D.P

 D.P

7/10

D.P

Genre:                                     Episodes: 6                          Year: 2021

Melodrama

Synopsis:

Ahn Joon Ho has become a solider as part of his mandatory military service. After his observational skills are noted by a Sergeant he is transferred into the D.P Team to catch soldiers who have deserted.

Cast:

Jung Hae In (Ahn Joon Ho)

Gu Gyo Hwan (Han Ho Yeol)

Kim Sung Kyun (Park Beom Gu)

Son Suk Gu (Lim Ji Seob)

Cho Hyun Chul (Cho Suk Bong)

Shin Seung Ho (Hwang Jang Soo)

Hyun Bong Shik (Cheon Yong Deok)

Won Ji Ahn (Moon Yeong Ok)

General Thoughts:

Oh man, it sure has been a while- over a year actually I think! It’s not like I’ve stopped watching K-Dramas, I just haven’t had the time (or the discipline) to review them. I have a whole stack to do of dramas I’ve watched over the last year and a bit, but I honestly don’t remember them that well now. Anyway, I’m here now (thanks to time in isolation) and hopefully I can get some reviews out! Onto the topic at hand- ‘D.P’. Hmm yes, ‘D.P’. What an experience that was. It’s not a bad drama per se, it’s actually a very well crafted show, it’s just so horrifically dark and really paints one of the worst pictures of humans as a species. I’m not exaggerating. This show is heavy.

Hello darkness, my old friend

While I knew going in that this wasn’t likely to be all sunshine and daisies, I think the show did catch me off guard with just how completely dark it got. I kept waiting for literally anyone in the military our D.P unit interacted with to just not be the scum of the earth and it…just didn’t happen. Lots of scummy characters in this show. That being said, the cinematography was stunning. It really captured the gritty underbelly of the military and was wonderful at setting the mood. The confinement and hopelessness of a lot of the soldiers was showcased well through the dim lighting and close shots of the characters.

This is not a buddy cop movie

While I didn’t particularly enjoy the story that the drama was telling, it did tell it in a way that was cohesive and easy to understand. As someone who has never been around anything to do with the army, let alone the Korean army, it was easy to grasp how the system worked and what each characters’ individual role in that system was. Similarly, though I come from a culture that doesn’t do hierarchy much, because the show took the time to set up Joon Ho’s unit and the different characters involved, I quickly made sense of why Joon Ho and Suk Bong (and certainly Suk Bong more so) felt that they couldn’t retaliate against their seniors. While I can’t say I enjoyed the overall story of ‘D.P’, I think I did kind of resonate with the message it was trying to send. A big piece of commentary I picked up from the show was the continuing motif that no one cares until someone is dead. This message starts as early as the first episode. Joon Ho does nothing to his senior D.P partner who uses their time catching a deserter to meet his friends, drink and party, even though he so obviously disagrees with what is happening. He would be criticised and punished by his senior, and likely his senior’s seniors, for disrespecting someone of a higher rank- even if Joon Ho was right. However after the deserter commits suicide, Joon Ho badly assaults his partner, and even though his partner is of a senior status, Joon Ho isn’t punished too harshly. Because someone died. No one cared that Joon Ho was right and his partner was wrong until the soldier died.

It was well written but just so hopeless

There were similar moments throughout the show, and it was all tied back with the last arc as well. Many people knew about the terrible situation Suk Bong was in. But no one went to act on it until Suk Bong went to kill his tormenter. Everyone in the military was content to let Suk Bong get bullied because his life wasn’t in any immediate danger. ‘Sucks for him’ they all thought as they continue on with their lives. It was only when Jang Soo’s life was in danger that people around Suk Bong started to act. Suddenly all these people were acknowledging the terrible things Suk Bong went through were wrong.

