a hole at the centre of the sun and die? Sure. Is his toxic arse gonna make me add this drama to one of my favs? HECK YEAH.
Listen. Ming, like an old rag, deserves to be taking out every spring and beaten. This little guy, who acts like the world bothers him (I just remembered Joe let a collage? graduate drive him off a cliff.) mistreated our gentle soul Joe, because he saw someone’s back in a mall one time. I mean, how you gonna fall in love with Tong, your sister’s boyfriend, who looks like a dollar store bubblehead?
Ming was so toxic and for what? TONG? The guy who used his unborn child as a bargain? The guy who on so many occasions broke your heart. TONG!
And after everything Ming did, the writers gave him like two ‘redeemable’ scenes, changed one red traffic light into green, said sorry under some shooting star, made him wear those silly cute aprons, and expected me to forgive him. LMAO I’m not Joe, I’m not gonna come back and let him eff me again. One time is enough!
But they almost got me in the finale though ^^. With all the smiling, crying and shooting stars, and tiny clay pots and aprons… but I stood my ground like. ’No, you will not get me to forgive Ming, not today Satan!’ So yeah, eff the tiny pot , apron, and the shooting stars, I’mma still hold on to my hatred.
Also, how in the hell did Ming manage to stop Joe from opening that afterlife door? Mfer is next level of toxic. He was like: 'Bish, where you think you going, I'm not done with you. If you don't get your arse back in here.' Poor Joe, the devil works hard, but Ming works harder.
UP did so well with this character, because I see UP on my fyp on tiktok and I grin and coo and go, bestest boy. But the moment Ming shows up on screen I wanna throw tiny rocks into his eyes and push him off a small cliff.
TONG
Hmm. Ha. Hmhm. Haha. Hahaha. HAHAKAHBIERJWOJFWNF. AHHHHHHHHHHH. GAWDDD, sure Ming deserves to be poke in the eye with a sharp object, but TONG deserves to be slap repeatedly with a glove, then you know, kicked into that black hole at the centre of the milky way. Eff that dude!
And ,and, after all he did, he got no retribution whatsoever!! I swear, this world is not fair. And the last episode wanted me to feel happy for him, but he’s smiling and I’m rolling my eyes like:, ‘Happiness don’t even look right on him, dude out here looking like the inside of a pencil case. Arrgggg, take a long nap under that pool, please!!’
Somewhere out there in drama world, Tong is happy with his wife and chubby son, and I wish he steps on a lego every time he smiles. And he chokes every time he drinks. XDD
SOL:
Now tell me why every time this dude popped up, I went, ‘My brother, my brother, go sit somewhere, this ain’t about you!’ LMAO. Sure he was an o-kay-ish friend, but he was like a tiny red-flag with a green wrapping, so shifty, looking like that one lizard in ‘SING!’
In the finale when he took his sorry-arse bag and got into the car with the stranger, I was like: ‘Sure, dude, get kidnap and die. See if I care.’ So, yeah, I wish him all the best, I guess.
PLOT
Interesting concept, I am tempted to read the book I heard this was based on. I think the actors did what they were supposed to. I hated and liked them accordingly, so they did their job well.
THINGS THAT DIDN’T MAKE SENSE
- Joe’s fighting skills going away whenever he needed it
- Writers trying to make us forgive Ming
- Joe literally letting himself be kidnap for TONG
- TONG being a popular actor. (Like, did that dude ever shoot enough scenes to make a finish drama?)
- TONG being forgiven!! Seriously??? Nothing?
THINGS THAT MADE SENSE
**Crickets**
Edit: 07/10/24 : I found a scene that made sense. The chicken fight between Sol and Ming. SKSKSKS, it didn't make sense, but it also made sense, and Joe just being the ignored third party made it so fun to watch. Upon rewatching, my ratings have gone up, Joe's eyes deserves a whole star, like they were acting more than the actor himself XD
Anyway, I might write more later on the finale, especially on the family, but for this review I just wanted to vent my frustration with Joe.
All in all, one of the best shows this year, up there with Unknown.
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