Prison Playbook is a hangout show, similar to US sitcom show How I Met Your Mother. In contrast to how kdramas became worldwide phenomenon as addictive bingeable watch, Prison Playbook and other creations by Reply PD's, are familiar friends you want to hang out with everyday, to see how they're doing. Basically, the drama is Je Hyeok being a fairy godmother granting wishes here and there lol.

It was slow at the start, as the drama sets up all the characters, and Reply PD's always want to put the most unflattering UGLY haircuts on the cast, but once the ragtag gang of boisterous prison inmates are all together, I'm already invested. The best part of the drama is when they're all in their cell with their hilarious shenanigans, whether it's just getting hot water for ramen, or distributing the food. This drama is not only about the big heartwarming moments, but the small quiet ones as well.

Great big cast and lots of cameos, esp. the prisoners. My favorites has to be Loony and the ever smiling warden lol. LOONY. Why Prison Playbook, why?! I'll forever be salty.

Another regret I have is probably Jung Kyung Ho's role. I've been amazed by his talent since Falling for Innocence, and his role here is not meaty enough, it's always an extension of Je Hyeok. I appreciated their friendship and felt that hug in the end, but I wanted more from his story outside of being Je Hyeok's best friend.

Lieutenant Paeng even shone more in his role as grumpy but empathetic correction officer. I love it that actors that are usually typecast as villains, are flipped here.

I don't know if it's because of the infamous Reply shipping wars, but the PD has made conscious effort to veer away from that. The drama has realistic uncomplicated relationships, but not memorable in the long run. Maybe they want to highlight the prison life and not romance. But why not have it all, right?

They showed just a gist of the harsh reality of prison life, and it shows that there are lots of reasons a person can get imprisoned. It's not always because they are guilty, sometimes it's just life, or plain bad luck. A person can still have a new life after, it should not be a death sentence. At the end of the day, prison should be a place for repentance and reform.