I mean, look at that cinematography tho

 Suddenly reporting Jang Soo becomes an option. Because people only care once somebody dies. Throughout the show there were plenty of opportunities for others to step in and try and make a difference. There were plenty of moments where each of the deserters could have been diverted to a happier, less violent path. But no one wanted to break the status quo. Each and every character at some point just chose to grit their teeth and try and get through it. Even our main three characters of the D.P unit. While they undoubtably did more than anyone else even though they were under tremendous pressure from the higher ups, a part of them was always happy to retire away to the D.P quarters where they could hide from the harassment and assault for a time. Each and every character in this show failed Suk Bong, and the drama as a whole was a gradual display on how every single opportunity to correct the situation was missed because no one really cared enough to try. The acting was phenomenal from each and every person in this show. I can’t imagine it was an easy cast to be a part of- I don’t see days on set being particularly fun. But every actor brought huge emotional range and really sold the story being told. 

What Was Great:

Emotions:

The emotions of every single actor and character were portrayed to perfection in this show. Did it make it nice to watch? Not really, but I have to give credit where it is due- the actors were able to bring emotion out of the audience. A lot rode on Jung Hae In’s performance and he really delivered.

Gu Gyo Hwan brought the only thing that even felt close to light-heartedness

It was draining to watch the show- I can’t even imagine how difficult it must have been for the actors to bring that emotion time and time again while they were filming. Joon Ho and Suk Bong felt like relatable characters (and that’s probably why the drama was so hard to watch), and Jung Hae In and Cho Hyun Chul really allowed the viewers insight into all their conflicting emotions and thoughts, and whatever they felt, the audience felt.

What Wasn’t:

So Bleak:

I did not enjoy watching this show. I was conflicted giving it a 7 because it’s not bad- acting, writing, directing, cinematography, music choices, flow- everything was done astoundingly well. But I didn’t like watching the episodes. 

It made you feel a bit icky watching this show

If this is truly how things are in the Korean army I can see why it’s a story that needs to be told, but good grief it’s depressing. I finished because I am a completionist and I don’t like leaving dramas unfinished, but honestly if this had been much more than 6 episodes I don’t think I would have made it. It’s just six hours of showcasing the absolute worst in people. And it’s not like they were evil men either. The villains of this story were just regular men who were sons, brothers, friends and fathers. They weren’t pressured or coerced into being incredibly cruel- they just were when the opportunity presented itself. There are scenes that are confronting and hard to watch and there are very few happier or more lighthearted scenes to balance it out. I get what the show was going for, but I don’t think it needed to be as horrifically depressing as it was. 

Recommend?

Look, I wouldn’t really recommend this drama. Not unless you like being depressed.

Can't say I'll be tuning in for Season 2...

Pretty Noona Who Buys Me Food

Pretty Noona Who Buys Me Food

5.5/10

Pretty Noona Who Buys Me Food

Genre:                                                 Episodes: 16                                    Year: 2018

Romance

Melodrama

Synopsis:

Yoon Jin Ah is a woman in her 30s who is pressured by her mother to marry a wealthy man from a good family. Instead, Jin Ah starts spending time with Seo Joon Hee, her younger brother’s friend who has come back to Korea after working abroad.

Cast:

Son Ye Jin (Yoon Jin Ah)

Jung Hae In (Seo Joon Hee)

Jang So Yeon (Seo Kyung Sun)

Wi Ha Joon (Yoon Seung Ho)

Oh Man Suk (Yoon Sang Ki)

Kil Hae Yeon (Kim Mi Yeon)

Oh Ryong (Lee Gyu Min)

Jeong Eu Gene (Kang Se Young)

Seo Jung Yeon (Jung Young In)

Park Hyuk Kwon (Nam Ho Gyun)

General Thoughts:

Ohhhhh, this drama. What it could have been. What it wasn’t. What it was. What it should have been. I don’t even know where to begin with this show- it was so good for so long and then went downhill very far and very rapidly.

I can't even tell you how long it's taken to get this review done

Even though for most of its run the show was super sweet and fun, looking back I’m really struggling to remember what I enjoyed about it. Jung Hae In is an obvious point, and he was always on point. His acting is amazing, and this was no let down. Being a noona-slaying puppy suits him remarkably well, and his sweet smiles and come-hither eyes didn’t go to waste.

Spot on casting

More than being simply charming (which just comes naturally to that boy), Jung Hae In really nailed the troubles of a younger man. His playfulness worked wonders when he was charming his noona, but it was his heart-broken faces when Jin Ah was struggling and his subtly shaken confidence that really sold him as a young man trying to be man enough for an older woman. Son Ye Jin was brilliant too. All her emotions were very raw and real, and she completely sold the character. While I didn’t necessarily like Jin Ah all the time, or even understand her, Son Ye Jin convinced me that Jin Ah always believed what she was doing was right. I got annoyed at her, I got frustrated with her, but I never thought she was acting like an unrealistic person. Both Son Ye Jin and Jung Hae In were so in sync with their characters that it was very hard to separate the actors from the characters. They became Jin Ah and Joon Hee for those whole 16 episodes, and never once broke character. Every expression, action and reaction they made fit in perfectly with the idea of their character that I had developed in my head, as if these were two people I knew really well for quite a long time.

What I wouldn't give to actually have known that boy for a long time. Or a short time. Any time at all really.

The supporting cast were all excellent as well, with each of them giving authentic performances and making me believe that these characters were real, lived in people. Kil Hae Yoon and Jang So Yeon were particular standouts, with Kil Hae Yoon able to make me completely loathe her character, without ever coming across as a gimmicky villain or two-dimensional evil K-Drama mother.

I think we can all agree that Jin Ah wins the award for worst friend ever

Jang So Yeon completely stole my heart as Kyung Sun, Joon Hee’s lovely older sister, and for me was one of the most emotional aspects of the show. Jang So Yeon was perfect as the quirky best friend, reliable older sister, and finally the jilted sister-in-law. Jang So Yeon embodied Kyung Sun’s struggle with seeing her friend date her younger brother, and perfectly balanced her love for her friend and protectiveness of her sibling. The characters themselves were all written extremely well. While the actors definitely contributed a lot to bringing these characters to life, you can’t deny that they were written as very authentically flawed people. All the characters reacted in ways that an actual person might react, and that brought a great sense of realism to the show. The drama itself was pretty low on conflict, with most of the issues being based on the characters responses, actions, and interactions. This is both a good and a bad thing. It’s good in the way that it makes our characters seem like very real people and not simply figments of someone’s imagination, but it’s bad in that it usually means that one of our characters is the reason things are going pear shaped.

The two biggest causes of conflict right there

This worked well when the people of conflict existed outside of our main couple (eg. Mum, work colleges, crazy ex), but started becoming more problematic when the issue causing person was part of our main couple (eg. Jin Ah). This sort of conflict can work really well for a short period of time, such as in a short series or in a movie, but after an extended period of time it became a bit tiresome, and I was left wondering why our couple couldn’t just be relaxed and happy the way they were in the beginning.

If it ain't this cute, I don't wanna see it

The only other real conflict in the series was the sexual harassment plot going on in Jin Ah’s workplace. Which frankly confused the hell out of me. It seemed like the CEO was the one trying to get to the bottom of the issue and solve it once and for all, only to have him turn his back on the girls who spoke out about it halfway through. All the switching sides and lying and trying to get the better of each other could have made for an interesting and confronting topic, but as it was delegated to the back seat while Jin Ah and Joon Hee had their multiple falling outs, it didn’t really get the attention it was needing to be a properly fleshed out arc, so the conclusion was rushed and left me feeling completely baffled as to how it all got sorted out in the end. Seriously, I’m not kidding. I have literally no idea how that situation was resolved with Jin Ah getting a promotion. None. To put it simply, the writer was excellent at creating believable, emotional characters, but was poor at putting these characters into a story that was interesting, engaging, and didn’t make me want to punch them. 

What Was Great:

All That Love:

Something really magical was going on in the first half of this show. The leads had the kind of chemistry that left you with butterflies in your stomach and going to bed feeling high as a kite. The joy of a noona romance comes from the insecurity the age change makes in the male lead. Had he been interested in anyone else, Joon Hee would have just jumped right in, no questions asked.

I am insanely jealous

Something about seeing a smooth ladies man become riddled with uncertainty because the girl he likes is older is something that is always magic on screen. Then of course comes all the cute where the male lead acts adorable and very much like a donsaeng in order to get close and spend time with his noona.

I don't think anyone is oblivious to how good looking Jung Hae In is

Where I’ve found a couple of noona romances stumble, is that the noona tends to be completely oblivious to the fact that a handsome, albeit younger, guy is head over heels for her. What ‘Pretty Noona’ did really well is that Jin Ah was not oblivious to how attractive, charming, and downright wonderful Joon Hee was. She was put on guard by him being younger and a bit of a Casanova, but she didn’t ignore that he was an attractive man. Because let’s be real- no matter how old women get, we still know an good looking dude when we see one. And even Grandmas would look at Jung Hae In and know that was one fine piece of work. So the donsaeng-noona dynamic was there, but it was always undercut with a current of attraction. The attraction was just burdened by what their friends, family, and society would think. Things just got better and better when the romance actually kicked into gear, and I was loving every interaction between the leads. I cannot tell you how much I adored the scene where Jin Ah secretly grabbed Joon Hee’s hand under the table- I think that small confirmation was my favourite scene in the whole drama.

When they were cute they were very, very cute

When Joon Hee and Jin Ah were loved up, boy were they loved up. The chemistry between Jung Hae In and Son Ye Jin was absolutely explosive. It’s hard to believe that these two actors weren’t completely lost in adoration with each other the way their characters were (though who knows, maybe they were)- they just made the relationship so charming, so believable, and very, very steamy. When people tried to interfere (and by people I mean Mum), the two would retreat back into the sanctuary that was Joon Hee’s apartment and get totally lost in their own world, that we all wish we could get in to.

Pretty steamy for a K-Drama

The romance and the chemistry was the sort where you feel happy just watching- you don’t have to be a part of it, but there's something so delightful and pure about people just genuinely liking each other that much, that it becomes comforting just being in their presence. 

What Wasn’t:

The Whole Second Half:

So basically all that delicious, warm, wonderful stuff that the drama did in it’s first half that I mentioned above- yeah, there’s hardly any of that in the second half. Sure, the chemistry is still there, but that innocent, sweet feeling of genuine love gets totally trampled.

Quit taking him for granted, girl

In the first half, the conflicts in the drama were mainly external- Jin Ah’s issues at work, and her Mum’s complete rejection of Joon Hee and dismissal of Jin Ah. However, as we start to move into the second half, the conflicts in the drama become much more internal. Mainly, Jin Ah. As conflict starts cropping up in the main romance, Jin Ah’s response is to either ignore it, or lie about it. Yeah, doesn’t take a genius to figure out that won’t end well. But what really drove me nuts and made the second half excruciating to get through is that Jin Ah never learned. She lied to Joon Hee about meeting his father- which was a totally ridiculous, self-absorbed, insensitive thing to do. Then she blew up at Joon Hee for getting angry at her, and completely failed to see why he might not love the idea of her trying to bring his estranged father back into his life. She lies about moving out and a whole bunch of other, unnecessary stuff, all under the guise that she doesn’t want Joon Hee to worry.

Their fights stressed me out

I guess it kind of shows a new issue in a noona romance where the noona shoulders all the burden and worry because she’s older and doesn’t want anything troubling her younger man- because there’s always this idea of protection with age. Whoever is older must protect whoever is younger. But that doesn’t work in a relationship. All that Jin Ah’s lying does is prove that she doesn’t trust Joon Hee as an equal in their relationship.

I'd feel bad, but you totally did this to yourself

She doesn’t think he’s capable of handling in the same burdens that she can, and so she constantly pushes him away. Which isn’t healthy for any relationship. And every time Joon Hee takes her aside, explains why he’s upset and how Jin Ah treated him badly, and every time Jin Ah looks cute and he forgives her. Only for her to do the exact same thing again moments later. It was a painful cycle that was doomed to fail. And it did. Through Jin Ah’s selfishness she ripped Joon Hee’s confidence and self-respect apart, the couple broke up, Jin Ah lost her closest friend, and she grew distant from her family. Yeah, not a lot of good there. And while all this is going on, the sexual harassment case at Jin Ah’s workplace is turning against the females and it’s all looking pretty bleak. Then there’s a massive time skip where we essentially learn that Jin Ah has not learned from her relationship with Joon Hee, as she’s exactly where she was at the start of the series. Somehow the work issue has been resolved (who knows how), and Jin Ah is in a relationship with an older guy who treats her like dirt. She meets Joon Hee again, they have a big blowout and then they’re back together. Yeah, what.

I actually think this is a pretty accurate depiction of a toxic relationship...

The issues that came up in this relationship were not issues that time on its own could correct. The show gave me no confidence that Joon Hee and Jin Ah could learn to communicate effectively and trust each other as equals, and instead just threw them back together in an explosion of chemistry. And what we’ve spent half this show watching is the fact that chemistry is not enough to keep a relationship going.

She was always sorry that she hurt him, but always failed to see how

I have zero faith that Jin Ah has stopped being self-centred, and no faith that this couple will work out in the long run. Jin Ah’s complete inability to think of people other than herself, and her constant and unnecessary lying to Joon Hee is what tore them apart so violently previously, and the show made no moves to show how she has changed and grown as a person. Jin Ah was always very good at admitting her mistakes, but she never learned from them. She made the same bad decisions time after time, and hurt Joon Hee every single time. Joon Hee was always very good at forgiving Jin Ah, but the two were never able to fully see eye-to-eye about what their issues were. All Jin Ah saw was that something she did hurt Joon Hee, but she could never really piece together exactly what that was because she was far too self-absorbed to actually see the situation from Joon Hee’s perspective. So that really left Joon Hee no choice but to forgive her constantly, because the only other option is to break up. Which is an inevitable conclusion. The relationship between Joon Hee and Jin Ah can only last as long as Joon Hee can bear being beaten down by Jin Ah’s selfish and reckless actions that she can never see the consequences for.

Communication and understanding- still zero

So in my eyes, their reconciliation at the end of the series will be a short one, and one month or one year later when Joon Hee realises that nothing has changed and that they're still in the same cycle of hurt and self-destruction, this couple will fall apart again. 

Recommend?

Sure, if you like feeling stressed and depressed. Otherwise no.

Takes you to the highest highs just to crash you to the lowest lows

Smart Prison Living

Smart Prison Living

9.5/10

Smart Prison Living

Genre:                                                Episodes: 16                                     Year: 2018

Comedy

Melodrama

Synopsis:

Star baseball pitcher, Kim Je Hyuk, is sentenced to one year in prison after assaulting a sexual assailant. He must adapt to living in jail with other inmates and the prison guards.

Cast:

Park Hae Soo (Kim Je Hyuk)

Jung Kyung Ho (Lee Joon Ho)

Krystal (Kim Ji Ho)

Lim Hwa Young (Kim Je Hee)

Choi Moo Sung (Kim Min Chul)

Jung Woong In (Officer Paeng)

Lee Kyu Hyung (Yoo Han Yang)

Jung Hae In (Yoo Jung Woo)

Park Ho San (Kaist)

Jung Min Sung (Dr Ko)

Ahn Chang Hwan (Crony)

Kang Ki Doong (Officer Song)

Kang Seung Yoon (Jean Valjean)

Park Hyung Soo (Officer Na)

Kim Sung Cheol (Jailbird)

Kim Kyung Nam (Lee Joon Dol)

General Thoughts:

I love this drama, and there’s not a single thing I’d change about it. And I’m bloody picky, so you know that’s a big compliment right there. It’s the magic director-writer combo from ‘Reply 1997’ (and ’94 and ’88), and at this point I really think they can do no wrong.

I love this writer-PD combo and I love their dramas

The writer is an amazing and rare talent, and her dramas make me want to meet her in real life. To come up with such beautifully crafted stories with such real and raw emotion, Lee Woo Jung must be one interesting and intelligent lady. The director at her side is Shin Won Ho and boy have these two just learned how to work in sync.

From high school kids to men in prison

Shin Won Ho takes the story and fills it with life and flavour. He knows the exact emotional beats that the writer is aiming for and manipulates all aspects of filmmaking in order to bring that emotion to the audience. While I do admit that I’ve been waiting excitedly for the next ‘Reply’ instalment from these two, now that I’ve watched ‘Smart Prison Living’ I’m glad they deviated away from their hit franchise for a time. It’s not that the followup ‘Reply’ series weren’t good (because they were), but as they all worked around the same genre and the same type of characters (eg. hilarious, spunky female youth for a heroine), we all knew a little bit about what to expect. It’s not that we didn’t enjoy it simply because it was what we expected, but it is nice to be wowed every now and then. ‘Smart Prison Living’ proves that this writer-director combo aren’t a one-trick pony, and can work different characters in different settings into a compelling story about love, life and hardship. Backing up the fantastic writing and directing was an absolutely stellar cast. ‘Smart Prison Living’ differentiates itself from the ‘Reply’ series, and most other K-Dramas, but not exactly having one cast the entire way through.

There were so many characters to love 

The whole show is a revolving door of characters who come and go as we walk with Je Hyuk through his prison journey. Our one constant is Park Hae Soo as our leading man. I’ve only seen him in ‘Legend of the Blue Sea’, and I won’t lie, I don’t even remember him in it. This is another thing I love about this writer-director combo- they take actors who fit the role regardless of if they don’t have a lot of working credits or a wide fanbase.

How can that pudding haircut suit your character so perfectly?

While Park Hae Soo was unremarkable in ‘LOTBS’, I found him completely unforgettable here. He showed how Je Hyuk’s humility and calm nature mostly resulted due to him not exactly being the smartest prisoner in the cell. His naivety and vagueness often made for some hilarious moments, and Park Hae Soo was able to deliver these aspects of his character perfectly, without ever making Je Hyuk seem plain dumb. Sure, he was a little slow, but he’d get there eventually. However, on the other side of the coin, Park Hae Soo could really turn cold when Je Hyuk snapped. It was a subtle difference in facial expression and a whole change in body language that easily alerted us as to when Je Hyuk was riled and likely to do something impulsive. While his slow side tended to make the humour, Je Hyuk’s anger is where a lot of the emotion in the series came from. Je Hyuk had two extremes- completely calm or completely furious. Rarely did Je Hyuk get furious, but it was always interesting and compelling when he did, because so often it was for someone other than himself, which is ultimately what made him such a loveable and endearing character. He would listen all day to people insult him or push him around, but when that contemptuous attention was turned on someone Je Hyuk cared about, such as his cellmates, he was likely to snap completely.

I kinda loved when Je Hyuk got angry

Park Hae Soo could shift between these two sides of his character wonderfully, and did so believably. It always felt like Je Hyuk snapping was the stick that broke the camel’s back rather than Je Hyuk being schizophrenic. Jung Kyung Ho played our hero’s best friend and constant supporter. I’ve seen him in some of his previous works and loved him. He brings a wonderful energy to his characters and just has that charming charisma that makes you like him, and whatever character he’s playing.

Jung Kyung Ho is always delightful

Joon Ho was an interesting character as while he was nice and morally upstanding, he didn’t exactly radiate compassion for the inmates. While he never took advantage of his role as a guard or treated the inmates disrespectfully, he always gave off the vibe that he didn’t trust any of the prisoners, and avoided investing in them emotionally, unlike our other main guard Officer Paeng.

Nothing beats a bromance

Joon Ho was the halfway point between the authorities and the disciplined. He went by the rules, and didn’t take anyone’s side. Except for Je Hyuk. Which is where we start to really love Joon Ho. Despite being a rather strict guard and going by the book at work, Joon Ho does whatever he can to make Je Hyuk’s prison life that little bit smoother. He goes out of his way to ensure his friend’s safety- both physically and emotionally. Jung Kyung Ho brought a sweetly playful side out of his character when he was alone with Je Hyuk and gave him just enough empathy while maintaining his character’s rather minimal-investment personality. Jung Woong In was insanely dynamic as Officer Paeng. His character was one that was introduced and explored slowly in the early stages of the drama, but the more we got to know him, the more endearing he became. Officer Paeng was the depiction of rough-around-the-edges, but no one could deny that he wanted the best for the inmates in his care. Officer Paeng didn’t assume the inmates were bad people the way the rest of the world did, and saw them for who they were rather than their crimes.

Talk about a character with layers

He might have been lazy in some aspects of his job, but that carefree attitude is what made him so approachable to the inmates, and was a great facade for his caring nature, as he would often help the inmates out under the guise of not caring, when in actuality he cared more than almost anyone. He was one of the characters that gave the most emotional punches, as each time another snippet of his story was told it served to reveal what a kind-hearted man he was-

Sweet and fun and so, so sad

such as his extreme guilt and grief after following procedure and losing some inmates in a fire. Jung Woong In is a mighty fine actor, and I loved the gruff charm he brought to his character. As he’s an actor that’s played a range of characters in the past, I wasn’t sure if he was going to be a likeable character or not. But boy did he know how to reveal his character’s squishy marshmallow heart in the sweetest ways. There’s so many side characters that it really would be impossible (well not really, just super long and hard) to mention them all so I’ll try to restrain myself. I thought a particular standout was Lee Kyu Hyung, who gave 100% to his druggie character, and managed to make him fun without being ridiculous. A lot of the humour in our main cell came from Han Yang’s antics, and Lee Kyu Hyung gave him such a wonderful air of rich-boy superiority paired with just the right amount of vagueness from his withdrawal. His goofy character kind of made you let your guard down, so that when he actually came to deliver an emotional scene it was like a punch in the gut. Han Yang definitely had one of the sadder stories, with his desperation to have strong self-control, but always tending to fall at the last hurdle.

Poor Han Yang came so close to kicking his habit

I think Lee Kyu Hyung hit a perfect balance of showing just how much Han Yang wanted to break free from his addiction, but also how hard the struggle really was. For people who’ve never been addicted to anything it’s so easy to criticise his relapses and his choices, but Lee Kyu Hyung clearly and brilliantly expressed Han Yang’s disgust at his own inability to beat his addiction. His love-line was handled delicately and was awfully bitter sweet.

My poor broken heart

It was sad to see the relationship that had been so tentatively built fall to ruin. Knowing that homosexuality isn’t exactly widely accepted in South Korea, I did appreciate the addition. It didn’t feel like Han Yang was just gay for gay’s sake, but it felt like a genuine part of his character and played a large hand in shaping his story. It was also an interesting point to see how other characters reacted to discovering that Han Yang’s lover was actually a man, and not a girl as they thought. Some didn’t care at all, others were totally disgusted by it, and some were uncomfortable with it but learned to live with it because they cared about Han Yang and his happiness. The show did a good job at balancing the fun make-believe drama world with bites of reality, and Han Yang’s final decision to turn to drugs again, essentially throwing away his lover’s faith and trust, was definitely one of the darker moments in the drama. You just felt this awful drop of disappointment watching Han Yang’s boyfriend waiting in a cafe for Han Yang who would never come. It was in these quieter, sadder moments where the drama really grabbed your emotions, and the director knew exactly how much to show to create the biggest impact.

Your heart was either super warm super broken or racing super fast

Take the scene I mentioned above for example. We see Han Yang succumb to his temptation and get arrested again, but we never see him back inside a prison. We see his lover and his parents expecting his return, and are left with the lonely image of them waiting as we never see the moment they give up and go home. We were given just enough to know what was happening, but we were never over saturated with information.

Everyone's favourite hyung

The show never felt like it was looking for tears- it was just focused on telling its story complete with all its darker moments. It was the same for Min Chul- his repentance and regret paired with his life sentence made him such a lonely figure, particularly once he revealed that the young boys he mentored and looked out for in prison never came back to visit. And yet he continued looking out for these young kids and encouraged them to live honest lives. His relationship with Jean Valjean killed me, and my heart really dropped when Valjean didn’t come back to visit. However, Valjean’s rather late visitation plus parole plus Min Chul’s discovery of his delightful and very accepting daughter felt like a final glimmer of happiness after Min Chul’s long and lonesome stint in prison watching other inmates come and go. Despite the show’s very present bite of realism, it was these moments of happiness that made the drama feel extremely rewarding.

You will laugh and you will cry

Despite having rather miricle-like situations sprinkled throughout the show’s run (eg. such as Je Hyuk learning to pitch with his other arm, Min Chul’s daughter finding him, soldiers deciding to testify for Jung Woo’s retrial), the equally bleak moments

Yoo-Han combo was always fun

(eg. Han Yang falling back into drugs, Kaist’s son not wanting to see him again), meant the show was able to maintain a very realistic feel without becoming too dark. All the cast members seemed to be having a really good time on set, and they all seemed to get along with each other really well. The brilliant acting from them all definitely made the series better, but what made it really stand out is the comradery between all the actors. I think it must be much easier to give a heartfelt, convincing performance when you really enjoy working with the people around you, and the humorous scenes felt that much more hilarious because all the actors were obviously having so much fun filming. I know we hear a lot about how hard it is working on K-Dramas, and I could be totally wrong here, but it felt like everyone involved (staff and actors) were really invested in making a wonderful production and tried their best to help each other out, and that really carried across into the viewing experience.     

What Was Great:

Basically Everything:

There’s no one aspect of this drama that stands out as being amazing, but rather the combination of all its parts that make it such a wonderful experience. Admittedly, at the heart of this drama there was Je Hyuk, and this drama definitely wouldn’t have been what is was without him.

Definition of handsome idiot

He was the perfect character to centre this show around, as his celebrity status was something that worked both for and against him. It would have been hard to get into this drama if the main character hadn’t been instantly likeable- and with him being in prison he obviously needed to break the law, which makes you wonder how you would get the audience to like this man who is a criminal. 

You can't blame him

By using Je Hyuk’s fame and having authorities want to make a show of treating celebrities ‘fairly’ (by rather unfairly convicting him of aggravated assault), it ensured that he remained a character we could root for. His unfortunate conviction became a hurdle for him to overcome, and we could cheer him on through it. A part of Je Hyuk’s character I really enjoyed is that he wasn’t just a dedicated sportsman ready to beat the odds and get his career back. In a lot of uplifting movies and shows, the main character has an unfaltering determination and that unwavering faith and steadfast determination are what make them succeed in unfavourable circumstances. As strange as it sounds, I loved that Je Hyuk gave up. When things got hard and one thing after another went wrong, I appreciated that Je Hyuk got angry, cursed the world and threw in the towel. After a shoulder-injuring accident in his youth, stomach cancer, getting sent to prison, and getting stabbed in the shoulder, it just felt painfully and endearingly humane for Je Hyuk to give up.

I mean really- dude's had a tough run

And I loved that he people around him supported that choice. We’re doused with so much ‘if you fall, get back up’ and ‘hardship is the road to success’ that it felt wonderfully refreshing to have a drama say that it’s okay to quit. Because the truth is, while trying as much as you can for as long as you can is a good way to live, the fact is that sometimes things don’t work out, and it’s okay to quit.

We just want our hero to be happy

Sure, Je Hyuk picked himself back up with the support of his friends and family and inmates and worked hard to play baseball again, but I liked that he was furious with the unjustness of it all (and not just a saint of forgiveness and perseverance), and took time to walk away, explore other options, and figure out what he really wanted. He really was the perfect character to star in this uniquely charming show.

What Wasn’t:

Nothing?:

A drama has to be pretty darn good for me to not find fault with it (finding shortcomings is something I’m particularly good at), but there wasn’t anything glaringly obvious in ‘Smart Prison Living’ that hindered the show.

Admittedly, this face does increase my attention span

I stand by my opinion that no drama really needs to have episodes that go over an hour (my attention span is only so long), but I found that the 90 minute episodes weren’t really that much of a problem here. The plot didn’t really have an episodic format, so the story just flowed smoothly from start to finish, breaking where it did because we can’t (or shouldn’t) just sit down and watch the whole thing straight. Because I watch shows after they air, and because of the nature of this drama’s story, I really watched it at my leisure pausing whenever, and watching as much as I could whenever I could. I suppose the length of the episodes would have bothered me more if I had to take a huge chunk of time out of my day and watch a whole episode, rather than watching hours and hours on the weekend with intermittent 30 minutes here and there during the week. I also thought the transition of Je Hyuk from the initial detention centre to the prison was super weird. At the end of one episode Je Hyuk’s getting stabbed and at the beginning of the next he’s in a new facility with new cellmates and I had no clue what was going on, and actually wondered if I’d somehow missed an episode. Pretty small complaints overall. 

Recommend?

Yes, yes, yes. This drama is a beautiful and heartfelt show, and I guarantee that you won’t regret watching it.

This drama was hard to say goodbye to